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He made a note to have a word with his Jiji about the ones who had actually put in an effort. They didn't deserve to be bored out of their minds for another year if they failed because of their teammates being lazy!
Some of the welcome changes to the classroom mostly revolved around Sakura and Ino not getting into catfights at every possible opportunity…instead, they 'sparred' at least once a week, to the point that Iruka had to step in as referee. They weren't actually angry or hateful towards each other, but they did get out of hand 'exchanging pointers' with one another.
'At least they're half-decent at taijutsu now.' Naruto thought smugly. He shuddered at how easily he had beaten Sakura way back just after he'd gotten [The Gamer]. Now she was more than able to hold her own, although she could definitely use a taijutsu style that wasn't as widely known as the Hakage Style was.
"Alright class, quiet down." Iruka walked into the classroom with papers under his arm as always, which struck Naruto with a bit of sad nostalgia that he wouldn't see the man do that anymore.
Looking around the classroom at the faces of his latest students, the scarred chunin felt the familiar sadness of seeing his students move on. Of course, most would be back thanks to the tests administered by the jonin-sensei, but the ones who had the most potential out of all of them, the clan kids plus Sakura and Naruto, were the ones who he had interacted with and knew the most.
For a variety of reasons. (Read: Naruto and his pranks, Kiba, Chōji and Shikamaru joining him on occasion to bunk out of class, Sakura and Ino for fighting over Sasuke…that sort of thing)
"Now class, this is the last day you will be in this class, as you have all graduated." He started. "I am very proud of you, but unfortunately, new information has come to light regarding various members of staff altering the curriculum to allow more civilian students to pass."
The whispering started up, as expected. Shikamaru, despite his lazy posture, sharpened his gaze as he stared at Iruka, while most of the rest of the class looked surprised. There were two notable exceptions however; Sasuke looked angry, while Naruto was somewhat indifferent, already knowing about it from the Hokage.
"Quiet please." Iruka called out in a monotone. Once they settled down, he continued in a more lively tone. "I am unfortunately guilty of not noticing it happening, for which you all have my apologies. Due to the changes discovered, the Hokage has decreed that anyone who returns to the Academy following today shall be put through an intensive six-month catch-up course before being tested again. This is regardless of how many attempts you have had before now, so all of you repeaters can rest easy."
A couple of the civilian kids looked relieved.
"For those of you who remain a shinobi, the standard one squad model is being modified." The scarred chunin continued. "Due to the wide gap in what you have been taught to what you should have been taught, the teams will be grouped into a 'genin platoon' where you will cross train with each other's jonin-sensei to fill in the gaps of what you should have been taught. An older genin squad, the former Team 9, now called Team Gai, will also be included as they are the only genin squad active from last year's graduates. Questions? Shikamaru?"
"Exactly what have we not been taught?" the lazy boy drawled.
"To give an example, the only graduate in your class present who has blooded themselves against Chakra Mutations is Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka stated with a shrug. "The number of changes made to the curriculum is numerous and while some are obvious in hindsight, several were quite subtle. Those of you from a Clan shouldn't be in any need to worry; it is the civilian-born who are really affected by this interference."
"Was it the teachers who did it or were they bribed to do it?" the Nara Heir asked cynically.
"I am not at liberty to discuss it, Shikamaru." Iruka replied, before adding in a bland voice, "On a completely unrelated note, several prominent businessmen have been arrested as of a few hours ago. Whatever might they be accused of, I wonder?"
That got a few laughs from the kids, although a couple paled at the implication.
"Let's see…ah, yes." Iruka looked around at the students seriously. "The teams that you are currently being assigned are temporary and will be changed to better suit everyone's abilities once you are up to standard. The teams are currently dividing you by what you need help with most, be it taijutsu, genjutsu, ninjutsu or whatever your greatest weakness is currently. Please try to get along with whomsoever you are assigned with, as we emphasise teamwork here at the Academy for a reason."
There, that should be enough of a hint for them.
"I'll now start reading out your assigned teams. They aren't up for debate, nor can they be changed until the Hokage says otherwise, so no complaining…I'm looking at you, Kiba." Iruka said quellingly.
"What?" the Inuzuka said faux-innocently. Akamaru, sat on his head, yipped something that made the boy roll his eyes. "Whatever, Akamaru."
Shaking his head, the chunin started reading out a Team number, three student names followed by the name of a jonin. Most of the jonin-sensei were unknowns, so there was no reaction to their names.
'I wonder what Naruto's reaction will be to his sensei?' Iruka wondered.
Naruto tuned Iruka out once he started listing teams made up of civilians. His eyes wandered over the students who were named; most were around about the same level, with the three civilians who were Level 15 grouped together. If he were a betting man, Naruto would bet that they'd pass.
"…Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino, under Jonin Hatake Kakashi." Iruka announced. "Team 8: Hyūga Hinata, Akimichi Chōji and Nara Shikamaru, under Jonin Yūhi Kurenai. Team 9 is still on the rolls from last year…Team 10: Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino, under Sarutobi Asuma."
There were a variety of reactions to the teams. Sasuke merely grunted, while Kiba groaned and Shino adjusted his glasses. Hinata looked disappointed, while Chōji ate more snacks and Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered 'Troublesome' under his breath. Sakura and Ino simultaneously smacked themselves on their foreheads with a groan.
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