Chapter 049

"I always knew that in time you'd be seen as the dead last that you are Naruto," Sasuke mocked arrogantly, "In fact you're worst. At least the real dead last was given a team. I can't believe that what befell you just now came at a most fitting occasion."

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a tempting desire to throw the kunai at Sasuke's direction when…

'Don't lose your temper Naruto,' Yondaime warned, 'It's exactly what that fool is trying to get you to do! Don't stoop to his level! I'm very sure that Tsunade has a very good reason for this unexpected arrangement. She is the Hokage and knowing her, she wouldn't do anything without first looking at everything from every angle possible. It would be in your best interest to discuss the matter with her and not do something reckless that you'd later regret! Don't give Sasuke the satisfaction of getting a desired reaction out of you!'

Those words from his sealed father served to calm Naruto down as he placed his kunai back in its compartment in his pants. The anger once present on Naruto's face cooled down as he took a couple of breaths to calm himself down. Hinata and Ino looked at Sasuke with contempt. They couldn't understand what Sakura and the other girls saw in that jerk.

"Was there anything else you were told Iruka-sensei," Naruto asked with coolness. Iruka was surprised that Naruto managed to calm down and not retaliate against Sasuke who insulted him openly in front of the class. Kiba and the rest of the students were expecting Naruto to lash out against Sasuke who insinuated that his mother finally saw her son as the idiot he always is. They were amazed that he did the complete opposite of what they expected him to do.

He managed to steam his anger enough to allow reasoning to take effect. It's surprising seeing the situation, seeing Naruto's calming demeanor, Iruka continued, "The Hokage explained that you'll be given a different kind of training as the first "Elite Genin" of the graduation class of Genins."

Naruto now had a surprised and puzzled expression on his face. The grin on Sasuke's face vanished on hearing that title given to Naruto.

"Elite Genin," Sasuke asked.

"That's right," Iruka replied, "Based on Naruto's records and assessment, he was given the new Elite Genin title and his training will be discussed with him with the Hokage after the other Genin teams were assigned."

The class couldn't believe what they were hearing and neither could Sasuke, who now looked outraged by this.

"How come Naruto gets special training and not Sasuke or anyone else," Sakura asked, "Is it because he's Tsunade-sama's son?"

"No Sakura," Iruka replied sternly, "Such favoritism would not be tolerated by this village's shinobi standards. It was a recommendation made by two village advisors and Sandaime-sama after they evaluated Naruto's and everyone else's records here. All of you were selected and assigned to specific specialized teams based on your capabilities which your Jounin instructors will explain to you all in more detail after they arrive here a little later today."

"Is there more for us to know," Naruto asked. Iruka looked at the young Genin and simply smiled at the blonde haired kid, as he had unknowingly wormed his way into the teacher's once hardened heart. Naruto didn't gloat about his own accomplishments or that he outdid Sasuke, and he wasn't egotistical.

"For them yes," Iruka smiled, "But as for you, you may leave now to discuss your new training with the Hokage in person. There's nothing more for me to tell you except good luck and congratulations on receiving the honorary title as Elite Genin. Believe me when I say that you've earned it Naruto."

"Thank you," Naruto said as he left his desk and started walking from his desk towards the door. The class watched as Naruto calmly exited the class before closing the door behind him and leaving his cut off hair on his desk. After he left the classroom, one of the girls in the class remembering the slashed off hair Naruto left behind said, "I want Naruto's beautiful golden locks!"

The girl rose off her seat and ran to grab the pile of hair on the desk when another girl came up and attempted to grab the slashed blond hair, "Hands off hussy! They're mine!"

"No they're mine," a third girl yelled as they and a couple of other girls minus Sakura, Ino and Hinata started arguing about who gets to keep Naruto's once long hair. Sasuke looked at the bickering girls in disgust, wondering how females like them ever made it as Genins. He was surprised that neither Hinata or Ino started arguing with the other girls about keeping something as useless as Naruto's hair. Iruka and the other boys in the class room sweat-dropped at the scene.

"Fangirls are so troublesome," Shikamaru commented, "They argue and fight over the most trivial of nonsense!"

That's just stupid, inner Sakura said, I can't believe they're fighting over something as dumb as Naruto's hair. Now if it were Sasuke's hair, then that would have been something worth fighting over and winning!

(At The Hokage Tower)

Tsunade was doing some paperwork when…

"Kaa-chan," Naruto said as he entered the office with Shizune behind him. Tsunade looked up from her desk to see her son looking at her with a straight face. She was taken by surprise to see that his hair was cut short by a razor of some sort, although a bit sloppily.

"What happened to your hair," Tsunade asked.

"I was in need of a new style after coming from the academy," came Naruto reply.

"I take it that you found out that you weren't assigned to a Genin team," Tsunade said.

"That's for sure," Naruto retorted, "If anything, I was really hoping to be paired with either Hinata or Ino. In truth I was hoping to have been teamed with both of them!"

Tsunade sighed as the rubbed her temples. She suspected that Naruto was going to react like this.

"Naruto," Tsunade said calmly, "I know that you're upset at me and Sandaime-sama for not assigning you to a Genin team, but you must see the bigger picture."

Naruto knew his mother; she only uses his full name when she's about to discuss something of high importance or if he was being scolded for something. Since he wasn't being scolded, he saw that whatever she was going to say was important.

"Yes Kaa-chan," Naruto asked calmly, "What's this bigger picture seeing that I'm in the dark about all this? I would like to be enlightened please."

Tsunade, happy that her son was rational, explained, "Sarutobi-sensei and his two former teammates assisted in arranging the Genin teams. Seeing the students who graduated at the academy this year, he, Homura, Koharu and I divided them in a way to create specialized teams of ninjas. Team 7 is to be specialized as an attack unit, Team 8 is to be specialized as a reconnaissance unit, and Team 10 is to be specialized as an investigation unit."

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