Naruto: The Medical God

As Shin walked down the familiar roads of the Hidden Leaf Village, the morning sun cast a golden glow over the bustling streets. By his side, Ayaka walked with a noticeable spring in her step, her excitement barely contained. The academy was just ahead, marking the start of a new chapter in their lives.

"Shin," Ayaka spoke up, her voice carrying a mix of anticipation and nervous energy. "Today's the day… the day we finally start our journey as ninjas."

Shin glanced at her, noting the determination in her gaze. She was always energetic, but today, there was something more—something resolute.

"Yeah," he replied simply, his usual composed tone contrasting with her enthusiasm.

Ayaka nodded, then hesitated for a moment before continuing, her voice growing a little softer. "We're gonna be placed into teams today…" She paused, fidgeting slightly with the hem of her sleeve. "Do you think… we'll be on the same one?"

Shin blinked at her, momentarily caught off guard by the hopeful look she was giving him. He hadn't really thought about team placements much—at least, not in the way Ayaka clearly had.

"I guess it depends on how they organize things," he said after a moment, keeping his tone neutral.

Ayaka's lips pursed slightly. "That's not an answer."

Shin exhaled through his nose, rubbing the back of his head. "Well… I wouldn't mind," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual.

Ayaka's face brightened instantly, her nervousness giving way to a beaming smile. "Really?!"

Shin looked away, feeling an odd warmth creeping up his neck. "I mean… you're reliable... I know I can count on you. So, yeah."

Ayaka giggled. "Well, I wouldn't mind either. It'd be nice to have someone I actually trust on my team."

Shin felt a strange flutter in his chest at her words but quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on the academy coming into view. Today was the beginning of a new chapter, and whether they ended up together or not, it was bound to be interesting.

...

Shin sighed as he and Ayaka stepped into the academy, only to be met with the all-too-familiar sound of bickering.

Just ahead, Naruto and Sasuke were standing toe-to-toe, their argument already drawing the attention of some of their classmates.

"How did a loser like you even manage to become a ninja?" Sasuke said, his arms crossed, his voice carrying that same cool arrogance he always had.

"I told you already! I became a ninja because I was strong enough!" Naruto shot back, his voice rising with frustration.

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah, yeah… as if."

Naruto clenched his fists, his irritation bubbling over. "Then do you want to have a go right now?! I'll beat you u—"

"Geez, you two never stop, huh?"

Naruto and Sasuke turned their heads to see Shin approaching, Ayaka walking beside him. His emerald eyes flickered with amusement as he glanced between them.

Naruto huffed. "Shin! Tell this bastard that I really became a ninja fair and square!"

Sasuke scoffed, crossing his arms. "As if I'd believe anything from someone like him."

Shin raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Someone like him? You mean someone who was actually about to beat your ass yesterday?" His tone was casual, but the underlying jab was clear.

Sasuke's eye twitched slightly, though he didn't immediately reply.

Ayaka, sensing the brewing tension, sighed and crossed her arms. "Ugh, you two are so impossible. Just forgive each other already!"

"Forgive?" Shin let out a short laugh. "That'd mean I actually have to admit I did something wrong."

Sasuke scoffed again, looking away. "Tch. As if I'd ever forgive this bastard."

Ayaka sighed again. "You two are so childish."

Sasuke turned toward the classroom, clearly deciding the conversation wasn't worth continuing. "Hmph. Whatever. Just don't embarrass yourselves when we get our teams."

Naruto huffed but followed after him. Ayaka shot Shin a look before shaking her head in amusement.

With that, they stepped inside the classroom, ready for the next step in their journey as ninjas.

...

The jonin senseis came one after the other, calling out their assigned genin and leading them out of the classroom. One by one, the students dwindled, their futures unfolding as they followed their new mentors.

Then, the door creaked open once more.

A man stepped inside—a jonin with dark blue hair and equally dark blue eyes. His expression was one of mild annoyance, his posture slightly slouched, as if he would rather be anywhere else but here. He held a small piece of paper in his hands, glancing at it with a look of mild disinterest.

"So, who's Hamada Shin…" he began, but then paused, squinting at the next name as if trying to decipher an ancient script.

Shin raised an eyebrow as he observed the man. His first impression? He didn't look like much. Certainly not someone impressive.

'So that will be my sensei? He doesn't look like much really…' Shin thought, arms crossed.

The man finally managed to make sense of the next name. "Mori Ayaka…" he read, his tone just as unenthusiastic.

Before he could move on, Ayaka let out a gasp before practically bouncing on her feet.

"Shin! Shin! We are on the same team! Isn't that great?" she said, her eyes shining with excitement.

Shin smirked at her enthusiasm before casually raising a hand and flicking her forehead.

"Ahi!" Ayaka yelped, rubbing the spot where he had flicked her. "What was that for?"

"You were getting too excited. You were practically shouting," Shin said calmly, though deep inside, he felt a strange warmth at the moment. He… liked this feeling.

"I was…" Ayaka blinked, her face slowly turning red as Shin's words sank in. "Shouting? Too excited…?" Her voice grew quieter as she realized how loudly she had reacted. She looked away, flustered, her cheeks burning.

The man furrowed his brow, squinting harder at the last name on the list as if the letters were rearranging themselves just to spite him.

"And… Shimura… Ryuuji?

To be continued...

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