The next morning, inside a classroom at the Ninja Academy, Naruto slumped listlessly at his desk, heavy dark circles ringing his eyes. The sequel to "Young A-Ming" had been so captivating that he'd tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. He'd even projected the image of the gentle "cousin" onto Sakura.
Thinking about it, his face flushed again, and a smirk crept onto his lips.
As the sun rose, students began filing into the room. Among them was Sasuke Uchiha, who sat directly behind Naruto. He passed by and immediately caught sight of his classmate's idiotic expression.
Sasuke curled his lip in disdain. "Idiot."
As fellow Hidden Leaf orphans, Naruto was supposed to be a disgrace to them all.
Hearing the insult, Naruto turned with a displeased expression, staring right into Sasuke's arrogant, cold face. Recalling a scene from "Young A-Ming", he stared intently and asked, "Who are you calling an idiot?"
Seeing that Naruto was still asking, seemingly deaf to the obvious, Sasuke didn't hold back. "I'm calling you an idiot, you loser."
Naruto nodded seriously. "That's right. The idiot is calling me."
"..." Sasuke's face instantly darkened.
When had Naruto become so sharp-tongued? Usually, Sasuke was the one who got the better of him.
"You loser who only knows how to talk!" Sasuke shot back.
"An idiot who can't even speak properly!" Naruto fired back.
Crack!
For a moment, sparks seemed to fly between their gazes.
Choji Akimichi, who had been watching the whole thing while happily crunching on potato chips, grinned from ear to ear.
"Hahaha! Shikamaru Nara, look at Naruto! He's so funny today!"
This kind of battle between the top student and the underachiever was common, but usually, the top student won in the end. Today was different. The underachiever had actually silenced Sasuke.
Shikamaru, called out by Choji, leaned back with a sigh, clutching his head. "Here we go again. Is Sakura Haruno with the big forehead really that pretty?" He shook his head, then looked at Naruto with a probing gaze. "Besides, it's not certain who the top student is right now."
Shikamaru had heard about last night's events from his father. Being able to take down a chunin traitor showed that Naruto wasn't as weak as he appeared. At least, Shikamaru wasn't confident he could take down a chunin yet—escaping would have been a good outcome for him.
Just as the tension between Naruto and Sasuke was escalating, Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka rushed into the classroom. The two girls, as confrontational as ever, shouted that they had entered the classroom before each other. Behind them was Hinata Hyuga, looking timid.
Hinata had initially intended to mediate between the two girls, but upon seeing Naruto confronting Sasuke, her face flushed bright red. Forgetting all about the others, she ran back to her seat.
After exchanging a few words, Sakura and Ino also saw Naruto and Sasuke facing off. The two girls immediately stopped arguing and eagerly surrounded them, praising Sasuke while scolding Naruto. The result was that Naruto was furious, but Sasuke was even angrier. With the others egging them on, the classroom instantly became as noisy as a marketplace.
However, the noise quickly subsided. Iruka Umino entered the room flanked by two unfamiliar chunin teachers.
"Alright, everyone back to your seats," Iruka announced. "We'll begin this year's chunin graduation exams immediately."
Iruka glanced around the classroom. When his eyes landed on Naruto, they were filled with complex emotions, but ultimately, he ignored it, not offering the usual concern.
Hearing about the graduation exams, Naruto perked up. Finally, it was his turn to show off! He had learned an A-rank ninjutsu that even the chunin teachers didn't know!
"Sasuke, I'm sure my score will be higher than yours today! Believe it!" Naruto couldn't resist turning around to show off.
But all he got was Sasuke's reply: "Stop dreaming, idiot!"
However, the Uchiha's dismissive words had barely left his lips when Iruka's voice cut through the room, contradicting him instantly.
"First up, Naruto. Because he defeated a chunin, he passes the exam without taking it. Come up and collect your headband."
Iruka's words caused an uproar in the classroom.
"The bottom-of-the-barrel student actually defeated a chunin teacher?!"
"Pinch me, see if I'm dreaming!"
"Impossible, it's all fake! Naruto must have bribed the teacher!"
"There's a shady deal! We demand Naruto take the exam!"
Sasuke's face paled, his eyes filling with disbelief.
Seeing that no one believed him and even accused him of cheating, Naruto was both angry and anxious. He jumped onto the table, frantically explaining to those around him.
This behavior made Menma, within the mindscape, frown. His inner voice was stern, disappointed.
Idiot, explaining won't work! Just use the hand seals and unleash Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu on them!
Naruto, as if waking from a dream, smacked his forehead. "Oh right! Right! I completely forgot!"
With that, he quickly formed hand seals in front of him. "Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang!
In an instant, the entire classroom was filled with countless Narutos! Even Iruka and the two teachers at the front were squeezed into a corner. The other students were surrounded by Narutos from all sides, feeling his overwhelming presence.
"Naruto, you idiot!" Iruka roared from the corner, veins bulging on his forehead. "Release the Jutsu! You've created too many!"
Naruto knew he had caused trouble and quickly released the clones — however, a smug look still lingered on his face as he surveyed his classmates.
"Haha! That's an A-rank ninjutsu, the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu! None of you know it, right? But I do! Hahahaha~~~"
Naruto's expression was incredibly irritating, but all the students tolerated it. No one mentioned any shady dealings or expressed disbelief anymore. To be honest, just that one move alone would have been enough to knock them all down if they attacked together.
Naruto felt a surge of satisfaction after his display of power, and Menma also gained a boost in his "Corruption Points."
[Corruption Points +200]
[Current Corruption Points: 1600]
The farce subsided. Naruto retrieved his headband and returned to his seat. The graduation exams resumed, drawing the attention of the other students back to the test.
Except for Sasuke. He was gritting his teeth, looking down.
A-rank ninjutsu, Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, defeated a chunin...
These words pierced Sasuke's heart like sharp blades. Add to that Naruto's frequent winks and glances back at him, and Sasuke's fists under the table clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his flesh. His expression grew gloomier and more somber.
He even made frequent mistakes during his own exams. If Iruka hadn't noticed Sasuke's distress and given him a second chance, Sasuke might have had to wait until next year to graduate.