"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"
Several shuriken nailed into the wooden stump.
A burst of girls' cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Sasuke-kun is amazing!"
"So incredible! They all hit the bullseye!"
"Sasuke-kun is so handsome!"
The only one who could show off this much?
Naturally, the Uchiha clan's golden boy himself.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Looking at the shuriken he'd thrown, Sasuke had a smug look on his face as he turned and walked away.
Right now, the Uchiha clan hadn't been massacred yet.
Sasuke was arrogant. Aloof. Peak "cool rival" energy.
This posture drew even more cheers from the fangirls.
'Ah yes. The Sasuke fangirl phenomenon. Even more insufferable in person.'
"That guy!"
Seeing that his crush Sakura was cheering for Sasuke, Naruto became dissatisfied.
Because of course he did.
"What's the big deal?! I'll definitely become way more amazing than him!"
For some unknown reason, even though they usually had no interaction, Naruto felt like Sasuke was his fated rival.
'Protagonist instincts kicking in early, I see.'
"Watch me!"
Naruto stepped forward.
He thought he could shine brightly.
Reality was cruel.
Out of five shuriken—one almost hit Iruka.
The other four?
No one knew where they flew off to.
"Naruto! Are you trying to kill me?! Get down from there!"
Iruka didn't expect the shuriken to deviate that much.
He directly shouted.
"..."
Left with no choice, Naruto retreated.
But looking at Sasuke's eyes, he became even more unconvinced.
'Classic Naruto. Zero skill. Maximum determination.'
"Alright!"
Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Iruka looked back at the other students.
"Next, I'll explain the key points of the Shuriken Throwing Technique. Anyone who wants to try can come up!"
As a Chunin teacher, Iruka's strength was average.
But he was solid on the basics.
Knew a little bit of everything.
Master of nothing.
Jack-of-all-trades type.
'Perfect for my needs, actually.'
"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"
Saiki also tried.
Only one shuriken hit the wooden stump.
Far from the bullseye.
The other four? Missed completely.
Though not as outrageously off-target as Naruto's.
'At least I didn't almost commit manslaughter on my first day.'
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"
Saiki acted humble.
After retrieving the shuriken, he handed them back to Iruka.
Shuriken weren't cheap. Outside of ninja clan kids, few families would buy a set for their students.
All standard school equipment.
"Not bad! Hitting the stump on your first try is already pretty good. Keep it up!"
Except when dealing with Naruto, Iruka was patient with other students.
Gentle attitude. Encouraging words.
'Classic teacher favoritism. Love to see it.'
After taking the shuriken, Iruka looked at the remaining students.
"Anyone else want to try?"
[That Night]
After returning home, Saiki looked at the prompt on his system panel.
[Are you sure you want to simplify the Shuriken Throwing Technique?]
He smiled in satisfaction.
'Just as I expected.'
As long as there was complete teaching, the skill could be simplified.
Thinking about this, Saiki pondered.
'Looking at it this way... there are actually quite a few skills I can learn from Iruka.'
The man's abilities were well-rounded.
Plenty of skills the current Saiki could acquire.
'I'll simplify the Shuriken Throwing Technique first.'
As for the rest?
There'd always be opportunities later.
"Yes."
[Shuriken Throwing Technique — Beginning Simplification...]
[Simplification Complete: Throwing!]
'...'
'Throwing can make me stronger?'
Only one way to find out.
Saiki walked into the courtyard.
Casually picked up a few small stones.
Randomly threw them into the distance.
Sure enough—following his actions, experience regarding the Shuriken Throwing Technique appeared in his mind.
The strength in his wrist became increasingly powerful.
'As long as I throw, I can become stronger.'
'It really is that simple.'
He didn't need to care about what he threw.
Didn't need to care about the direction.
This way of getting stronger was ridiculously convenient.
With this in mind, Saiki continuously picked up stones and threw them out.
Fortunately, he was the only one around.
No need to worry about being seen.
'Just a normal guy. Throwing rocks at night. Nothing suspicious here.'
[The Next Day]
[Status Panel]
Host: Saiki
Nin: 5
Tai: 2
Gen: 0
Simplified Abilities:
Chakra Cultivation Method (LV: 16) Shuriken Throwing Technique (LV: 7)
By morning, Saiki had raised the Shuriken Throwing Technique to level seven.
He couldn't hit the target a hundred times out of a hundred.
But shooting at a wooden stump? No problem.
He casually tossed a stone into the sky.
Then took out another stone.
Quickly threw it.
Whoosh!
The stone he'd tossed earlier was instantly shattered.
'Not bad.'
Saiki smiled in satisfaction.
He had become stronger again.
Brisk steps toward the Ninja Academy.
[The Following Weeks]
For the next period of time, besides teaching theoretical knowledge, they only taught the Shuriken Throwing Technique.
Saiki had no opportunity to simplify any new skills.
'Patience. Patience is key.'
[Shuriken Practice — Again]
"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"
Saiki threw the shuriken one after another.
"Seven rings! Six rings! Six rings! Seven rings! Nine rings!"
In fact, he could have hit the bullseye if he wanted to.
But why bother?
Showing off?
That kind of thing was pointless.
'Only by improving step by step like this...'
'Can I maintain the perfect persona.'
The hardworking student who makes up for lack of talent with effort.
Accumulating strength.
Waiting for the right moment to break through.
'Low profile. Steady growth. No red flags.'
"Saiki! Your progress is impressive!"
Sure enough, seeing such throwing results, Iruka's face showed pleasant surprise.
"It's all thanks to your teaching, sensei!"
Being praised, Saiki scratched his head and smiled.
"Actually, I also practice hard every day after school. I won't let your guidance go to waste!"
'That's right. Super diligently tossing stones at random.'
"Even so, make sure you rest properly!"
Looking at Saiki like this, Iruka's expression was gentle.
As a teacher, would his favorite students be geniuses?
No.
What teachers appreciate most are students willing to put in the work.
The current Saiki made Iruka very satisfied.
"Head back for now. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me anytime!"
"Thanks, sensei!"
'Perfect.'
Sometimes, maintaining a persona is everything.