Outside, the academy gates were already crowded with people. Parents paced nervously, reporters from the Shinobi Times waited for interviews, and two elderly figures stood with banners they'd spent a fortune on, cheering for their ninja school.
Despite the large crowd, everyone maintained a silent understanding, refraining from speaking, so as not to disturb the students inside.
They waited in anticipation. Then, when the bell rang and the barrier lifted, signaling the end of the exam, everyone knew: the first day of testing had come to a close.
The once quiet entrance suddenly buzzed with activity. Parents watched anxiously, eyes fixed on the doors, each wondering: How did my child do on the exam?
However, as the bell rang and the gates swung open, the crowd leaned forward, eager to catch a glimpse of the students. But only one figure appeared.
This child was noticeably quicker than the others, striding out with a casual air. Though his appearance was somewhat disheveled, his school uniform made it clear he was one of the students who had just taken the exam.
"How is he already out? The bell just rang," murmured several people in the crowd. "He must have finished early and was just waiting for the gates to open."
"How are parents raising their kids these days?" some of the parents whispered to one another, shaking their heads. "Didn't anyone remind him to double-check his answers before turning in his paper?"
After all, this was a joint exam between three ninja schools, and everyone was watching. What if the child had been careless?
Nearby, reporters from the Shinobi Times, who had been waiting anxiously, saw the student emerge and froze in surprise. They blinked, clearly bewildered. Why him? And after hearing the parents' comments, their confusion deepened. "Black Zetsu's mom? Lady Kaguya?"
Kaguya-sama had been sealed on the moon for ages. When would she have had time to discipline Black Zetsu? But today, the reporters were here to interview the students who'd taken the exam, especially the first one to exit the academy. That student was... the key interviewee.
Without missing a beat, the moment Black Zetsu walked through the gates, the reporters from Shinobi Times swarmed him, shoving microphones into his face. "You're the first to finish the exam," one of them asked eagerly. "How do you feel right now?"
Hearing the reporters' questions, Black Zetsu glanced at them but gave no indication of his thoughts. With a confident smirk, he replied, "It was easy. Really easy! Anyone who didn't do well probably wasn't paying attention in class. They're just here to pass the time. All the questions were covered in class!"
With that, Black Zetsu puffed out his chest and walked away, leaving the crowd stunned. "Easy, huh?" they muttered, still processing his words.
Of course, it was all nonsense. What were those questions, really? Even someone like Black Zetsu, who had repeated six years of school and studied for another six, was completely lost during the exam.
But for Black Zetsu, it didn't matter. Grades weren't his concern. All that mattered right now was rescuing his mother. With a quiet sigh, he walked away, leaving the reporters and parents to exchange confused glances.
Black Zetsu's confident stride left those who watched him in silent admiration. Such poise... he really did look like a genius student. Soon, other students began to emerge, but unlike Black Zetsu, they came out in groups.
However, when the reporters and bystanders asked the same question to the others, "How did it go?"
The responses were completely different. "It was tough! The questions were insanely hard!" one student said, clearly frustrated.
"Come on! That kid just said the questions were easy, and now you're complaining it was hard? Did you even pay attention in class?" someone in the crowd scoffed.
The students who had just stepped out were left in shock, as the area outside the gates erupted into murmurs and groans. The children, already exhausted from the long day, had been hoping for some relief from their parents but were now caught off guard. What just happened? Who said it was easy?
"Ah-choo! Who's thinking about me?" Black Zetsu sneezed, rubbing his nose, puzzled. Not understanding the cause, he shrugged it off and continued his leisurely walk toward the cave. Little did he realize, his offhand remark and confident demeanor had stirred up quite a bit of trouble for the students who followed him.
…
Meanwhile, the usually bickering Hanzō and Chiyo spotted their students emerging from the academy. However, upon seeing the exhaustion on their faces, the questions they had initially planned to ask about the exam results were quickly set aside.
Instead, they both gave a firm nod, patted their respective students on the shoulder, and spoke at the same time: "You did well. Don't dwell on it too much, just rest up and focus on the practical exam."
An awkward silence followed. Then, their gazes locked, eyes narrowing.
"Oi, quit copying me, you old puppet hag!" Hanzō grumbled.
"Excuse me? You're the one parroting me, you rusty old gasbag!" Chiyo snapped back.
They huffed, turning away from each other with synchronized scowls.
Meanwhile, the students from both villages exchanged knowing looks, their expressions a mix of amusement and resignation. At this point, it was hard to tell whether their leaders were rivals or just two sides of the same coin.
With that thought, the students followed Ebizō, leaving the two elders behind to continue their endless bickering.
At the same time, Naruto, Sasuke, and the others had exited the academy. After exchanging brief greetings with Gaara, Jūgo, and the still-bickering Hanzō and Chiyo, they eagerly headed home.
Even the usually composed Sasuke couldn't fully mask the flicker of excitement in his eyes. It seemed like he had done well on the exam, too. As for the fact that their families weren't there to pick them up, neither Naruto nor Sasuke minded at all. Fusō and Mikoto were both pregnant, and everyone at home was occupied with their own tasks. Besides, home was just a short walk away.
"Oi, Sasuke! How'd you do?" Naruto grinned widely, puffing out his chest. "I did awesome this time! You guys are gonna be so surprised!"
Sasuke let out a derisive snort at Naruto's boast.
"Look at you, acting all smug again. What's the matter? Didn't do so well?" Naruto pouted playfully, but then smirked. "Guess I'll be taking the top spot this time!"
Sasuke shot him a side glance, his tone flat but still dripping with confidence. "First place is mine. Someone like you... huh." He scoffed, turning his gaze forward.
Sasuke picked up his pace, striding ahead with an air of nonchalance. Annoyed, Naruto immediately chased after him. "Oi, oi! What's that supposed to mean?!"
And just like that, the two bickered and playfully shoved each other as they made their way home.
"We're home!" Before long, they called out in unison as they stepped inside.
A familiar voice answered almost instantly. "Back already?"
It was Akihiko. His sharp gaze flicked over them, taking in their expressions, especially Naruto's, who was practically beaming with excitement. He smirked knowingly. "Judging by those faces, I take it the exam went well?"
"Obviously, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, the guy who's gonna be top of the class!" Naruto boasted, grinning as he confidently rubbed a finger under his nose. Then, he glanced around expectantly. "Where's Mom?"
Naruto turned his gaze to Uncle Akihiko, but something seemed off. His face looked unusually tired, one hand clutching a cup of tea while the other rubbed his lower back. What was going on? Didn't he look fine this morning?
"Uncle Akihiko, are you.. " Naruto started, his curiosity piqued.
"Haha, just a bit tired, that's all. Nothing to worry about!" Akihiko responded with a strained chuckle, though his awkward laugh only deepened Naruto's suspicion. When he caught sight of Sasuke's raised eyebrow, Akihiko's face flushed slightly, and he quickly waved it off. "Don't mind me. As for Kushina… she's just a bit exhausted and resting."
Huh? Mom's exhausted? But why today? She was always so full of energy. Before Naruto could ask more, Akihiko turned and walked away, clearly not wanting to discuss it further.
Naruto frowned, his mind now racing with concern about his mom, but before he could dwell on it too long, a familiar voice broke his train of thought.
"Idiot." Sasuke's voice cut through the silence.
"Stupid Sasuke!" Naruto snapped, instantly forgetting his worries and diving straight into another argument with him.