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"Next, Uchiha…"
In the subsequent Taijutsu exam, the students performed commendably. However, with Fuyu Shirou's exceptional performance still fresh in everyone's minds, both Ikeda Yūta and Aoyama Ryōsuke seemed somewhat lacking in comparison.
Even the children of prominent families, whether in strength, speed, technique, or the fluidity of their moves, fell far short of Fuyu Shirou.
"Damn it! That Uchiha guy is really annoying…" Some of the more competitive boys in the class glared at Fuyu Shirou with ill will. Some of the family heirs also cast him resentful glances.
"This guy performed so well. When their families find out, they'll definitely make them practice more! Fortunately, he's an Uchiha; if he were a commoner, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Being a ninja is a highly competitive profession. Whether in the ninja academy or among family-trained ninjas, competition among the young students is encouraged.
For ninja families, losing to an Uchiha is somewhat acceptable; they can just practice more. But if they lose to a commoner, it's not just a matter of more practice. They would need a harsh lesson and intense, hellish training.
"Fuyu Shirou is so cool. Although he usually sits quietly, seemingly unbothered by the world, he's really dedicated when he focuses. I just don't have the courage to disturb him!"
A few fan-girls gazed at him with admiration.
If it weren't for the fact that he spent every day quietly reading at his desk, giving off a distant aura, many girls might have approached him to enjoy his peaceful presence. His ninja school life could have been much more colorful.
When the last student called up finished his practice session with Teacher Ikeda and made the hand sign for peace, Teacher Aoyama, holding the records, stepped into the center of the field and addressed the students:
"Alright, today's basic Taijutsu test is over. Everyone did well, especially Uchiha Fuyu Shirou. Tomorrow afternoon, we will have the Hand Seal and Shuriken throwing tests. I hope everyone continues to do their best!"
For Fuyu Shirou, the Hand Seal test was just a formality. He had been practicing Hand Seal speed since two years ago.
He had even made a stack of cards with different seals, ranging from four to twelve, and practiced them in random order.
Now, he could perform nearly three seals per second, which is the level of a typical Chunin.
As for Shuriken throwing, it was no problem at all. Although he had stopped continuously improving his Shuriken skills, he still practiced a few times a week to maintain his proficiency. The duration and frequency were just not as intense as before.
In the back of the classroom, by the window, Uchiha Fuyu Shirou sat with his arms crossed, his head resting on his arms, looking listless.
His Shadow Clone, which had spent the afternoon practicing Chakra Nature Transformation at home, had just dispelled. It brought with it a wave of related training memories, which now became a part of his own.
"Uchiha Fuyu Shirou, can you tell me the function of this seal on the blackboard?"
"This is the寅 seal, one of the twelve seals, used to conclude most Fire Release Techniques. It assists ninjas in transforming their chakra's nature!" Fuyu Shirou stood up calmly and answered the teacher's question.
"Sit down. You may know this, but you still need to pay attention in class and not daydream."
After a month, the teacher had a good understanding of the students' levels. Asking Fuyu Shirou a question was merely to express his dissatisfaction with the latter's habit of sleeping in class.
"Ding ding ding"
With the ringing of the dismissal bell, most of the students in the classroom perked up, suddenly feeling full of energy.
"A bunch of underachievers, no wonder none of them are familiar. Whether at the beginning of the story or in the later Naruto Shippuden, none of my classmates appear. They probably all met their end in the Third Great Ninja War. Their futures are bleak!"
This was why Uchiha Fuyu Shirou didn't focus too much on socializing with his classmates. If he had formed deep bonds with them, hearing about their deaths would only add to his sorrow.
Although this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for an Uchiha.
Stepping out of the ninja school gates, Fuyu Shirou slowly walked home. As the distance increased and the crowd dispersed and converged, a large group of Uchiha boys and girls gathered around him.
A large crowd, with each grade having anywhere from a dozen to seven or eight Uchiha students.
Six grades in total, nearly 50 people.
"Fuyu Shirou, how was it? Did you show those guys over there the power of the Uchiha?" A heavy pat on Fuyu Shirou's shoulder came from a person who, while speaking, pointed to the other side of the road with his eyes.
On the other side of the road, a larger group of ninja school students walked. They gathered in groups of ten to twenty or seven to eight.
They were all core members of the Hokage's faction, led by the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, along with the Inuzuka, Nara, Aburame, Tenchou, and Mizukage clans.
This was the residential area for the Konoha clans. Since the founding of Konoha Village, most of the major ninja clans had settled here. In the distance, members of the Hyūga, Aburame, and Inuzuka clans could be seen, though their numbers were much smaller compared to the Uchiha. Only the Hyūga clan was comparable in number to the Uchiha.
They say that school is a microcosm of society, and Uchiha Fuyu Shirou found this to be true even in the ninja school of a different world, where the students were only six to twelve years old.
The Sarutobi clan, representing the Hokage, gathered its allies, the Inuzuka, Nara, Aburame, and Shimura clans, among others.
A large group of core clan members loyal to the Hokage.
The Hyūga clan, along with the Aburame, Inuzuka, and Uchiha clans, formed the clan ninjas.
The commoner ninjas, composed of the children of commoners or civilian ninjas.
And then there were the Uchiha, who stood apart from everyone else.
These were the major social circles in the ninja school, reflecting the class divisions in Konoha Village.
"This level of test is just a formality, I passed it easily!"
The person talking to Fuyu Shirou was Uchiha Kōjin, who had hunted with him before.
(End of Chapter)