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March 18th—another day of the annual major exams.
At the same time, this was also the last major exam for Ryūsei's class.
By April, they would advance to the sixth grade.
And by next March, the major exam would be their graduation assessment.
As usual, Ryūsei woke up early that day.
He began with his morning training in the courtyard, then took a bath and had breakfast.
After drinking a full glass of fresh milk, he headed straight to the ninja academy.
"Ryūsei, good morning!"
As he walked toward the school, a familiar girl's voice suddenly reached his ears.
The next moment, he felt a weight on his back as someone crashed into him, causing him to lean forward slightly.
A blonde-haired girl had ambushed him from behind, jumping straight onto his back.
"Good morning, Ino," Ryūsei replied with a smile, deftly removing her arms from around his neck and setting her down before walking side by side with her.
The striking pair—handsome boy and beautiful girl—drew many gazes along the way.
Nearly four years had passed, and now, at eleven years old, both Ryūsei and Ino had undergone significant changes.
First was their height. Initially, Ryūsei had been about the same height as Sasuke.
But after fusing with Asura's chakra, Ryūsei's growth had accelerated as if he had activated a cheat code.
Unlike Naruto, who had suffered from malnutrition, Ryūsei's parents had left him a substantial inheritance, along with annual survivor benefits, ensuring he grew up healthy.
His development mirrored Naruto's after training with Jiraiya, where proper nutrition finally allowed him to shoot up from a short kid to a tall one.
Ryūsei's current height was 163 cm.
For a fifth-grader, this height wouldn't have been remarkable in Ryūsei's previous life, nor would it stand out in Kumogakure, where physical ninjutsu was highly valued. But in Konoha's current generation, he was practically a giant.
After all, even Sasuke had only been around 150 cm tall at graduation.
Ryūsei was still growing. By next year, he might reach 165 cm—or even surpass 170 cm.
By then, finding someone in the new generation even close to 155 cm would be a challenge.
Standing next to Ryūsei, they'd undoubtedly feel a massive blow to their confidence.
His height of 163 cm also made Ryūsei's youthful appearance fade quickly.
His well-defined facial features had fully matured, giving him a strikingly handsome and sharp look.
His silver hair, just long enough to cover his ears, and his ruby-like, crystalline eyes—combined with his mature mindset—made his gaze incredibly profound. His entire demeanor exuded a charm that made girls blush and their hearts race.
Along the way, countless love-struck girls shot dagger-like glares at Ino, who walked beside Ryūsei.
They wished they could take her place!
Over the years, Ino had also changed dramatically.
Shedding her childishness, she had grown to around 145 cm, and her golden hair constantly shifted between different styles.
Sometimes, she wore a high ponytail like in the original series; other times, she let it flow straight down, or even tied it into twin tails.
All because Ryūsei had once mentioned that different hairstyles could change a person's aura.
Since then, Ino had become exceptionally skilled at styling her hair.
Whether it was long straight hair, a high ponytail, twin tails, or even braids—she could tie them all up in no time.
——————
"Ryūsei, good morning!"
"Ryūsei-kun, good luck on the exam!"
"..."
Upon arriving at the ninja academy, classmates—both from his class and others—greeted Ryūsei one after another.
Unlike the aloof Uchiha Sasuke and Hyūga Neji, Ryūsei was extremely well-liked in the academy.
If not for his silver hair, the title of "Little Sun," which belonged to Namikaze Minato, might have been bestowed upon him instead.
Ryūsei didn't ignore their enthusiasm. As always, he responded patiently.
This was part of his persona.
At first, it had been to leave an impression on the heirs of major clans. Now, it was to keep an eye on Hiruzen.
A top student who surpassed the heirs of prestigious clans, with a personality like Namikaze Minato's—even if Hiruzen didn't prioritize him, he would never allow Danzō to take Ryūsei away.
This mask was Ryūsei's self-protection.
When he entered the classroom, he saw that Sakura and Hinata had already arrived.
Noticing Ino walking in with Ryūsei, Sakura leaned over and teased, "No wonder when I went to your house, your mom said you'd already left—but I didn't see you at school. So you were lying in wait for Ryūsei again?"
"Ahem… it was just a coincidence, really!" Ino coughed lightly, defending herself.
Sakura simply rolled her eyes in response.
"Good morning, Ryūsei-kun." Hinata, as always, greeted him with respectful honorifics.
"Morning, Hinata," Ryūsei replied with a smile and a wave.
Like Ino, both Hinata and Sakura had undergone massive changes over the years.
The most drastic transformation belonged to Hinata.
Unlike her short-haired original counterpart, Hinata—knowing Ryūsei preferred long hair—had secretly grown hers out, just like Sakura and Ino.
Her long straight hair, black fishnet undershirt, and white coat made her look like a miniature version of her Shippūden self.
More importantly, in the original series, Hinata hadn't even reached 150 cm in her childhood.
But now, as a fifth-grader, she had already surpassed that, standing at 152 cm.
Among the three girls, Hinata was the tallest.
This change was entirely thanks to Ryūsei.
He knew Hinata possessed the "big eater" trait—an essential attribute for any strong shinobi.
"A good appetite is a blessing"—this saying perfectly described her potential.
So during their outdoor training sessions, Ryūsei often took Hinata, Sakura, and Ino (who had already mastered the Body Flicker Technique) hunting and prepared barbecues for them.
At one point, Ryūsei deliberately pointed out Hinata's hidden trait.
When he called her a "big eater," Hinata instantly turned into a steaming mess, nearly fainting on the spot.
But when Ryūsei praised and admired her for it, Hinata—who had always worried about being judged for eating too much—finally relaxed.
After Ryūsei's encouragement, she stopped restricting her diet.
The Byakugan's spiritual energy, combined with the physical energy from her voracious appetite, not only made Hinata "overly tall" but also gave her an above-average chakra reserve.
If not for her persistent shyness and modesty, she might have even pressured Sasuke—who only saw Ryūsei as a rival—into acknowledging her strength.
As for Sakura, she also kept her long pink hair straight, wearing a red qipao top with various-colored pants—outwardly resembling her original appearance.
But internally, she too had changed significantly.
First, since Ryūsei had "saved" her, Sakura never developed her second personality. She remained ladylike in demeanor, but her aura now carried traces of her future Boruto-era housewife self.
Her chakra control talent, nurtured under Ryūsei's guidance, had also been well-developed.
If she ended up on the same team as Naruto and Sasuke after graduation next year, she would undoubtedly shock them.
Just thinking about how all these changes were his doing filled Ryūsei with a sense of accomplishment.