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By the time Ryūsei and the others finished taking their profile photos for the records, the school gate was already crowded with parents who had come to pick up their children.
Watching his classmates—some holding their newly acquired ninja headbands and receiving praise from their parents, others who had failed the graduation exam, sobbing in their parents' arms while being comforted or scolded—Naruto, who had also failed the exam just like in the original story, sat alone on a swing, his expression deeply dejected.
Many people noticed Naruto, but their reactions were far from kind. Some glared at him with hatred, while others averted their eyes in disgust.
Whispers spread among the parents, their voices carrying disdain.
Ryūsei saw all of this, but he didn't go over to comfort Naruto.
Though Naruto seemed miserable now, Ryūsei knew that after this day passed, Naruto would begin his rise to greatness.
In contrast, Sasuke was about to face a much harsher fate.
After parting ways with Hinata and the other two girls, Ryūsei returned home.
After dinner and a bath, he lay on the sofa on the balcony, gazing at the starry night sky with the moon hanging high above.
As he admired the view, dark silhouettes occasionally flashed across the night sky.
Normally, patrolling ninjas could be seen leaping between rooftops, but tonight, the number of fleeting shadows was several times greater than usual.
Moreover, whenever these figures paused, they were all clad in green flak jackets—meaning they were at least chunin-level ninjas.
From their demeanor, it seemed they were searching for something.
Ryūsei knew they were looking for Naruto.
Without a doubt, Naruto was either currently learning—or had already learned—the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Like the Rasengan, this A-rank forbidden technique would become one of Naruto's signature moves in the future.
Shadow clones, spinning the Rasengan, and activating his golden chakra mode—Naruto's skills weren't as numerous or flashy as Sasuke's, but with the immense chakra reserves of the Sage's Body and the Nine-Tails acting as his personal "nuclear power plants," few in the future would be able to withstand Naruto's relentless assault.
Ryūsei was also deeply envious of the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.
His own Shadow Clone Jutsu could create numerous clones, but it required significant time and couldn't produce hundreds—let alone thousands—of clones in an instant.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, however, allowed the user to create an overwhelming number of clones in one go by utilizing massive amounts of chakra.
This technique, developed by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, was undoubtedly one of the most suitable jutsu for those with the Sage's Body.
Despite his envy, Ryūsei had no intention of interfering in this incident.
As the saying goes, those involved cannot see as clearly as those watching from the sidelines.
The Hokage's Tower was the most important building in Konoha—how could there be no Anbu on duty?
The Scroll of Seals, containing forbidden techniques, would never be left unguarded.
The fact that Naruto could so easily obtain the scroll was entirely due to the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, allowing it to happen.
The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was Hiruzen's way of compensating the son of the Fourth Hokage, as well as recognizing that this technique was perfectly suited for Naruto.
If Naruto stole and learned it, nothing would happen to him—but if Ryūsei dared to do the same, he'd likely find himself in the Interrogation Department for a nice cup of tea afterward.
Thus, Ryūsei had no intention of getting involved.
After admiring the stars, he returned to his room and went to sleep.
---
The next morning, after washing up, Ryūsei tied his ninja headband around his arm, ate breakfast, and headed out.
Since the school was on break and only those who had passed the graduation exam would be present, the academy was unusually quiet.
Still, along the way, Ryūsei encountered several classmates wearing their headbands, who greeted him warmly—some from his own class, others from neighboring ones.
"Morning, Ryūsei!"
When he arrived at the classroom, Ino and the other two girls were already there, as usual.
No matter the occasion, these three were always together—a trio that had long become famous in the academy.
Thanks to them fending off his "fan club," Ryūsei had avoided the fate of someone like Sasuke, who was constantly swarmed by adoring girls.
However, because they monopolized Ryūsei's attention, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata had become ostracized by the other girls in the school. Many in their class had also begun excluding them.
Fortunately, all three ranked within the top ten of their year academically—otherwise, some of the more aggressive cliques might have tried to "teach them a lesson."
After greeting Ryūsei, Ino propped her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"The team assignments are about to start! I wonder if we'll end up in the same group as you, Ryūsei."
Sakura and Hinata also looked hopeful.
Before Ryūsei could respond, Shikamaru, resting his head on one hand, let out a yawn and said, "Sakura and Hinata might have a chance, but you? Forget it."
"Why not?!"
"Simple. Because our fathers are too well-known."
Shikamaru explained lazily, "If even one of us—me, you, or Choji—weren't in the same class, you might've had a slim chance. But the three of us are the same age, which means no matter our grades, we were always destined to be placed in the same team after graduation. Just wait and see—our assigned jonin instructor won't be some random ninja. His job will be to mold us into the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio."
"What?!" Ino's face twisted in frustration. "You mean I've been set up since the day I enrolled?!"
"More accurately, since the day we were born," Shikamaru replied bluntly.
Amused, Ryūsei asked, "Then, Shikamaru, can you guess who I'll be teamed up with?"
"Now that's an interesting question—I have actually thought about it." Shikamaru's eyes gleamed with rare interest as he laid out his analysis. "First, there's a high chance you'll be placed with either Sakura or Hinata."
"Why?" Ino pressed, while Sakura and Hinata perked up.
"Because the four of you have been inseparable for years. In terms of teamwork, you already outshine every other girl in class. Second—specializations. Ryūsei is an all-rounder, while the three of you are support types. Considering the synergy you've built over the years, aside from Ino, both Hinata and Sakura have a strong chance of being placed with Ryūsei."
Hearing such a well-reasoned argument, Sakura and Hinata's faces lit up with joy.
Sakura couldn't resist asking, "Then, Shikamaru, who do you think has a better chance—me or Hinata?"
"You, Sakura."
Shikamaru pointed at her. "Just like how Ino, Choji, and I are the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, there are other students from major clans who'll likely be grouped based on their specialties."
"This way, the village won't waste resources assigning multiple elite jonin—just one strong instructor per team."
"Hinata's Byakugan is one of the most renowned sensory abilities in the ninja world. If my theory holds, the best teammates for her would be Kiba Inuzuka from the Inuzuka Clan and Shino Aburame from the Aburame Clan—forming a new sensory-specialized team."
Hinata's expression immediately fell.
Meanwhile, Sakura couldn't contain her delight, her radiant smile contrasting sharply with her two best friends' reactions.
Fortunately, thanks to Ryūsei's influence, the three had grown into true friends who shared everything—unlike the shallow, rivalry-driven friendship they'd had in the original story. Otherwise, a fight might have broken out right then.
"Impressive, Shikamaru. You really do live up to the Nara Clan's reputation for brilliant minds." Ryūsei clapped his hands in genuine admiration.