The day of the ninja midterm exams was drawing closer.
Ever since the day he ran into Guy and Lee, Shinju had continued his taijutsu training.
By now, he could just barely open the Sixth Gate.
Improving one's physical abilities wasn't something you could rush. Push too hard, and you'd cause irreversible damage to the body.
That's why Shinju stuck to his daily training routine without trying to force quick results.
Meanwhile, Naruto—Shinju's good friend—had made remarkable progress under Shinju's guidance these past few days.
His academic scores were now just safely above the passing line.
He had also shown solid improvement in several basic ninjutsu techniques.
In the courtyard, Shinju was working out while encouraging Naruto, who was practicing ninjutsu nearby.
"Keep it up, Naruto! The two of us are definitely going to graduate from the Ninja Academy and become real shinobi!"
Naruto's face looked like he'd just eaten something sour.
"Shinju, I feel like what you've taught me is already way beyond the passing standard… There's no way the final exam will make me produce two hundred Shadow Clones…"
Shinju shook his head. "We can't slack off! Everyone else is training hard."
"The other day, I saw Sasuke training alone out in the outskirts—he can already use Fire Style! If we don't work hard, we'll get left behind."
"Huh? But the Academy never taught us Fire Style!" Naruto asked, stunned.
"He must have figured it out on his own," Shinju said with certainty.
Then he gave Naruto a reassuring look.
"But if you want to learn, I can teach you. After I saw Sasuke practicing, I went home and fiddled around with it for a bit… ended up figuring out over two hundred Fire Style techniques. That should be enough for your learning needs…"
By now, Naruto was used to Shinju's frightening talent.
And after so much time with Shinju drilling it into his head, Naruto had started to believe that all his classmates were like Shinju—possessing the kind of genius he could never catch up to.
Gritting his teeth, Naruto said, "Alright, I'll learn! I can't let Sasuke steal Sakura away from me!"
"Alright, I'll teach you after today's training." Shinju nodded.
Honestly, Shinju never understood—what exactly was it about Sakura that attracted Naruto?
She wasn't particularly pretty, her temper wasn't great, and she often insulted him…
In the end, Shinju chalked it up to the complexities of love.
...
Hokage's Office
Because of Shinju, Iruka had practically become a regular visitor here.
Today, he had something new to report.
"I've got good news, Lord Hokage," Iruka began. "Ever since Shinju and Naruto started living together, Naruto's grades have improved drastically! He's now more than ready to pass the Academy's final exams!"
"Oh? Sounds like Shinju deserves the credit for that!"
The Third Hokage's eyes shone with satisfaction.
"That boy never disappoints me. Not only did he figure out an entire arsenal of powerful jutsu on his own, but he's also passing on his knowledge to Naruto so they can grow together…"
"In terms of teaching others, Shinju might be doing better than me," Iruka said with a bitter smile.
After all, he had been Naruto's teacher for five or six years without seeing any improvement—yet Shinju had turned things around in just two weeks.
"Iruka, don't belittle yourself. You're an excellent shinobi instructor. Shinju's abilities are already beyond the range of a normal ninja—you can't compare yourself to him."
The Third Hokage paused, his expression thoughtful.
"In fact, if we had to compare, at Shinju's current growth rate… it won't be long before he surpasses me."
"Lord Hokage, Shinju is about to graduate from the Academy. Have you decided which jōnin will take him on?" Iruka suddenly asked.
To Iruka, Shinju was the most gifted student he'd ever seen—a raw gemstone of the highest quality, just waiting for a skilled craftsman.
As Shinju's former teacher, Iruka didn't want to see that potential wasted.
He wanted Shinju to find the right mentor who could guide him further down the shinobi path.
"I've been thinking about that very issue these past few days," the Third Hokage admitted with a slight headache.
"Shinju's talent is exceptional. We'll have to be very careful in choosing someone who can truly teach him."
"Alright."
Seeing how seriously the Hokage was taking this matter, Iruka finally relaxed a little.
...
Outside the Hokage's Office
Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson, had been eavesdropping at the door.
When he heard his grandfather say, "It won't be long before he surpasses me," his eyes lit up and he bolted off.
If he wanted to defeat his grandfather and become Hokage, then surely someone praised so highly by the Hokage himself could help him!
...
Only three days remained before Shinju's final exams.
Just like with every test he'd taken in his previous life, Shinju was reviewing seriously.
He tried to perfect every jutsu that might appear on the exam.
Training was important—but so was eating.
Living with Naruto, Shinju had been eating instant ramen almost every day.
Even on the rare occasions they "ate better," it was just Ichiraku Ramen from the stand next door.
After more than ten days of that, Shinju felt like he was turning into a noodle himself.
So today, he decided to go buy groceries and cook a proper meal.
As he walked through the streets, he noticed a sneaky little kid tailing him.
When Shinju tested him by suddenly turning around, the boy quickly threw a piece of camouflage cloth over himself—an attempt at hiding that was so clumsy it was almost insulting.
Shinju glanced at the black cloth, which stood out like a sore thumb against the gray wall, and exposed him without mercy.
"Hey! Kid, drop the act. Why have you been following me?"
"Ha!"
The kid yanked off the cloth with great flair, grinning in approval.
"Not bad—you saw through my disguise instantly. As expected of the Shinju my grandpa praises so highly!"
Shinju: ¯\(ツ)/¯
With camouflage that obvious, anyone could have spotted him.
Shinju was in a hurry to buy groceries, so he cut to the chase. "Alright, what do you want from me?"
"Grandpa said you'll surpass him soon. So I want you to teach me a jutsu that'll let me beat him!" Konohamaru punched the air, brimming with fighting spirit.
"Your grandpa? And who's your grandpa?" Shinju asked, puzzled.
"He's what you guys call the Hokage."
Konohamaru said it matter-of-factly.
Shinju: ∑(°Д°)
This kid… was actually the Hokage's grandson?
Didn't look much different from any other kid.
If anything, maybe a little less sharp.
Noticing Shinju's change in expression, Konohamaru felt a twinge of disappointment.
He hated people who fawned over him just because of his grandfather's status.
Those types never saw him—only "the Hokage's grandson."
"So? Now that you know my grandpa's the Hokage, hurry up and teach me some jutsu." Konohamaru acted cocky on purpose.
After all, his goal was to learn something that would help him beat his grandpa.
It didn't matter who he learned it from—even someone he'd normally dislike.
Shinju: "Not teaching you. ┐(´-｀)┌"
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