Chapter 5: The Art of Deception and a Gentle Fist
"Uzumaki Naruto! Are you an idiot?"
The shout came from the group to their left, their practice session interrupted by Naruto's stray shuriken. Naruto's gaze drifted over them, and he noted the members: Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji, Hyūga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and another boy whose name he never bothered to learn.
"Ah, my mistake," Naruto said, his voice a flat, unapologetic drone. "I aimed at the wrong target."
The unnamed boy, whom Naruto mentally labeled 'Passer-by B,' scoffed. "Aim at the wrong target? Don't try to save face! You obviously missed your own target completely and hit ours by pure luck!"
Naruto didn't bother with a rebuttal. The insult washed over him without leaving a mark. He simply turned and shuffled back to the end of his own team's line, a picture of utter indifference. The members of his group—Sakura, Ino, and the others—looked at him with identical expressions of contempt, as if he were something they'd scraped off their sandals.
Only Uchiha Sasuke watched him with a flicker of analytical curiosity. 'Did he really misaim?' Sasuke pondered. 'For all three shuriken to land with such perfect grouping on a different target... that's not a simple mistake. That's a deliberate, precise error.' He shook his head slightly, dismissing the thought. It didn't matter. At the end of the day, Naruto was still the dead-last, a non-entity in his world.
The targets were cleared. Sasuke, of course, scored three perfect bullseyes. Sakura, Ino, and the others followed with respectable, if unremarkable, throws. Then it was Naruto's turn again. This time, Sasuke watched him intently.
Naruto threw. One shuriken landed in the nine-ring. Another hit the seven-ring. The third, once again, flew straight and true into the ten-ring of the neighboring group's target.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" the same group yelled in unison, their frustration boiling over.
"Ah, sorry," Naruto repeated, his tone unchanged. "Missed again."
A collective sigh of exasperation rippled through the students.
[Ding! Detecting that the host's shuriken technique is subpar, your shuriken throwing technique, striving to stand up for its host, has derived the D-Rank Ninjutsu: 'Fūma Shuriken: Shadow Pinwheel' Technique!]
Naruto didn't even react internally. The system's eccentric logic was becoming a normal part of his life. He simply walked back to his place in line, a silent island in a sea of glares and muttered insults.
The afternoon of shuriken practice eventually drew to a close. By the end, a strangely motivated Naruto had somehow unlocked the knowledge of a C-Rank ninjutsu: 'Sharingan Windmill: Three Great Swords.'
And in the weeks that followed, his silent growth continued unabated.
[Ding! Your Clone Technique is overly competitive and, having reached perfection, has derived the Shadow Clone Technique!]
[Ding! Your Transformation Technique is infuriated and has already reached the Grandmaster Level!]
[Ding! You use the Flying Thunder God Technique. Detecting the host's competitive spirit, the Flying Thunder God Technique reaches the Grandmaster Level!]
A month later, the class was buzzing with a different kind of tension: exam day.
"Today's test will cover shuriken throwing, ninjutsu demonstration, and a practical combat exercise," Iruka-sensei announced, holding a small box. "Everyone, please come up and draw a number."
Uzumaki Naruto drew number 24.
The shuriken-throwing segment was first. Each student had five throws. Naruto's performance was meticulously, perfectly average—not good enough to raise eyebrows, not bad enough to fail. It was the performance of someone who had practiced just enough to scrape by.
Next was the ninjutsu demonstration. Here, there was no room for deception. When Naruto performed the Clone Technique, a solid, stable copy appeared beside him. His Transformation Technique was seamless, and his Body Replacement Technique was executed without a hitch. His final score placed him squarely in the middle of the pack, a result that left many of his classmates dumbfounded. The eternal dead-last was… passable?
Internally, Naruto was amused. Over the past month, his techniques, in their relentless self-competition, had plateaued at a level of proficiency that was impressive but not legendary. They had grown content, and thus, his system had granted him no new, flashy evolutions for the exam. He was, for the moment, a master of mediocrity.
Finally, it was time for the practical combat. Naruto learned that his opponent, number 23, was Hyūga Hinata.
The shy heiress stepped onto the designated sparring area, her cheeks already dusted with a light pink. She refused to meet his gaze directly, her fingers nervously twisting together. "N-Naruto-kun," she stammered, offering a small bow. "P-Please guide me."
Seeing her flustered state, Naruto offered a soft, reassuring smile. "Let's do our best, Hinata."
Iruka gave the signal to begin. Hinata, however, remained rooted to the spot, her posture defensive. She clutched the hem of her jacket, conflicted. The thought of striking the boy she secretly admired filled her with anxiety.
Naruto watched her for a moment, then slowly began to walk towards her. Hinata's heart hammered against her ribs. 'He's coming closer! Should I fight back? But what if I hurt him? What if he thinks I'm violent?'
"Hinata," Naruto said gently, now standing right before her. He reached out and lightly patted her head. "Please, fight me seriously, okay?"
The simple, friendly contact sent a jolt through Hinata's system. Her face, which had been lightly flushed, instantly transformed into a spectacular shade of crimson. 'N-Naruto-kun touched my head! Wh-What do I do? I can't think!'
The blush was so intense, so profound, that even Naruto was taken aback. 'Is... is that medically possible? So the legends about Guan Gong's red face were based on fact?'
"Hinata, are you alright?" Iruka called out, noticing her strange state.
The sound of her teacher's voice startled her back to reality. "Huh? Ah! I-Iruka-sensei! I'm fine! No problem at all!" she squeaked. But then her eyes met Naruto's again, and the blush returned in full force.
Realizing his proximity was only making things worse, Naruto quickly created some distance. "Come on, Hinata! Attack!" he encouraged.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Hinata finally collected herself. Her demeanor shifted. She settled into the Hyūga clan's iconic Gentle Fist stance, her legs wide, her hands raised. "I'm coming, Naruto-kun! Be careful!"
"Byakugan!" she whispered. The veins around her eyes bulged as her vision expanded, allowing her to see the intricate chakra network of every living thing. Her focus turned to Naruto, and what she saw made her gasp internally. 'Naruto-kun... he has so much chakra! It's... it's immense!'
[Ding! Detecting that the host's chakra is being observed, your chakra feels shy and has doubled in volume!]
Naruto, already possessing the vast chakra reserves of his Uzumaki lineage—reserves that dwarfed most Jōnin and neared Kage-level—suddenly felt an internal wellspring of energy expand exponentially. His chakra pool was now undeniably monstrous, comparable to a tailed beast.
Hinata's Byakugan wavered. 'What's happening? Why did Naruto-kun's chakra just... explode? It's like a sun just ignited inside him!'
"Hinata?" Naruto's voice brought her back from her shock.
"Y-Yes!" she affirmed, her eyes now firm with resolve. She knew now that Naruto's strength was far beyond what he showed. Holding back would be an insult. "Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!"
She launched forward, her movements a blur of precise, chakra-laden strikes. Though she could only manage sixteen of the thirty-two palms, each one landed squarely on Naruto's body with a series of soft thuds. To any observer, it looked as though he was being used as a helpless training dummy. After the final strike, he fell to the ground, feigning injury.
[Ding! Detecting that the host is practicing combat ability very vigorously, your body is very proud. Physical fitness has increased by 50%. Your current physical fitness is at the Jōnin Level.]
"Ah! Naruto-kun, are you alright?!" Hinata cried out, her combat stance vanishing as she rushed to his side, her face a mask of worry.
Naruto put on a convincing performance, clutching his stomach and wincing. "It's okay, Hinata," he grunted, offering her a pained but genuine smile. "You are really strong!"
Hinata stared at him, her head tilting in confusion. '...What?'
(End of Chapter)