The moment Tōma shut everyone out with that calm, indifferent look of his, the crowd around him finally scattered.Warm enthusiasm had no place to cling when he clearly wasn't interested.Of course, if he kept taking first place every term, escaping attention would only get harder.
Only after the wave of admirers faded did Yamanaka Ino manage to slip over, looking strangely nervous.She wasn't sure why. They'd greeted each other plenty of times before. But after watching Tōma ignore everyone so bluntly, she feared she was next.
"Tōma, you're really popular now."
Tōma caught sight of her, exhaled helplessly, and muttered, "I didn't ask for this. It's annoying. I just wanted to read my book in peace."
Seeing his attitude was the same as always, Ino relaxed and smiled."Well, you kind of brought it on yourself. Your score was miles ahead of second place."
"Yeah. A total headache."
"So you ignored everyone on purpose?"She blinked, suddenly connecting the dots.
Tōma checked the surroundings, then gave a small nod. No need to offend classmates unnecessarily. "If anyone hears, it becomes troublesome."
"Don't worry. I'll keep your secret."Her smile turned bright, almost triumphant.
Tōma didn't think much of it.He wasn't about to pretend to be cold in front of someone he actually knew.If Ino realized that his "special treatment" wasn't special at all, she would probably whack him with a textbook.
At last, Naruto squeezed back to his seat, dramatically wiping imaginary sweat."Man! Those people were terrifying! I couldn't even get back to my own desk!"
"Agreed," Tōma said. He'd seen this scene in the original timeline, but living through it was much more exhausting.
"Yeah, well it's YOUR fault," Shikamaru complained from behind, dead-fish eyes full of blame.
"What was I supposed to do? Throw the test?" Tōma shot him a sideways glance.
"…Good point."Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, losing all momentum. If he argued any further, he'd be admitting he deliberately held back in class.
Soon the school day ended.Tōma followed his usual routine: physical drills, entering the Void Sense state, and finishing with lightning-based recovery massage.Top of the class or not, he wasn't breaking his pace.He knew himself too well. Skip once, and excuses would snowball until discipline crumbled.
At home, the moment he realized Sana was waiting for an explanation again, he simply handed her the grading sheet before she could ask.
Sana stared at the perfect scores, blinking.He goes out running around every day… and comes back with THIS?
Physical tests she could understand—he always came home drenched in sweat.But theory? First place?
She drifted into thoughtful silence.Her son had always been well-behaved, sharp, and responsible. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised he was a genius too.Seeing the sheet, her exhaustion lightened; pride bubbled up instead.
I can brag about this at work, she thought, smiling quietly.
Meanwhile, the real culprit behind her fatigue was Tōma's exploding appetite.Lightning-massage recovery wasn't free. The extra healing needed extra calories, which had to come from somewhere.Thankfully, Sana's work at the yakiniku shop gave her access to discounted meat, or she'd never keep up.
When Tōma emerged from the bath, Sana immediately hugged him and scrubbed his damp hair affectionately.
"You did so well! Tell me, what reward do you want this time?"
"Can it be a jutsu?" he asked hopefully.
Her smile froze.She'd used the last of her savings—and her late husband's small inheritance—buying the scroll for Shadow Clone.There was nothing left for another purchase.
She shook her head gently.
"Then nothing," Tōma said. He knew the situation. Between the rent, food, and his ever-increasing portions, money was tight. Meat from the shop was cheap, but not that cheap.
"No other wish at all?" she asked, troubled.
"Nope. Save the money for food," Tōma answered honestly.Tools like shuriken he could practice with stones.Kunai he couldn't improvise, but first place at the end-of-year exam traditionally came with a custom-made kunai as a prize.
And that, Tōma had already mentally reserved.
"…Alright," Sana sighed.But she wasn't satisfied. Even if he wouldn't ask for something, she felt a mother should reward her child.
Winter was approaching.A sweater, then. She hadn't knitted in a while—she hoped she wasn't rusty.
As she looked at her son—talented, gentle, hardworking—her heart swelled.
He deserved warmth.He deserved pride.He deserved to look as bright as his future.
Sana made up her mind:No more worn-out clothes.Her boy was growing handsome—time to dress him properly. Maybe even catch the eyes of a few cute girls.
Tōma, of course, had absolutely no idea what plans had just been set into motion.