In the blink of an eye, a month had passed since Naruto started at the ninja school.
During this month, he hadn't once used his shadow clones to skip class. Instead, he attended like a "normal" student—sitting in class, pretending to learn, and mostly ignoring the teacher's lectures.
The reason was simple: Taijutsu requires the real body. Shadow clones only helped with Ninjutsu practice, and Naruto had already mastered most of the ninjutsu available. There was nothing worth learning… unless some truly interesting technique appeared.
This also explained why even elite ninjas with shadow clones rarely used them to accelerate training—they already knew the limits.
Meanwhile, Naruto's reading habits were, in his opinion, infinitely better than Choji stuffing his face in the front row or Shikamaru napping. At least Naruto wasn't distracting anyone.
On the podium, Iruka was somewhere between frustrated and helpless. These students were mostly children of influential families. They attended the ninja school only because the Hokage said so—outside, they were groomed by their parents' elite tutors.
But if Iruka wanted to become an excellent teacher, he couldn't just shrug and give up.
Picking up a piece of chalk, he wrote "After Reading" on the blackboard, rapped the table, and announced:
"We've been studying Hokage and the Will of Fire for a while. Time to write a post-reading review. Let's see what the Will of Fire looks like in everyone's hearts."
Instantly, the classroom erupted in complaints. Why on earth did they have to write this?
Naruto didn't join the whining. He put down his extra-curricular books, pulled out a composition notebook, and in less than ten minutes, produced a polished, thousand-character essay.
Satisfied, he returned to his extra-curricular reading, taking detailed notes on sealing techniques and medical ninjutsu borrowed from the library—skills that would serve him well in the future.
Iruka watched, frowning. Naruto's behavior… was wrong somehow. But he couldn't figure out what it was.
After the class bell rang, the next lesson was outdoor physical education.
Although there were many ninja specializations—medical ninja, scientific research ninja—at the core, every ninja was a mercenary. Force was everything.
After a brief assembly, the students arrived at the training grounds. The PE instructor wasn't Iruka but a tall, muscular Chunin who looked like he could bench-press a boulder.
After warm-ups, they began one-on-one combat practice. Naruto breezed through every opponent… until he met Sasuke.
A sly grin spread across Naruto's face. "Sasuke… I wonder how much you've grown since last time."
Sasuke snorted coldly. "Naruto, you're going to get smashed this time!"
Naruto formed a defensive seal and replied, "I hope you last longer than before! Don't bring shame to the Uchiha name."
Sasuke's expression darkened. Over the past month, he'd lost to Naruto multiple times, each loss accompanied by Naruto's teasing. He knew it was intentional provocation, but it still stung.
With a soft snort, Sasuke lunged. Naruto sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and sent him flying.
Sasuke hit the ground, sprang up, and quickly formed hand seals.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Tiny fireballs erupted, colliding violently in mid-air.
Too late. Naruto had already appeared beside him, punching the air to violently interrupt the spell. Sasuke collapsed, clutching his reddened mouth.
The class went silent, mouths agape. The Chunin teacher's jaw dropped so far it almost hit the dirt. Wait… Sasuke, a first-year, could use Fireball Jutsu? That was C-rank—difficult even for regular ninjas. And Naruto… just stopped it with a punch?
Panic shot through the instructor. Any misstep, and other students could have been seriously injured. He quickly stopped the exercise and called the boys over.
"Why are you using such dangerous ninjutsu in a practical class?" he demanded.
Sasuke shrugged. "You said actual combat should be treated as real combat. Using all the tools at your disposal is only natural."
The Chunin fell silent—Sasuke had a point.
Then he looked at Naruto, hesitated, and asked, "Do you know how dangerous it is to interrupt ninjutsu? What if you hurt someone? In the future, stop using risky techniques during practice."
Naruto tilted his head, a faint grin on his face. "Understood. I'll be careful next time. But let's also avoid boring sparring. If no one can challenge me, I'll admit defeat voluntarily."
The class exchanged glances. Envyy tingling, Sasuke hid his frustration behind a mask of pride, while Naruto strolled to the corner with Shikamaru and Choji, munching snacks like nothing happened.
Later, Iruka, correcting compositions in his office, finally understood. Naruto's grades were top-notch, his practical skills unmatched, yet he remained aloof, only acknowledging a few classmates. Everyone else? Air.
Realizing this, Iruka took Naruto's composition and left the school, heading to the Hokage's office.
Pushing the door open, he saw the relaxed Sandai Hokage.
"Sandai-sama, please read Naruto's composition," he said, handing it over.
The Third Hokage glanced at it, smiling. "Very well-written. Naruto already understands the Will of Fire. Nothing wrong here."
"Did you come because Naruto got into trouble again? Children… must learn responsibility."
Iruka shook his head gravely. "Naruto's grades are excellent, and he hasn't caused trouble, but he's too withdrawn… almost like a war-hardened veteran. If this continues, his mental state could become a serious problem—huge trouble waiting to happen."
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