When the rules bent for him, even mediocrity became untouchable.
"Hm?"
"That direction… the Academy?"
Inside the crystal ball, Alaric could be seen striding forward with several household guards in tow. As Hiruzen Sarutobi watched, his brows slowly lifted in surprise.
They were heading straight for the Ninja Academy.
Last year, at the age of nine, Alaric should have enrolled already—yet he hadn't shown his face even once. Not a single day.
And now?
Had the sun risen from the west?
For a rare moment, genuine delight surfaced in Hiruzen's eyes.
In his view, Alaric's precocious maturity and terrifying composure meant that, given time, the boy could undoubtedly rise to the pinnacle of the shinobi world.
If only he were willing to train.
Unfortunately, the brat had never bothered.
"Well now… he's going to the Academy on his own."
"It's been days since I last visited anyway. Might as well stop by."
With that thought, Hiruzen picked up his Hokage hat and set off toward the Ninja Academy as well.
—
At the academy entrance.
"Which class was I in again?"
Alaric glanced at the unfamiliar grounds, frowning slightly in thought.
Fortunately, one of the household servants quickly brought over a teacher—a perfectly ordinary chūnin instructor named Kurai Taro.
The moment Kurai saw Alaric, his face lit up with exaggerated courtesy as he hurried forward.
"Young Master Alaric, this way, please."
"You haven't attended the Academy for an entire year… what brings you here today?"
Curiosity colored Kurai's tone as he led the way. A student vanishing for a full year without consequence—anyone else would've been expelled long ago.
Of course, those were thoughts best kept unspoken.
"Oh?"
Alaric glanced at him lazily.
"I need to notify you in advance before I show up?"
The calmness in his voice hit Kurai like a death sentence.
Cold sweat instantly broke out across his back. He hurriedly bent at the waist, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Y-Young Master Alaric, please forgive me!"
"I'm slow in the head—my mouth runs ahead of my brain!"
"What status do I have to demand notice from you?!"
"I beg your pardon!"
Kurai froze in a perfect ninety-degree bow.
Alaric said nothing.
He simply stood there, watching.
Seconds dragged into minutes.
Kurai didn't dare move an inch. Sweat soaked through his clothes, dripping down his temples.
Soon, the class period ended.
Teachers and students alike began to notice the strange scene unfolding outside.
"Isn't that Instructor Kurai?"
"It is!"
"Why does he look like he's suffering… why is he bowing like that?"
"Tch, don't you see who's standing there?"
"The Third Hokage's grandson—Alaric Sarutobi."
Whispers spread instantly. Countless gazes turned toward Alaric.
From not far away, Iruka Umino, who had just exited a classroom, noticed the situation. His brows knit together as he strode straight toward them.
At that moment, a familiar chime echoed in Alaric's mind.
[Ding! Publicly humiliated a teacher at the Academy.]
[Fusion Rate +0.01]
Satisfied, Alaric finally turned away, ignoring Kurai entirely as he walked into his assigned classroom.
Only then did Kurai straighten up, letting out a long, shaky breath as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Iruka hurried over and helped steady him.
"What an awful personality…"
"I'm going to report this to the Hokage."
Hearing Iruka speak up for him, Kurai hurriedly shook his head with an awkward laugh.
"There's no need to trouble the Hokage over something like this."
"As teachers, shouldn't we handle student matters ourselves?"
With that, he didn't wait for Iruka's reply—turning and jogging quickly toward the classroom.
—
Inside the classroom.
After witnessing Alaric's display outside, every student sat ramrod straight, afraid to draw his attention.
Looking around, Alaric found not a single familiar face from the original storyline. Boring.
Neji Hyuga and the others should be in the neighboring class. As for the so-called Twelve Genin—this was their first year.
Just as Alaric was about to leave, Kurai entered.
"All students, assemble at the training grounds."
"Starting today, you are officially second-year students."
"We'll be conducting the annual assessment."
Relief washed over the room as the students poured out in a hurry.
Alaric paused, interest flickering in his eyes.
"A test, huh…"
"Fine. Let's see it."
—
The training grounds quickly filled.
But this time, there was an unexpected presence.
"Look! It's the Hokage!"
"Ahhh! It really is the Third Hokage!"
"He came to watch us?!"
"Bullshit—he's obviously here for Young Master Alaric!"
The crowd erupted as Hiruzen arrived. Kurai immediately rushed over, posture respectful to the extreme.
"Hohoho, ignore me."
"I'm just here to observe this batch's potential."
"Go ahead. Begin."
With the Hokage's approval, Kurai wasted no time organizing the assessment.
And naturally, the first participant was—
"Alaric Sarutobi. You'll go first."
"Hit the target accurately with a kunai."
Dozens of eyes locked onto Alaric. Hiruzen watched closely from the side.
"Tch. Boring."
Alaric flicked his wrist.
The kunai vanished in a blur.
"Bang!"
The wooden target exploded on impact—shattering into fragments.
As for the kunai itself, it was nowhere to be seen.
Silence.
Shock rippled across the training grounds. Even Hiruzen's eyes lit up with unmistakable delight.
Still, power alone wasn't everything.
Accuracy mattered.
Staring at the ruined target, Kurai swallowed and announced the score.
"Alaric Sarutobi… eight points."
Not exceptional. Not poor.
But far from the level of true prodigies.
Next came the rest of the class.
One by one.
Under Alaric's gaze, each student seemed to tense up—as if something unseen were watching them.
"Shūmu Hyakushaku, six points!"
"Morita Kojirō, six points!"
"Inoue Nohana, six point five!"
As the scores rolled in, even Kurai began to sweat.
Not a single student—even the top performer under normal circumstances—managed to exceed seven points.
And so, the final result emerged.
Unexpectedly—
Alaric had taken first place.
Staring at the Hokage's expression—dark as the bottom of a scorched pot—Kurai braced himself and announced the outcome anyway.
"First place in the class… Alaric Sarutobi!"
Hiruzen said nothing.
He simply turned and walked away, his steps firm—as if he'd finally made up his mind about something long overdue.
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