"Graduation exam?"
If Ino hadn't brought it up, Nagi would've completely forgotten about it.
But logically, the old man Hiruzen should already know how strong he was. Would a test like that even pose any challenge to him?
"…Wait!"
Thinking of Hiruzen, Nagi suddenly felt a bit of regret.
He really should've asked the old man if he could borrow the Scroll of Seals last time.
There were tons of jutsu in there that Nagi was very interested in, but it just hadn't crossed his mind back then.
Knowing that stubborn old man, he probably wouldn't have agreed anyway.
But no worries—wasn't there still Naruto?
According to the original story, the graduation exam was when Naruto snuck off and stole the Scroll of Seals.
Honestly, props to the Third Hokage for setting the stage so perfectly. Like Naruto could actually sneak past all the surveillance in the Hokage building and steal the scroll?
When Nagi visited the Hokage's office himself, there were at least a dozen hidden ANBU watching the place.
"I get it. I'll be there for the exam tomorrow."
He assumed this was the reason the girls had shown up—but judging by their expressions, they clearly weren't planning to leave just yet.
"…Something else?"
Nagi saw right through their little scheme.
"Uh, well…" Ino hesitated. "Since class splitting is coming soon, we were wondering—who does Nagi-kun want to be on a team with?"
Both Ino and Sakura looked at him expectantly, hoping for an answer.
"Most likely? I'll be placed under a jōnin named Kakashi—he's one of the Hokage's trusted people."
Nagi had already made his own predictions about how the team placements would go.
No matter what, he was bound to end up with someone close to the Third Hokage. Kakashi seemed like the obvious candidate.
He glanced at Sakura with a hint of pity.
Sorry, Sakura—I didn't mean to steal your spot.
Honestly, if he had the choice between joining Team 7 or being on a solo team, he'd absolutely prefer the latter.
He valued peace and quiet. But everyone knew—wherever Naruto and Sasuke were, peace and quiet were impossible.
"I'll do my best! I'm going to work hard so I can be on Nagi-kun's team!"
Sakura made a silent vow in her heart.
Ino also wanted to team up with Nagi, but after thinking about it, she felt it wasn't likely.
When it came to grades, she knew she wasn't as strong as Sakura. And after hearing about Nagi's strength from her father, she realized she probably wouldn't be of any help.
She might even drag him down.
"Well, anyway… thanks for coming by so late to tell me."
Nagi still appreciated the gesture.
Both girls left feeling very satisfied after getting his thanks.
Time passed quickly.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window.
"I've got a good feeling about today."
Nagi thought about last night's sign-in reward. Today, his gut told him something good was coming.
"System, sign in!"
Ding! Congratulations, host has obtained a purple-tier entry: Tenfold Burst!
"Purple entry?"
Nagi hadn't expected that. A pleasant surprise indeed.
He willed open his ability panel:
[Name]: Nagi
[Rank]: Graduate Class Genin
[Abilities]: One-Click Maxed (Gold), God-Tier Comprehension (Gold), Avatar Technique (Gold), Tenfold Burst (Purple) …
At this point, Nagi's panel looked ridiculously overpowered.
In less than two weeks of sign-ins, he'd already collected three gold-tier entries and now a purple one too.
There were tons of other jutsu he hadn't even listed—abilities he'd developed himself. With that kind of comprehension skill, it only took a little tinkering for him to invent techniques on the spot.
"What happens if I combine Tenfold Burst with Nativity of a World of Trees?"
He was honestly curious.
The purple-tier entry was straightforward: ten times the burst.
Now imagine that applied to his strongest jutsu, Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees.
He couldn't even begin to imagine the result.
"Looks like I need to take a trip outside the village sometime."
He muttered to himself.
Soon after, he arrived at the Ninja Academy.
Seeing the familiar surroundings, he felt a bit sentimental. In a little while, he'd graduate.
Maybe it was the purple-tier prize from this morning, but nostalgia hit hard.
"Nagi!"
As soon as he stepped inside, he ran into Sasuke.
"I'm going to beat you in today's graduation exam!" Sasuke declared, cold and proud as ever—even his voice sounded tsundere.
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
Nagi grinned. He couldn't resist teasing the Uchiha brat.
Honestly, Itachi probably liked messing with him for a reason—Sasuke's type practically invited it.
"I've been training nonstop for this day!"
Ever since that blow to his ego, Sasuke had thrown himself into training, especially his clone techniques.
He was confident—this time, he wouldn't lose.
What he didn't know was that Nagi hadn't touched the Clone Technique in ages.
He didn't even bother with Shadow Clones anymore. Why would he, when Avatar Technique was like a souped-up version?
Identical in form and chakra signature—even the Sharingan couldn't tell the difference.
And seriously, it was one thing for Sasuke to compete with him in PvP, but why even try to challenge him in PvE?
What Nagi didn't know was that Sasuke had already set his sights on him as a rival.
Surpassing Nagi had become his new obsession.
"Oh, and there's Naruto."
Nagi noticed the gloomy blonde kid nearby and smiled faintly.
He still needed Naruto to play his part for the Scroll of Seals later tonight.
Time to set his plan in motion.
[End of Chapter]