Time slipped by, neither fast nor slow, yet life at the Academy truly was as Shikamaru had said: unbearably dull.
It was not only Naruto who felt this way. Even within the seal, Minato and Kurama admitted they were growing weary. Minato had once graduated from these very classrooms, and Kurama had followed Kushina, his former host, out of these same gates.
A month had passed since classes began. In that time, Iruka had drilled the students on the basics of becoming genin. From refining chakra to today's taijutsu practice, the focus was on mastering the Three Basic Techniques.
At the training field, Naruto sat alone beneath a tree at the edge of the grounds. His senses spread wide across the village, scanning again and again. He had long prepared a storage scroll for collecting bodies, but Shisui had still not returned to the village.
"Now then, let us review what we learned. Uchiha Sasuke, please demonstrate the Clone Technique."
Iruka's eyes swept the field. When they briefly lingered on Naruto, his gaze flickered before landing on Sasuke.
The training ground erupted with excitement. A chorus of squeals rose from the girls, stars shining in their eyes as they cheered Sasuke on.
"Hmph. The Clone Technique is nothing but a child's trick," Sasuke said coolly. Yet after a glance toward a certain corner, he strode forward, pride gleaming in his eyes.
Iruka nodded, his tone full of expectation. "Go ahead, Sasuke."
With a sharp glint, Sasuke's hands formed seals with flawless precision.
Ram. Snake. Tiger.
"Clone Technique!"
Poof!
Smoke cleared. Two identical Sasukes stood before the class.
Iruka's eyes lit up. He quickly noted Sasuke's name with approval.
"Amazing, Sasuke-kun! It is perfect!"
"I cannot even tell who is real!"
The chorus of admiration grew louder. Sasuke's popularity was undeniable.
"Enough chatter. Sasuke, release the technique," Iruka ordered.
Poof! Poof!
Both figures vanished at once.
"What?"
"Both were clones?"
"Incredible! Where is the real Sasuke then?"
The crowd gasped and searched wildly. Shikamaru, however, simply turned his eyes toward Naruto's tree. His brow furrowed, but he said nothing.
"You called it a child's trick, but you seemed to enjoy showing off," Naruto murmured without lifting his head.
Sasuke leapt down from the branches, pride etched across his face. "So you noticed after all."
A fresh wave of squeals erupted from the girls. "He was up in the tree all along!"
"So cool!"
Surrounded by admiration, Sasuke basked in the attention. Naruto rose silently, cast him a single cold glance, and turned away, seeking peace elsewhere.
Sasuke's face darkened. Once again Naruto treated him as if he were nothing, as though he did not exist.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Iruka's voice rang out. He strode toward Naruto, eyes stern.
"Sasuke has demonstrated the Clone Technique. Now it is your turn."
Shikamaru's heart sank. This could not be good. Naruto could already perform Shadow Clones. Had the Hokage not told Iruka?
Naruto's lips curved with faint amusement. He raised his head and locked eyes with Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, I am not skilled at the Clone Technique."
Iruka's gaze hardened. "How can you know without trying?"
"Forgive me, sensei, but I will not make a fool of myself in front of everyone. Unlike Sasuke, I am no genius. I could never match such a flawless display."
His words were mild, yet every syllable dripped with irony.
Naruto knew exactly what Iruka was doing. For a month he and Shikamaru and Choji had been branded the inattentive ones. While Sasuke earned praise, they were treated as the troublemakers.
But unlike his friends, Naruto's mind had never been idle. He used his seat in the corner to sense Shisui's whereabouts, or to immerse himself in the Mirror World. Iruka could never catch him off guard in class discussions; he already knew every answer.
Today Iruka finally found his chance, parading Sasuke's talent to throw Naruto into the mud.
If this had been the Naruto of the original story, he would have leapt at the chance to prove himself, desperate to challenge Sasuke head-on. But not this Naruto.
"If you know you are lacking, that is all the more reason to train harder," Iruka said coldly. "With such an attitude, you will never graduate."
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei, for your teaching."
Naruto bowed deeply, a gesture of respect that silenced the class.
Iruka's lips twisted. He had expected defiance. Instead, Naruto's composure made his reprimand feel empty, as if he had struck nothing but air.
Annoyed, he turned away. "Stand aside and watch how the others do it."
Naruto complied without a word. Iruka quickly focused on other students, who flocked eagerly around Sasuke once more.
Shikamaru approached, concern in his eyes. "You okay?"
Naruto smirked. "Do I look troubled?"
Shikamaru sighed. "Seems the Hokage never told Iruka about your case. Otherwise he would not have called you out."
Naruto's eyes gleamed faintly. "You are smart, Shikamaru. But Iruka is just a teacher. If he knew too much, he would not know how to face me. The Hokage understands this well."
"Troublesome. If only we could skip school altogether…"
"You know," Naruto began, but stopped himself.
Shikamaru's brow rose. "Know what?"
"Nothing. Let us go. Next is shuriken practice, and Iruka-sensei is already calling names."
Naruto's eyes sharpened. He had just sensed Shisui's chakra returning to the village. That meant the nights ahead would be filled with work.
It was May. Soon it would be Konoha Year 55. The night of the Uchiha massacre loomed ever closer.
And Naruto was waiting eagerly. He would trigger his explosive seals that very same night.
Would the Third Hokage fall from power then? Naruto's lips curved. He could not wait to see.
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