Effort, focus, diligence, hard work… he even treated learning and training as a kind of hobby, as if he were addicted and unable to stop! Let alone Naruto, Iruka had never seen anyone enjoy training as much as someone might enjoy a worldly pleasure. It surpassed even the diligent genius, Rock Lee, from the previous class! Although Rock Lee worked himself to the bone, he relied on his sheer will and perseverance, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain! For him, diligent training was still painful. But for Naruto, it was as if training itself had become an indispensable thing; if he wasn't allowed to train, he would practically burst into tears! What else could this be but an addiction?!
Although he didn't understand the reason, Iruka-sensei's sense of relief was incredibly genuine. Physics, chemistry, biology, calligraphy, math, language arts, moral character, ninja strategies… Naruto answered every question flawlessly. Less than an hour after the exam had begun, Naruto had already finished everything! This speed even surpassed Sakura Haruno's!
"That fast?!" Sakura couldn't help but stare, temporarily pausing her pen. She saw that Naruto had already picked up his test paper and had started checking it from beginning to end!
Hinata's eyes, however, lit up. "Naruto-kun… you really did it."
Sasuke, on the other hand, clenched his fists in frustration. "Drat it, that loser!"
Naruto wasn't arrogant or complacent; although he had finished, he still checked his work carefully and thoroughly. He didn't know about the others, but if he didn't get into the top ten of the class, the System had promised him a "small punishment"! He didn't know what that small punishment was, and he absolutely didn't want to find out. Naruto kept checking carefully, revising his answers until the very last moment.
One and a half hours finally passed. Iruka-sensei looked at his watch. "Ahem, the exam is over! Everyone, put down your pens!" A chorus of wails immediately erupted in the classroom.
"Ah—"
"I haven't finished yet…"
"Iruka-sensei, can you wait just a little longer?"
"I just found a mistake! Can I correct it before I submit, please?!"
Iruka-sensei said in a deep voice, "Time's up. Everyone must put down their pens! Everyone had the same amount of time!" He immediately began collecting the papers without any delay. He walked past student after student, some happy, some sad. When he picked up Naruto's paper, Iruka-sensei couldn't help but take an extra look. His eyes lit up as he gazed at the densely filled answers; although he couldn't tell right from wrong at a single glance, a warm feeling had already surged in his heart.
"Well done, Naruto," Iruka-sensei praised him in a low voice, leaning close to his ear.
Naruto was startled, then clasped his hands behind his head, leaned back in his chair, and showed a brilliant smile. "Of course! Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"
Iruka-sensei's smile was mixed with tears, his eyes moistening slightly. He quickly coughed to cover it up and immediately moved on to the next student. "Alright, Ise! Hand in your paper!"
"Iruka-sensei, just let me write a little longer… Ah!" Iruka-sensei forcibly took his paper, and the student immediately slumped onto his desk, clutching his head in despair.
Naruto watched this scene and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. Once upon a time, he must have been just like that, right? No, he didn't even care about exams back then. After all the papers were collected, Iruka-sensei didn't pause, clearing his throat and saying, "Next, everyone prepare for the second assessment, which is the most important: the Ninjutsu assessment!"
Naruto couldn't help but feel a little nervous. What ninjutsu would be tested this year?! Although he had mastered them all quite well, there were still some differences. The exam questions would determine the upper limit of his score!
Iruka-sensei said in a deep voice, "Ahem, this year's ninjutsu assessment topic is…"
### Chapter 67: Shadow Clones That Shock Everyone! Beyond the Limits!
"This year's ninjutsu assessment topic is… the Clone Technique!" Iruka-sensei loudly announced the exam topic.
Naruto couldn't help but clasp his hands behind his head, grimacing. "Sure enough, it's still the Clone Technique, my least favorite!" *'However…'* he then had a change of heart. Although the Clone Technique was still his relatively least proficient ninjutsu, compared to before, it had improved by more than a hundredfold! He would absolutely not fail the ninjutsu assessment again! What's more, he still had the ultimate weapon: the Shadow Clone Technique!
Iruka-sensei said, "Alright, the Clone Technique assessment begins now. First up, Nara Shikamaru."
"Hey! Shikamaru! Don't sleep!" Akimichi Choji quickly woke up Nara Shikamaru. He rubbed his sleepy eyes, clearly not yet fully awake. Seeing the furious Iruka-sensei, Choji quickly said, "The ninjutsu assessment has started! You're first. The topic is the Clone Technique!"
Nara Shikamaru reluctantly stood up, let out a big yawn, and lazily walked to the front of the class. "Clone Technique."
*Poof!*
After a puff of white smoke, Shikamaru created a single clone, which was quite decent.
Iruka-sensei said helplessly, "Passable. 60 points!"
Nara Shikamaru shrugged indifferently and walked off the podium casually. Iruka-sensei could only sigh and shake his head. "Next, Akimichi Choji!"
Choji secretly swallowed the last bite of his snack, raised his hand, and stood up. He also performed the Clone Technique, and it was even more realistic than Shikamaru's. "Hm, not bad. 65 points!"
"Next, Inuzuka Kiba!" Inuzuka Kiba was full of confidence, directly creating two clones, both of which were perfectly identical. "Very good! 85 points!" He chuckled, quite satisfied with his performance. The Inuzuka clan's ninjutsu had certain requirements for clones and transformations, so Inuzuka Kiba was quite skilled in this area.
"Next up is… Uchiha Sasuke!"
Immediately, including Naruto, everyone's gaze turned towards him; he was the center of attention. Sasuke still walked onto the stage with his hands in his pockets, completely aloof. He disdainfully formed the hand signs. "Clone Technique."
*Poof, poof, poof, poof!*
In an instant, Sasuke actually created four clones! And each one was incredibly lifelike!
Iruka-sensei couldn't help but be surprised. "He's even better than last year. As expected of Sasuke. 100 points!"
Naruto pouted. "Hmph, still so fond of showing off, that scoundrel Sasuke!"
Sasuke seemed to sense Naruto's displeasure and instinctively glanced at him. Their gazes intertwined, unleashing a strong electric current. "Hmph!" They both snorted coldly and turned their heads away.
"Ahem, next is Sakura Haruno." Sakura Haruno also performed excellently in this basic ninjutsu. She created three quite perfect clones. "Very good, 95 points!" Iruka-sensei also gave her a very high score.