Perfect Graduation Score

"This is a hassle. I don't know how long it'll take to eat all these fish," Shikamaru said, bending down to sift through the black fish in the basket.

"Naruto must have worked hard by the river to catch all these fish," Shikaku remarked, stroking the scar on his face. "I tried fishing myself once, but I waited all day and didn't get a single bite."

"If I invited this kid over for a meal, he'd definitely refuse. I wonder if he'll even like the gift I prepared for him."

"Don't worry about that stuff, Dad. Naruto's just like that," Shikamaru said lazily. "You're putting pressure on him."

"What are you talking about, you brat! Damn it!"

"Naruto's used to being alone. Sometimes it seems like he doesn't care about anything, but things like family gatherings probably just make him feel awkward and sad," Shikamaru said, standing up.

Shikaku Nara didn't reply. Thinking about Naruto's past, he fell into a long silence.

The next day, the Ninja Academy graduation exams began.

The school entrance was much livelier than usual, mostly with parents accompanying their children for the graduation exams. They gathered in a bustling crowd at the school gates.

Before the exams started, the area was usually cleared to prevent the parents from being too noisy and disrupting the normal proceedings of the exam.

Naruto arrived at the school early and sat on the swing under the large zelkova tree. He didn't jump down and walk over until he saw Hinata passing by.

He wasn't wearing his usual orange jacket today, but a plain black t-shirt. The cotton jacket was too hot, and he still didn't have the courage to wear it out.

"Morning, Hinata."

"G-good morning, N-Naruto-kun," Hinata stammered, startled. Her face instantly turned red, and she avoided Naruto's gaze, responding in a quiet, stuttering voice.

"Here, this is for you." Naruto brought out a small trinket from behind his back.

It was a small wooden carving, vividly sculpted into a chibi version of Hinata. The carving was only about three fingers in size, making it exceptionally cute.

"Did Naruto-kun make this himself?" Hinata asked, her face flushing. Her eyes, however, couldn't move away from the small wooden carving.

"Yeah, I picked up a thing or two, so... I made it for you."

He wasn't just a little bit skilled. Before his transmigration, he had been learning wood carving from his master since he could remember, never stopping during his fifteen years of spring and autumn breaks.

Hinata's face turned even redder. She accepted the wooden carving and thanked him softly.

"I remember Hinata's grades have always been very good, right? Then good luck with your exam," Naruto said, waving goodbye before turning to leave.

[Nine-Tails' Recognition 2.2%]

The system wasn't so easily fooled. A wooden carving could make Hinata blush profusely, but the system seemed to have detected Naruto's attempt to game the system.

The system made a fair judgment on Naruto's desire to exploit loopholes. While repeated actions might be effective on Hinata, they were ineffective on the system.

"I really need to put more effort into it," Naruto muttered to himself.

Hinata at this time was still very cute, even more introverted than in the anime. She wore a one-piece tracksuit, and her short hair barely reached her ears.

Although her voice was a bit quiet, she was very polite to others. She had all the qualities of a perfect wife, a truly outstanding young lady in every aspect.

Honestly, Naruto couldn't understand what he had done to deserve the affection of such a girl. What was Hinata looking for in him?

The graduation exam was conducted individually in a classroom. Before that, the students taking the exam were gathered in a large classroom to wait for their names to be called.

"The exam begins!"

Iruka's stern voice rang out, and the school's electronic bell sounded simultaneously.

The exam time was very short, only requiring the performance of one of the Three Jutsu. Naruto's class was scheduled for the first session, and within ten minutes, several students had already completed their exams.

Not many people received headbands, perhaps about a third. And this was just the graduation exam; to become a true Genin, they still had to pass the test of their team leader.

"Sakura Haruno!"

"Here!"

Naruto caught a glimpse of a flash of pink rushing towards the next classroom like the wind. He happened to be sitting by the door and could easily hear Iruka's voice.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!"

"Very good, excellent."

Sakura's excited voice came through: "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu, huh?" Naruto murmured, recalling it carefully. It didn't seem difficult.

The passing standard was to create a clone with virtually no flaws. Creating two clones was considered excellent. The criteria for a perfect score were quite stringent.

For example, as Naruto had demonstrated in his Shadow Clone Jutsu review exam yesterday, creating three indistinguishable clones. Only two people in the entire class achieved a perfect score: Sasuke and Naruto.

Sasuke was called next. Before leaving the classroom, he turned and glanced at Naruto, who was sitting by the door. Naruto raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

After about half an hour, Naruto's name was finally called.

To his surprise, Naruto drew the Body Replacement Jutsu. This was a relatively difficult Ninjutsu. Although it was one of the basic Ninjutsu, its difficulty was a step higher than the Transformation Jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

The main reason was the hand seal speed. The assessment standards for the Body Replacement Jutsu were speed and accuracy. Speed tested the hand seal execution, while accuracy tested the perfection of the technique.

Passing the exam wasn't difficult if one put in the effort, and achieving excellence was also possible.

"Huh? Someone drew the Body Replacement Jutsu!" a sharp-eared voice from the classroom shouted, and with a roar, those who had been tested and those who hadn't all crowded around the front and back doors of the testing classroom.

"What kind of bad luck did Naruto have to draw the Body Replacement Jutsu, which is rarely seen?" Shikamaru grumbled, his brow furrowed slightly.

Naruto's strength made no difference no matter which jutsu he drew; he would fail anyway.

But after eating the fish Naruto had caught yesterday, Shikamaru suddenly felt a sense of indebtedness. He secretly vowed that no matter how funny it was, he wouldn't laugh.

This wasn't a laughing matter; it would cost him merit.

"Hahaha! I hope that guy doesn't transform into something weird!" Ino laughed heartily, gloating from the side.

As she laughed, she patted Shikamaru on the back and said, "Remember the last time he did the Body Replacement Jutsu? He transformed into something half-human, half-stake, hahaha, it made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe!"

Shikamaru didn't react much, shrugging his shoulders and saying, "That's just how Naruto is. He tries so hard, but he still can't use ninjutsu."

The test didn't take long. Iruka's voice, tinged with hesitation, sounded out, carrying a hint of doubt.

"Perfect score."

"Perfect score for what?" Ino looked at Shikamaru, casting a questioning glance his way.

"How should I know?" Shikamaru replied with an indifferent expression. "Teacher Iruka didn't say any names."

"Naruto Uzumaki, perfect score!"