Test

Hyuga Hiashi did not say anything after learning that Hinata had become friends with Naruto.

Although Naruto was highly sensitive as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, this was merely an interaction between children. It was not as if Hyuga Hiashi had specifically instructed Hinata to get close to Naruto.

Besides, Hyuga Hiashi had always harbored an idea—or perhaps an ambition.

Hinata was extremely talented, so talented that no one of her generation, or even the generation before hers, could compare to her.

In his eyes, Hinata might—no, would definitely—become Hokage. What was wrong with getting to know Naruto in advance?

"You rotten Sasuke, Hinata beat you up again! Hahaha, you look hilarious."

The moment Naruto entered the classroom, he spotted Sasuke with a bruised and swollen face and immediately went over to mock him.

Sasuke: #!

"Hmph, loser!"

Sasuke snorted, folded his arms across his chest, closed his eyes, and tilted his head up.

"What did you say? I just wasn't in the right condition! Next time, I'll definitely beat you!" Naruto instantly sprang up.

"When haven't you said that?"

Shikamaru lay sprawled over his desk, looking listless. "They're at it again."

At first, after Naruto and Hinata became friends.

Perhaps because he wanted to fulfill his promise to protect Hinata, Naruto would jump out to stop Sasuke every time Sasuke challenged Hinata.

"You rotten Sasuke, if you want to challenge Hinata, beat me first!"

Then, as expected, he would be knocked flat in just a few moves.

In short, the relationship between Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata was—

—Sasuke challenged Hinata—Naruto intervened and got beaten up—Hinata beat up Sasuke; once Sasuke recovered from his injuries, the cycle began again.

Naruto had escaped disaster yesterday only because he had eaten something bad and was resting at home. Otherwise, Naruto and Sasuke would both have had bruised and swollen faces today.

Actually, Sasuke had not hit Naruto that hard at first.

But after Hinata beat him until his face was bruised and swollen, he had nowhere to vent that humiliation, so he took it out on Naruto.

What Sasuke had not expected was that Naruto's recovery ability was practically inhuman. Naruto's facial injuries were clearly not much lighter than his, yet they healed twice as fast.

Soon, the classroom filled with Naruto and Sasuke's noisy arguing.

Normally, it would stop once the teacher entered the classroom.

But today, the teacher seemed to be rather late.

"Huh, why hasn't the teacher come when class has already started?"

Normally, teachers did not arrive late. Even if something held them up, they would ask another teacher to substitute for them or have another teacher tell the students to study on their own.

"Could something have delayed them?" some students guessed.

Shikamaru looked at Hinata. "Why don't you use your Byakugan to see where the teacher is?"

Hinata glanced at Shikamaru. "I don't enjoy peeping into other people's privacy."

"Uh..." Shikamaru was left speechless.

"No, something's happening."

What was happening? Shikamaru thought.

Wait, hadn't she said she liked peeping?

"A 'demon' is approaching. At that speed, it will reach the school in fifteen minutes."

"What? A demon is approaching the school?!"

A young boy who had overheard Shikamaru and Hinata's conversation immediately cried out.

Over the past three years, the school had taught them quite a bit about demons, but they had never actually seen one.

The boy's voice was not quiet, and the entire class heard him.

"How could a demon come to the school?"

"Exactly. With the village's ninja around, those demons can't possibly get near the school."

"Teacher, where's the teacher?" (Ordinary civilians generally did not yet know that Jinchuriki who sealed demons existed.)

"Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked.

"I don't like joking around."

That was impossible. How could a demon appear in the Hidden Leaf Village and stroll so leisurely toward the Ninja Academy?

Or perhaps that was not a demon!

Shikamaru, who came from a major clan, knew of certain things.

Could this be a test?

A test of what we had learned over the past three years? What a drag.

"Stay close to me later. Don't run around."

Since there would not be any danger later, Shikamaru only planned to scrape by with a passing grade in this test. But Choji was a little slow-witted, which worried him, so he specifically reminded him.

"How could a demon appear in the Hidden Leaf Village? And head straight for the Ninja Academy? Something's wrong. This is wrong!"

Cold sweat covered Sakura's face, and her voice was tense.

"Right! A test! This is a test! If a demon had really appeared in the Hidden Leaf Village, the village would have sealed it immediately. They wouldn't let it roam around."

"If the demon is coming toward the school, the village must have arranged it deliberately. Maybe that demon is even under the village's control?"

In her panic, Sakura had more or less guessed the truth.

Hinata also figured out that this was a test.

Sasuke turned to Hinata and asked, "Hey, Hyuga, can you tell which demon it is?"

The entire class also looked toward Hinata. Right now, only she could see what kind of demon was coming.

"I can't see clearly. It's wrapped in a layer of black mist. We'll have to wait until it makes a move."

Everyone's faces filled with disappointment. If they knew what the demon looked like, they could analyze its approximate abilities based on its appearance.

Unlike the chaotic scene here, the upperclassmen of the Ninja Academy immediately guessed that this was a test after discovering a demon approaching, and began setting up Sealing Jutsu around their classrooms.

"Aren't you going to protect your clan's Miss?"

Tenten came over to Neji and asked.

"There's no need. Besides, Miss doesn't need my help. She can handle it herself."

Although Miss might not be able to handle that demon, she could handle the person controlling it.

On Hinata's side, Shikamaru also thought of using Sealing Jutsu.

But after considering it carefully, he realized it was not practical.

They were still too young and did not have much Chakra. Furthermore, aside from students from the major clans, very few civilian students could use Sealing Jutsu.

Even if they covered the entire classroom with Sealing Jutsu, it might not last even a second.

It would be better to save their Chakra for emergencies.

"Yosh! I'll definitely pass this test in just a few moves and protect Hinata!"

Naruto jumped onto a desk and shouted energetically.

"This idiot..."

Although Naruto's actions were rather foolish and made Hinata a little embarrassed, he did ease the tense atmosphere in the classroom somewhat.

At this moment, even with injuries on his face, anyone could tell at a glance that Sasuke was conflicted.

Sasuke was deeply conflicted. The school had taught them never to face a demon alone. Even his brother and parents had warned him of the same thing.

In his eyes, only Hinata in the entire classroom was qualified to team up with him.

But he could not bring himself to say it, which left him deeply conflicted.

After a while...

"That demon has headed toward the upper grades. It doesn't seem to be coming our way for now."

Everyone grew even more nervous upon hearing this, and the students who had already formed teams huddled even closer together.

At this moment, Sasuke also made up his mind. There was not much time left. To avoid disgracing the Uchiha, what did his own pride matter!