After-School Farce

"Ring-ring-ring—!"

The bell of the Konoha Ninja School rang, announcing the end of the day's classes.

The classroom immediately burst open like a startled birdcage. Chattering students poured through the door, excitedly discussing the upcoming graduation exams, ninja team assignments, and their future lives as Genin.

"I heard Chunin will be coming tomorrow as temporary examiners! I'm so nervous!"

"I'm definitely going to..."

"Hey, have you guys done your Taijutsu sparring practice?"

Amid the noisy backdrop of the crowd, Tejima Shinichi slowly walked out of the classroom with his hands in his pockets only after everyone else had left.

His slightly messy black hair held a few faint streaks of dark brown at the tips, like marks left by fading under the sun.

His facial features were cleanly defined, with a high nose bridge and distinct lips, forming a face that had revealed its handsomeness too early. It was handsome without being boyish, instead carrying a strikingly heroic air; beneath his clean youthful vigor, one could faintly see the sharp contours he would possess in the future.

Under the sunlight, his eyes were a dark amber, and his gaze swept indifferently ahead, completely uninterested in the lively discussions.

He had long since seen through these brats' noisy chatter.

Graduation?

Genin?

Boring!

The corridor was still packed with people.

"Hey, who do you think will be the Top Student in this graduation assessment?"

Inuzuka Kiba held Akamaru in his arms, his voice loud.

"Do you even need to ask?" Nara Shikamaru yawned and scratched the back of his head with an expression of utter annoyance. "It'll definitely be that monster Shinichi. Perfect marks in theory, and in actual combat... no one's ever beaten him."

Though he said it casually, Nara Shikamaru's eyes held a grave look.

Because Tejima Shinichi's strength was terrifying in the way it created a complete gap. He simply wasn't on the same level as the rest of them.

"Crunch, crunch..." Leaning against the wall, Akimichi Choji focused on eating chips. Without even lifting his head, he chimed in, "I think Shikamaru's right. Shinichi really is terrifying!"

"Tch." Inuzuka Kiba curled his lip. "That guy is pretty strong... but Sasuke isn't bad either!"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, it was as if he had lit the fuse for an unknown war!

"Sasuke is obviously amazing!" Yamanaka Ino immediately raised her voice and cut in. "But Shinichi is more consistent! Every assessment, he beats Sasuke without any suspense and takes first place!"

The moment those words were spoken, someone became unhappy!

Haruno Sakura immediately shoved Ino aside and loudly retorted, "What do you know, Ino-pig?! Sasuke is handsome and cool, and his strength improves incredibly fast! Shinichi is strong, sure, but Sasuke is even more..."

"More what?" Ino glared back defiantly, hands on her hips. "Wide forehead, you're the one who doesn't understand anything! Shinichi's calm composure is what a true strong person should have!"

"..."

In an instant, the corridor became their battlefield as the argument raged on!

Watching the scene, Akimichi Choji shrank his neck and stuffed chips into his mouth even faster, muttering softly, "As expected... women are terrifying..."

Nara Shikamaru watched the increasingly heated fight with a headache, pressing a hand to his forehead. He sighed and turned toward the culprit beside him, his tone helpless.

"Hey, Kiba, look what you did."

Inuzuka Kiba scratched his cheek awkwardly. Akamaru in his arms let out a low "woof" as well, and he muttered quietly.

"I-I didn't want this either. Who knew those two would end up like this..."

Tejima Shinichi stood not far away, his indifferent amber eyes passing over the endlessly bickering Ino and Sakura, then shifting to the troubled Shikamaru and embarrassed Kiba before briefly settling on Choji, who was eating chips faster and faster.

He watched these companions who were about to graduate alongside him, watching them waste their energy on this meaningless dispute. Only after Shikamaru dragged away the still-grumbling Kiba and Choji, while the two girls stalked off in opposite directions while glaring at each other, did he finally start walking.

Tejima Shinichi gently let out a breath.

"I really don't understand..."

"They're all going to become ninja who carry their lives on the line, so why can these girls argue until they're red in the face over something so trivial?"

Ninja could die at any time. Could being boy-crazy keep you alive on a mission?

Though... you really did all survive until the end...

As he passed through the corridor and had yet to reach the school gates, another familiar burst of noise already reached him—

"Sasuke! You bastard! Why does Sakura hang around you every day?!"

A piercing voice exploded.

Tejima Shinichi stopped and looked over—sure enough, it was that constantly screaming Uzumaki Naruto again!

At that moment, Naruto stood there with a head of dazzling blond hair, shouting at Uchiha Sasuke with an indignant expression.

Uchiha Sasuke merely shot him a cold glance without even stopping.

"You're too noisy, dead last."

Uchiha Sasuke tossed out those words and continued walking forward.

"Who are you calling dead last?!"

Uzumaki Naruto instantly bristled, charging forward with bared teeth and flailing limbs as he tried to grab Uchiha Sasuke by the collar.

But Uchiha Sasuke shifted his footing and casually drove an elbow into his stomach.

"Ugh—!"

Uzumaki Naruto clutched his stomach and crouched on the ground in pain, but the next second, he stubbornly lifted his head and bared his teeth as he made a threat.

"Damn it... Sasuke, you sneak-attacked me... just you wait! Next time, I'll definitely..."

Tejima Shinichi stood nearby and watched silently.

He was obviously the Top Student of their class... yet Uzumaki Naruto insisted on flirting and squabbling with Uchiha Sasuke!

Of course... Tejima Shinichi wasn't jealous or anything!

All he could say was, as expected of Indra and Asura. They really were a pair of enemies fated for a thousand years!

But...

Tejima Shinichi looked at Uchiha Sasuke with a meaningful gaze...

"Hmph, you Uchiha, evil by nature... but I have to say, the Sharingan really is an enviable Kekkei Genkai!"

After all, it was so cool!

Tejima Shinichi shook his head and continued walking.

But just then—

"Bang!"

A shadow suddenly flew in from the side and caught him off guard, crashing into his shoulder.

Tejima Shinichi shifted aside and looked closely. It was Uzumaki Naruto—

At some point, this guy had rushed at Uchiha Sasuke again, only to be sent flying by a kick and crash diagonally toward him.

"Ugh! Ow, ow, ow..." Uzumaki Naruto rubbed his backside as he climbed up. The moment he looked up and saw Tejima Shinichi, he froze for a moment before muttering awkwardly, "...I-it's Shinichi."

Tejima Shinichi raised an eyebrow, slowly crouched down, braced one hand against his knee, and looked down at Uzumaki Naruto.

"Naruto, this is the third time this week I've seen someone kick you flying."

Uzumaki Naruto's blue eyes widened, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "You—! Don't talk nonsense! It hasn't been three times!"

Sheesh... Naruto, why do you sound so much like Naruko?!

"Bang!"

Before Uzumaki Naruto could say anything else, Tejima Shinichi flicked his forehead with a bent finger.

The force was not heavy, but it was enough to make Naruto cry out and clutch his forehead.

Tejima Shinichi stood up, put his hands back into his pockets, and continued toward the exit, tossing back one sentence.

"Can't you behave yourself for once?"

Behind him, Uzumaki Naruto clutched his head and jumped around indignantly.

"...Aaargh! Shinichi, you bastard! Don't think you're so great just because you're the Top Student! If I could beat you... and Sasuke too! Just you wait!"

Meanwhile, Uchiha Sasuke stood where he was, his gaze fixed tightly on Tejima Shinichi's retreating back, his lips pressed into a straight line.

It was that guy—!

Ever since they had enrolled, he had steadily remained above him.

Theory, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu... in every assessment, that name had been ranked ahead of his—Tejima Shinichi.

He had never even truly forced the other to use his full strength.

That effortless, unfathomable feeling irritated the proud Uchiha.

Clearly... he too had been given the title of genius!

"Hey! Sasuke!" Uzumaki Naruto's shout pulled him back to his senses. "What are you spacing out for? Are you scared of Shinichi too?"

Uchiha Sasuke shot Naruto a cold glance.

"Idiot."

"Who are you calling an idiot?!"

"Whoever answers me is the idiot."

Sasuke's voice carried its usual mockery, but when his eyes swept once more toward the direction Tejima Shinichi had disappeared in, a fire of competition burned deep within them.

It was obvious that Uchiha Sasuke cared greatly about Uzumaki Naruto's words!

He no longer paid attention to Naruto's loud protests. He stepped forward and followed in that direction.

With graduation approaching, Uchiha Sasuke desperately wanted to know... just how strong was this Top Student who had always suppressed him?!

"Aaargh! Sasuke! You're ignoring me again!"

Uzumaki Naruto frantically clawed at his hair, but as he watched the two leave one after the other, a glint of unwillingness to lose flashed through his blue eyes instead!

"Hmph, so what if you're the Top Student?! I, the great Uzumaki Naruto, will surpass both of you sooner or later!"

Still... despite getting beaten up like this, Uzumaki Naruto seemed rather... happy!

Tejima Shinichi had only just left the school gates and taken a few steps when he sensed someone watching him from behind.

He did not stop walking, merely glancing back from the corner of his eye.

It was Uchiha Sasuke.

That black-haired boy followed behind him, his dark eyes staring straight at him with a challenging look.

Uzumaki Naruto was still jumping around beside him, but Sasuke ignored him completely.

Tejima Shinichi could not be bothered with them and continued toward the school gates.

"Shinichi!"

Uchiha Sasuke's voice rang out behind him, stopping him.

Tejima Shinichi halted and half turned around.

Uchiha Sasuke had already approached him. The two stood less than a meter apart.

Uzumaki Naruto had followed as well, watching the two with a curious expression.

"Need something?"

Tejima Shinichi spoke.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at him, his gaze sharp.

"Tejima Shinichi," he said his full name, his tone serious. "For the past few years, you've won every combat assessment."

Tejima Shinichi said nothing, waiting for Uchiha Sasuke to continue.

"With graduation approaching," Uchiha Sasuke continued, seeming to have made up his mind, "I want to know exactly how large the gap between us is."

As he spoke, Sasuke slightly lifted his chin. The pride of the Uchiha gave him an extraordinary bearing even as he issued a challenge.

Tejima Shinichi looked interested.

"So?"

"Fight me again. Right now."

Uchiha Sasuke stated his purpose directly.

Beside them, Uzumaki Naruto's eyes widened at once.

"Huh?! Sasuke, you... right here and now?!"

Tejima Shinichi looked at Uchiha Sasuke's serious expression and found it rather interesting instead.

This stubbornness of knowing there was a gap yet insisting on crashing into it anyway really was Uchiha Sasuke's style.

Thinking that, Tejima Shinichi smiled instead. Looking at Uchiha Sasuke's deliberately mature appearance, he said,

"If that's the case... hmph, you evil little Uchiha brat, then come on."

Hearing that, Uchiha Sasuke froze for a moment before flying into a rage.

"What did you say?!"

The words "evil Uchiha" were like a sharp thorn stabbing viciously into Uchiha Sasuke's fragile heart. His face darkened instantly, fury surging in his eyes as the last trace of calm vanished.

"The glory of the Uchiha... will not be defiled!" he snarled through gritted teeth. "How dare you... I'll make you pay!"

Uchiha Sasuke stopped wasting words, his body moving in an instant.

A fierce kick swept directly toward Tejima Shinichi's waist.

Yet in the face of an attack powerful enough to knock down an ordinary upperclassman, Tejima Shinichi advanced instead of retreating, extending his left hand.

"Smack!"

A dull impact rang out.

He precisely caught Uchiha Sasuke's incoming ankle.

Uchiha Sasuke's face changed as he tried to pull free, only to find that his ankle seemed locked in an iron clamp, completely unmoving.

Damn it, why is the gap in strength still this huge?!

"Is this all the Uchiha Taijutsu amounts to?"

Tejima Shinichi looked at his alarmed expression and suddenly grinned.

"Too slow, too scattered. If this is all you have... Sasuke, you're still far from surpassing me!"

"You...!" Uchiha Sasuke's face turned livid, fury burning in his chest.

Balancing on one foot, he sharply leaned back and twisted his body with the momentum, sending his other leg whipping toward Tejima Shinichi's head once again!

The sudden change was incredibly fast, carrying the sound of rushing wind.

"Still don't understand?"

Tejima Shinichi spoke calmly.

As he spoke, the arm gripping Sasuke's ankle suddenly exerted force!

"It's time to end this."

The immense force from his arm instantly threw Uchiha Sasuke off balance, easily swinging his entire body through the air!

Bang!

Bang!

He brutally slammed him twice against the hard ground.

The movement was incomparably violent.

Dust rose slightly.

Tejima Shinichi let go.

Uchiha Sasuke sprawled on the ground, feeling the world spin as his vision darkened in waves. Every part of his body hurt, and even his breathing caught for a moment.

"...Hmph... ngh..."

He groaned as he struggled to get up, but for the moment, he could not summon any strength.

Beside them, Uzumaki Naruto stood with his mouth wide open and his eyes bulging, completely stunned in place.

Tejima Shinichi dusted off his hands, though there was no dust on them, and looked down at Uchiha Sasuke on the ground.

"Satisfied now?"

Honestly—he occasionally managed to look cool for one second, then immediately went back to getting utterly crushed.

With that, Tejima Shinichi did not spare either of them another glance before turning and leaving.

Uzumaki Naruto, who had been watching from the side, had long forgotten to breathe. His mouth hung open as he stared blankly at the scene before him.

Sasuke, the one he had always wanted to catch up to, was always like this. Before Tejima Shinichi... he could not even last one move!

"So... so amazing..."

Uzumaki Naruto murmured unconsciously.

The next second, as if only just coming back to his senses, Naruto hurried to Uchiha Sasuke's side and crouched down, his voice frantic.

"Hey! Sasuke! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Uchiha Sasuke lay sprawled on the ground, his unfocused eyes staring at the sky. His chest rose and fell violently as he gasped for air.

Every inch of his body hurt, especially his back and internal organs, which felt as though they had all been knocked out of place.

Amid the ringing in his ears, he vaguely heard Uzumaki Naruto's noisy voice, but he had no mind to pay attention to it.

Only after quite some time did the dizzying sensation gradually subside.

Gritting his teeth, he braced himself on one elbow and sat up with great difficulty.

Avoiding Uzumaki Naruto's outstretched hand, which was trying to help him up, he relied on his own strength and unsteadily got to his feet.

But his steps were still a little unsteady!

Uchiha Sasuke first fixed his gaze on the direction Tejima Shinichi had left in, but unfortunately, there was already no one there.

Then he turned to Uzumaki Naruto, whose face was full of concern. He pressed his pale lips together, his voice low and hoarse from pain.

"I'm going home first... And what happened today... you're not allowed to tell anyone!"

Without waiting for Uzumaki Naruto's response, he dragged his aching body toward the Uchiha Clan Grounds, walking somewhat unsteadily.

Uzumaki Naruto stood where he was, watching Sasuke's retreating figure gradually fade into the distance. He scratched his dazzling blonde hair, confusion and a trace of worry on his face, before finally muttering softly.

"Got it... you stuck-up Sasuke!"

Uzumaki Naruto curled his lips. Just as he turned to leave, his steps suddenly halted.

Wait...

That guy Sasuke... did he just say...

"What happened today... you're not allowed to tell anyone!"

An idea lit up in Naruto's mind like a lightbulb.

He did not want him to tell anyone?

That meant... this was Uzumaki Naruto's secret alone? Something embarrassing that Sasuke did not want anyone else to know about?

"Hehe..."

Naruto's mouth began to curl upward uncontrollably. A smile filled with a little slyness and smug satisfaction slowly spread across his face, eventually stretching nearly to his ears.

He could practically see it already: the next time Sasuke put on that sour face or called him "dead last," all he had to do was casually mention—

"Sasuke, you wouldn't want anyone to know what happened at the school gate that day..."

What kind of wonderful expression would that stuck-up guy make...?

"Kehehehe..."

At the empty school gate, the foolish laughter of the blonde-haired boy, sounding somewhat "up to no good," echoed through the air.