When those words were spoken, the scene was just like yesterday. Not only did the student who had asked the question look unconvinced, but the students hearing about it for the first time also wore disbelieving expressions.
But the student offered no further explanation. Once the competition began, everyone would understand.
When the first-place students from the other grades saw that Class 1 of the 4th Grade had chosen Naruto Uzumaki as its representative, their eyes lit up. Having been held down by Uchiha Sasuke for years, they felt this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Every one of them hoped to draw Naruto in the first round. They'd heard the murmurs around them, but figured Naruto had simply gotten lucky.
"Looks like Naruto's a shoo-in for first place this time." Qiushui had quietly assessed the representatives from the other classes and found that even the best of them was only A-minus quality. They were no match for Naruto—in fact, even Aburame Shino could probably crush them with ease.
The drawing began, and the first lucky winner was a student from Class 3 of the 4th Grade. When he drew Naruto's name, he couldn't stop grinning. The other first-place students watched, their eyes turning red with envy.
Why couldn't they have been that lucky?
Before the competition began, students from each class cheered on their representatives.
Naruto hadn't been very popular in class before, and he'd often caused trouble for everyone. But now that he was the only one representing their class, the students of Class 1 of the 4th Grade finally united, all cheering him on.
"Naruto, you're the guy who beat me. Don't you dare make me look bad!" Inuzuka Kiba shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Naruto-kun... do your best," Hyuga Hinata called softly, her voice almost drowned