027. Passing the Exam and Ya's Provocation

"Yeah, that's right. Yashui is my friend, and he's the grandson of the Third Hokage, you know," Naruto said proudly.

"What a drag," Shikamaru muttered after hearing this, casting a glance at Yashui before falling silent.

"Tch, what are you so proud of? Yashui is the Hokage's grandson, not you." Kiba Inuzuka patted Akamaru on the head. "Right, Akamaru?"

"Hmph! You brat, are you looking for a fight?" Naruto rolled up his sleeves and started toward Kiba.

"So annoying. My Sasuke is the coolest, anyway~" Sakura gazed at Sasuke with a lovestruck expression.

"What are you talking about? Sasuke is clearly mine!" Fan-girl number two, Ino, had entered the fray and began arguing with Sakura.

Sasuke, meanwhile, kept his eyes fixed on Yashui, his mind surely calculating Yashui's true strength.

The rest of the class remained relatively quiet. Hinata, in particular, was unusually still, constantly stealing glances at Naruto with a faint blush on her cheeks.

In front of the Hyuga Clan Estate's Byakugan, Naruto might as well be naked. That means Hinata has seen Naruto's... no wonder she's blushing... Yashui thought to himself, then nodded. He felt as if he had uncovered another shocking secret.

"Quiet!"

Umino Iruka walked into the classroom.

"This is the last day of school, and you still can't behave yourselves? You are the worst class I have ever taught!" No matter the world, homeroom teachers always seem to say this line.

The classroom fell silent; one could even hear the sound of falling leaves outside the window.

"Now, those whose names I call, please head to the next room for your exam. This year's test is the Clone Technique. Everyone, prepare yourselves." After finishing his instructions, Iruka walked to the adjacent classroom.

As soon as Iruka left, the classroom descended into chaos once again.

"The Clone Technique? Too easy," Kiba boasted in front of Naruto.

"What a drag," Shikamaru sighed, resting his head on his desk to sleep.

Sasuke remained silent, staring at the scenery outside the window.

Some of the background students began practicing their clones. Their technique was mediocre; very few could produce five, and most could only manage three.

As for the nine members of the Konoha Twelve—excluding Naruto—the others could generally produce five or seven clones.

Having undergone chakra control training, Yashui could easily produce ten clones without issue. However, he couldn't be bothered to show off that much and decided to finish the exam with just five.

In this world, the Clone Technique wasn't a practical jutsu; once an opponent had even a shred of skill, it was easy to distinguish the real body from the illusions.

"Choji Akimichi!"

"Ah, it's my turn already? I haven't even finished my snacks..." Choji tossed his snack bag aside, wiped his greasy hands on his clothes, and stood up to head to the next room.

"Ogimachi Hachiko, please prepare."

A girl lined up behind Choji. She was likely just a background character; her name hadn't appeared in the original story.

Before long, Choji emerged from the exam room. Judging by his relaxed expression, the test was indeed quite simple.

"Ogimachi Hachiko, please prepare, Fujiwara Shiro."

The candidates went in one after another. Seeing their relaxed faces, Yashui felt his own tension ease.

"Sasuke Uchiha, please prepare, Sarutobi Yashui."

Sasuke walked in with his hands in his pockets, looking as arrogant as ever. He walked out with the same air of superiority; that "arrogance" was like a permanent plaster stuck to his face.

"Yashui. If you manage to become a genin, let's have another match," Sasuke said before walking away without looking back.

Sasuke's personality could be quite irritating at times. After he left, the loudspeaker announced Sarutobi Yashui's name.

Hearing the call, Yashui walked into the exam room.

"Mizuki, he's the Third Hokage's grandson. And he's an honor student graduating early. Should we raise the difficulty?" Iruka whispered to Mizuki.

"No need, right? If he graduates early only to fail, he'll lose face. It wouldn't be easy to explain to the Third Hokage, either." Although Mizuki was a teacher, it was clear from his words that he lacked Iruka's sense of responsibility.

"No, if he's going to graduate early, he must prove he's more capable than the other students," Iruka said, glancing at Yashui. "This is to ensure he doesn't die prematurely in his ninja career."

"Suit yourself." Mizuki leaned back in his chair, signaling he wouldn't be participating in this student's examination.

"Sarutobi Yashui, the requirement for our graduation exam is to summon three clones. However, since you are graduating early, the requirement is higher. You must produce seven clones to pass." Iruka told him.

Yashui nodded and performed the hand signs at a leisurely pace.

"Poof!"

Seven clones appeared beside Yashui. These were merely phantoms; the Clone Technique taught at the Ninja Academy was the most basic version.

"Very well, you've passed. Come and take your Konoha Headband." After receiving the headband, Yashui returned to the waiting room.

A short while later, it was Naruto's turn. Yashui didn't even need to guess the result. Naruto's Three Basic Jutsu were abysmal; he had poured all his energy into practicing prank-related jutsu instead of the basics.

Naruto returned from the exam looking dejected. He didn't act like his usual self. He sat in the corner of the classroom, head bowed in sorrow.

"Heh heh. Naruto, did you fail again?" Kiba, who had passed easily, held up his Konoha Headband to show off. "Typical dead-last, hahaha..."

Yashui usually had no interest in the petty squabbles of these brats, but lack of interest didn't mean he lacked a bottom line. He knew Kiba's personality was just like that and meant no real malice.

But... seeing Naruto so heartbroken, Yashui couldn't just sit still. Having lived for twenty-some years, he knew exactly what it felt like to have salt rubbed into a wound.

"A barking dog. Even if you passed the ninja exam, your actual combat strength isn't even as good as Naruto's... Naruto doesn't even need to lift a finger. You couldn't even beat me, Naruto's underling." Yashui didn't know where the courage came from, but the provocation left his lips instantly.

"I remember you—the one who graduated early. I guess you passed the test, too." Kiba looked at Yashui with a sneer. "Others might not remember, but I still remember your scent. You're the guy who challenged Sasuke every day after school and got beaten into the dirt every single time!"

Kiba raised his voice again, as if he wanted the whole world to know exactly what Yashui's track record against Sasuke was.