Was this really the same lazy, shameless Naruto?!
And yet, this was only the beginning...
After finishing his meal, Naruto stretched lazily. Iruka thought he was going to bed, but...
Naruto actually began forming hand seals and practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique!
Even more incredible...
He hadn't put away the textbook in his hands!
"W-what's that...?"
"Is he practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique while continuing to study his textbook?!"
"Is he even human?!"
By then, the moon had gradually risen into the sky.
The new moon had also grown a little rounder with each passing day.
When the moon was nearly full, the final exams for the semester would begin.
In other words...
It would be the last chance for Naruto to achieve the goal he'd talked about: making the top ten in his class.
"Could it be that Naruto's really been working this hard all along because of what he said back then?"
Time passed.
Before long, the bustling Konoha had grown quiet beneath the night sky.
Only the chirping of insects and birds broke the silence now and then, making the night feel even more peaceful.
Naruto kept Multi-Tasking as he trained for a long time, then finally stretched and set down his textbook.
Just as Iruka-sensei thought he was going to rest...
Naruto began a new training session.
"Th-that's..."
Naruto's eyes gleamed with determination. He formed hand seals, then instantly activated the secret technique he'd created.
"Transformation!"
Iruka-sensei rubbed his eyes and strained to see clearly through the glass.
The next instant...
"Sexy Technique!"
With a puff of white smoke, a gorgeous, enchanting young woman appeared. She even blew a kiss in Iruka's direction, letting out a soft, seductive hum...
"Ah—!"
Iruka gaped in shock. Then, overwhelmed by the sight, he couldn't stop the nosebleed that burst from his nostrils. The force of it sent him flying backward with a thud!
But he'd forgotten he was perched high atop a telephone pole. He frantically flailed for a handhold, but it was too late. Still spurting blood from his nose, he crashed heavily to the ground!
"N-Naruto, you..."
"You actually came up with such a ridiculous jutsu!"
"Hm?"
At home on the second floor, Naruto seemed to hear something. In his Sexy Technique form as "Naruko," he rushed to the window without a hint of embarrassment, pushed it open, and looked down at the street.
Iruka's old face flushed red. He quickly stopped his nosebleed and hid in the darkness.
"What was that? Was I hearing things?"
"Naruko" shook her head and returned to her original form, but then she transformed again.
"Sexy Technique!"
Iruka's heart pounded wildly. He didn't dare linger any longer. With paper stuffed into both nostrils, he looked around nervously and slipped away like a thief.
"Hmph, Naruto. That trick won't work on a real strong shinobi..."
"It wouldn't work on me, either..."
"Probably..."
Though he fled in a sorry state, his heart was filled with warmth.
Naruto had really grown so much...
He didn't plan to show himself and meet Naruto.
This was enough for now...
Iruka-sensei smiled gently.
In the darkness behind him, the Anbu were also trying not to laugh. They'd seen Naruto's Sexy Technique long ago, so they'd become more or less immune to it.
"Iruka's wrong. That move works on strong shinobi, too..."
"I remember the Third also—"
"Shh! Keep your voice down. Do you want to get killed?!"
Chakra Refinement Technique proficiency: 93 points! Transformation Technique proficiency: 88 points! Sexy Technique proficiency: 82 points! Clone Technique: 70 points! Dual-Tasking proficiency: 72 points! Chakra: 108 points!
When Naruto finished that day's special training, he checked his current stats.
Seeing how much they'd improved, his eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed.
"My Chakra Refinement Technique proficiency is at 93 points?!"
"This is the first ability I've gotten past 90..."
That was only natural. Thanks to Dual-Tasking, he was practicing the Chakra Refinement Technique almost constantly, so his proficiency was rising at a dizzying rate.
"Hmm, my Transformation Technique and Sexy Technique are both in the eighties. No wonder—they're among the Three Basic Techniques I'm best at..."
"Even my worst technique, the Clone Technique, has reached 70 points!"
The Ninja Academy's ninjutsu tests were usually on the Clone Technique or the Transformation Technique.
Now, even with the Clone Technique, he could get 70 points, which would put him in the upper-middle range of the class.
As for the Transformation Technique, he could get an excellent score!
"That's great!"
"My chakra has also risen above 100 points, at least ten times more than other kids my age..."
"That's my greatest secret weapon!"
As for his academic subjects, Naruto had hurriedly reviewed them all, too.
Overall, he'd improved by a lot, and his average score had already passed 60!
He'd gone from twenty or thirty points, to forty or fifty, and now he'd passed the minimum...
For Naruto, this was a huge change, like being reborn and transformed from the inside out!
He silently thought it over...
"Hmm, the exams usually cover academics, ninjutsu, and sparring..."
"Sixty points in academics. For ninjutsu... I'd probably get around 70 with the Clone Technique and 90 with the Transformation Technique, so an average of 80. As for sparring..."
"Other than Sasuke, I shouldn't lose to anyone. I can get at least 90 points."
"Sixty, eighty, ninety..."
"That's a total of about 230 points..."
"With that score, I should rank at least in the top twenty out of the fifty students in my class..."
Naruto's face fell.
Under normal circumstances, he'd have been over the moon with such a good result.
But System Brother had set him a goal: to make the top ten in his class!
"Hmm..."
Naruto stroked his chin, carefully considering what to do.
"My weak point is still academics..."
"I've been studying as hard as I can, but there just hasn't been enough time..."
"I'll have to ask Hinata to help me study more."
"And I need to keep practicing the Clone Technique and the Transformation Technique, of course."
"As for sparring, I'll keep beating Sasuke up in my dreams!"
"Yeah, that's the plan!"
With his plan settled, Naruto fell asleep almost instantly under the system's urging.
In his dreams, he continued fighting Sasuke.
Naruto's win rate had been steadily rising.
At first, he'd only won one or two matches out of more than thirty.
Now, the score was about seven-three.
Seven for Sasuke, three for Naruto.
Naruto was also studying the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.
His stamina, Taijutsu, and chakra reserves were all superior to Sasuke's.
But Sasuke's ninjutsu, fundamentals, and combat skills were far better than his.
As a result, Naruto knew that a burst of strength could defeat Sasuke, but he kept losing during the exchanges, suppressed by Sasuke's superior fundamentals and techniques.
Unless he let his killing intent erupt completely...
But then he'd lose control and show no mercy, trying to kill Sasuke...
Naruto hated Sasuke, but he didn't want to kill him.
More importantly, if he let his killing intent erupt, the Nine-Tailed Fox inside him would stir...
So Naruto was practicing how to maintain fierce determination and fighting spirit in battle without letting killing intent and bloodlust influence him, trying to find a balance.
Of course, that wasn't easy.
Even in his sleep, Sasuke's expression was as cold and arrogant as ever, full of contempt.
"Hmph, dead last. You'll never beat me unless you're prepared to kill me."
Naruto was already in a sorry state, panting and utterly exhausted.
But he stubbornly shook his head.
"If I have to kill an enemy, I won't hold back. But..."
"You're not that kind of enemy."
"What I want is to fight you fairly and defeat you in an honest match!"
Sasuke sneered. "You're too naive, dead last!"
Before you continue