Konoha Year 60, Shikamaru's Bold Guess

Time flowed like water, and the years flew by.

Another winter had passed and spring had arrived. Time had officially turned over to Konoha Year 60.

March 18th, a familiar day.

Ryusuke and Sasuke Uchiha's No-Rules Duel from last year still felt like it had happened yesterday, and their classmates still talked about it with great enthusiasm.

He vaguely remembered that when school started in April, their classmates had spread word of Ryusuke and Sasuke Uchiha's duel, drawing countless younger girls to peek at them through the windows.

After all, being able to use Five Elements Ninjutsu in the fifth grade was simply too shocking.

Many students had yet to master even the Rank E Three Body Technique, and their chakra reserves were so low that they could not use the Three Body Technique more than a few times.

In contrast, Sasuke Uchiha's Great Fireball Technique was a Rank C Fire Release.

Ryusuke's Water Formation Wall was even a Rank B Water Release.

Everyone believed that both Ryusuke and Sasuke Uchiha possessed the strength to graduate early.

However, Iruka had not applied to Sarutobi Hiruzen for Ryusuke and Sasuke Uchiha to graduate early. Instead, he had them remain at the Ninja Academy for another year.

After advancing to the sixth grade, both Ryusuke and Sasuke Uchiha became low-key and quiet.

During quizzes and surprise tests, Sasuke Uchiha no longer took the initiative to ask Iruka to let him spar with Ryusuke. Instead, he concealed his abilities and developed in silence.

Ryusuke did the same.

After the No-Rules Duel, Ryusuke had already figured out the drop-rate mechanics of the game system.

Duels that required rules to be followed would affect the invisible evaluation, making his drop rate extremely low.

Only all-out duels could raise the evaluation and increase both the drop rate and the chances of getting good items.

At the Ninja Academy, only No-Rules Duels allowed them to go all out.

Quizzes and surprise tests did not have such duels.

And there were no major exams in the sixth grade, only the graduation assessment.

Realizing that he would be unable to obtain Indra's Chakra from Sasuke Uchiha over the coming year, Ryusuke finally stopped attending school in person and instead sent a Shadow Clone to the Ninja Academy.

His real body stayed at home, practicing ninjutsu and improving his strength.

Other than training with Hinata and the other two girls during breaks, Ryusuke's real body had scarcely left the house.

Until today, Ryusuke had unusually skipped his morning training and had not created a Shadow Clone to train either. Instead, he carefully dressed himself before heading out.

Another year had passed, and Ryusuke, who was in the middle of his growth spurt, had grown much taller. His height had increased from 1.63 meters to 1.68 meters, nearly a head taller than the Nine Small Powerhouses.

If he put on a ninja forehead protector, anyone who did not know Ryusuke would think he had already been a genin for several years.

After all, Naruto in Shippuden was only 1.66 meters tall, two centimeters shorter than Ryusuke was now.

When Ryusuke arrived at the Ninja Academy, he did not run into Hinata and the other two girls along the way.

Over the past year, the three girls had all known that Ryusuke was not attending school in person, so naturally they had not arranged any so-called chance encounters.

"Ryusuke, good morning!"

"Ryusuke, have you eaten breakfast?"

When he arrived in the classroom, Hinata and the other two girls seemed to have arrived early.

Upon seeing Ryusuke take his seat, Hinata and Sakura greeted him one after another, while Ino asked a coded question whose meaning only the four of them understood.

"Mm, I have." Ryusuke nodded.

At that, the three girls' eyes lit up, and they became much more enthusiastic as they chatted with Ryusuke.

The meaning of that simple code, "I have," was that he was the real one.

After all, Shadow Clones did not eat.

Watching Hinata and the other two girls suddenly become so enthusiastic, Nara Shikamaru, who was lying on the desk beside Ryusuke, had a gleam flash through his eyes.

So they really weren't having a falling-out!

This guy Ryusuke... he hasn't been attending in person all year?

The Shadow Clone Technique... this guy has actually mastered two Rank B ninjutsu already.

No, it should be... Ryusuke's chakra reserves are enough for him to create a Shadow Clone that can last through both the morning and afternoon, and can even complete exams!

Just how much chakra does he have?

Even the usually composed Nara Shikamaru could not help feeling shocked.

No wonder neither Sasuke Uchiha nor the rest of them had been able to shake Ryusuke's position as Top Student over the years.

This guy's strength had already left them far, far behind.

What had happened to that calculating guy from back then to turn him into what he was now?

At that moment, Nara Shikamaru's curiosity about Ryusuke reached its peak, but he did not ask any questions.

Because he knew Ryusuke would not tell him.

But one thing was certain: Ryusuke definitely had a Kekkei Genkai.

This Kekkei Genkai might even have awakened after skipping a generation.

After all, aside from a Kekkei Genkai, Nara Shikamaru could not think of anything else that could cause such a tremendous change in a person.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a flash of inspiration suddenly passed through Nara Shikamaru's mind.

Staring at Ryusuke's hair and eye color, Nara Shikamaru seemed to think of something and suddenly formed a bold guess.

Silver hair, red eyes, and those outrageous chakra reserves...

Could Ryusuke be a descendant of the Senju Clan that integrated into Konoha?

If I remember correctly, the Second Hokage seemed to have the same hair and eye color!

Could his astonishing chakra reserves mean that he awakened the Senju bloodline?

Ryusuke did not know what Nara Shikamaru was thinking. Otherwise, he would definitely have been startled.

Damn, that guess was incredibly close.

Unfortunately, no one could imagine that a mysterious existence like a game system existed.

Still, Nara Shikamaru's guess helped Ryusuke explain away his Sage Body.

After all, if Shikamaru could think of it, others would surely think of it too.

Once Ryusuke revealed the secret of his astonishing chakra reserves, those who had seen Tobirama Senju himself or his photographs would certainly assume that Ryusuke was a descendant of the Senju Clan, rather than suspecting that his body concealed some secret.

That was good news for Ryusuke.

Time passed second by second, and soon it was time for the graduation assessment to begin.

"The graduation assessment is the Clone Technique. When your name is called, come out."

Iruka appeared at the classroom door but did not enter. After leaving those words behind, he left.

Before long, another chunin wearing a green flak jacket appeared at the classroom door. Holding a list in his hand, he began calling names. "Inuzuka Kiba..."

As name after name was called, the classmates who had studied alongside Ryusuke for six years rose and left with varying reactions, never returning afterward.

Ino and Hinata, whose names had already been called, did the same.

"...Ryusuke."

Soon, Ryusuke heard his own name.

Ryusuke stood and looked at Sakura. "Good luck. I'll wait for you at the entrance to the school building."

"Mm, good luck, Ryusuke." Sakura smiled and nodded.

After leaving the classroom, Ryusuke entered the examination room and saw Iruka and Mizuki sitting behind a desk.

Glancing at Mizuki's gentle smile, Ryusuke swiftly formed hand seals. "Clone Technique!"

With a bang, like a balloon bursting, a sound rang out.

White smoke drifted out through the examination room door.

After the white smoke dispersed, Ryusuke emerged from inside with a ninja forehead protector in his hand.

After leaving the school building, Ryusuke indeed found Hinata and Ino waiting at the entrance.

Not long afterward, Sakura also came out carrying a ninja forehead protector.

They did not leave the Ninja Academy right away. Instead, they quietly waited for the graduation assessment to end.

Because they still had to take their file photos.

Only after the photos were taken and their records were filed would they truly become genin.

Of course, if they failed to gain a Jonin Instructor's approval, they would still be sent back to school to repeat another year.