The Upcoming Graduation Exam

In the Hokage's Office, Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at Lu Yu, who was sprawled on a small bed, his face dark with frustration.

"That little brat is completely out of control."

Sarutobi Hiruzen lit his pipe with a troubled sigh and took a long drag. Only then did he feel a little calmer.

He really couldn't understand why someone who never trained managed to earn the Top Student title every year by such a crushing margin.

Ignoring the lazy kid who made no sense to him, he shifted the crystal ball's view to Naruto and Sasuke, both of them looking grim.

Watching the two swim for their lives, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled with relief.

"In any case, these two are much stronger than I expected, and..."

Sarutobi watched the fear on Sasuke's face and nodded to himself.

"Sasuke seems to be in pretty good spirits, too..."

After watching for a while, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought it over. A plan quickly took shape in his mind, and before long he had written out the team assignments for after graduation...

Looking at the list he'd written, Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled and ruefully remarked,

"This year's students are a handful..."

Two days later, at the Nara family home.

The family of four enjoyed a cozy hot pot meal. As Lu Yu and Shikamaru grew older, Nara Yoshino seemed to be growing gentler, too.

As she served Lu Yu and Shikamaru, Nara Yoshino looked curiously at the two dispirited boys.

"Lu Yu, Shikamaru, why do you both look so down? Are you worried you won't pass tomorrow's graduation exam, or are you feeling unwell?"

Shikaku's mouth twitched as he looked at them, recalling their remarkable exploits.

Shikaku Nara had discovered his two sons' incredible antics by accident during a mission.

He'd always thought he'd been a difficult child to manage, but compared to him, his two sons were much better behaved.

At least their teachers had never once come to complain about them, and both boys had excellent grades.

But when Shikaku came across Shikamaru skipping class and sunbathing beneath a tree, he was completely taken aback.

Then, on second thought, Shikaku felt immensely proud.

That was his son, all right! He could sleep every day and still get top marks, and even the teachers covered for his truancy. The next generation really was better than the last!

Shikaku figured Shikamaru had inherited his own talent in that regard.

Just as Shikaku thought his eldest son, at least, wouldn't be so lazy, a few minutes later his entire worldview was turned upside down.

Shikaku stared blankly at his eldest son, lounging comfortably in a chair, sipping milk tea and fishing. If that had been all, Shikaku could have accepted it.

The most unbelievable part was that the little princess of the Yamanaka Clan, Yamanaka Ino, was massaging his son's shoulders.

The little princess of the Hyuga Clan, Hyuga Hinata, was fanning him.

And the surviving Uchiha and the Fourth Hokage's orphan were grilling fish for his son?

At that moment, Shikaku felt as if his whole world had fallen apart.

His eldest son was way too impressive!

Every single person waiting on Lu Yu came from a powerful clan, whether they did now or had in the past.

Shikaku looked at Lu Yu as if he were gazing up at a mountain, filled with boundless admiration.

Thinking of it now, Shikaku smiled at his wife and said,

"Don't worry. Those two little brats are probably just reluctant to leave the Ninja Academy. One night's rest and they'll be fine."

After speaking, Shikaku gave the two boys a meaningful look. Shikamaru caught the hidden meaning in his father's words, his expression changing slightly. He immediately buried his head in his food, pretending he hadn't noticed a thing.

Lu Yu, on the other hand, casually began exchanging glances with Shikaku.

Their pupils darted left and right, up and down. Nara Yoshino stared in astonishment as the father and son somehow managed to communicate without saying a word.

"If you expose me, I'll tell Mom where you hide your secret stash!"

"Hmph. Are you trying to bluff your father? No chance. Why would I have a secret stash?"

Seeing his father stubbornly deny it, Lu Yu's gaze flicked rapidly toward six different places. Shikaku's face instantly changed.

He immediately turned to Nara Yoshino.

"Lu Yu doesn't seem to be feeling too well. I'll take him to his room to rest."

Without waiting for his wife to respond, he wrapped an arm around Lu Yu and hurried off to his room.

Once inside, Shikaku carefully shut the door. He let out a heavy, relieved breath, then glared at Lu Yu.

Lu Yu grinned mischievously at his father.

"Heh heh, Pops, I know you found out that Shikamaru and I have been skipping class. Go ahead and tell Mom. If she finds out I'm with Ino and Hinata, she'll just think I'm impressive. She'll be thrilled. But what do you think will happen if I tell her about your secret stash?"

Shikaku's expression changed dramatically. Remembering the half-month he'd spent at Yamanaka Inoichi's house a year earlier, he glared at Lu Yu through gritted teeth.

"You little brat, what do you want?"

"Half. We split it down the middle."

"Ten percent!"

"Forty!"

"Nara Lu Yu, don't push your luck..."

"Fine, fine. Thirty percent, then. And whenever I get into trouble, I'll help you deal with Mom."

"Hmm?"

Shikaku's eyes shifted slightly. He had to admit, his eldest son was good at this sort of thing. Lu Yu had played no small part in making Nara Yoshino so much gentler lately.

"Fine, it's a deal. Come to me whenever you need money."

Father and son quickly reached an agreement. That meant Lu Yu, who had always been broke, finally had his own little stash—even if he'd gotten it by blackmailing his father.

The next day, Lu Yu and Shikamaru ran into Ino and Choji as soon as they left home. The four of them walked toward school looking so dejected they could hardly have looked more miserable.

Yamanaka Inoichi stared at them in confusion.

"Kids these days are impossible to understand. What's so great about spending every day cooped up in a classroom at the Ninja Academy? Once they graduate, they can go on missions and be free. Shouldn't they be happy about that?"

Akimichi Choza scratched his head, just as puzzled. He couldn't understand it either.

Only Shikaku Nara gave Yamanaka Inoichi a meaningful look and muttered,

"Some things are better left unknown..."

As Yamanaka Inoichi stood there, utterly baffled, Shikaku Nara cheerfully walked away, thinking to himself,

What would that doting father think if Inoichi knew his precious daughter was fanning my son? That would be quite a sight...