Hinata had her head lowered, staring intently at the test paper before her. She held her pen and neatly wrote down her answers.
These questions were incomprehensible to Genin, but for the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan, they were probably only moderately difficult homework assignments.
Hinata had been raised by her family as the heir to the main house. The Hyuga Clan's educational resources and depth of instruction were beyond anything an ordinary Ninja Academy could compare to.
Not to mention cryptography and Chakra attribute analysis—even completing the runes on a Paper Bomb was something Hinata had practiced dozens of times at the family training grounds.
Naruto leaned slightly toward Hinata and lowered his voice.
"Hinata!"
Hearing Naruto's voice, Hinata's hand holding the pen paused slightly. She raised her head and turned toward him.
The instant their eyes met, Hinata's face rapidly flushed red again.
Naruto did not speak. He merely glanced over Hinata's test paper, then pushed his own blank answer sheet forward by half an inch and gestured at it with his chin.
The gesture was simple and clear. Could you let me copy yours?
Hinata's face turned even redder.
In an instant, a tremendous storm erupted in her heart. Naruto is looking at my test paper. Naruto wants my help. I'm helping Naruto.
Without the slightest hesitation, Hinata shifted her test paper a large distance toward Naruto. The movement was so obvious that Kiba, seated behind her, noticed it.
Kiba's mouth fell open behind them, while Akamaru lay on the desk and covered his eyes with both front paws.
Naruto's mouth twitched.
Hinata, I'm really touched by your feelings, but wasn't moving your paper like that a little too obvious?
Ibiki Morino's eyes were scanning the room from the podium.
Yet Ibiki did not seem to