Gua, Come Up and Demonstrate!

Over the past month, he had frequently switched his idle-training slot between the Great Fireball and Chakra Extraction techniques.

He had split the time roughly fifty-fifty between them.

As a result, Gua could clearly feel that his understanding of new ninjutsu had improved tremendously.

That gave Gua quite a bit of confidence.

Maybe it wasn't that I had no talent. Maybe my talent was the kind that grew over time.

Just look at Might Guy. Everyone said he had no talent.

He was universally considered a loser who couldn't even get into the Ninja Academy. But what happened later?

He straight-up activated his cheats.

One kick almost brought the whole story to its finale.

As Gua continued his idle training, he began dreaming about his wonderful future.

[Transformation Technique (10× boost active)]

Watching the Transformation Technique flicker, Gua felt completely reassured.

Your cultivation relies on your own efforts, shaky and hollow. Mine relies on idle training, one solid step at a time!

Since the idle-training option for the Transformation Technique had appeared in his mind, Gua stopped listening to whatever Ye Chuan Dahei was saying. He had never been the type to pay close attention in class anyway.

Not in his previous life, and not in this one.

With an idle-training system, what sane person would still work hard?

The other students were different.

Most of them were listening very attentively.

Even Itachi was among them.

Gua was a little curious. With Itachi's genius, surely he shouldn't need to?

Still, Gua didn't dwell on it and quietly continued his idle training.

He kept at it from morning until afternoon.

By the final class, Ye Chuan Dahei was still lecturing, and Gua was still idle training.

Until a piece of chalk flew toward Gua's head.

"Huh?"

With his taijutsu backing him up, his reflexes kicked in.

Gua's reaction was remarkably quick.

Even though he had been distracted, he instinctively caught the flying chalk without a hitch.

Gua looked at the chalk in his hand.

The other students in the classroom looked at Gua.

Gua: ...

I've got a bad feeling about this.

Ye Chuan Dahei stood at the blackboard with a thunderous expression.

"You actually had the nerve to catch it?"

He was truly at his wit's end.

He normally let Gua's idle training slide.

But what were they studying today? The foundations of being a ninja, the Three Body Technique! Didn't this boy have any sense of priorities?

Didn't he know when idle training was inappropriate?

Gua could only gaze at Ye Chuan Dahei with his big, bright eyes and remain silent.

Ye Chuan Dahei was furious.

"Gua, do you have any idea how important today is?"

"Don't think you can just work hard after class. When the time comes, no matter how much effort you put in, some things will still be difficult to catch up on. Do you understand?"

Ye Chuan Dahei scolded him sternly.

Although they had all seen how hard Gua worked in private,

some things really were better learned in class!

That was beyond question!

Gua's mouth twitched.

What do you mean, I work hard after class?

I really don't.

"Come on! Itachi, come up here! Show Gua the basic use of the Transformation Technique!"

Ye Chuan Dahei called Itachi to the front.

Apparently, he intended to teach Gua a lesson about what a true genius looked like.

At the same time, he could set an example for the other children in the classroom.

Itachi was obedient. When the teacher told him to come up, he did.

He walked over to Ye Chuan Dahei and faced the students.

"Begin."

Ye Chuan Dahei had great confidence in Itachi.

His gaze swept over the students, lingering particularly on Gua. "Watch carefully, Gua!"

Gua nodded.

Itachi began his demonstration.

He formed hand seals, coordinating them with the flow of his chakra.

Poof!

It was an exceptionally stable Transformation Technique.

Itachi transformed into Ye Chuan Dahei.

Looking at the identical Ye Chuan Dahei beside him, the teacher nodded repeatedly, his face full of approval.

"Itachi, you certainly live up to your reputation as an Uchiha genius."

Then Ye Chuan Dahei turned to Gua.

"Gua, did you see that?"

Gua said, "I did."

Gua's answer was perfectly ordinary, but to Ye Chuan Dahei's ears, it sounded utterly indifferent.

He hadn't taken it to heart at all!

Damn it!

Gua!

You little rascal!

"Gua, come up here and demonstrate the Transformation Technique!"

Gua had spent the entire day idle training.

He surely hadn't learned anything.

Making Gua demonstrate the Transformation Technique in front of his classmates now would serve as a small lesson.

It would show him the gap between himself and Itachi.

Then perhaps the shock would spur Gua to work harder!

That wasn't impossible.

Ye Chuan Dahei's imagined outcome was wonderful.

Unfortunately, pressure didn't work on Gua!

Forget embarrassment motivating him to improve. Gua didn't even know what embarrassment was.

His obliviousness was maxed out.

If that were all, it would have been fine.

More importantly...

I've been idle training all day!

Gua grumbled inwardly.

He had spent the whole day idle training his Transformation Technique. By now, he had at least gotten the basics down.

Gua calmly walked to the front.

He stood beside Itachi.

Ye Chuan Dahei looked at him solemnly.

"Begin."

"Mm."

Gua still had that same bland, NPC-like air.

He began forming hand seals.

Then he transformed.

Poof!

After a muffled sound, Gua completed his transformation into a perfect Ye Chuan Dahei.

The reprimand Ye Chuan Dahei had prepared was on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly realized that Gua had succeeded!

Ye Chuan Dahei was practically numb with shock.

His eyes widened as he examined Gua's transformed appearance from every angle.

Although there were still minor flaws here and there...

This was absolutely not a level someone could reach after a single day of class!

More importantly, Gua had spent that entire day idle training!

You spent the whole day idle training, and now you're telling me you've mastered it?!

Ye Chuan Dahei stared at Gua in disbelief.

Expressionless, Gua released the Transformation Technique.

Poof!

Gua returned to his own appearance.

The students below were all dumbstruck too.

Every one of them stared wide-eyed.

"Gua!"

"Could Gua be a genius?!"

"Holy shit!"

"Gua's an Uchiha, after all!"

"Look how close Itachi is to Gua every day. How could he not be a genius?"

"If you were a genius, would you hang out with an idiot?"

"Nope. He'd be lucky if I didn't bully him!"

"Exactly! Birds of a feather flock together. Gua must be a genius who's been hiding his talent all along! Damn it!"

"Was he doing it just to secretly surpass me?"

"Does surpassing you really require secrecy?"

"That's none of your business!"

"..."

Watching the students instantly erupt into chatter, Gua stood calmly without saying a word.

These students were making such a fuss over nothing.

I told you back then that I had cheats, but none of you believed me!

Now you know, right?

Except none of them seemed to think he was using cheats.

They all thought he was a genius.

It really was a headache.

At that moment, Ye Chuan Dahei also recovered and stared blankly at Gua.

"Gua, have you been learning from your father at home?"

Gua shook his head. "No."

Ye Chuan Dahei nodded. "What a modest child. You must have worked incredibly hard in private to achieve results like these. I misunderstood you. It seems this lesson really wasn't necessary for you.

"I owe you an apology."

Gua: ...

Back in my previous life, my homeroom teacher would've thrown me out, and you're apologizing to me?

He had to admit that while Konoha's education had its problems, most of its teachers were still all right.