I didn't mean to

In this world of Naruto, there was actually another premise that deserved serious thought from everyone.

That was, once students successfully graduated from the Ninja Academy and became ninja, they had to go to war.

No matter how old those children were, they had to enter missions filled with flashing blades before their time.

Especially now, in Konoha Year 42, with less than six years remaining until the Third Shinobi World War.

Inside the classroom, Liumu rested his forehead in one hand, staring blankly as he worked through all the major events that would unfold one after another.

"Liumu!"

Just then, a girl's youthful voice, tinged with shyness, suddenly sounded beside Liumu.

He turned to look. It was none other than his classmate, Rin Nohara, who had two vertical red markings on her cheeks beneath her ears.

"Need something, Rin?"

Seeing Liumu address her so warmly by her first name, Rin Nohara instantly flushed. She timidly held out her homework to him and said, "Um, there's a question in yesterday's homework that I couldn't solve. Could you teach me?"

Homework?

Holy shit!

Liumu belatedly realized that he had gone straight to Hokage Rock after school yesterday, then completely forgotten about his homework because his system had suddenly awakened.

He checked the time at the teacher's desk. It was too late to make it up now...

"Tsk!"

"Liumu, what's wrong?" Seeing him freeze before looking utterly distraught, Rin Nohara thought she had disturbed his rest and hurriedly asked in concern.

"Ah..." Liumu sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. It's too late. Let me explain the question to you first."

Liumu had always ranked near the top of his class. Previously, aside from their regular practical combat lessons, he had placed in the top two on practically every exam.

As for the rival who had been his equal, it was none other than Kakashi Hatake, who had graduated from the Ninja Academy at five years old.

As for Rin, although she was clever too, her grades were only average. She was the type who worked desperately to make up for what she lacked in natural ability.

"Look, the seals for Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet are ram, horse, dragon, tiger, while the seals for Water Release: Water Formation Wall are tiger, snake, tiger, snake, tiger, snake. This information is in the small print at the bottom right of page fifty-five in the Land of Water section of the textbook. Since it isn't a key point, a lot of people overlook it."

With Liumu's guidance, Rin indeed found the relevant passage in the textbook.

"The textbook really does have the hand seals for these two techniques!" Finally realizing this, Rin had solved the problem that had troubled her all night with Liumu's help. She happily stood up, about to return to her seat.

But before leaving, Rin suddenly turned to Liumu and said, "Thank you, Liumu. I hope you get an even better result in today's practical combat assessment."

This practical combat assessment was an impromptu test that Konoha had specifically instructed the Ninja Academy to hold following their classmate Kakashi's graduation.

They wanted to see whether there were any other talents of Kakashi's caliber among this year's students.

In the past, Liumu had always been nervous whenever he heard about a practical combat assessment. After all, he wasn't very good at actual combat. But now that he had merged with the Saitama template...

"Heh heh heh!" Liumu gave an odd laugh as he glanced at his classmates. "I'm not pretending anymore this time. I'm showing my hand!"

At the training grounds.

The Chunin teacher stood to one side with a score sheet, watching the Ninja Academy students step forward one by one for their shuriken test.

"Next, Obito Uchiha!"

At the teacher's call, a black-eyed boy wearing goggles pushed through the crowd and emerged in the testing area.

"Rin! Rin!"

Obito pulled a shuriken from the ninja tool pouch at his waist and enthusiastically waved both hands at Rin Nohara nearby.

At that moment, Rin was standing beside Liumu, discussing difficult textbook questions with him. Hearing Obito's voice, she lifted her head to look at him, her smiling eyes narrowing into pretty crescents.

"Go, Obito!"

With Rin cheering him on, Obito was clearly brimming with enthusiasm. His expression grew serious, his eyes fixed on the target five meters away, and the shuriken shot from his hand. There was a thud, and the Chunin teacher beside him immediately called, "Obito, three points!"

Obito: ...

"Hahahaha!"

For members of the Uchiha clan, shuriken had always been a specialty, but now...

Looking at his score, Obito sighed dejectedly.

"Next, Liumu!"

"Next, Liumu! Where's Liumu?"

"Liumu, I think it's your turn!"

Liumu was chatting so happily with Rin that he hadn't noticed the teacher calling at all. Only after the Chunin teacher had called several times did a classmate beside him remind him that it was his turn to take the test.

"Here! I'm here!"

Raising his hand, Liumu called out as he squeezed through the crowd and walked to the spot five meters from the target. He said awkwardly to the teacher, "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

Naturally, the teacher didn't blame a good student like Liumu. After giving him a brief reprimand, he simply urged Liumu to hurry up with his test and leave time for the remaining students.

Liumu glanced at the bull's-eye and took out a shuriken. After giving it a stylish spin in his hand, he threw it almost without aiming, seemingly casually. Everyone heard a crash as the shuriken pierced straight through the wooden target's center. Even what remained of the target was now densely covered in spiderweb-like cracks.

"This..."

Liumu scratched his head in surprise, thinking that he hadn't dared put any strength into it, so how had he still caused trouble?

The teacher won't make me pay for it, will he?

"Um..." Liumu awkwardly approached the teacher, who was staring at the target in shock, and asked with a winsome smile, "Would you believe me if I said I didn't mean to?"

"Wow!"

"Liumu's amazing!"

"That's incredible, Liumu! That was so powerful!"

At that moment, his classmates finally recovered from their shock and immediately crowded around Liumu, praising him while asking in amazement how he practiced with shuriken.

After all, at their age of five, no matter how accurately they threw their shuriken, they lacked the strength. It was quite common for most of them to fail to get their shuriken to stick in the target.

But now, after seeing Liumu's test just now...

"Liumu, ten points!"

Surrounded by the crowd, Liumu suddenly felt a large, warm hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw the Chunin teacher smiling kindly at him. "Go take a rest."

"Liumu, you're not just good at studying. You're amazing with shuriken too!" Off the field, Rin Nohara hugged her textbook and excitedly asked Liumu, "How do you practice with shuriken? Why can't we aim properly?"

"That's right! We always miss the target!" Kurenai Yuhi chimed in from beside them.

Liumu looked at the two girls and smiled faintly. "Do you really want to know?"

Rin Nohara nodded earnestly.

"It's actually simple!" Liumu replied. "Genius is one part talent and nine parts hard work!"

Rin Nohara knitted her brows slightly and immediately began thinking about what Liumu meant. "Are you saying that as long as you work hard, you can succeed?"

"No, no, no!" Hearing that, Liumu hurriedly waved his hands. "I wasn't finished yet. What I meant was, aside from hard work and talent, the remaining ninety parts... are all down to looks!"