Uchiha Mikoto gently patted Sasuke's head, offering an apologetic smile.
She had momentarily forgotten her son's personality—he always had to be the best at everything.
Unfortunately, despite all his efforts, he had never once been first in the past six years. From beginning to end, Shinho Aburame had consistently held the top spot in their class.
Even with Kakashi's guidance and mastering several powerful Lightning Release jutsu, Sasuke's overall strength had only brought him to the level of a strong chunin.
He still lacked the necessary chakra reserves for a jonin.
In Mikoto's mind, Shinho Aburame was the more promising of the two. But, as Sasuke's mother, she couldn't ignore her son's feelings.
"Well, I hope both of you do well on your exams," Mikoto said after a moment, tilting her head playfully. "If either of you gets first place, I'll have a special gift prepared."
She had already decided—regardless of who took first place, both Sasuke and Shinho would receive gifts. Her goal here was to be fair.
Shinho couldn't help but feel a bit strange at her words. Wait, did I just become your son too? Auntie, are you trying to win me over?
"I'm definitely going to win!" Sasuke, fueled by competitiveness, declared.
This was his one and only chance to finally take the top spot. If he managed to secure first place this time, people would forget about his previous failures and only remember his final victory.
"What kind of gift?" Shinho asked curiously.
If the reward was enticing enough, he wouldn't mind giving a bit of extra effort in the exams.
After all, with only written tests and the Three Basic Techniques on the line, there was shrill a slim chance—a very slim chance—that he could lose.
"It's a secret," Mikoto replied, playfully poking his cheek with her finger. "it wouldn't be a surprise, If I tell you now, would it?"
Well, how playful, Shinho thought, nodding slightly. It looked like he had no choice but to compete. Sorry, Sasuke, You're dead.
"You boys should head to school now," Mikoto said with a smile. "I'll be waiting at home."
Since the exams would last the entire day, she didn't need to accompany them.
Of course, her new role as the head of the Uchiha clan meant she needed to keep an eye on things at home to avoid any unexpected incidents.
Mikoto reached out to pat Sasuke's head again, but this time he ducked away.
"I'm not a little kid anymore," Sasuke said firmly.
To him, his mother's doting had become a bit much.
While it might have been fine when he was younger, now that he was about to graduate and become a full-fledged ninja, it felt embarrassing to be treated that way.
Mikoto bit her lip slightly, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
He's growing up, she thought. Not as fun as he used to be.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she turned her hand towards Shinho instead. When she saw he didn't move away, her smile brightened with satisfaction.
"…" Shinho was speechless for a moment, but let it slide. Fine, I'll let it go this time, considering all those bento boxes you've packed for me.
"I'm heading back," Mikoto said, waving goodbye before turning to leave.
"Women are so troublesome," Sasuke muttered, thinking about how girls like Sakura were always bothering him.
"After graduation, teams will be formed. You might end up with Sakura on your team," Shinho teased. "What will you do then?"
"I'll go back to the Uchiha compound," Sasuke replied coldly.
Shinho paused for a moment. He had forgotten about that option.
As a member of a powerful ninja clan, Sasuke did have certain privileges. He didn't necessarily have to follow the standard team assignments—his clan could make their own arrangements.
"Who do you want on your team?" Shinho asked as they walked.
"You'll do. You're powerful enough," Sasuke said after glancing at him.
"And the third person?" Shinho smiled.
"Doesn't matter," Sasuke said confidently. "As long as it's you and me, even if the third teammate is a dog, we'd still win."
He thinks we can win even with a dog on our team?
Shinho couldn't help but recall the nicknames from the Naruto mobile game—Sasuke was called "Purple Dog" and Naruto "Yellow Monkey."
Who knows which one of you will end up being the real dog?
"You're the Hokage's student," Sasuke suddenly asked, his expression turning serious. "Can't you pull some strings?"
Sasuke had been reminded by Shinho's words and was now worried. If he ended up on the same team as someone like Sakura, it would be unbearable.
Although Sakura was one of the most talented civilian ninjas, in Sasuke's eyes, she was still just a pretty face.
Especially compared to Shinho.
Despite unlocking the Sharingan and learning Fire and Lightning Release techniques, Sasuke still couldn't beat Shinho. That fact had been gnawing at him for years.
But maybe… Sasuke thought, recalling the promise Kakashi had made to teach him an S-rank Lightning Release jutsu after graduation. One that perfectly complemented the Sharingan.
"Fairness is what matters most for a hokage" Shinho said with an air of seriousness, blatantly spouting nonsense. "How could I even think about cheating?"
Oh, so high and mighty! Sasuke turned away in frustration, feeling more than a little annoyed.
"Shinho-kun!"
A familiar voice called out from a distance.
Shinho instinctively looked up and saw the Ino-Shika-Cho trio approaching.
Yamanaka Ino, as soon as she spotted him, ran ahead, leaving Akimichi Choji and Nara Shikamaru behind.
By now, Ino had blossomed into a lively young girl. Her golden high ponytail, paired with her cheerful smile, radiating youthful energy. She wore a sleeveless top that showed off her pale arms, with the top cropped, leaving her waist and stomach exposed, though she had wrapped her midsection in bandages for modesty.
Shinho couldn't help but be curious. Are those bandages part of her underwear or something?
He quickly drew in a breath and cleared his mind. Bandage outfits… too stimulating.
"Good morning, Shinho-kun," Ino greeted with a bright smile.
"How's your preparation for the exam?" Shinho asked, waving to Choji and Shikamaru, who had stopped a short distance away, allowing Ino to approach him alone.
Sasuke, seeing this, scoffed lightly and walked further away from them. In his opinion, girls were a distraction.
"I should be fine," Ino sighed before adding with a touch of regret, "But it's a shame I won't be on the same team as you."
The Ino-Shika-Cho formation was a long-standing tradition in Konoha. No one would dare break it, not even for personal reasons.
"That's no problem," Shinho replied casually. "We can always hang out, even if we're on different teams."
"True," Ino smiled, though there was a tinge of envy in her expression. "I wonder who your teammates will be."
To her, Shinho was the ideal partner—capable of healing, sensing, and fighting. With such a well-rounded teammate, she imagined anyone would feel safe. And besides, he was handsome, too.
Ino glanced at Shinho's profile, suddenly finding herself wanting to stick out her tongue. Wait a second…
She suddenly thought of a possibility.
What if Shinho's teammate ended up being Hinata?
No, no, no!
"Um…" Ino hesitated, her face showing signs of internal conflict.
"What's wrong?" Shinho asked, noticing her awkwardness.
"Who do you think Hinata's teammates will be?" Ino quickly redirected, hoping to mask her concern.
Her attempt at subtlety was far too obvious, though.
Shinho stared at her for two seconds before responding, "Shino and Kiba."
Ino nervously looked away, but hearing his answer, her eyes lit up with relief.
"Why?" Yamanaka Ino asked curiously, masking her relief.
As long as Hinata wasn't on the same team as Shinho.
"It's a reconnaissance-focused team," Shinho Aburame casually offered an explanation, although it was a bit flimsy.
In the original timeline, it made sense, but things had changed now. Both Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuga had received significant power-ups—especially Shino.
A year ago, his Parasitic Destruction[kikaicu] Insects had finally learned to utilize senjutsu chakra. Because of that, Shinho had unlocked a passive achievement titled Insect Sage.
The reward for that achievement was a Water-based defensive Gu insect.
The name wasn't important, but what mattered was that it could be refined together with his White Jade Gu to create the Heavenly Mugwart Gu.
The Heavenly Mugwart Gu, a rank 3 Gu, coated its user's skin with a thick, crystal-like layer of defense, greatly enhancing durability, while reducing damage from slashing attacks.
In simpler terms, it was a stronger version of the White Jade Gu.
This Insect Sage achievement subtly hinted at the possibility of an insect-based sanctury, though that idea seemed far off in the future.
Just because Shino's insects could harness senjutsu chakra didn't mean Shino himself could use it. He was still struggling to figure out how to unlock Sage Mode. The good news was that the explosive power of his Kikaichu Insects had increased several times over.
"Oh, I see," Ino nodded, buying Shinho's reasoning. She fell into thought.
As the heir of the Yamanaka Clan, she could piece together some of the logic. Reconnaissance was one reason, but more importantly, it was about the status of the three involved—Hinata from the Hyuga Clan, Shino from the Aburame Clan, and Kiba from the Inuzuka Clan.
While it wasn't explicitly stated, it was rare for civilians to be grouped with prominent ninja clans unless they were exceptionally talented.
"What about Sakura?" Ino asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Don't worry," Shinho reassured her. "Her teammates are strong."
Ino was about to ask who when she noticed two boys in matching black and white coats approaching them—Shino Aburame and Torune Aburame.
After leaving the Root division of the village, Torune had slowly regained his humanity, thanks to Shino's help. Today, he had been granted special permission to take part in the graduation exam.
What Shinho hadn't told Ino was that one of Sakura's future teammates would be Torune.
"Brother," Shino greeted.
Torune gave Shinho a nod of acknowledgment but said nothing. It wasn't arrogance; it was simply how the Root members were trained to be—just like Sai.
However, unlike Torune, Sai wasn't as fortunate. Being an orphan, he had been placed under Tsunade's supervision and was currently working in the ANBU, gradually adjusting his personality.
The group soon arrived at the classroom.
"Shinho," Naruto Uzumaki greeted, beaming.
"Woof, woof!" Akamaru barked from Kiba's arms, chiming in before Kiba could speak.
Akamaru and Kiba had formed their inseparable bond two years ago.
"Akamaru makes a good point," Shinho responded with a slight nod.
"Huh?" Naruto's eyes widened. "You can understand dog's now?"
Sasuke, overhearing this, glanced over. He was seriously considering whether he should learn dog language too.
The Uchiha can't be outdone by anyone, even in this.
"I can't," Shinho admitted with a smile.
"Ugh, boring," Sasuke muttered, walking away to his seat with a cold expression.
"Haha, Shinho-kun, you're so funny!" Ino giggled, her eyes sparkling as she leaned in.
Love-struck people are terrifying, Shikamaru thought to himself, coughing lightly to grab everyone's attention. "Good luck with the exam, everyone," he said before heading to his seat.
Hearing the word "exam," Naruto's energy surged. He flashed a grin, raised his thumb, and declared, "Shinho, let's begin our 15,532nd showdown!"
"Have there really been that many?" Shinho asked, puzzled.
"I dunno," Naruto admitted confidently. "I just threw out a number that sounded youthful!"
Of course you did, Shinho thought, scanning the room.
His eyes fell on Hinata, who was sitting quietly, clutching something in her hands. She seemed anxious, occasionally sneaking glances in his direction.
Shinho walked over to her.
Ino's cheeks puffed out slightly at the sight. She clenched her tiny fists and made a silent vow. This time, I'm definitely going to outshine Hinata!
In previous exams, Ino had always fallen slightly short because of the practical combat portion. That was understandable—Hinata was trained in the Gentle Fist, while Ino specialized in the Mind-Body Switch Technique.
Their skillsets were entirely different. However, today's exam was focused on written tests and the Three Basic Techniques. Ino was determined to outshine Hinata this time.
"Shinho-kun," Hinata greeted softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
Just like in the original story, she was dressed modestly in a white long-sleeved jacket and black pants, covering herself more than most of the other students. The only difference was that she had already started growing her hair out.
"This… is for you," Hinata stammered, extending a small pink charm toward him with both hands.
The charm was an omamori—a traditional good-luck talisman similar to the protective charms from Shinho's past life. This one specifically symbolized academic success.
Hinata's face flushed red under Shinho's gaze, and she nervously lowered her head, her heart pounding.
"Thank you," Shinho said, accepting the omamori with a slight smile.
"It's… it's nothing," Hinata whispered, her fingers anxiously poking together as she kept her eyes on the floor.
Shinho pondered for a moment, wondering what he could give her in return.
"Everyone, back to your seats!" Iruka Umino called out as he entered the classroom, holding a stack of papers.
"Good luck, Hinata," Shinho said, gently patting her soft hair before returning to his seat.
Hinata let out a soft squeak, feeling her head spin from the overwhelming joy.
"…" Iruka clenched his fists, feeling a pang of jealousy.
Why do these twelve-year-olds already have sweet romances while I'm still single? It was a sad story that brought tears to the eyes of anyone who took the liberty to listen.
"Let the exam begin!" Iruka shouted through gritted teeth. "Anyone caught cheating will have their scores canceled!"
Many students couldn't help but feel confused by Iruka's unusually fiery mood today.
"Is that clear?!" he asked, voice booming.
"Yes, sir!" the class responded in unison.
"Kiba, hand out the test papers," Iruka ordered, his eyes landing on Akamaru, who hadn't give an answer earlier. If you can't follow instructions, you'll face the consequences!
With Kiba's help, each student received a test paper, and the exam officially began.
Shinho quickly scanned the questions. They weren't too different from their usual tests—just a bit harder. But for him, it was no big deal.
The written portion of the exam went by smoothly, and soon it was time for the real highlight of the day: the Three Basic Techniques test.
For the students, this was just another exam, but for the instructors, it was the key to determining team placements.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, the gathered jonin observed the exams through a crystal ball.
After Sarutobi Hiruzen's retirement, he had left the crystal ball to Tsunade, though she rarely had a reason to use it. Today was an exception.
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