The time for Yagyu's experiment was brief and quickly came to an end.
Because… school had started again.
Unlike in Yagyu's previous life, where the school calendar was different, the start and end dates in the Naruto world were similar to those in Japan.
The school year began in April and ended in March the following year, split into two semesters with several holidays in between.
Although the break from the end of the school year to the start of the new one was less than a month, it was enough time for Yagyu to gather some results from his experiment.
He discovered that he could "drop" his opponent's talents and abilities—whether they were innate or learned later—through his game system. These abilities manifested in the form of glowing orbs.
The best part was that even though these abilities were "dropped," the opponent didn't lose them and remained unaffected.
The most valuable item Yagyu obtained during this period was a blue orb from Sakura, which contained her most outstanding talent: chakra control.
Even after dropping the chakra control orb, Sakura didn't lose her tree-climbing ability. In fact, after learning the Body Flicker Technique, she quickly mastered walking on water as well.
Of course, this wasn't the key point Yagyu was using to confirm his findings.
Besides the blue orb from Sakura, Yagyu also defeated Hinata, the strongest in taijutsu, during one of their combat training sessions. From her, he dropped a white orb.
When Yagyu checked the orb, he was momentarily stunned.
Hinata, who seemed so unassuming, had already mastered one of the Three Basic Jutsu: the Transformation Jutsu.
That's right, the white orb contained the Transformation Jutsu.
To confirm his theory, Yagyu asked the three girls if they knew the Three Basic Jutsu. Sakura and Ino both shook their heads. They didn't even have access to the training methods for these techniques.
Even though they came from ninja families, their parents knew it was important to focus on building a solid foundation first and hadn't given them any special training.
Ino, in particular, wouldn't be taught her family's techniques by her father, Inoichi Yamanaka, until she had mastered her Yin Release chakra.
Only the honest Hinata nodded and demonstrated the Transformation Jutsu.
This not only confirmed Yagyu's suspicion but also showed that Hinata's natural talent surpassed both Ino and Sakura.
The Byakugan granted Hinata incredible mental energy, and her large appetite, combined with her daily Gentle Fist training, meant her physical energy far exceeded that of her peers.
It didn't surprise Yagyu at all that Hinata had already mastered the Three Basic Jutsu.
However, Hinata's display deeply affected Ino and Sakura.
They hadn't expected that the quiet and reserved Hinata would be so much more advanced than they were.
Luckily for them, they had met Yagyu, who had introduced them to techniques normally reserved for genin. Otherwise, after graduation, they might have been left far behind Hinata.
Ino, with her strong competitive spirit and refusal to be outdone by a "younger sister," began pestering her parents for extra training at home.
To ease their concerns, Ino showed them her mastery of the Body Flicker Technique and told them about her training with Yagyu.
As a result, Yagyu's name reached the ears of Inoichi Yamanaka sooner than expected.
He hadn't expected another civilian genius to emerge in this generation.
Of course, Yagyu was unaware of all this.
Over the past year, since awakening his game system, Yagyu had obtained four glowing orbs in total: one gold, two blue, and one white.
The gold one contained Asura's chakra, the blue ones contained Yin Release and chakra control, and the white one contained the Transformation Jutsu.
From the rarity of these abilities, Yagyu concluded that the orbs had a hierarchy of colors: gold was the highest, followed by blue, then white.
As for whether there were more colors, Yagyu wasn't sure.
But from now on, whenever he saw an opponent emitting a glow, he could tell in advance whether he was in for something great or something more ordinary based on the color.
April 5, Year 55 of Konoha.
This was the first day of the new school year and the day of the promotion ceremony.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, personally attended to deliver a speech on the "Will of Fire" to the new first-year students.
There was no doubt that Sarutobi was the only person in Konoha capable of keeping Danzo in check and making him obey.
Even though Yagyu had heard the same speech last year, slightly tweaked by Sarutobi, it still stirred the hearts of all the students.
After the promotion ceremony, Yagyu and his classmates officially became second-year students.
At the same time, the results of the final exam were announced.
The top students from each grade had been selected.
Yagyu was one of them.
"Yagyu, did you check the bulletin board? You're the top student! That's amazing, man!"
"Look outside the window—there are so many upperclassmen and underclassmen here to see you."
"Is this the kind of popularity that comes with being the top student? I'm so jealous!"
"Yagyu is so cool! I want to join Yagyu's fan club!"
"…"
In the new classroom for Class 1 of the second year, Yagyu was surrounded by classmates as soon as he walked in.
There were even a lot of female students peeking through the windows to catch a glimpse of the top student.
These girls ranged from upperclassmen to first-year students who had just entered the Academy.
It wasn't just Yagyu who received this attention. Neji Hyuga, now in his third year, was just as popular.
Neji, a year older than Yagyu, had already been one of the most talked-about figures at the school since last year.
It seemed that starting today, Yagyu's popularity wouldn't be confined to his class or grade. He would become a school-wide sensation, just like Neji.
This wasn't just due to the title of top student but also because, like Neji, Yagyu was exceptionally handsome.
After finally managing to calm the enthusiasm of his classmates, Yagyu sat down, only for a small hand to tap him on the shoulder.
Turning around, he saw Ino grinning at him. "How does it feel to be the top student?"
"It's alright. Everyone is a lot more enthusiastic than usual," Yagyu shrugged, then glanced at Hinata, who was sitting next to Sakura, and teased, "Hinata, did you ask Yumiko to switch seats with you?"
Before Hinata could answer, Ino rolled her eyes and said, "Do you think Hinata has the courage to do something like that? Of course, I asked Yumiko to switch seats with her."
Sure enough, Hinata gave a shy smile.
The classroom desks were arranged in rows of three. Yagyu sat beside Nara Shikamaru, with Akimichi Choji on the other side.
Behind them sat Ino, Sakura, and Hinata.
As Yagyu turned to chat with Ino, Sakura, and Hinata, Shikamaru quietly observed, casting a curious glance at the refined and ladylike Hinata.
"When did Yagyu get acquainted with the daughter of a prestigious clan? What happened during the break?"
However, watching Yagyu evenly divide his attention between Ino, Sakura, and Hinata, Shikamaru's gaze shifted to one of mild disdain.
"Their little boat is already crowded, yet Yagyu still wants to add more people? He's going to sink his ship sooner or later."
When that time comes, Shikamaru was curious to see how Yagyu would handle the situation.
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