Chapter 8. First Semester announcement.
Naruto woke up with the first rays of sunlight spilling through his window. For once, he hadn't slept in. He quickly jumped out of bed, feeling the lingering soreness from the previous day's training, but it didn't slow him down. After quickly getting ready for the day, he rushed out to get some ramen. Grabbing three parcels, he dashed off to the Academy.
Across the village, Sasuke had already finished getting ready. He hadn't woken up late today, either. After washing up, he walked toward the Academy with a calm expression, his mind still buzzing with thoughts about the training he had done the day before. He couldn't afford to slack off; Itachi wasn't a kind brother.
He had trapped Sasuke in an illusion and forced him to witness their parents' deaths for multiple hours. If Sasuke couldn't get stronger, he would be toast. Even Orochimaru was after his body, and he had to get stronger for his own safety.
As Sasuke reached the Academy entrance, he spotted Naruto running toward him, waving energetically.
"Oi, Sasuke!" Naruto called out.
Sasuke nodded in acknowledgment, and they met just outside the entrance. Naruto, looking around to make sure no one was listening, leaned in closer and whispered something.
"Do you think we should believe in the Third Hokage?" Naruto asked in English, keeping his tone low so no one else could understand.
Sasuke's eyes flickered with recognition. Using English meant Naruto didn't want anyone overhearing their conversation. Sasuke didn't respond immediately. He knew the Anbu or Root might have noticed them speaking in this unfamiliar language before, but the fact that no one had acted on it yet probably meant they were safe.
Sasuke responded similarly in English, keeping his voice low. "No, we can't," Sasuke continued, his tone firm. "A lot has happened under the Third Hokage's rule, and his decisions haven't always been in the best interest of the village. We have to be careful about who we place our trust in. In the end, we can only believe in ourselves and rely on our own strength to stay alive in this world."
"Okay," Naruto agreed, nodding his head.
As they stepped into the Academy, Naruto turned to Sasuke with a serious expression in Japanese. "Hey, can you get me some food? I don't have any money left for the rest of the month," he asked, switching back to Japanese to explain his situation.
"Why do you need me to do it?" Sasuke asked, keeping his tone casual in Japanese since they weren't discussing anything too serious. "Is it really as tough as it looks in the anime?"
Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah! They won't sell anything if they did, they set the prices too high and it is only for me."
Sasuke agreed, sighing at his situation. "Fine, I'll buy it for you from now on."
"Thanks, man! You're the best!" Naruto grinned, relief washing over him.
After a moment of silence, Naruto added, "Hey, do you want to join me in training later? We can work on our skills together."
"Sure, I'm in," Sasuke replied. "Training and sparring with you will definitely help us both level up faster and gain more experience in our skills."
Naruto and Sasuke smiled as they quickly walked into their room and sat down beside each other.
As they settled into their seats, Sasuke quickly took a glance at Naruto's status to check whether he had been training yesterday.
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki ]
[ Title: Konoha's Jinchuriki, Demon Fox, Prankster ]
[ Level: 6 ]
[ HP: 300 ]
[ Chakra: 4955 ]
'As expected of Naruto, an incredible amount of chakra reserves, and he leveled up just as I thought,' Sasuke thought, realizing that if Naruto put that chakra to proper use, he would easily catch up with him. This motivated Sasuke to increase his own training intensity.
The classrooms were empty as they arrived early. The quiet atmosphere was unusual, but it provided the perfect setting for a bit of practice.
"Hand seals, it is," Sasuke quickly decided, recognizing that this was the best skill to train in the classroom.
[ Name: Uchiha Sasuke
Skill:
Hand Seals
Level 1
Exp: 42/100 ]
He focused on the various hand seals that were fundamental to performing jutsu.
He brought his hands together and began forming hand seals. With each seal, Sasuke practiced the motions, ensuring they were precise and fluid. He could feel his chakra responding to the seals.
[ +1]
Naruto spotting Sasuke training also joined in.
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Skill: Hand Seals
Level 0
Exp: 0/10 ]
It was tough for Naruto to make the hand seals as his hands aren't flexible. But he kept making the seals one by one. Once he completed all the seals ten times, he noticed the experience gain.
[ +1]
Seeing the EXP gain, Naruto felt delighted and continued making hand seals.
[ +1]
[ +1]
As Naruto and Sasuke practiced their hand seals, the minutes ticked by. One by one, other students began to arrive. Shikamaru and Choji were the first to enter the classroom.
"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke!" Shikamaru greeted, his voice casual as he walked in. However, he paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he noticed Naruto and Sasuke diligently practicing hand seals together and went to sleep on his desk feeling it was troublesome.
Choji followed closely behind, munching on chips. He greeted them with a mouthful, "Hey, guys! Looks like are practising hand seals!" His eyes darted between the hand seals and his snacks, clearly more focused on his chips than their training.
"Ah, hello, Choji, Shikamaru," Naruto greeted back, still focused on his hand seals. Sasuke, completely engrossed in his training, didn't even hear their greeting.
Feeling a bit bored watching them, Choji quickly made his way to his desk, grabbing another chip from his bag as he settled in.
[ +1]
[ +1]
[ Ding! Skill: Hand Seals levelled up! ]
[ Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Skill: Hand Seals: The skill of performing hand seals quickly and accurately to execute jutsu. One hand seal per second at level 1.
Level 1
Exp: 1/100 ]
"Hand Seals skill leveled up, and I can now make one seal per second," Naruto thought happily as he quickly noticed the difference; his hands felt very flexible, allowing him to form the seals much faster.
As the minutes passed, more students began to fill the classroom. Soon, a group of girls burst in, their chatter filling the air with excitement. They rushed over to Sasuke, their eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Sasuke, what did you eat for breakfast?" one girl asked, her voice high-pitched with eagerness.
"Are you feeling, okay? I felt like I was going to die yesterday since I couldn't see you!" another exclaimed, fluttering her eyelashes dramatically.
Sasuke's focused training was abruptly interrupted by the swarm of questions and attention. He glanced up, visibly annoyed, but the girls continued to fawn over him, each trying to get his attention.
Naruto couldn't help but smirk at the scene. Being popular really is a problem, he thought, shaking his head. He quickly moved to the desk beside Hinata's and resumed his training, trying to ignore the commotion.
As he settled in, he noticed Hinata had arrived as well. "Hey, Hinata," he greeted, a friendly smile on his face.
"Um… h-hello, Naruto," she replied shyly, her cheeks flushing slightly. She looked down at her desk, fidgeting with her hands but smiling back at him.
While the girls continued their chatter, Naruto focused on his hand seals, appreciating the momentary peace of training beside Hinata. He could hear snippets of the girls' conversation, but it was mostly background noise as he concentrated on improving his skills.
Just as the situation escalated, Sakura and Ino arrived, their eyes narrowing as they spotted the group of girls surrounding Sasuke. Without a second thought, they pushed their way through, shooing the other girls away.
"Come on, move it! Give him some space!" Ino exclaimed, glaring at the girls. Sakura quickly took a seat on one side of Sasuke, while Ino settled on the other.
'Luckily, Naruto didn't sit her today.' Sakura thought happily but glanced angrily at Ino who was sitting on other side of Sasuke.
Ino made a mocking expression at Sakura.
Sasuke let out a relieved sigh, holding his head in his hands. Finally, some peace, he thought. But his relief was short-lived, as he noticed Ino and Sakura immediately turning their attention to him.
"Sasuke, did you eat well yesterday?" Sakura asked, her tone slightly concerned.
"Yeah! You should take better care of yourself!" Ino added, leaning in closer.
Sasuke shot them both a look that clearly said he was not in the mood for this. However, before he could respond, the door swung open, and Iruka-sensei walked in.
Everyone quickly took their seats as Iruka-sensei walked into the classroom. Unlike every other day, he didn't start the lesson right away. Instead, he wrote ten preparation holidays on the board.
"Listen up, everyone! You've been given ten days of holidays!" he announced, a smile spreading across his face. Excitement buzzed through the classroom as the students exchanged thrilled glances and whispered to each other.
However, Iruka quickly added, "But these holidays are for preparation. We have our first semester exams in eleven days." The room fell silent, the initial joy replaced by a sense of dread. "During these ten days, I'll be making surprise visits to your homes to check on your training. If I find you haven't been putting in the work, I will bring you back to the Academy."
Hearing this, the students' expressions shifted to disappointment. Groans filled the room as they realized that their anticipated break might not be as carefree as they had hoped.
Iruka continued, "Now, let's go over the subjects we've covered in the last seven months. You've learned both written and practical they are hand seals, Shurikenjutsu, mathematics, science, language reading and writing, finally history."
He paused to let the information sink in, observing the mix of confidence and anxiety on his students' faces. "These subjects are all crucial, especially as you prepare for the semester exams. Some of the subjects here are very important for you be a good shinobi"
As he spoke, some students began to whisper to each other, discussing how they could use the holiday to prepare. Naruto and Sasuke were thinking to utilize most of time to train.
Iruka continued, "I will be available most of the time at the Academy if you have any doubts or need extra help with your studies. Don't hesitate to come and ask me questions; I want to ensure you're all prepared for the upcoming semester exams."
His tone was encouraging, hoping to inspire his students to take advantage of the opportunity. "Remember, training and understanding the material is key to becoming stronger ninjas. Use this time wisely!"
End of the chapter. ______________________________________________________________
Power stones, please.