Chapter 16: Hand seals.
It was early morning, and sunlight poured through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow as students filed into their seats for the final day of exams. The room buzzed with chatter and energy, a mixture of excitement and nerves for what lay ahead.
Sasuke sat at his desk, now accustomed to the cluster of girls gathered around him, each one eager to offer encouragement and admiration. Sakura and Ino led the group, their voices blending in an endless stream of praise. Sasuke no longer flinched at the attention; he simply kept his eyes forward, nodding occasionally, having adapted to their presence as part of his routine.
Shikamaru lay slouched in his seat near the window, gazing at the ceiling. "What a drag," he muttered, more to himself than anyone in particular. Exams were almost over, but that meant they'd soon have to focus on Taijutsu classes in the second semester— and that sounded like even more work.
Beside him, Choji sat munching quietly on a bag of chips, taking comfort in his snack as he scanned the room.
Naruto, a few rows ahead, was deep in conversation with Hinata, who sat beside him, her cheeks pink as she spoke softly. Over the past few days, Naruto had grown to appreciate Hinata's encouragement. She was shy, yes, but her words were always warm and genuine. Her gentle, caring nature was something he was starting to notice more in person.
Hinata smiled shyly. "Naruto-kun, you've done so well so far… I'm sure you'll pass today's test too."
Naruto grinned at her, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks, Hinata! It's kinda nice, having someone believe in me for a change." 'Except for Sasuke', he added in his mind.
Nearby, Kiba sat confidently, arms crossed, looking more self-assured than usual. Shino, ever the observer, couldn't help but notice.
"You're in a good mood today," Shino commented.
Kiba flashed a grin. "Yeah! I spent all night studying history and Science, so I'm ready for anything. Not worried at all!"
Shino looked at Kiba with a raised brow. "So, did Iruka-sensei visit you during the preparation holidays?"
Kiba grinned, scratching his cheek with a hint of pride. "Yeah, he did. But I didn't really study. All I did was put a book in front of me and place a comic inside it. Looked like I was deep into my notes from behind and front." He chuckled. "Totally fooled Iruka-sensei."
Shino rubbed his forehead, sighing in mild exasperation at Kiba's questionable creativity. "I see… Quite the strategy, Kiba. But not exactly the most, well, productive use of time."
Kiba shrugged, unaffected. "Hey, it worked, didn't it?" He winked, leaning back in his seat.
Shino raised an eyebrow at Kiba's behaviour. "And hand seals?"
The grin faded as Kiba fell silent, glancing down at his hands, unsure if he'd practiced enough on that part.
Just then, the door opened, and Iruka-sensei strode in, carrying a clipboard. His presence alone was enough to calm the room, and conversations quickly faded into silence.
"Good morning, everyone," he began, his voice warm but firm. "Today, we'll complete the final part of your practical exams: hand seals."
A murmur of anticipation swept through the class. Some looked relieved, while others seemed even more anxious.
"For this test," Iruka-sensei continued, "You'll need to demonstrate all twelve basic hand seals in a row. The order doesn't matter, but you must perform each one correctly."
Naruto straightened in his seat, mentally reviewing the seals. He'd been practicing with shadow clones for the past few days, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of fumbling. Sasuke looked totally unfazed as he believed in his skill.
Iruka continued, "I'll call each of you up one by one, so don't rush."
With a nod, he scanned his list. "Naruto, you're up first. Come to the front."
Iruka-sensei called Naruto to the front. Naruto stood up with determination—of course, he was the first to be called, just as he'd expected. As he walked up, he caught a soft whisper from behind. "All the best," Hinata said, her voice barely audible but warm with encouragement.
Naruto flashed a grin back at her, giving her a thumbs up. This time, he couldn't let Sasuke get another win. He was determined to go all out.
Watching from his seat, Sasuke smirked. 'So, he's serious,' he thought. He had a feeling Naruto wouldn't let him get another win, and Sasuke couldn't help but look forward to seeing just how far Naruto would go to show his skill. 'He won't hold back this time.'
As Naruto stood at the front of the class, the students buzzed with whispered conversations. Sakura leaned toward Sasuke. "What do you think, Sasuke? Will Naruto surprise us like before?"
Before Sasuke could answer, a random girl interjected, rolling her eyes. "No way. Last time was just luck. He might've trained, but I doubt he'll pull it off again."
Sasuke kept quiet, but in his mind, he knew better. 'Naruto's not just lucky. He'll show them.'
Iruka-sensei cleared his throat, bringing everyone's focus back. "Alright, Naruto. Begin."
The class fell silent, all eyes on Naruto. Even Shikamaru, who had been lounging lazily at his desk, sat up to watch, mildly interested.
Kiba sat in his seat, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. His hands clasped together in a silent, desperate prayer. 'Come on, Naruto,' he thought, biting his lip. 'Just mess up, even a little...' He'd seen Naruto surprise everyone in shurikenjutsu, and he didn't want to face another blow to his pride.
If Naruto nailed the hand seals, it would seal Kiba's place at the bottom of the class in practical section. Kiba's fingers twitched as he watched Naruto intently, hoping against hope that he'd slip up.
Naruto took a deep breath, steadying himself. He began with the tiger seal, moving smoothly from one seal to the next. His fingers moved with precision, forming each seal at a steady pace, exactly like his status panel had indicated: one seal per second. The class watched, eyes widening, as Naruto flowed through the sequence with practiced ease.
When he finished, Iruka-sensei nodded, clearly impressed. 'Not just shurikenjutsu,' he thought with a hint of pride, 'but he's also trained his hand seals extensively.'
"Good work, Naruto," Iruka said, marking his sheet with a satisfied smile. "Well done." He looked up and called out the next name. "Kiba, you're up."
Naruto stepped back, grinning as he returned to his seat, glancing toward Sasuke with a look that said, 'Not this time.'
The class was once again stunned by Naruto's performance, though the shock wasn't quite as intense as when he excelled in shurikenjutsu. The students quickly recovered, but a sense of urgency lingered—many realized they'd have to put in extra effort if they don't want 'loser Naruto' to surpass them.
Kiba, however, felt his stomach drop as he slumped onto his desk, groaning quietly. Seeing Naruto nail the hand seals meant he could no longer cling to his usual excuse of not being last. His parents were going to give him an earful this time.
"Kiba!" Iruka-sensei's voice echoed once again. Lost in his worries, Kiba hadn't noticed his turn had come up. Shino, sitting nearby, gave him a nudge. "Kiba, Iruka-sensei's calling you," he whispered.
Kiba snapped out of it and looked up to see Iruka-sensei waiting with a less-than-amused expression. Embarrassed, Kiba jumped up and rushed to the front, nearly tripping over his own feet. The class erupted in laughter as he stumbled forward, cheeks burning.
Meanwhile, Naruto made his way back to his seat. As he sat down, Hinata gave him a shy smile, her face pink with admiration. "You did really well, Naruto," she said softly.
Naruto grinned at Hinata. "Good luck on your test, Hinata!" he said, giving her an encouraging thumbs-up before settling back into his seat.
"Thanks, Naruto!" Hinata said shyly, her voice barely above a whisper. As she spoke, her ears and cheeks turned a bright shade of red, betraying her usual bashfulness. The warmth of Naruto's encouragement made her heart race, filling her with a sense of determination. She couldn't help but steal glances at him, feeling to give her best.
Up at the front, Kiba took a deep breath and began his hand seals. But from the start, it was clear he was struggling—his fingers fumbled, and his movements were stiff and uncoordinated. He took over five minutes to complete all twelve seals, and by the time he finished, he was sweating.
Iruka-sensei's brows knitted in frustration. "Kiba, what were you doing during the preparation break? Did you train at all?"
Kiba lowered his head, silent and embarrassed. Iruka-sensei shook his head, clearly disappointed. "We'll have to have a word with your parents," he warned before calling up the next student. Kiba returned to his seat, slumping down as he anticipated the trouble he'd face at home.
One by one, the students went up to perform. Sakura took her time, completing the sequence in one minute. Ino followed, managing the seals in a similar time.
Choji also took a minute, while Shikamaru finished in a respectable forty-five seconds. Shino and Hinata, with their practiced precision, each completed the sequence in thirty seconds, drawing quiet nods of approval from Iruka-sensei.
Then it was Sasuke's turn. He strode to the front confidently, his focus sharp as he began his hand seals. His movements were smooth and exact, each seal flowing seamlessly into the next. In just twelve seconds, he finished—matching Naruto's time perfectly.
Iruka-sensei gave an approving nod. The class wasn't surprised; they had expected nothing less from Sasuke. Some even felt Sasuke might surpass Naruto, but he didn't.
The realization left everyone feeling a bit anxious; Naruto's performance had set a new standard. If their parents found out, they knew they'd be pressed to study harder and train more just to keep up with Naruto.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged glances, sharing a slight smirk. Without words, they both knew—another tie had been added to their score.
End of the chapter. ______________________________________________________________
Power stones, please.
Tomorrow will be the end of this exam arc. And OC characters will be introduced in next arc.