In the real world, Kaito's indifference and aloof attitude successfully dispersed the crowd that had gathered around him. Though they left this time, it was clear that if Kaito maintained his rank at the top, escaping the crowd in the future would not be so easy.
After everyone left, Ino finally had the chance to approach Kaito, feeling a bit nervous. She didn't understand why she felt this way—after all, she had greeted Kaito in the past. But seeing him ignore everyone just moments ago made her worry that maybe he'd ignore her too.
"Kaito, you're really popular now," Ino said, trying to mask her nervousness.
Kaito turned his head and, seeing that it was Ino, sighed slightly. "I really don't want to be. It's annoying—I just want to read in peace."
Seeing that Kaito's demeanor was the same as always, Ino let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and smiled. "Well, that's just how it is. You did score way higher than everyone else."
Kaito sighed again. "What a hassle."
"So, did you ignore everyone on purpose?" Ino asked, seemingly realizing something for the first time.
Kaito looked around, ensuring no one was listening, and nodded slightly. Though he was a bit reserved, saying it aloud and having others hear would definitely offend people, so he preferred keeping up the "cool" facade without openly admitting anything.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Ino laughed softly.
"Thanks. It'd be really annoying if people found out," Kaito said.
Satisfied, Ino walked away, feeling pleased with their exchange. It wasn't just that they had a shared secret now—she felt special. After all, Kaito had ignored everyone else but not her. She could even sense the curious and surprised looks from her peers, which gave her a small sense of pride.
Kaito didn't give it much thought. After all, keeping up the aloof demeanor had successfully dispersed the others, but he wasn't going to put on the same act in front of people he knew.
If Ino knew his thoughts, she'd probably complain, "You're already naturally cold! No need to fake it!"
"Those people were scary! Finally, they're gone," Naruto said, finally making his way back to his seat. He exaggeratedly wiped non-existent sweat off his forehead and grumbled, "I couldn't even get to my own seat!"
"Yeah, they were pretty intimidating," Kaito admitted. He had seen similar scenes in the original story and thought they were exaggerated, but now that he had personally experienced it, he understood how overwhelming it could be.
"It's your fault!" Shikamaru appeared on the other side, giving Kaito an unenthused glare. He clearly wasn't thrilled about being forced out of his own seat because of the commotion.
"What was I supposed to do? Throw the test?" Kaito shot back, glancing at Shikamaru.
"Uh, I guess that's true." Shikamaru scratched his head, at a loss for words. Was he supposed to admit he'd purposely kept his own theory scores average?
Did Kaito catch onto that? Shikamaru eyed Kaito, but Kaito had already shifted his focus back to the book in his hands. Shikamaru sighed. It was clear that Kaito deserved his first-place ranking.
The day passed quickly, and Kaito went about his usual routine—training, practicing entering the "Void" state, and finishing with the Lightning Release massages. He didn't let his first-place result disrupt his habits.
After all, Kaito knew himself well enough: if he allowed himself to slack off once, it would only lead to more excuses in the future. He couldn't let that happen.
Later that day, Kaito returned home, expecting the same question from Sinai as yesterday.
This time, Kaito didn't plan to be cryptic. He handed her his score sheet before taking the fresh clothes and towel and heading to the bathroom.
Sinai looked at the scores, her eyes widening at the perfect marks and first-place ranking. She felt a bit stunned—her son spent all day running around, yet somehow still scored this well?
The physical scores weren't too surprising. Kaito came home exhausted and drenched in sweat every day, so it made sense that his stamina was being well-trained. But getting the top score in theory too? Was her son really this talented?
Sinai pondered this, thinking back on how sensible Kaito had always been. It didn't seem out of place that he'd be a genius, even if he had to work harder lately. Seeing his score, she felt a renewed sense of energy.
She even thought about boasting to her coworkers about her son. Smiling at the thought, she realized she was happier than she'd ever imagined.
The truth behind Kaito's added "burden" actually lay with the Lightning Release massages—while they helped his body recover faster, recovery also required energy.
And where did that energy come from? Not out of thin air, of course—it came from food. Kaito's appetite had increased dramatically lately.
To Sinai, it just seemed like a natural result of his growth and training at school. Her salary covered their living expenses, and though money was tight, they managed. If she had to, she figured she could borrow a bit from her coworkers. Given Kaito's outstanding performance, paying back any loan wouldn't be too difficult in the future.
When Kaito emerged from the bathroom, Sinai pulled him into a hug, playfully ruffling his damp hair. "You're amazing, my boy! So, tell me—what reward do you want for getting such great scores?"
"Could I get another ninjutsu?" Kaito asked after a moment.
Sinai's smile froze. Her late husband's inheritance had already been used up when they bought the Shadow Clone technique. There was nothing left for more ninjutsu. She shook her head.
"Then there's nothing I need," Kaito replied. He understood their situation. He was already eating them out of house and home, and if it weren't for Sinai working at a barbecue restaurant where meat came cheaper, they probably wouldn't have enough.
"Really, nothing else?" Sinai pressed, not willing to give up on rewarding her child.
"Nope, nothing." Kaito confirmed. Better to save money for food.
As for shuriken and kunai training, Kaito planned to use stones for now, given that shuriken practice could be simulated that way. Kunai were harder, as stones tended to break, but Kaito already had a goal in mind—the top student in the year-end evaluation would usually receive a specially-crafted kunai as a reward. He had already set his sights on it.
"Alright," Sinai conceded, nodding. Though Kaito insisted he didn't need anything else, she still wanted to give him something for his good results.
Winter was coming, and the weather was growing colder. Maybe she could knit him a sweater? She hadn't done any needlework in a while and hoped her skills hadn't gotten too rusty. With a smile, Sinai thought about how proud she was of her child—he was sensible, hardworking, and talented. What more could a mother want?
Sinai looked him over carefully, nodding to herself. It was about time she started dressing him better. He'd outgrown the old worn-out clothes, and besides, it wouldn't hurt to make him look a bit more handsome. Who knows, maybe he'd even catch the eye of a nice young girl someday.