A week into the Academy, the lessons had become more routine, and Naruto continued his mission to keep a low profile.
He had learned to downplay his skills and blend into the background, making sure no one realized just how much he had improved over the past couple of months. His plan was simple—stay under the radar, avoid drawing attention, and focus on learning the basics for now.
That day, the class was about to begin their first real Taijutsu training. Iruka stood at the front, explaining the basics of hand-to-hand combat: stances, strikes, and blocks.
The students listened attentively, though there was still some nervousness in the air. Most of them were new to Taijutsu, but some were eager to get started.
"Alright, everyone! Pair up! You'll practice the basic stances and moves today. Remember, focus is key," Iruka instructed, clapping his hands to get the class's attention.
Naruto, however, had a different idea. He was determined to act like the clown he'd become known for, to keep any real talents hidden.
He yawned dramatically and stretched out in a way that made it clear he wasn't taking the lesson seriously.
"Taijutsu, huh? Sounds so boring," Naruto muttered loud enough for the others to hear. "I'll probably just mess this up on purpose."
Iruka's eye twitched as he heard the comment, but he didn't know that Naruto was only pretending to be a fool. "Uzumaki!" Iruka called out sharply. "Focus!"
Naruto grinned widely, completely unfazed. "Got it, Iruka-sensei!" he replied, a bit too enthusiastically. He didn't look serious at all, continuing to make exaggerated stretches and clumsy movements, as if trying to convince everyone that he wasn't capable of anything more.
As Iruka moved around to check on everyone's progress, Naruto kept up the act. When it came time to pair up for practice, he purposefully stumbled into his partner, Kiba, causing both of them to fall in a disorganized heap.
"Oops! Sorry, Kiba! Didn't see you there!" Naruto said, his voice dripping with fake innocence as he pulled himself to his feet, pretending to be embarrassed.
Kiba groaned as he stood up, brushing himself off. "Idiot! Are you serious?"
"I'm always serious," Naruto said with a grin that betrayed his words. He jumped into a ridiculously exaggerated fighting stance. "Ready for this? Watch me go!"
Iruka saw the chaos from the corner of his eye but didn't think much of it—he was used to Naruto's antics by now. "Naruto! Kiba! Get your act together!"
Naruto just waved it off. "Sure thing, Iruka-sensei! Totally serious business here," he said, striking another ludicrous pose.
The other students couldn't help but glance over at Naruto and Kiba, unsure of what was going on. Kiba was frustrated, but Naruto was pretending to be completely careless, letting Kiba get a few easy shots in without trying to block them.
"Come on, Naruto! Try to take this seriously!" Kiba growled as he threw a quick jab.
Naruto made no attempt to block it, letting the punch tap his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah! Totally serious. My secret move is on the way!" he said loudly, as if he were performing in front of a crowd.
Iruka rubbed his temples, sighing, but not realizing Naruto was purposefully holding back. "I said, focus, Uzumaki!" Iruka barked.
Naruto flashed him a grin. "Of course, Iruka-sensei! I'm just getting warmed up!" he said, making an overly exaggerated roundhouse kick that nearly missed Kiba, sending him stumbling backward.
Iruka sighed, though he didn't catch on to the fact that Naruto was pretending to be an idiot. He figured that Naruto, as usual, wasn't putting in the effort. "Alright, enough! Everyone, pair up and get into proper stance!" Iruka called out, trying to get the class back on track.
Naruto acted like he had learned a great deal, walking around with an exaggerated swagger. "Watch out, Kiba. You might be the best today, but tomorrow? That's my time to shine!"
Kiba shot him an annoyed look. "I'm just trying to get through this without getting killed by your weird moves, Naruto."
As the class continued, Naruto deliberately kept his talent hidden, flubbing moves and acting clueless. He didn't want to risk drawing attention, so he made sure to keep his performance mediocre at best.
To Iruka, it seemed like Naruto was struggling and lacked discipline, just as he always had. But what Iruka didn't know was that Naruto was holding back on purpose—pretending to be the same loud, careless troublemaker, hiding the fact that he had improved far beyond his classmates.
By the end of the class, Naruto had successfully avoided standing out. He had been a nuisance, yes, but not enough to draw serious attention. Iruka gave the class a quick reminder to practice their stances at home and to stay focused.
"Alright, everyone, that's enough for today. Get some rest," Iruka said, dismissing the class.
Naruto stretched and yawned dramatically. "Phew, that was exhausting!" he exclaimed, acting as though the class had taken everything out of him.
Kiba shot him a look. "Yeah, exhausting for everyone else. I thought we were gonna die from laughing so hard."
Naruto laughed as they left the training area, still grinning to himself. He had kept his mask on all day—everyone thought he was just an idiot, and that was exactly how he wanted it.
As he walked through the village, Naruto felt the familiar sense of satisfaction. His plan was working. He was under the radar, just another Academy student, and no one had the faintest clue that he was hiding something much bigger.
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Author's notes.
Please give me power stones for extra chapters.