Chapter 56: Even Closer to the Plot!
"Clone Jutsu!"
After a puff of smoke, Katsuragi silently sighed as he observed Naruto's clone, which looked as if it had paralysis in all four limbs combined with malnutrition. Who could have imagined that in the future, Naruto would be best at the Clone Jutsu besides making Rasengan!
"Ha ha ha!"
"Typical of the last place!"
"Is that clone supposed to kill the enemy with laughter?"
The other students burst into laughter upon seeing Naruto's clone, even Sasuke muttered "idiot" under his breath, though his gaze remained fixed on Katsuragi, seemingly preparing to challenge him next.
Given Iruka's serious nature, he obviously wasn't going to let Naruto pass. Observing Naruto's barely-standing clone, he loudly declared him "Not Passed" and instructed:
"Naruto, you're staying after school for extra practice today!"
"Ah! Come on, Iruka-sensei, I did summon a clone, after all!" Hearing about extra practice, especially for Clone Jutsu which he disliked the most, Naruto immediately put on a pitiful face, hoping Iruka would let him off the hook.
"Enough talking, next up! Uchiha Sasuke!"
The implacable Iruka wasn't easily swayed. If it had been Naruto's Sexy Jutsu, there might have been a sliver of a chance.
"Move it, dead last!"
As Naruto lingered, hoping to stall for time, Sasuke walked past him, completely ignoring the deep camaraderie between them, and coldly stated, "Don't interfere with my exam!"
"Sasuke is so cool!"
"Go Sasuke!"
"Move it, Naruto."
"Yes, don't hold up my Sasuke!"
"You hag, he's my Sasuke."
Watching the girls nearly come to blows over Sasuke, Naruto displayed an envious expression, then scoffed disdainfully at Sasuke, "Pfft, show-off!"
"What's the rush? It's not like you're better than Katsuragi anyway."
Watching Naruto taunt Sasuke as he stepped down, Katsuragi was speechless, sighing internally, why involve others in their little lovers' quarrel?
"Still, by the looks of it, Iruka will continue with the Clone Jutsu exam as per the original story," Katsuragi thought, observing Sasuke beginning his technique. According to the original plot, Naruto fails the graduation exam, gets tricked by Mizuki, steals the forbidden scroll, learns the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique, and embarks on a path of power leveling.
"How should I handle this plot twist?"
While Katsuragi pondered, the finished Naruto sat down beside him and whispered, "Katsuragi, why can't I make a normal clone like you?"
"That's because your cheat code is still on the way!"
Katsuragi silently ridiculed inside, then looked at the disheartened Naruto and reassured him, "Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. There are some things I can't do better than you!"
"Really?" Naruto's spirits lifted upon hearing that there was something Katsuragi couldn't outdo him at, and he eagerly asked, "Really? What can't you do better than me, Katsuragi?"
"Uh..."
Katsuragi paused, then replied thoughtfully, "Like the talent for transformation techniques, for example. I could never develop your Sexy Jutsu, and, man, your ability to accentuate your curves, I wonder who you modeled that after."
"Ha ha, even you think my Sexy Jutsu is impressive!" Naruto scratched his head, his face beaming with pride, then said, "Even Iruka-sensei likes it a lot, he always uses it to scold me, even though it's a powerful technique!"
"No, what's really impressive is your future male version of the 'Harem Technique'!"
Katsuragi reflected internally, recalling how Naruto used a modified version of the Sexy Jutsu in the original story during his fight with Kaguya, a technique that even made the final boss falter.
...
After school, as the sunset faded, the quiet classroom was filled with the sound of Naruto continuously forming hand seals.
"Clone Jutsu!"
"Bang!" A clone with a twisted arm and a missing leg fell to the ground.
"Clone Jutsu!"
"Bang!" The arms were fine, the legs were there, but the clone was only one-fifth the normal size.
"Clone Ju—"
Suddenly, the classroom door opened, and Katsuragi walked in, observing Naruto who was still relentlessly practicing, "You're still practicing this late?"
"Ah, Katsuragi, why are you here?"
Naruto stopped his hand seals, wiped the sweat from his brow, and asked in confusion, "Didn't you go home?"
"I just walked Hinata home and thought you might still be here at school, so I came to check on you," Katsuragi said, looking at the still incomplete clones Naruto had just made, "How's it going?"
"It's still not working!"
Naruto looked sadly at his clones, dispelled the jutsu, then sat on the floor and asked Katsuragi, "Do you think I'm not cut out to be a ninja?"
"How could that be!"
Katsuragi walked over and patted Naruto on the shoulder, smiling, "I know someone who was worse than you, couldn't even make an incomplete clone, but he's now a very powerful ninja."
"Really? Who is it?" Naruto immediately perked up.
"A guy with bushy eyebrows!" Katsuragi chuckled, referring to Rock Lee, who couldn't use any ninjutsu at all at the time but was still one of the strongest among the lower ninjas.
"Bushy eyebrows?" Naruto looked puzzled. Just as he was about to ask more, the voice of Iruka came from the doorway, "What are you two still doing here?"
"Iruka-sensei!"
"Sensei!"
Iruka looked at them and asked, "Why haven't you gone home yet?"
"Naruto has been practicing here all this time; I came to check on him," Katsuragi explained.
"Clone Jutsu?" Iruka looked at Naruto, who was grinning foolishly, and his eyes flashed with pity. He knew Naruto was working hard, but the results weren't as good as expected.
"Alright, Naruto, no more practice. Go home and rest. There's class tomorrow, and if you dare sleep in class again, see how I deal with you. And Katsuragi, don't think just because you're first in the class you don't need to pay attention. You have plenty to learn too!"
Iruka took the opportunity to lecture them both.
"Grumble~"
But just as he finished speaking, Naruto's stomach growled, making all three of them pause. Then Naruto sheepishly scratched his head and laughed, "I'm hungry!"
"Ah!"
Iruka chuckled helplessly, then suggested, "Alright, I'll treat you guys to dinner tonight!"
Seeing Katsuragi about to object, Iruka quickly added, "You can't pick the place, can't bring anyone else, and it can't be expensive!"
"..."
Looking at the three conditions set by Iruka, Katsuragi and Naruto exchanged glances, both seeing the speechlessness in each other's eyes. However, despite all the restrictions, they still followed him to dinner, after all, a free meal shouldn't be wasted.
At Ichiraku Ramen.
Watching Iruka eating, Katsuragi suddenly asked, "Iruka-sensei, did you set the questions for the graduation exam?"
Iruka was startled by Katsuragi's question, then laughed and replied, "How could I? I'm just your teacher. The Third Hokage arranged everything, so you can't get the exam questions from me in advance!"
"Turns out it wasn't Iruka setting the questions!" Katsuragi was a bit surprised, having thought that Iruka's emphasis on practicing the Clone Jutsu meant he had set the exam questions.
"However, my guess is that the Third Hokage will probably test the Clone Jutsu this time, so both of you practice well, and don't tell anyone else, understand?"
Listening to Iruka whispering his advice, Katsuragi was somewhat speechless. It seemed Iruka's guess was quite accurate; according to the original story, the exam indeed tested the Clone Jutsu.
End of Chapter 56