“All right. Everyone has successfully refined chakra now. Congratulations—you’ve all passed,” Iruka announced.
“Yes! Awesome!”
The classroom immediately erupted in cheers.
Those who had only barely managed to refine chakra were especially excited.
“Next, we’ll begin the real curriculum. Ryōhei Aida, Shinai Shishi, Chōji Akimichi, and Shino Aburame, come with me to the office and help carry the textbooks,” Iruka said.
“Yes!”
The four boys sitting near the front immediately followed Iruka to fetch the books.
Unlike ninjutsu instruction, academic and theoretical subjects naturally had textbooks.
Of course, those textbooks had to be purchased.
Naruto lived on a tight budget, so naturally he had no intention of spending money on them.
Anyone who did not buy the textbooks and still wanted to study properly would have to take notes.
But clearly, Naruto had no intention of devoting much attention to academic theory in the first place.
In fact, as Naruto gradually mastered the method of entering meditative absorption, he had already begun approaching the stage of constant absorption.
In other words, as long as he sat down cross-legged, he could essentially enter meditative absorption whenever he wanted.
Because of that, both Naruto’s mental energy and physical condition had entered a period of rapid growth.
Naturally, the chakra within his body was flourishing as well.
Combined with his increasingly acute five senses, Naruto’s chakra control had reached yet another level.
At this point, even without the Nine-Tails’ ability to sense malice, Naruto could easily locate the ANBU monitoring him.
Truthfully, if their surveillance had not been so tight, Naruto would already have started practicing the Rasengan.
But because the ANBU watched him so closely, he had no choice but to suppress that desire.
Although he was not monitored inside the Ninja Academy, there were almost no places within the school where he could practice without being seen.
So for now, the Rasengan would have to wait.
“All right. Today, we’re beginning our Will of Fire course. We won’t start teaching ninjutsu until everyone passes the Will of Fire curriculum. So if you want to learn ninjutsu, listen carefully and properly comprehend the Will of Fire,” Iruka said enthusiastically after distributing the books.
He was still a new teacher, but after these past three months, he had already fully settled into his role.
“Everyone, repeat after me: Where the leaves dance, the fire burns. The fire’s shadow illuminates the village, and once again, new leaves will sprout.”
Iruka led the class in recitation from the front of the room.
“This is the central principle of the Will of Fire. It appears on the exam every year, so make sure you memorize it,” Iruka said.
“Yes!”
The children answered in unison.
Having no textbook of his own, Naruto was perfectly content to relax.
He lay across his desk and calmly looked out the window.
“All right, that’s all for today. Class dismissed. Naruto, wait a moment.”
When the final bell rang, Naruto was about to leave after Iruka dismissed the class, but the teacher stopped him.
“Iruka-sensei, why did you ask me to stay?”
“Naruto, these are my old textbooks from when I was a student. They’re a little different from the current editions, but all the important material that appears on the exams is still in them. Take them home and study properly.”
Iruka handed Naruto a stack of books.
“No need, Iruka-sensei. I’m not interested in studying, and I don’t care what grades I get. You should give these books to someone who actually needs them,” Naruto replied with a faint smile.
“Naruto, I know you successfully refined chakra before entering the Ninja Academy, but possessing chakra alone isn’t enough to become an excellent ninja.”
Iruka frowned.
“An excellent ninja needs more than chakra. They also need extensive theoretical knowledge, intelligence analysis skills, and all kinds of other abilities. Those are things you can only gain through academic study.”
“Don’t you want to become an excellent ninja?”
“No. I don’t particularly want to become an excellent ninja,” Naruto replied with the same faint smile.
“Then what do you want to become?”
Iruka’s frown deepened.
Although he still harbored resentment toward Naruto, his sense of responsibility as a teacher compelled him to continue patiently advising him.
“Maybe I’ll grow up to become a lecherous adult.”
Naruto continued smiling.
“Or maybe I’ll die before I ever grow up.”
Iruka frowned deeply.
“Iruka-sensei, if there’s nothing else, I’ll head home first.”
Seeing that Iruka had fallen silent, Naruto took his leave.
Iruka did not stop him.
“Iruka, seriously. If that Nine-Tailed Demon Fox doesn’t want to study, then let him fail. Why bother worrying about him?” Mizuki said.
“He’s still my student,” Iruka replied helplessly, shaking his head.
“Don’t forget. He’s also the enemy who killed your parents,” Mizuki said with a mocking laugh.
Iruka immediately fell silent again.
No matter how strong his sense of responsibility might be, whenever he remembered that his parents had died at the hands of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, Iruka could not help feeling lost.
Naruto did not take Iruka’s concern to heart.
After all, he was not the Naruto from the original story.
This Naruto had never lacked paternal affection, so he neither needed nor could bring himself to treat Iruka like a father.
Yet clearly, Iruka was still the same Iruka who seemed intent on becoming a father figure to him.
And so, the next day, Iruka’s old textbooks were waiting on Naruto’s desk.
Naruto frowned when he saw them.
In the end, he simply stuffed them into the desk drawer.
Another three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Unable to practice the Rasengan, Naruto continued living according to his own rhythm.
Every day, he either attended class or meditated. Get faster updates on g.com.
At last, he reached the stage of constant absorption.
No matter the time, place, or posture, as long as he was not disturbed, Naruto could enter meditative absorption.
This was constant absorption.
Constant absorption did not dramatically increase Naruto’s strength.
After all, it was not fundamentally different from ordinary meditative absorption.
It merely allowed him to enter the state much more quickly and reduced the environmental requirements.
However, Naruto’s mental condition grew better and better.
His entire body radiated vigorous vitality, and his gaze remained calm yet powerful.
His body was equally healthy and upright.
He had even grown slightly taller than Sasuke at their current age.
One had to remember that the Naruto from the original story had been a genuine shorty at this point.
The current Naruto, however, stood tall and full of vigor.
And with that came an extraordinary handsomeness.
Unfortunately, the six whisker marks on his face were far too conspicuous, practically sealing away ninety percent of his good looks.
Naruto had tried shaving them before, but it was useless.
Unless he pulled them out one by one and removed them completely, they would simply remain.
His next goal was perpetual absorption.
Walking, sitting, lying down, punching, kicking—
Remaining in meditative absorption through all of it.
That was perpetual absorption!
“All right. Everyone has passed the Will of Fire course. Now we’ll begin learning our first ninjutsu—the Transformation Technique!” Iruka announced.
“Yes! We finally get to learn ninjutsu! Long live ninjutsu!”
The instant Iruka made the announcement, the classroom exploded into a sea of excitement.
“Quiet, quiet! Do you still want to learn ninjutsu or not?”
Iruka knocked on the desk.
“I’m going to teach you the Transformation Technique now, but I need someone to assist with the demonstration. Who wants to volunteer?”
“Me! Me! Me!”
The children immediately raised their hands one after another.
The children of Konoha certainly loved showing off.
“You’ve all been up here before, so I’ll choose someone who’s never come to the front.”
Iruka looked across the classroom.
“Naruto Uzumaki. You’re the one. Come up here and help me demonstrate the Transformation Technique.”
Although Naruto was not particularly willing, he could only sigh.
Then he stood up and walked toward the front of the classroom.