"Simply put, Transformation Jutsu lets you take on the appearance of another person—or even an object."
Iruka paced at the front of the room, hands folded behind his back. "It has applications in combat, infiltration, and retreat. Done well, it can fool almost anyone. The only real counter is a sensor-type shinobi."
The class was quiet. Even the students who'd been nodding off had perked up.
Iruka raised both hands and wove a single seal.
Poof.
White smoke billowed across the front of the room. When it cleared, the man standing at the chalkboard was no longer Iruka—he was an old man in layered Hokage robes, a wide-brimmed hat, a pipe clamped between his teeth.
Half the class leaned forward.
That's… the Third Hokage. From the stone faces on the mountain.
Shin blinked.
Another poof, and Iruka was back, clearing his throat twice until the noise settled.
"That's roughly what it looks like. And—" he added, a little stiffly, "—what you just saw stays in this room."
"Yes, sensei," the class said in unison, followed immediately by a ripple of barely-suppressed laughter.
Iruka's eye twitched.
"Sensei, what does it look like when you transform into an object?"
He thought about it for a second. Then he wove the seal again.
Poof.
A chair sat where he'd been standing.
More gasps. Shin watched with genuine curiosity, his eyes tracing the legs, the backrest, every detail.
Iruka reappeared.
"Sensei, can we sit on it?"
The room erupted in agreement.
"…"
Iruka's jaw tightened. He slapped both palms on his desk.
"Quiet! No disruptions!"
He straightened up. "Now. Principles. Everyone pay attention."
The room settled.
"Transformation Jutsu works in two ways." He held up one finger. "First: you wrap your chakra around yourself like a second skin, molding it into whatever shape you want."
He held up a second finger. "Second: think of your chakra as a container. You become the water inside it—your form flows to match."
"Next—hand seals." A third finger. "Transformation Jutsu uses only one seal. The Ram."
He demonstrated the gesture. "You've all practiced this before. It should be second nature by now. The seal redirects your chakra flow and anchors the transformation."
He scanned the room. "Who wants to come up and try?"
Silence. Students glanced at each other, no one moving.
Even Kiba stayed quiet, which surprised Shin a little.
Iruka sighed. His gaze settled on a particular dark-haired boy near the window.
"Sasuke. Want to give it a go?"
Every head turned. Sasuke's expression didn't change. He stood, walked to the front without a word, and took his place at Iruka's side.
"Alright—first, channel your chakra toward—"
Sasuke had already formed the seal.
Poof.
The smoke cleared. Two Irukas stood at the front of the room—one the real one, one slightly shorter, with a child's proportions.
Iruka stared.
I wasn't finished talking.
He pressed a hand to his forehead.
But the class had already exploded.
"Oh my god—"
"Sasuke-kun!"
"He's so cool—"
Sasuke released the jutsu and stepped off the platform, expression unchanged. On his way back to his seat, his gaze flicked briefly toward Shin.
Shin raised an eyebrow.
Show-off.
"Hmph." Sasuke dropped into his chair, arms crossed, looking at the wall.
Shin kept his face neutral.
"Sasuke had clearly practiced that before," Shino said from beside him, voice low and factual. "The movements were too smooth for a first attempt."
Shin nodded. He glanced over at Shino's other side. "What about you?"
"No." Shino shook his head once. "My father hasn't taught me."
"Kiba?"
A pause.
"…No."
Iruka cleared his throat again.
"Sasuke's transformation was excellent. Nearly flawless." He straightened. "That said, everyone still needs to keep practicing."
"Anyone else want to try? It's not as hard as it looks." He let the warmth creep back into his voice, coaxing.
"Me!"
The room turned.
Naruto had shot his hand into the air, half out of his seat, bouncing on his heels.
Iruka's face went through three emotions in quick succession.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this.
"…Alright, Naruto. Come on up."
Naruto was already moving, practically jogging to the front. He flashed Shin a grin on the way past—confident, wide, unbothered.
Shin watched him go.
"Okay, Naruto, let's start with the basics—first, you'll want to—"
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Naruto formed the seal and shouted the name all at once.
Poof.
Iruka closed his eyes.
Slowly, the smoke cleared.
Standing at the front of the room was a version of Iruka—sort of. The face was right. The forehead protector was wrong, replaced with a pair of goggles. The hair was blond. And the body was unmistakably Naruto-sized, a head shorter than the real thing.
Three seconds of absolute silence.
Then the room lost it.
"Oh my god—"
"Is that supposed to be Iruka-sensei?!"
"HAHAHAHA—"
Iruka looked at his transformed student. His eye twitched.
Then he walked over and knocked his fist down on top of Naruto's head, releasing the jutsu in an instant.
"I told you to listen first!"
"Ow—!" Naruto grabbed his head, eyes watering, staring up at Iruka with the most wounded expression imaginable.
"Go sit down."
Naruto shuffled back to his seat, hands still cradling his head.
"…That said." Iruka straightened his jacket, composing himself. "For a first attempt, Naruto actually did reasonably well. Some imperfections are expected."
Naruto looked up from his seat with the expression of a man who had been both punished and praised in the same breath and wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Iruka ignored him.
"Anyone else? I promise it's not that hard. Naruto managed it."
Naruto: ???
Iruka's gaze drifted toward the window row. "Shin—how about you?"
"Sure." Shin stood.
"Good luck," Shino said.
Shin walked to the front and turned to face the class. Dozens of eyes looked back at him.
"Alright—" Iruka began, "—first, you'll want to—"
He paused, studying Shin for a moment. Then he exhaled.
"Actually, you were paying attention. You know what to do."
Shin smiled slightly and nodded.
"Go ahead, then—" Iruka started.
"Wait!"
Shin had already formed the Ram seal. He turned his head at Iruka's sudden outburst.
"You don't have to use me as a model," Iruka said, a little too quickly. "You can transform into someone else. Anyone you like."
"…"
Shin looked out at the class. His gaze moved slowly across the rows.
It landed on someone.
The corner of his mouth curved.
Chakra. Ram seal.
"Transformation Jutsu."
Poof.
The smoke took its time clearing.
When it did, the room went completely silent.
"…That's…"
"Is that—Sas—Sasuke—?!"
Standing at the front of the room was Sasuke Uchiha—dark hair, pale skin, the Uchiha fan on the back of his collar. Nearly identical in every detail.
Except this version was smiling.
The room detonated.
"SASUKE-KUN—!"
"Oh my god he's SMILING—"
"I think I'm going to cry—"
"He's looking at me—he's looking RIGHT AT ME—"
Ino stared between the Sasuke on stage and the Sasuke in his seat, her face going steadily pink. Shin transformed into… Sasuke. And he's smiling. The Sasuke on stage is smiling. Her brain made several attempts to process this.
Sakura, beside her, had gone the color of a tomato.
At his desk, the real Sasuke had gone very still. His fists were closed.
Poof.
Shin stood at the front of the room again, his own face, one corner of his mouth still turned up. He felt a pointed stare drilling into the side of his head from across the room and didn't look.
"QUIET!" Iruka slammed both palms on the desk. The screaming faded by degrees.
He exhaled slowly.
"Shin's transformation was—very good. Almost no flaws. Keep practicing."
Talented kids never make my life easier, he thought.
Shin stepped off the platform. The girls in the front rows watched him go.
The transformation wasn't that difficult, he thought, walking back to his seat. Sasuke and I are about the same build. Mostly just facial features. He filed that away. Transforming into Iruka would've been harder.
He passed Sasuke's desk.
"Hmph."
Shin glanced over. Sasuke was glaring at him—actually glaring, jaw set, a faint flush across his cheekbones that he was clearly pretending didn't exist.
Shin smiled at him. Easy and open, eyes curving.
Sasuke's gaze snapped to the wall.
"…"
Interesting, Shin thought, and kept walking.
"Naruto Uzumaki! Kiba Inuzuka!"
Iruka's voice hit every corner of the classroom and bounced back.
"Sleeping in my class? Both of you—out. Now. Stand in the hall."
"Tch. He noticed." Kiba sat up, wiping the corner of his mouth with zero shame, and stood.
Shin watched him go.
Naruto followed, expression painfully unconcerned.
"The rest of you—" Iruka turned back to the class, sweeping his gaze across every drowsy face. A few students jolted upright. "—pay attention. All of you."
A beat.
"Shikamaru Nara!"
A groan from the back.
"Out."
Another beat.
"Choji Akimichi—food in my classroom. Hall. Now."
Choji tucked his chips away, stood, and shuffled toward the door.
......
Out in the corridor, the four of them lined up against the wall.
Kiba looked at Shikamaru and Choji as they emerged. "Again? Both of you?"
"Sleeping," Shikamaru said flatly, scratching the back of his head. "Him—eating."
Choji shrugged.
They leaned against the wall. Naruto, restless after thirty seconds, drifted over to the window. Through the glass, the classroom sat at an angle—and right there, in the window seat, was Sasuke.
Naruto's eyes lit up.
He pressed his face against the glass and made a face. Tongue out, eyes crossed, fingers pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Sasuke glanced over. One look. He went back to facing forward.
Naruto doubled down. He scrunched his nose, flared his nostrils, pulled his cheeks into something inhuman.
Nothing.
He switched to blowing out his cheeks like a puffer fish.
Still nothing.
He deflated slightly. Rested. Then started again.
"…"
Sasuke lasted another thirty seconds before turning his head.
He looked Naruto dead in the eyes.
His lips moved, slow and deliberate, forming two silent syllables.
Idiot.
Naruto's face went rigid.
He slapped his palm flat against the glass.
The sound carried through the wall. Every head in the classroom turned to the window.
The last thing Naruto saw before Iruka's gaze found him was Iruka's expression shifting from mildly annoyed to something considerably worse.
"Naruto."
Silence.
"After school today—don't go home. You're cleaning the classroom and the entire schoolyard. By yourself."
"…"
The afternoon bell rang.
Students filed out in ones and twos, voices overlapping in the hallway. Naruto stood alone at the classroom door, broom in hand, watching them pass. A few pointed. Someone laughed.
He tightened his grip on the broom.
"Hey. Shikamaru!" he called out as the familiar silhouette drifted past with Choji beside him. "You're really just gonna walk?"
Shikamaru stopped.
"You caused it," he said simply. "Why is that my problem. Too much trouble." He turned and kept walking.
Choji looked apologetic for exactly half a second before following.
Naruto stared at the empty hallway.
"Need a hand?"
He turned.
Shin stood a few feet back. Kiba and Shino were with him.
"Shin." Naruto's face broke into a grin, then immediately shuttered.
"—Nah, it's fine." He held up the broom, forcing a laugh. "Small job. I'll knock it out quick."
"Sure you will," Kiba said flatly.
"I said I'm fine." Naruto waved a hand in their direction. "You guys go. Didn't Hana make dinner?"
Kiba hesitated.
"…Yeah. She did."
Shin looked at Naruto for a moment. Naruto looked back, grin steady.
Kiba hooked a hand around Shin's arm and pulled. "He doesn't want help. Let's go."
Shin let himself be moved. He glanced back once.
Naruto had already turned toward the classroom, broom moving.
"He'll be at that until midnight," Kiba said as they walked out through the school gate. "The classroom and the yard? Idiot."
Shin didn't answer.
He already knew.
......
The school emptied.
The sun dropped below the treeline, leaving the yard in long orange shadows.
Naruto sat on the swing by the front gate, broom across his lap, letting it drift back and forth. The bristles dragged over the ground with a dry, scraping sound.
"Ugh." He stared at the sky.
Then he stood up, grabbed the broom, and started swinging it at nothing.
"You think you're better than me, Sasuke?! What's your problem?!"
He jumped to one side.
"Naruto-sama, please forgive me—I never should have called you an idiot!"
He jumped back.
"Damn right you shouldn't have. Take this—pow, pow, pow—"
"Ahh! I can't beat you, Naruto-sama!"
"Obviously!" He leapt to another patch of empty air. "Anyone else? Kiba! You're next!"
Another voice, higher: "Naruto! You're so cool! You're my best friend!"
"Ha—finally someone with taste." He planted the broom like a staff, tilting his chin up. "Shin, you're my number one, you know that? When I'm Hokage, you're gonna be my right hand."
"And Kiba?"
"Kiba can go stand in a corner."
He threw his head back and laughed at the sky—loud and echoing and completely alone.
It bounced off the school walls.
Silence came back.
"…"
He looked around.
No audience. Just empty ground and an untouched yard.
He picked up the broom.
Whatever.
He started sweeping.
The last of the sun went down. Leaves scattered ahead of him in little drifts. He worked his way across the yard in long, even strokes, jaw set, not thinking about anything in particular.
......
The light in Iruka's office window went dark.
He stepped out into the corridor, locked the door, and tugged on his jacket as he headed for the exit. He'd meant to leave an hour ago.
Outside, he glanced up at the stars. A clear night. Late.
He was nearly through the gate when he caught movement in the yard.
A small figure, moving slowly. A broom scraping the ground.
Iruka stopped.
Naruto?
He watched for a moment. The figure worked in steady, quiet circles, unhurried—either resigned to it or, against all odds, determined.
Iruka pressed a hand over his face.
I may have overdone it.
He stood there for another minute. Then he went back inside, pulled a second broom from the supply closet, and walked out into the yard.
Naruto heard the second broom before he saw who was holding it. He spun around.
"Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka didn't look at him. He started on a nearby patch of leaves. "Stop standing there. You've still got half the yard left."
"Oh—yeah—right—" Naruto turned back and started sweeping twice as fast.
They worked in silence for a while. The stars brightened. The yard slowly cleared.
"…Naruto."
Naruto glanced over, still sweeping. "What?"
"Do you think the punishment was too harsh?"
A pause.
"I mean… yeah, kind of."
Iruka's eyes narrowed. "You made an error, received a consequence, and you're complaining?"
"What?! I wasn't—I just said—you asked—" Naruto sputtered.
"…"
Iruka sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Keep sweeping."
"Yeah."
They fell back into quiet. The brooms moved back and forth.
......
Eventually, Naruto threw his in the air and flopped flat on his back in the middle of the freshly swept yard.
"Done! Finally! I'm dying!"
Iruka leaned the brooms against the wall and walked back over. He looked down at the kid sprawled across the ground like he'd been felled.
"Don't fall asleep out here. You'll catch a cold."
"Can't move. No chakra. No legs."
"Get up."
"I said I can't—"
"Now."
Naruto was on his feet before the word finished, spine rigid.
"Sir!"
"…You," Iruka said, and left it there.
Grrrgl.
Naruto's stomach answered for him. His hand flew to his midsection.
Iruka looked at him.
Naruto looked at the ground.
"…Hungry?"
"Maybe."
"Come on." Iruka jerked his head toward the gate. "I'll buy you dinner."
Naruto stared at him. Then his entire face transformed.
"REALLY?! Iruka-sensei you're the BEST—!"
"Oi. Behave yourself. And you'd better actually hear me next time I tell you to listen—"
"Yeah yeah yeah, I heard you, I get it, I'll listen, can we go can we go—"
"I'm telling you to take it seriously—"
"I AM, I'm taking it super seriously, I'll listen to everything you say forever, what are we eating?"
"Whatever place is still open. There's a ramen shop that runs late."
"Ramen?! Is it good?"
"You'll eat it and be grateful."
"Okay but is it good—"
"Naruto."
"…Yeah?"
Iruka slowed his pace slightly. He scratched at the back of his neck.
"I… that is to say…" He stopped walking.
"What?"
"…About today. I—" Another pause. His ears had gone pink. "—sorry."
Naruto blinked. "Huh? What'd you say?"
"Nothing."
"No, really—"
"I said nothing, let's go."
Naruto looked at the back of Iruka's head for a moment, confused.
Then he broke into a run to catch up, his face splitting into the widest grin he'd managed all day.
"Ramen! Let's go, let's go!"