With the second year's exam finally over, Reigen went over to the Hokage to report the final rankings. With the deteriorating situation of Konoha, talented children with the Will of Fire were heavily welcomed.
Reigen stood in front of the door, touching the left side of his face covered in bandages, and knocked lightly. After being allowed entry, he entered the room and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Third."
"Raise your head. How does it feel being an instructor after so long?" Hiruzen said. His face looked slightly pale as he dealt with the various clan situations following Orochimaru's defection.
Reigen raised his head slightly and nodded. "It's been going well, though dealing with the kids at the start was a bit difficult. Some of them are already showing signs of becoming great ninja."
Hiruzen smiled. "That's good. After all, these youngsters are going to be the ones who manage and protect the village in the future."
"Yes, Lord Third. These are the final rankings of the second-year students." Reigen said as he handed a list to Hiruzen containing the final scores of his students.
—
Final Rankings
(Theory, Shuriken Throwing, Endurance, Chakra Control, and Taijutsu Spars)
Kamikaze Shinra: 98/100
Uchiha Ren: 96/100
Inuzuka Inumaki: 96/100
Hyuga Hyori: 93/100
Hashimoto Kenta: 92/100
…
Sarutobi Aki: 51/100
—
'Oh, it's the kid with the large sensory range. I had him monitored for a few days, and the only things mentioned in the report were obsessive training routines and being slightly withdrawn from social interaction at the academy.'
Reigen began talking about his students one by one. "First rank was honestly a surprise. Shinra had shown some talent last year, but his progress wasn't as impressive as this year.
His performance in the endurance and taijutsu exams was very noteworthy. The level at which he has trained his body is even better than some graduates. He knows his strengths and how to take advantage of them, though he still has some weak points in his technique."
Hiruzen nodded in satisfaction. "He is indeed a diligent, hardworking kid."
"Next up are Uchiha Ren and Inuzuka Inumaki. They are both very talented, especially Ren—he has already learned the Uchiha style taijutsu. Inumaki, unlike his clan's usually ferocious personality, is more withdrawn and silent. Hashimoto Kenta and Hyuga Hyori are also quite talented."
Hiruzen raised his head. "You have done a good job, Reigen. Raising these fine young children into shinobi is by no means an easy task."
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Reigen bowed respectfully before leaving.
Hiruzen thought back to Shinra, who had been heavily praised by Reigen.
"A diligent orphan with high talent… I wonder if he would turn out to be like him."
…..
Back at the academy, the results were finally announced. Some students were happy, while others were downright sobbing in the corner.
Shinra looked at his new ranking with satisfaction.
'At least all my hard work wasn't for naught. Now I just need to find some time to ask Reigen for the Shadow Clone Jutsu. If before I had a 99% chance of being rejected, now that I've shown I'm worth investing in, it might increase my chances a little.'
In truth, Shinra had taken a gamble. The village values those who are hardworking and willing to put in effort—or not. Worst case scenario, he somehow attracted Danzo's attention.
After a while, Reigen arrived and informed them that they would be taking a two-week break from the academy before starting the new academic year. He also informed them about early graduation and its procedures.
'I will only graduate when there is absolutely nothing else to learn. Having a competent sensei is a boon for any shinobi. I only hope not to end up with a lazy person like Kakashi.'
As Shinra noticed Reigen leaving, he hurriedly followed behind him.
Once they were alone in the corridor, Reigen turned around and looked at Shinra.
"Shinra, is there something you need from me?"
Shinra scratched his head slightly. "I was wondering if I could ask a favor, Reigen-sensei."
Reigen looked at Shinra for a moment before answering. "…What is it?"
Shinra bowed ninety degrees. "Can you please teach me the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
"The Shadow Clone Jutsu? That's a B-rank ninjutsu. Where did you hear about it?" Reigen asked seriously as he observed the blue-haired kid in front of him.
"In the library. It's stated that the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, created a jutsu that—unlike the illusionary clone jutsu—is solid and retains information after it's dispelled." Shinra raised his head slightly and answered with confidence.
"Since you know that it is a higher-level version of the clone jutsu, why do you think you will be able to learn it when you haven't yet learned the normal clone jutsu?" Reigen asked, trying to shut down his request.
'I didn't want to expose this early, but this is the best choice.'
Shinra stood upright and looked at Reigen without saying anything.
Tiger → Boar → Ox → Dog.
An identical clone appeared next to Shinra, both of them wearing slight smiles.
Reigen's face was clearly shocked. "Are you already able to use the three academy jutsu?"
Shinra shook his head lightly. "I can currently only use the Clone Jutsu. But please, Reigen-sensei, I hope you would consider my request."
Reigen stayed silent for a long while before sighing. "Normally, I wouldn't mind teaching you. But I am currently an academy instructor—I can't show favoritism to one of my students. If you wanted guidance on any jutsu taught by the academy, it wouldn't be a problem. But teaching you a B-rank ninjutsu is out of the question."
Shinra clenched his fists tightly. 'It appears I failed after all.'
However, Reigen's next words reignited a bit of hope.
"Although I can't officially teach you the Shadow Clone Jutsu, I can ask for Lord Third's opinion the next time I meet him. Though don't get your hopes too high."
Shinra bowed deeply once again. "Thank you for your help, Reigen-sensei."
Exiting the academy, Shinra walked through the streets of Konoha. 'I've saved quite a bit of money through fishing and cooking. I guess I can treat myself once in a while.'
Shinra stopped in front of a stand that any Naruto fan would recognize—Ichiraku Ramen.
"Welcome!"
Entering inside, Shinra was greeted by Teuchi and his young daughter, Ayame.
Shinra took a seat at the far right side and sat silently, occasionally glancing at Teuchi's nearly closed eyes.
'Could it be true…'
"What would you like to have, young man?" Teuchi asked, looking at the odd blue-haired kid who kept staring at him.
"…It's my first time here. I'll have your recommendation." Shinra felt a bit nervous; meeting a character he had only watched through a screen felt similar to meeting a real-life celebrity.
"That would be miso ramen." Teuchi said with his signature smile.
Shinra nodded and continued staring, mainly at Teuchi's eyes.
At first, Teuchi didn't mind. He thought the kid was unintentionally staring.
But after more than ten minutes, even Teuchi grew a bit uncomfortable. Seeing her father's state, young Ayame stepped in front of Shinra.
"So, what is your name?" Ayame asked.
"Shinra." He looked at her briefly before continuing to stare, as if afraid he would miss a monumental event.
"So, are you an academy student?" Ayame asked again.
Shinra nodded.
"Do you have a dream?" she continued.
She kept questioning him, keeping Shinra distracted from her father.
The sound of someone entering grabbed Shinra's attention.
'What a coincidence… I never expected to run into him here of all places.'The one who entered was none other than the former rank one student—Uchiha Ren.
He took a seat right next to Shinra and sat silently.
'All the other seats are empty. Why sit right beside me?' Shinra felt perplexed about what the Uchiha wanted.
"Oh, Ren. It's been a while since you last came. What would you like to eat?" Ayame recognized him; it wasn't his first time here.
"Pork bone ramen." Ren answered curtly, side-glancing at Shinra.
Teuchi brought out the ramen, and seeing Shinra's uncomfortable expression at Ren's presence brought a sense of satisfaction to him.
"One miso ramen." He said, placing the bowl in front of Shinra.
'This tastes great.' Shinra thought as he tasted the broth.
He quickly finished the bowl, thanked Teuchi and Ayame, paid, and exited the stand.
Outside, rain began to fall over Konoha. Shinra stood in the street soaking wet.
'That was damn expensive… goddamn it.'
Inside the stand, seeing Shinra leave, Teuchi opened his eyes—revealing brown irises—and shook his head. 'All kinds of people do exist.'
—
Hope you enjoyed the chapter.