"I didn't expect Lord Third to visit despite his busy schedule!"
Iruka and Mizuki both stood up immediately.
Mizuki, meanwhile, was cursing in his heart. His plan hadn't even started yet, and it was already falling apart?
But Hiruzen didn't spare him a glance.
Instead, the Third Hokage walked straight up to Nagi's external clone.
"Incredible… not a single flaw. Even I can't tell the difference!"
Hiruzen exclaimed in awe. Once again, Nagi had surprised him.
"What? Even Lord Hokage can't tell?! That's insane!"
Murmurs filled the room.
To the students of the academy, the Hokage was the strongest shinobi in existence. And now, even he couldn't tell which one was real?
"Disperse."
Poof!
With Nagi's hands clapped together, the external clone vanished, revealing the original.
"This jutsu… it's definitely not a standard Shadow Clone Technique."
Hiruzen looked at Nagi with visible admiration.
"Grandpa Third, what's the Shadow Clone Technique?"
Naruto and the rest were stunned just hearing the term.
To them, "Clone Technique" was the only concept they knew. At their level, they hadn't even heard of more advanced clone jutsu.
"The Shadow Clone Technique is a B-rank ninjutsu. It's a more advanced version of the regular Clone Technique."
The Third Hokage patiently explained in response to Naruto's question.
But Naruto only latched on to one point: "Shadow Clones are stronger."
"But the technique Nagi just used… it's clearly more advanced than even the Shadow Clone Technique."
Hiruzen's tone shifted, his eyes sharp.
Gasps echoed through the room.
"More advanced than a B-rank jutsu? Don't tell me it's A-rank—or even S-rank?" Shikamaru muttered, sucking in a cold breath.
Could Nagi, at their age, really have mastered a technique of that level?
The most devastated of all was Sasuke.
His face burned with embarrassment.
Thinking back, all his arrogant posturing must've looked like a child throwing a tantrum in Nagi's eyes.
No wonder Nagi never took him seriously.
And that only made Sasuke feel worse.
"But where did Nagi learn such a high-level jutsu?"
That was the question burning in Shikamaru's mind now.
Even Lord Hokage couldn't see through it—so who else in Konoha could've taught it?
"Nagi, this jutsu…"
Hiruzen looked directly at him. A thought had formed in his mind—an almost impossible one.
Even geniuses like Uchiha Shisui, Uchiha Itachi, or Hatake Kakashi couldn't pull something like this off.
But Nagi, calm as ever, met his gaze and said:
"I created it myself."
The classroom exploded.
"No way! Nagi, don't joke like that with Lord Hokage," Iruka said, half laughing.
He assumed Nagi was just showing off—how could someone their age create a jutsu?
"No. He's telling the truth," Hiruzen said, face solemn.
He knew Nagi wasn't lying. More than that—Nagi wouldn't bother to lie.
Hiruzen's sharp eye, the same one that had trained the Legendary Sannin, saw it clearly.
And if there was one thing he was unmatched in, it was ninjutsu.
He hadn't earned the title "Professor" of the Shinobi World for nothing.
"The hand seals Nagi used were completely unique," Hiruzen added.
He didn't even know how to explain it. Who the hell finishes a jutsu with just one hand clap?
"Which means… Nagi has created a jutsu comparable to S-rank!!"
Ino's breathing quickened. She couldn't believe it.
"Created his own jutsu? Seriously?" Sasuke's regret deepened.
Why did he ever think he could compete with Nagi?
They weren't even in the same universe.
He wasn't just falling short—he wasn't even on the board.
"Then… Lord Hokage, what about his exam result?"
Iruka stepped back. There was no way he could grade someone like this.
Only the Third Hokage had the authority now.
"Nagi lives up to the title of Konoha's Number One Genius. His ability can't be measured by this exam."
Hiruzen declared it himself: Konoha's Number One Genius.
It was a title the village had never officially given anyone in its decades of history—too controversial, too subjective.
But now, no one could argue.
Not when a kid, still not even graduated, had created an S-rank level jutsu.
Not when he possessed the Wood Release kekkei genkai… the blood of the Senju Clan.
No one dared speak against it.
As for Nagi, he didn't care much.
It was just a title.
But that didn't stop the rest of the class from chanting his name in awe.
[End of Chapter]