"But what?"
Inuzuka Kiba reflexively pressed for an answer.
Mizuki lowered his voice even further, his tone carrying a hint of regret and indignation:
"But some gaps cannot be bridged by mere hard work and talent."
"In this world, effort is sometimes useless, especially when the competition is unfair from the very beginning."
"Unfair?"
[Note: At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Novel Network. The experience is great, simply awesome.]
Inuzuka Kiba was stunned for a moment. "Mizuki-sensei, do you mean..."
"You've been troubled by Naruto's rate of improvement, haven't you?"
Mizuki looked around to ensure no one was there, a strange light glinting in his eyes:
"Haven't you noticed? Naruto's rate of progress is completely abnormal."
"A month ago, he was the dead last, yet now he can take you down in an instant.
Is a leap of this magnitude really something that 'hard work' can achieve?"
"Do you truly believe that simple effort and a sudden epiphany can turn a dead last into a genius?"
Inuzuka Kiba's pupils constricted instantly.
It was true; it was too fast—fast enough to be like a monster.
If he were truly a genius, why was his talent only showing now?
Seeing Kiba lost in thought, Mizuki sneered and threw out a carefully crafted lie:
"That so-called reward for first place was actually decided for Naruto long ago."
"Ordinary people like us, no matter how hard we try, are nothing more than supporting characters."
"I heard that the Third gave Naruto private lessons, teaching him secret cultivation methods and providing resources."
"Otherwise, how could an orphan like him be so strong?"
These words contained a mix of truth and lies, but they were mostly fabrications Mizuki had concocted to deceive Inuzuka Kiba.
As it turned out, through a stroke of luck, he had actually stumbled upon a bit of the truth.
Kiba's body began to tremble.
It wasn't fear, but anger—a long-suppressed emotion that had finally found an outlet.
"Sensei..."
Kiba looked up, his eyes filled with resentment. "Are you saying that all of this... is unfair?"
"Fairness?"
Mizuki smiled, his expression filled with complex meaning:
"Where is the fairness in this world? True power is always held only in the hands of a few privileged elites."
"However—"
"There is still a way to make up for it."
Mizuki intentionally drew out his words.
"How can it be made up for?"
Inuzuka Kiba asked excitedly, as if grasping at a lifeline.
"By learning a more powerful technique, of course."
Mizuki leaned in closer, his voice laced with temptation:
"For example, that legendary 'scroll of seals'."
"The techniques recorded within it—any one of them possesses the power to transform a person and change their destiny."
Inuzuka Kiba's pupils constricted violently.
"But then again."
Mizuki straightened up, returning to his gentle demeanor.
"That isn't prepared for ordinary people like us. It's a privilege that only chosen geniuses are qualified to touch—"
"A privilege!"
"And if we don't reach out and take it ourselves, we'll be left fighting others for the scraps."
"Kiba, are you content to be a stepping stone for the rest of your life?"
He patted Kiba on the shoulder and said, "Go home early and prepare well for the exam."
"Even if you can't get first place, striving for second or third isn't bad either."
"Though, you might never be able to catch up to that silhouette."
Having said his piece, Mizuki turned and left, his figure quickly vanishing into the night.
Under the streetlights, Inuzuka Kiba stood dazed.
After a long while, he clenched his fists.
"The scroll of seals..."
...Naruto's home.
Closing the heavy book in his hands.
Naruto took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Even with the help of black tea, prolonged high-intensity mental labor still brought fatigue.
He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the scattered lights of Konoha Village.
When the Third announced the reward today, he had remained calm on the surface, but in his heart, he saw everything clearly.
That so-called open competition was essentially a path tailor-made for him.
The Third Hokage used this method to give him a legitimate reason to obtain high-level resources while simultaneously motivating the entire school's students, killing two birds with one stone.
"So this is politics."
Naruto thought to himself.
And they said the reward for first place was a high-level Ninjutsu.
If he took first, that high-level Ninjutsu would be the scroll of seals; if anyone else happened to win, it would likely be just a B-rank Ninjutsu.
The right of interpretation belonged to the Hokage—very clever, and very fitting for the Hokage's status.
Naruto didn't resent this so-called open scheme.
On the contrary, he appreciated this method of playing everyone in the palm of one's hand.
But means are always just means, not the end.
"Since the stage has been set this time, I'll reluctantly take on the role of the protagonist."
"The scroll of seals..."
He put on his glasses and resumed reading... The next day, early morning.
There was one day left until the graduation exam.
The atmosphere in the classroom was so thick it felt like it could be wrung out.
"Hey, Shikamaru, I heard your family's medicinal herb warehouse was robbed?"
Choji asked indistinctly while stuffing potato chips into his mouth.
"Ah... yeah."
Shikamaru was slumped on his desk, and although he looked like he hadn't fully woken up, there was a rare edge to his tone.
"My dad is furious. He said the thief was extremely professional—not only did they avoid all the traps, but they even cleaned up their scent completely."
The speaker was casual, but the listener took it to heart.
Sitting not far away, Inuzuka Kiba's body stiffened.
His hand instinctively pressed against his ninja tool pouch, where a vial of potion was currently lying.
Mizuki-sensei had given it to him last night.
"As long as you get him to drink this potion, he'll temporarily lose control of his Chakra and make a fool of himself in tomorrow's exam."
"This is for the sake of fairness, Kiba."
Mizuki's words seemed to still be echoing in his ears.
"Fairness... I'm doing this for fairness..."
Inuzuka Kiba swallowed hard and turned to look at the back row.
Naruto was there, reading a book.
The sunlight spilled over his profile, making him look exceptionally composed.
"Why... why do you get to be so relaxed..."
Inuzuka Kiba grit his teeth, his inner jealousy and desire suppressing his slight unease.
He stood up, as if having made a decision, and walked straight toward Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto."
Kiba's voice was a bit dry.
Naruto slowly looked up from his book, his gaze calmly fixed on Kiba.
"What is it?"
Under Naruto's calm gaze, Kiba actually felt a sense of peace settle over him.
"After school... do you want to go to the training ground together?"
"The exam is tomorrow, and I want to... do some final special training."
As soon as he said this, the surrounding classmates cast strange looks his way.
Everyone knew Inuzuka Kiba had been hit hard recently; wasn't asking Naruto for special training now just asking for a beating?
Naruto looked at Inuzuka Kiba.
Sitting here was only one of Naruto's Shadow Clones, which lacked the ability to sense emotions.
Even so, just by looking at Inuzuka Kiba's uneasy appearance, one could see some clues.
"Sure. Since it's an invitation from a classmate, I have no reason to refuse."
Naruto gave Inuzuka Kiba a gentle smile.