Admiration sparks jealousy — and in a room full of future shinobi, even small grudges can grow into dangerous flames.
The classroom was on the verge of turning into a marketplace of noise.
Adrian hadn't done anything in particular, but the way the boys and girls kept arguing and whispering about him was steadily pushing the room toward chaos. Finally, the chūnin instructor could no longer tolerate it.
"Quiet!"
The sharp shout instantly silenced the room.
His gaze swept across the students before lingering on Adrian with clear irritation.
To be honest, the instructor had never liked him very much.
Adrian was undeniably competent in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and the basics — but compared to a prodigy who graduated at five and became a chūnin at six like Hatake Kakashi, he was still far from "outstanding."
More importantly, during ideological classes like The Will of Fire and Bonds of the Ninja, Adrian was one of the few students who openly treated them with indifference.
And this class was anything but ordinary.
Adrian and Shizune were connected to Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Asuma Sarutobi, Hyūga Haruto, Obito Uchiha — even the Ino–Shika–Chō trio were among the students whose names Adrian couldn't always remember.
Kurenai Yuhi's father was a special jōnin.
Whether named or unnamed, nearly every student came from a powerful clan or possessed notable talent. They were future pillars of Konoha.
Naturally, the chūnin instructor assigned to them was a loyal supporter of the Hokage's faction and deeply respected teachings like the Will of Fire.
In his eyes, failing a technique could be forgiven — but failing ideological education could not.
Adrian, on the other hand, did the opposite.
His combat studies were solid, but after three years, his copy of The Will of Fire still looked brand new. He wasn't arrogant — he had read it carefully before — but his rebellious mindset made him disengaged. He only skimmed it before exams.
To someone raised under a completely different worldview, the Will of Fire felt dangerously close to ideological indoctrination. Adrian had no intention of letting himself become a disposable tool someday.
The instructor's displeased stare didn't bother him. Adrian maintained his calm smile, eyes steady.
A chūnin isn't worth getting worked up over. A jōnin might deserve a little respect — maybe.
Snorting softly, the instructor moved on.
"Next — Obito Uchiha!"
"Yes!"
Startled out of his glare toward Adrian, Obito jumped and hurried to the front.
"Go ahead," the instructor said flatly.
The Uchiha clan produced geniuses easily — unfortunately, Obito was the dead last among them. The instructor already knew what to expect.
Obito barely noticed the teacher's indifference. His eyes were locked onto Rin Nohara's gentle smile. Then he glanced at Adrian's calm expression and clenched his fists.
I'll surpass him. I'll impress Rin.
Gathering his chakra, Obito awkwardly formed hand seals.
Puff!
A cloud of smoke burst out.
When it cleared, a pale, shaky clone stood beside him — lifeless, warped, and barely holding its shape. It looked no better than Naruto's infamous early attempts.
The instructor showed no surprise. "Fifty-five points."
"W-Wait! Sensei, I was just nervous! Let me try again!" Obito protested.
Each student was allowed three attempts. The instructor didn't stop him — though everyone knew that on the battlefield, one mistake could cost a life.
As expected, the second attempt was worse. By the third, the clone collapsed into an unrecognizable white mess.
Laughter erupted across the classroom.
Obito lowered his head in humiliation, his spirit utterly crushed.
Even Adrian couldn't help smiling slightly. Any lingering irritation from the instructor evaporated.
Hard to believe this guy becomes the man who triggers the Nine-Tails disaster and the Fourth Shinobi World War.
Adrian had once considered eliminating Obito before his fall — but dismissed the idea. As long as Madara and Black Zetsu existed, history would correct itself. Keeping Obito alive at least gave Adrian future foresight.
Rin leaned toward Obito gently. "It's okay, Obito. Failing doesn't mean you didn't try. I saw how hard you worked."
"Rin…!"
Obito instantly revived, eyes shining.
Then he glanced back at Adrian's harmless smile and mistook it for mockery. "I'll beat you someday, Adrian!"
Rin sighed helplessly. "Obito, don't say that. Adrian works hard too."
Hearing Rin praise Adrian again only deepened Obito's resentment.
And in truth, Adrian really was working hard.
Inside his desk, several invisible hands were continuously practicing hand seals. Thanks to the Flower-Flower Fruit, multitasking was effortless. If Nico Robin could manipulate thousands of arms with precision, a few extra hands forming seals was nothing.
His speed and accuracy already rivaled elite standards.
Unfortunately, he had no idea how much silent envy he was attracting — not just from Obito, but even Asuma, who noticed Kurenai glancing his way now and then.
Shizune and Yuanhai were evaluated next. Their talent was average, but both passed with scores in the seventies and eighties.
Soon, the morning session ended.
"Those who failed today include Obito Uchiha and Inuzuka Shin," the instructor announced. "Don't get complacent if you barely passed. Graduation exams are in one week. Anyone who fails will repeat training."
Some students relaxed. Others grew more nervous.
"Class dismissed."
As soon as the instructor left, the room burst into chatter.
"Adrian… I brought an extra bento today. Want to eat together?" a girl asked shyly from the front row.
Another girl quickly joined in. "I brought extra too!"
Soon several girls were offering their lunches.
Adrian felt helpless. Shizune tried to help but was far too shy to block their enthusiasm.
Finally, Adrian smiled warmly. "Let's all eat together."
They gathered beneath a shady tree in the training field.
"Try my tempura!"
"And my sushi!"
"Wow, that's delicious."
Adrian ate easily — his appetite was enormous, and these lunches had practically supported him for years.
He opened his own oversized bento box.
"Braised meatballs. Wild boar roast. Pork cutlets."
The aroma made everyone's eyes light up.
Kurenai grabbed a piece immediately. "Mmm… Adrian, this is amazing!"
Rin nodded happily along with the others.
Adrian sighed inwardly and quietly added extra meat into Shizune's bento, calming her slight pout.
From afar, Obito stared in despair. "Why… why is everything unfair…"
Nearby, Asuma clicked his tongue in annoyance as well.
Adrian only chuckled.
Can't help it. Looks matter.
Unaware that this simple lunchtime scene was quietly igniting deeper rivalries, Adrian leaned back beneath the tree's shade — completely oblivious to how fast the calm of his academy days was about to disappear.
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