Konoha: Gu master

Mizuki walked into the teachers' office, his face darkening slightly as he saw Iruka Umino grinning from ear to ear.

“Iruka,” Mizuki’s face shifted into a smile as he asked, “What’s making you so happy?”

“It’s our class’ pop quiz results—three students scored full marks!” Iruka said proudly without holding back. Mizuki was his childhood friend, and the two had always been close.

“Three?” Mizuki’s eyes flashed with jealousy and frustration. “Who was it? The only one who can reliably score full marks in our grade is Neji.”

“Shinho Aburame, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno,” Iruka explained with a smile. “The tests for the first and second grades are different, so there’s no point comparing them.”

“Even so, full marks are no joke—they’re top-notch students,” Mizuki maintained his fake smile. “Congratulations, Iruka.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You have plenty of excellent students in your class as well,” Iruka said sincerely. “Maybe you’ll get promoted thanks to Neji’s achievements.”

“Of course,” Mizuki said proudly, “I am a better teacher than you, after all.”

“Speaking of which, last time I covered for you, did your students have any complaints?” Iruka asked.

Mizuki’s smile faltered for a moment. No complaints—they even said Iruka was a better teacher.

“Just as I thought,” Iruka sighed, noticing Mizuki’s hesitation.

Mizuki’s hand clenched into a fist subconsciously. Damn you, Iruka!

He only stayed friends with Iruka to enjoy watching him suffer. Every time Iruka talked about his hardships, especially how he lost his parents during the Nine-Tails attack, Mizuki couldn’t help but laugh inside.

“Iruka,” Mizuki forced his smile back and said, “How about you teach another class for me?”

“Huh?” Iruka was confused.

“As your best friend, I want to help you improve your reputation,” Mizuki said with false sincerity. “Prepare well.”

“I appreciate it, Mizuki!” Iruka said, clearly touched.

Disgusting, Mizuki thought, shivering internally at Iruka’s earnest gaze.

“But isn’t it hard for you to take time off?” Iruka asked hesitantly.

“Not at all!” Mizuki laughed brightly. “You think I’m like you, with no money or girlfriend?”

“You jerk!” Iruka said in mock anger. “One day, I’ll find a girlfriend even more beautiful than Tsubaki.”

Tsubaki was Mizuki’s girlfriend—a beautiful and gentle woman.

“Keep dreaming,” Mizuki laughed louder, this time genuinely amused.

“…” Iruka watched Mizuki laugh, wondering why his sense of humor was so strange.

“Well, I’m off to class. See you later,” Iruka said, picking up his lesson materials and heading to the classroom.

---

When Iruka reached the podium, his eyes twitched slightly. Shinho Aburame sat in the middle, with Hinata Hyuga on his left and Ino Yamanaka on his right. The three of them were chatting, though Hinata remained quiet, occasionally sneaking glances at Shinho. Ino, on the other hand, was all smiles, talking nonstop, while Shinho listened with a calm, wooden expression, occasionally nodding.

Not this again!

Fresh from Mizuki’s jabs, Iruka felt as if he’d been hit again, like Garen buying a Last Whisper—a true critical strike. [tl/n: Last Whisper is an epic item in the game League of Legends]

“Class is starting!” Iruka said loudly, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Return to your seats!”

Hinata reluctantly got up and returned to her seat. She rarely had the chance to chat with Shinho in the morning, and today was special since they had walked to school together. Ino had joined midway.

“Before we start the lesson, I have an announcement,” Iruka said, having composed himself. “This Friday, we’ll be having another joint practical combat class with second-year Class A.”

Sasuke’s eyes lit up. By Friday, I’ll have mastered the Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu. His lips curled into a slight smile. Most of these academy students probably hadn’t even seen a proper jutsu, much less mastered one.

They’ll see then—the power of an Uchiha.

He also looked forward to facing Neji Hyuga and Shinho Aburame.

“Neji-nii-san...” Hinata clenched her hands, feeling a bit anxious. But she remembered what Shinho had told her: talking alone wouldn’t solve anything—she had to rely on her fists.

---

Meanwhile, in the teachers' office, Mizuki was meeting with one of his students, Shinshuke. Despite having decent talent, Shinshuke had an awful personality, which made his classmates keep their distance.

“Shinshuke,” Mizuki said with a smile, “This Friday, our class will be joining first-year Class A for the practical combat lesson.”

“And what does that have to do with me?” Shinshuke asked impatiently.

“I’m giving you a task,” Mizuki said, unfazed by Shinshuke’s attitude. “During the lesson, I want you to help out your juniors.”

“Oh?” Shinshuke raised an eyebrow, picking up on Mizuki’s hidden meaning.

“In practical combat, getting injured is normal,” Mizuki said, his tone heavy with implication. “As long as no one dies, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Perfect!” Shinshuke grinned wickedly.

Mizuki nodded in satisfaction. I’m curious to see how you handle the matter if something happens during your class, Iruka.

Ideally, Mizuki would have liked Neji Hyuga to be involved, but Neji never paid any attention to him. Genius, my foot. What’s a genius worth? In the end, he’s just a lapdog for the main family! Mizuki thought bitterly.

---

As the school bell rang, signaling the end of class, Hinata hesitated for a moment before rushing over to Shinho.

Shino Aburame, noticing her approach, moved aside without a word, making room for her. After all, he had received significant benefits from Shinho recently. The only downside was that the enhancement had a limit—he estimated he had gained the strength of a wild boar… A very powerful wild boar.

“Thank you,” Hinata said softly as she sat down in Shino’s seat, feeling nervous.

Ino and the others nearby were watching curiously, but Hinata was more anxious about the decision she was about to make.

“Shinho-kun,” Hinata took a deep breath and asked, “Do you think... it would be okay for me to challenge Neji-nii-san during the practical combat lesson?”

Shinho was surprised. This didn’t seem like the usual Hinata.

She’s growing, he thought, impressed.

“If you think you can, then you can,” Shinho said, looking down at her. “You don’t need my permission.”

Hinata blinked, slightly confused. Does he mean... I should decide for myself?

That was rare for her. Ever since she was born, her life had always been planned out for her.

“You can come train with me after school,” Shinho said after a moment’s thought.

During his battle with Aoi Rokusho, Shinho had realized he lacked real combat experience. Although he was a Gu Master, in the early stages, hand-to-hand combat was equally important.

After all, even the Great Love Immortal Lord had collected protection money with his fists back in the day.

“You should join us as well, Shino,” Shinho added, remembering his newly-mutated parasitic bugs.

Shino Aburame blinked, surprised. I’m included? How rare.

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