The walk to the Academy was a one-sided affair. Ino chattered endlessly—about her weekend, about who looked cute, about everything under the sun—while Meian maintained his usual silence. When they crossed paths with Hinata near the school gates, the dynamic shifted. Ino kept talking, but now both Meian and Hinata fell quiet, content to let her voice fill the space between them.
By the time they reached the classroom, they claimed their usual seats in the back row. Within minutes, Meian noticed the pattern: Shikamaru, Chōji, and Kiba kept stealing glances in their direction. Brief looks. Curious. Almost coordinated.
Hinata caught it too. She leaned forward slightly, her voice barely audible. "Meian… why do Shikamaru and the others keep looking over here?"
Meian didn't look up from his book. "No idea. Maybe they're wondering about Ino."
Ino, mid-sentence about something trivial, suddenly swiveled around to face the trio. Shikamaru, Chōji, and Kiba froze, caught red-handed. They quickly turned away, but too late.
"What are you three staring at?" Ino's voice carried an edge, and her fist rose in a lazy, threatening arc.
The boys didn't test her. They knew better. Ino hit hard and never apologized for it.
Meian shook his head slightly. Hinata, watching the exchange with quiet fascination, whispered, "Ino… you're amazing."
Ino grinned, pleased with herself. "Of course I am. Sometimes people just need a little… motivation."
The classroom settled back into routine chatter until Iruka Umino entered, his presence commanding immediate attention.
"As I announced yesterday," he said, his voice cutting through the noise, "today we're conducting the ninja tool throwing assessment. Your scores will factor into your final grades."
A collective groan erupted from the class. Most students hated exams—especially practical ones with concrete numbers attached.
Iruka's glare silenced them. "Everyone to the training grounds. Now. And be ready to perform."
Naruto slumped in his seat. "Why this one? Throwing is the one thing I actually suck at!"
Kiba, sitting directly behind him, snickered. "Changing the test wouldn't help you anyway."
Naruto's eyes flashed. "I'm good at more than just one thing!"
"Oh yeah?" Kiba leaned in, smirking. "Name something."
Naruto's mouth opened. Then closed. He had nothing.
Kiba's laugh was sharp and cruel. "That's what I thought, dead last."
Naruto shot to his feet. "You want to go right now, Kiba? One-on-one!"
Kiba stood to meet the challenge, but Iruka's roar shook the walls.
"Do either of you want a zero on your record? Get. To. The. Grounds. Now."
The threat of a failing grade was far more terrifying than each other. Both boys bolted toward the exit, nearly colliding with the doorframe in their haste.
Meian, Hinata, and Ino filed out at a more measured pace. At the training grounds, students lined up in order of classroom seating. Meian stood calm and collected in line. Hinata positioned herself directly behind him, her presence quiet but noticeable. Ino stood ahead, her commentary ceaseless.
"So, how many points are you aiming for today?" she asked, turning to look back at Meian. "Last time you scored eight, right? Going for nine? Or will you play it safe and miss that last throw like always?"
Meian said nothing, eyes fixed ahead.
"Come on, tell me!" Ino pressed, undeterred by his silence.
He finally turned to her. "How about you focus on your own performance? Your grades are terrible. Doesn't the Yamanaka name mean anything to you?"
Ino's smile didn't falter. "Not really. My father doesn't care about Academy grades—only that I master the Yamanaka clan's Mind Body Switch Technique. Everything else is just noise."
Meian studied her, genuinely surprised by her lack of concern. "You're not worried about bringing shame to your clan? About what people say?"
An Uchiha walked this same path once. Born into a clan, natural talent made him untouchable until his Sharingan awakened. Meian understood, perhaps better than he wanted to admit, that bloodline could change everything. It made him feel strangely hopeless.
"I guess you just stopped caring what anyone thinks," he said quietly.
Ino's expression was radiant. "Exactly! What's the point of stressing over Academy lessons? My father teaches me what matters. Most of this is just basic stuff anyway."
"Which you can't even do well," Meian countered dryly.
"That's because I'm not trying," Ino shot back. "If I actually put in effort, I'd be number one easily."
Hinata, standing silently between them, simply shook her head.
Meian understood, in an abstract way, that Ino would be formidable if she genuinely applied herself. But becoming top of the class? That was a different matter. Beyond Sasuke Uchiha, there were genuine prodigies in this class—Kiba, Shino, and even the quiet Hinata possessed considerable talent. The competition was far stiffer than Ino imagined.
"Can you go a single day without bragging?" Meian asked, amusement flickering across his face.
Ino bristled. "I'm not bragging! And don't underestimate me!"
Meian smiled and turned back to face forward, effectively dismissing her.
Ino's cheeks puffed out in frustration—a look that might have been cute to anyone paying attention. Meian wasn't. "Fine! I'll show you what I can really do. I'm going to give this my best effort. For you."
Shikamaru and Chōji, standing several positions away, exchanged curious glances but were too distant to hear the conversation.
The line moved forward steadily. When Ino's turn came, she stepped onto the platform with renewed determination. She'd proven something to prove.
Five shuriken flew from her hands in rapid succession.
Five bullseyes.
Iruka's eyes widened. "Ino, that's… quite the improvement! A perfect score!"
As Ino walked down, she caught Meian's eye and raised her fist in a triumphant gesture. Meian remained unmoved, his expression carefully neutral.
The class buzzed with whispers. The student who'd been consistently last place had just achieved perfection.
Then it was Meian's turn.
He walked onto the platform with the same calm demeanor he always carried. He'd been deliberately underperforming lately—a calculated decision. Today, he would continue that strategy.
He drew five kunai and took his stance, eyes narrowing with focus. He released them in a smooth sequence, each one arcing through the air with practiced precision.
Each kunai hit the target board.
None hit the bullseye.
Close—dangerously close—but deliberately off-center.
Iruka frowned, studying the results. "Meian… has your accuracy declined?"
He assigned a score: 7.5 points.
"You need to work harder," Iruka said, his tone carrying genuine concern. "You've regressed from your last performance."
Meian nodded quietly and descended from the platform.
As he walked back to his spot, he felt the weight of snickering behind him. Classmates laughed—not because they understood what had happened, but because it felt good to see someone slip. It made them feel less bad about their own failures.
Meian didn't react. He'd learned long ago that letting people believe what they wanted was far more useful than correcting them.
---
---
To celebrate the launch, I will be releasing 5 chapters daily—but that's just the beginning.
Want more? Don't fall behind while others binge ahead.
For every 100 Powerstones, I'll unlock 5 bonus chapters. A quality review will instantly unlock a massive 10 bonus chapters.
Readers who act early will always stay ahead—while others wait.
This may be a translation, but it's a proven CN classic.
Don't miss your chance to experience it first.