Over a year had passed since Shin arrived in Konoha.
In the training ground of Tsunade's small courtyard, Shin practiced his Swordsmanship, his Katana flashing in the sunlight.
Not many in the Shinobi world specialized in Kenjutsu. Most relied on Ninjutsu; it was the primary focus of their training.
The most skilled swordsman in Konoha was probably Sakumo Hatake, though it seemed he hadn't earned the moniker "Konoha's White Fang" yet.
Shin hadn't even heard the name Sakumo Hatake before. He was probably still relatively unknown.
Mastering Kenjutsu required not just hard work, but also finding your own path.
From the beginning, Shin had known what path he wanted to take: one that Maximized His Strengths.
And his strengths were? His [Perfect Sage Body], granting him monstrous Strength and Speed. His Kenjutsu would be one of overwhelming power and swiftness.
Shin unleashed three slashes in the blink of an eye, effortlessly slicing the wooden training dummy into four pieces.
Three slashes per second were child's play for him now. His limit was five.
Five slashes in a single second, a True Testament to his speed.
Even an Elite Jōnin, caught off guard, wouldn't be able to withstand such an assault.
"If I could combine this with Space-Time Ninjutsu... I can already imagine myself racking up kills on the battlefield."
Unfortunately, he didn't know any Space-Time Ninjutsu. He was eager to learn, though. Such Jutsu were incredibly versatile, invaluable for both offense and defense.
"Shin, breakfast is ready! We have that test today, so we need to leave early," Kushina called out.
Shin sheathed his katana and headed inside. Kushina had already prepared breakfast.
It was a simple meal of bread and milk. Shin had baked the bread; Kushina had only set the table.
He didn't dare let Kushina cook. She was a master of creating culinary abominations. The one time he had tried her cooking, he had spent the entire morning throwing up.
From then on, he had banned her from the kitchen.
After breakfast. Shin packed their lunches and they headed out.
Tsunade wasn't home. As an elite Jōnin, she was always on missions.
At the Academy, the classroom was filled with a mix of anxiety and excitement.
Those with good grades were eager to show off, while those who struggled dreaded the test.
"Mikoto, I'm counting on you for the written exam."
Shin said as he sat down.
The morning was dedicated to the written test. Shin had no interest in studying those theoretical concepts, and the questions were often bizarre. Cheating was his only option.
But he had to choose his source wisely. Most of the class were hopeless. Thankfully, Mikoto was a top student, consistently scoring first in the written exams.
"Just don't get caught," Mikoto said with a smile.
"Don't worry, I won't," Shin assured her.
Mikoto gave him a dubious look.
"That's what you said last time, and we both ended up getting punished."
"Ahem, that was an accident."
Shin cringed, remembering the time he got caught cheating. But that was a fluke; it wouldn't happen again.
The morning passed, and the written test concluded. Shin had copied Mikoto's answers; he was confident he'd done well.
He had also helped Kushina and Nawaki cheat. They were both terrible at academics.
After the written test, they had a break for lunch. Shin, Kushina, and Mikoto found a quiet spot to eat their lunch.
Over the past year, they had become close friends.
"We have the practical test this afternoon. Are you nervous?" Mikoto asked.
"Why would we be nervous? We've done this so many times already," Shin said nonchalantly.
The Academy held tests every month.
"These test scores don't even matter. They don't affect graduation," Shin added.
"Then why did you cheat?"
Mikoto's question almost made Shin choke on his food.
"Ahem, I just don't want to be at the bottom of the class."
"Yeah, me neither," Kushina chimed in.
After lunch, they had a short break before the practical test. Tanaka-sensei led the class to the training grounds.
"The results for the written test are in. Uchiha Mikoto scored a perfect score, placing first in the class," Tanaka-sensei announced.
No one seemed surprised. Mikoto was always at the top.
"Also, Uzumaki Shin, Senju Nawaki, did you two cheat? Who copied from whom? You have the same score, and you even got the same questions wrong."
Tanaka-sensei glared at them. Nawaki avoided his gaze, while Shin remained calm.
Inwardly, however, Shin was cursing Nawaki's stupidity. He had helped him cheat, but did he have to copy everything?
When Shin copied from Mikoto, he had deliberately answered a few questions incorrectly. Kushina had done the same when she copied from him.
But Nawaki had copied everything, including the wrong answers. It was no wonder they got caught.
'Nawaki, sorry buddy, but it's time to ditch the dead weight,' Shin thought ruthlessly.
"Tanaka-sensei, Nawaki copied from me. I know it was wrong, but he threatened to beat me up if I didn't let him. I didn't have a choice."
Shin put on an Oscar-worthy performance, as if he had truly been threatened.
Nawaki gaped at him. He had begged Shin to help him cheat, but he had never threatened him!
"Nawaki, I can't believe you'd do that! I'm telling Grandma Mito! Well, maybe if you confess, I might reconsider..."
Kushina said "Angrily."
Shin mentally gave Kushina a thumbs-up. He decided he wouldn't help Nawaki cheat anymore. This guy was a liability.
Nawaki felt a wave of despair. Kushina's words were a clear threat. She was forcing him to confess. Shin and Kushina were so mean!
"I'm sorry, Tanaka-sensei. I copied," Nawaki confessed, hanging his head.
"Copy the questions from this test a hundred times. You have three days," Tanaka-sensei said without a trace of sympathy.
Nawaki felt like he had been struck by lightning. Copying the questions a hundred times? He'd be dead from exhaustion! And he only had three days! He wanted to cry.
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