"The first place in this assessment is…"
Umino Iruka deliberately dragged out his words, heightening the suspense.
"Uchiha Sasuke!"
What followed was the familiar sight of Uchiha Sasuke's signature indifference.
His arms were crossed casually over his chest, the corners of his mouth slightly raised as if he had expected this outcome all along.
"Snort."
The faint sound of disdain sent Haruno Sakura, Sasuke's most devoted admirer, into a frenzy.
"Ahhh! As expected of Sasuke! He's amazing!"
"So cool, Sasuke!"
Her shrill screams were filled with boundless admiration, her face flushed with excitement.
"Ino-pig, did you hear that? Sasuke got first place!"
Haruno Sakura grabbed Yamanaka Ino's arm, shaking it wildly.
"I know, I know! Stop shaking me, you're so childish!"
Ino brushed off Sakura's hand with an exasperated look.
Back when they were younger, she had also thought Sasuke was incredibly handsome. But now that she had grown older, she wasn't as infatuated with him.
Besides, she had found someone far more interesting than Sasuke.
"Second place is…"
"Third place is…"
Umino Iruka continued announcing the rankings one after another.
Finally, he sighed and announced the last two names with clear helplessness in his voice.
"Thirty-second, Shinomiya Uzumaki!"
"Thirty-third, Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto had been listening intently, his heart tightening with each name called.
By the time the rankings were finalized, his face twisted into an exaggerated expression of disbelief.
"Huh?! Uzumaki, your ranking is actually higher than mine!"
Before the test, Naruto had made a casual bet with Shinomiya Uzumaki.
The loser would treat the winner to a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Ah… I lost again. Another bowl of Ichiraku Ramen down the drain."
His gaze unconsciously drifted to the small frog wallet beside him, which barely had any coins left.
Even so, Naruto was someone who never went back on his word.
No matter how broke he was, a promise was a promise.
"Let's go eat ramen after school."
Despite losing, his words carried an optimistic tone.
Then, he added something else, a sentence filled with a bittersweet kind of sadness.
"But I only have enough money for one bowl. Just leave some soup for me."
He nudged Shinomiya Uzumaki beside him.
Shinomiya always looked sleepy and uninterested, as if nothing in the world truly mattered to him.
When Naruto gave him a gentle push, Shinomiya finally seemed to snap out of his daydream.
"You can eat it yourself. I'm not hungry."
His voice was a little weak as he lazily lay on the desk.
"Hey, Uzumaki, how can you say that? I lost fair and square."
Faced with Naruto's persistence, Shinomiya Uzumaki sighed and said:
"If you really care about this, just protect me from now on."
Naruto immediately clenched his fists, his eyes shining with determination.
"You're my friend! Of course, I'll protect you!"
Then, his curiosity got the better of him.
"But now that I think about it, Uzumaki, you've said this a lot of times before. Does someone want to beat you up?"
"Don't worry! I'll make sure they don't!"
Shinomiya Uzumaki let out a soft sigh, his expression complicated.
"Not now… but maybe in the future."
Naruto scratched his head, confused.
"The future? How would you know what's going to happen?"
But deep inside, Shinomiya Uzumaki was struggling with his emotions.
Of course I know… because I'm a time traveler.
He had seen the Fourth Ninja War, the havoc caused by Uchiha Obito, and the nightmare of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
They were still far off in the future, but Orochimaru's invasion of Konoha during the Chūnin Exams?
That was just a few months away.
All these upcoming events were full of danger, filled with life-and-death struggles.
Every disaster threatened his small, fragile existence.
Why am I so unlucky…?
It had been twelve years since he transmigrated into this world.
Not only did he not get a cheat ability, but his talent was completely average.
Every test ended with him and Naruto competing for dead last, taking turns in the embarrassing position.
But in the world of Naruto, the "dead last" was often the scariest.
Obito and Might Guy had both been at the bottom of the rankings in their youth.
Yet, they grew into legends.
Obito gained the power of the Six Paths and nearly ascended to godhood.
Might Guy, through sheer effort, pushed his body to the limits and achieved an almost divine level of Taijutsu.
And Naruto… there was no need to even mention his greatness.
The problem?
Unlike them, Shinomiya Uzumaki had no excuse for his poor performance.
Naruto's struggle came from the Nine Tails messing with his chakra control.
But Shinomiya?
He was just bad.
At this rate, even graduating as a ninja was uncertain.
So, he made his decision long ago.
Sticking to Naruto's side was the best choice.
For twelve years, he had carefully built their friendship, making sure Naruto saw him as a reliable companion.
If Naruto truly saw him as someone worth protecting…
With the future power of the Six Paths at his disposal…
Looking at the entire ninja world…
Who would dare to kill me?
Who could even lay a hand on me?
I'm not just some background character.
I'm Naruto's best friend!
"Hey! You two, pay attention!"
Iruka's stern voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Every test, you two are always at the bottom! Instead of daydreaming, you should be working harder!"
Naruto, feeling the pressure of his teacher's gaze, put on an awkward but playful smile.
He straightened his posture, pretending to listen attentively.
Shinomiya Uzumaki, on the other hand, remained slouched over his desk, looking as if he had given up on life.
He gave off the distinct "I've accepted my fate" aura.
Just as he was about to shut out the world and enjoy a nap until the school bell rang—
Something unexpected happened.
A strange voice echoed deep in his consciousness.
[Ding!]
[Ninja Chat Group loading complete.]
[You have been automatically set as the Group Owner.]
For a moment, his drowsiness vanished like smoke in the wind.
Shinomiya Uzumaki sat up straight, his back rigid, his eyes wide with shock.
Naruto, noticing the drastic change, blinked in surprise.
"Eh? Uzumaki, what's up? You're suddenly full of energy."
Shinomiya Uzumaki's expression shifted from disbelief to overwhelming excitement.
"Naruto, I have good news—I'm finally going to make it big!"
He burst into laughter, his words filled with newfound confidence.
Naruto didn't understand what "making it big" meant, but from his friend's excited expression, he knew it was something good.
"Congratulations, Uzumaki! Looks like things are finally looking up for you."
"Hah! Just wait, Naruto! From now on, no one will dare to bully you with me around!"
With that, Shinomiya Uzumaki eagerly lay back down, ready to explore his newfound "cheat."
Alright, let's see what this group chat can do…
The moment he focused, a futuristic transparent screen appeared before him—something only he could see.
A grin spread across his face.
Finally… my golden finger has arrived!