superior naruto

The classroom buzzed with tension as Iruka-sensei stood at the front, his gaze sweeping over the students. "Let's continue. Does anyone else have questions about the material?"

Naruto, now stationed by the door to prevent another escape attempt, leaned against the wall, his head bowed. His eyes flickered toward Hinata, who sat with her book propped up, her small face half-hidden behind its pages.

*I shouldn't be hated by Hinata…* he thought, a pang of guilt twisting in his chest. *If that's the case, then all of this would be worthless.*

"Naruto!" Iruka's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Do you have any questions?"

*Me? Questions?* Naruto blinked, startled. *Yeah, I've got questions! A ton of them! Like, why can't I do anything right?*

Wait—tomorrow was the ninja graduation exam. If he failed again, he'd have to repeat another year. Could he even keep up with this group of classmates?

As anxiety tightened its grip on him, the scene before his eyes suddenly blurred. A sharp, searing pain shot through his head, and everything went black.

---

The class gasped as Naruto clutched his head, his body swaying unsteadily before collapsing to the floor.

"Naruto!" Iruka rushed forward, his voice filled with alarm. Hinata stood up, her hands clasped over her mouth in worry.

Iruka quickly scooped Naruto up, turning to address the class. "Continue studying. I'll take Naruto to the hospital."

He hurried out of the room, Naruto limp in his arms.

---

*What happened to me?* Naruto's thoughts swirled in the darkness. *Did I return to the original world? Or am I just waking up?*

When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Iruka's concerned face hovering above him.

"Naruto! You're awake. What happened?" Iruka asked, his voice tinged with relief.

Naruto raised a hand to his throbbing head, relieved to find himself still in this world. Compared to the original world, his heart leaned more toward this one. After all, the other world had left him with little to cherish.

"My head hurts…" Naruto muttered, but before he could say more, a sudden rush of warmth trickled from his nose. He touched it, pulling his hand back to see bright red blood staining his fingers.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice shaky.

Iruka's eyes widened. "Medical ninja! Someone, get a medical ninja here!"

A young woman with an unremarkable appearance and average stature arrived swiftly. She examined Naruto with practiced efficiency. "He's suffered a head injury. Did he hit his head before this happened?"

Iruka shook his head. "Not that I know of. He was in class, and then…"

Could it have been when Naruto ran off earlier? But a simple fall shouldn't have caused this.

The medical ninja checked Naruto again, her expression thoughtful. "I recommend he stays in the hospital for observation."

Iruka nodded, but Naruto interrupted. "I'm fine! It's just a nosebleed. Let's go back to school. The exam is tomorrow, and I can't afford to miss it."

Iruka hesitated, but Naruto insisted. "Please, Iruka-sensei. Tomorrow's exam is important to me. You don't want me to repeat another year, do you?"

After a moment, Iruka relented. "Fine. But after the exam, you're coming straight back here for a check-up."

Naruto grinned. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka crossed his arms. "And tonight, you're staying at my place."

Naruto blinked. *Staying at Iruka-sensei's house?* A warm feeling spread through his chest. Iruka was worried about him.

"Alright," Naruto agreed, his voice softer now. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei."

---

By the time they left the hospital, the sun was setting. Iruka took Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. After all, his apartment wasn't exactly stocked for cooking.

As they sat at the counter, Naruto couldn't help but smile. The ramen was delicious, but what he appreciated more was the kindness of the people here. No strange looks, no whispers—just warmth and acceptance.

"Thank you for the meal!" Naruto said, setting his chopsticks down with a satisfied sigh.

Iruka glanced at him, noticing how different Naruto seemed today—more mature, more focused. "Naruto, about tomorrow's exam… You didn't pay much attention in class. How about we go over some things tonight?"

Naruto grinned. "That'd be great, Iruka-sensei!"

---

Iruka's apartment was… well, a bit of a mess. As soon as they stepped inside, Iruka shoved Naruto back out. "Wait here! I'll, uh, clean up real quick."

The sounds of clattering pots and pans echoed from inside, and Naruto couldn't help but laugh.

When Iruka finally let him in, Naruto sat down, his mind already racing. *Who am I now? Can I even perform the Clone Technique?*

The memories he'd inherited from the original Naruto were there, but they weren't enough. The written test might be manageable, but the practical exam…

Naruto frowned. *Nine-Tails, are you in there? Can you hear me?*

No response.

"Naruto," Iruka said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "What's on your mind?"

"Uh… I was just thinking about the Clone Technique. Isn't that what they'll test us on?"

Iruka nodded. "Yes, the Clone Technique is essential. Are you confident in it?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I'll give it a try."

He formed the hand seals, focusing as best as he could. "Clone Technique!"

*Poof!*

Two tiny, shrunken versions of Naruto appeared, wobbling unsteadily before collapsing.

Naruto groaned. "Well… that didn't go so well."

Iruka sighed. "We'll practice tonight. But Naruto, you need to take this seriously."

Naruto nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew the real problem wasn't his skill—it was the Nine-Tails' chakra interfering with his own. Unless he could overcome that, no amount of practice would help.

*Unless…* Naruto thought, recalling the original timeline. *What if I learn the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique from the Forbidden Scroll?*

But how? According to the original story, Mizuki would trick him into stealing the scroll. Was that still going to happen?

Naruto clenched his fists. *I need to figure this out—and fast.*