Time flies; in the blink of an eye, it’s already March of the 55th year of Konoha. Before long, the first grade’s studies are coming to an end. By April, the first graders will be promoted to second grade. However, before the vacation arrives, the first grade must take a major exam. This exam will select the most outstanding student to represent the entire grade as the top student.

March 18th. At six in the morning, Yagyu had already woken up from his dreams and was exercising in his backyard. After finishing his morning training, Yagyu took a shower and started making breakfast. After eating and drinking a full glass of milk, Yagyu formed hand seals and created two shadow clones to start their usual tasks. Meanwhile, Yagyu's main body headed to the ninja school.

During the day, there would be a cultural exam, which only required answering questions. The important assessment would be in the afternoon. Though it’s called important, it actually just involves a survival exercise, which is really just a game of hide and seek. The sixth-grade graduation exam merely involves selecting one of the body replacement techniques for evaluation.

In the first grade, the curriculum consists mainly of cultural subjects. Kids from non-ninja families don’t even have the scrolls to practice the body replacement technique. The practical classes in the afternoon involve either shuriken throwing or body technique sparring; they haven’t even had any kunai blade combat yet. These classes are meant to help them accumulate spiritual and physical energy and build a solid foundation.

Throughout the year, the only technique the school taught them was the invisibility technique. The invisibility technique and the body flicker technique seem advanced, but they are actually more basic than the body replacement technique. When Naruto first appeared in the original story, he used Konoha's body flicker technique and invisibility technique to toy with the ninjas trying to capture him. These two techniques seem advanced because many people have come up with various tricks using them. Yagyu believes that the afternoon survival exercise will likely test their skill in the invisibility technique, barring any surprises.

“Yo… Yagyu, good morning!”

“Yagyu-kun, good morning.”

“Yagyu-kun, do you want to hang out with us after the exam?”

“Yagyu, can you throw me a note during the exam? Please! If I fail, my mom will definitely beat me to death!”

“…”

When Yagyu arrived at the classroom, many classmates greeted him. Yagyu smiled back, sometimes stopping to chat with them, exuding patience. Unlike the aloof Sasuke and the socially isolated Naruto, Yagyu crafted his persona as a “people person,” being gentle and warm to everyone he encounters. After all, only he knows how many talented individuals are in this classroom.

There are two saviors and Hokages, and the others are either clan heads from ninja families or the leaders of certain departments in Konoha. Who knows if any of those minor characters mentioned in the plot will also become influential figures in the future? Therefore, before the awakening of his special abilities, Yagyu took advantage of being a genius to leave a good impression on his classmates. Even now, with the chakra of Ashura integrated into him, making him undoubtedly the number one in class, Yagyu did not ruin this persona.

Having one more friend is equivalent to having one less enemy. The focus is on social connections! After chatting with his classmates, Yagyu finally arrived at his seat. Just as he sat down, a small hand tapped his shoulder from behind.

Sitting behind Yagyu, Ino smiled and said, “Yagyu, do your best on the exam later! You must get the title of top student.”

“I’ll do my best,” Yagyu nodded with a smile.

“Yagyu, does your family have any bloodline limits that you secretly awakened?”

At this moment, a voice came from beside Yagyu. Leaning on the desk, Nara Shikamaru, with his dead fish-like eyes still half-asleep, said, “Ever since you beat Naruto a few months ago, you seem to have changed into a different person.”

“You’re so smart; why don’t you guess?” Yagyu teased.

“Ha…”

Nara Shikamaru yawned, straightened up, and stretched lazily. “Something must have definitely changed about you.”

Ino huffed, “Who doesn’t have a secret? Why are you being so nosy?”

“Okay, okay… I was being too talkative.”

Seeing Ino raise her fist with a look that said she would hit him if he said more, Shikamaru helplessly nodded. But at the same time, his curiosity continued to grow. If it were anyone else, Shikamaru wouldn’t have been curious at all. Even Naruto’s special identity didn’t matter to him that much. Only… Yagyu was the exception.

After a year of observation, Shikamaru noticed that Yagyu, his deskmate, was like two different people in the first and second halves of the year. In Shikamaru’s eyes, the Yagyu from the first half of the year was too fake. The smile that easily won others’ favor seemed to him to be a natural act. Yagyu was also a precocious genius like him, but his intentions were too obvious. Therefore, Shikamaru didn’t have much fondness for Yagyu, who intentionally sat next to him.

However, in the second half of the year, Shikamaru’s impression of Yagyu changed dramatically. In this latter half, Yagyu became more genuine. That sense of purpose, even the flawless mask-like smile, could no longer hide the gloom between his brows; all of that disappeared.

Young as he was, Shikamaru couldn’t understand why a person’s change could be so significant, so he even asked his father about it during their conversations. After receiving several answers from his father, Shikamaru realized that Yagyu’s change was due to his newfound confidence. And this change in Yagyu began the moment he defeated Naruto.

It was precisely for this reason that Shikamaru became so curious. How could someone who was always at the bottom of the class in every test suddenly become confident? Without a doubt, Yagyu either underwent some change or was hiding some secret. This change and secret were what allowed him to stop being so purpose-driven and to stop pretending to get along with others, enabling him to be confident above everyone else.

Perhaps today’s major exam would reveal some clues. With this thought, Shikamaru suddenly became a bit interested in this major exam. Yagyu was unaware of Shikamaru’s thoughts. If he knew, he would surely be impressed, realizing that Shikamaru would one day become a strategist and the "Eighth Hokage." Being able to perceive so much at just six or seven years old was no less impressive than Uchiha Itachi, who had Hokage-level thinking at the age of seven.