"I actually fell for a Genjutsu..."
Uchiha Ryo wore a dazed expression, unable to process what had just happened for quite some time.
"Man, he even got downgraded for losing."
Jiraiya, naturally the happiest seeing Ryo suffer, commented with amusement.
"Pfft, it's nothing."
Akaba stretched lazily and glanced at the arena. "You haven't started yet?"
"I'm in the thirteenth group."
"Hey, wait up! Aren't you gonna wait for me?"
Just after Jiraiya finished answering, he noticed Akaba, Tsunade, and Orochimaru had already left. Akaba wanted to go back to sleep while Tsunade and Orochimaru simply found it boring.
Walking a few steps ahead, Orochimaru approached Akaba quietly and whispered, "Be careful around people from the Uchiha clan."
The Sakuma clan's Kekkei Genkai is said to be a Genjutsu technique that even the Uchiha cannot reflect. Over time, the two families developed deep resentment toward each other—perhaps not outright enemies, but definitely mutual dislike.
Right now, Kagami Uchiha has died in battle, leaving the Uchiha without a leader, and their behavior patterns are gradually changing.
Orochimaru worried that Akaba defeating Uchiha Ryo today might cause factions within the Uchiha clan to harbor ill intentions.
"I have my clan backing me up. Just a small match like this wouldn't justify them taking action."
Akaba replied while glancing sideways at Orochimaru.
The Sakuma clan still carries some influence now, but if this were ten years later, who knows—he might really get stomped on then.
As for Orochimaru himself, being protected by the Third Hokage, who appreciates talent, probably made the Uchiha too scared to stir trouble.
"Why worry unnecessarily? Do you think the Uchiha are bold enough to provoke anyone right now?"
Tsunade sneered dismissively, her expression showing both disdain and sorrow. After all, even the Senju were gradually withdrawing their influence; any sensible Uchiha would know better than to cause trouble at such a critical moment.
Back in the classroom, Orochimaru pulled out a book while Akaba prepared to lie down and nap. However, before his head touched his arms, Tsunade lifted his chin with her hand and said, "Once everyone graduates and gets assigned into teams soon, when will you ever have time to draw? Why not do it now while you can?"
Akaba looked completely confused, turning his head to stare at Tsunade, and she stared back at him, eyes locked.
"What exactly are you two doing?"
Orochimaru curiously asked. Still a child, he didn't understand the dynamics between boys and girls.
"Big sis, I just want to sleep—I stayed up all night last night."
Akaba sighed helplessly, his mood strangely mixed.
It felt just like being a web novelist drowning in constant update demands. Though he'd never written one himself, Akaba could finally empathize with their helplessness. Wasn't this supposed to be prime slacking-off time? Why did someone pressure him to work!
"Are you gonna draw or not!"
A sudden roar snapped both Akaba and Orochimaru wide awake.
"Alright alright, I'll do it."
Akaba gave in helplessly, lifting his head to quickly set up his sketchpad and start preparing.
The desk he used had been newly moved here by the teacher yesterday. If he angered Tsunade, this table might well end up broken.
However...
After getting ready, Akaba's hands swiftly formed Hand Seals and in the blink of an eye, the Shadow Clone Jutsu was activated.
"You got this."
With that, he stood up and changed seats.
"[Multiple Shadow Clones?]"
Tsunade and Orochimaru exclaimed simultaneously, both shocked.
Then they saw Akaba's multiple shadow clones holding a brush and ink, swiftly drawing on paper.
"Amazing! The Shadow Clone Technique actually has this kind of use. Truly vast is the art of ninjutsu."
Orochimaru sincerely admired, feeling even more deeply the endless possibilities of applying ninja knowledge.
Tsunade was equally astonished. Shadow Clone was a B-rank ninjutsu technique, which she naturally hadn't mastered. However, since it was created by the Second Hokage, as the princess of the Senju Clan, she had naturally heard from Tobirama Senju about this technique's principles and functions.
Its original purpose was battlefield intelligence and reconnaissance; however, it didn't include functions like substituting for the original to draw pictures.
Moreover, she noticed that the clone's drawing speed was actually faster than the original!
"This proves that Akaba was slacking off all along!"
Tsunade inwardly became annoyed but couldn't find any actual fault.
The drawings poured out rapidly. Initially, she wasn't used to such hardworking Akaba, but eventually grew numb to it—let him slack off then; at least she had manga to watch.
"To create and develop new functions of ninjutsu just to slack off… Akaba-kun truly is something else, isn't he?"
While reading a book, Orochimaru smiled gently as he tried to comfort her.
"Didn't expect to hear that from you."
Lying on the table with his eyes closed, Akaba replied.
Orochimaru had not yet become Hiruzen Sarutobi's apprentice and generally kept to himself, spending most of his time buried in books.
In fact, before Akaba crossed over into another world and began making comics, they had never spoken even once. Yet despite Orochimaru's much higher IQ compared to others, he still couldn't resist falling under the spell of comics.
"My classmates back then wouldn't believe how well I'm doing in this world now — even the Sannin and the White Fang are all into my manga."
With his eyes closed resting, Akaba sighed secretly within his heart.
If those classmates who dreamed of becoming manga artists knew about this, they'd probably be green with envy. Unfortunately, there was no way to share these feelings right now.
Tsunade propped her chin in her hand, watching the clones draw manga.
The clone's drawing speed was much faster than the original's. The experience of live-drawing manga was similarly enhanced, letting Tsunade gradually feel the charm of watching someone draw right there on the spot.
However, after drawing only several pages, noticeable noises began coming from outside the door. Akaba immediately stood up and canceled the clones, not wanting too many people knowing about this particular usage of Shadow Clone at present.
"It must be Loe. All the members of the Nara clan are quite..."
Tsunade suddenly stopped mid-sentence, seemingly unsure how to finish describing them.
Unaware of anything strange, Akaba finished the sentence casually: "After all, we raise deer—we both live pretty leisurely lives."
Leisurely living?
For a moment, Orochimaru and the just-returned Sakumo and Akimichi were all speechless. Only he could make laziness sound almost noble.
Even Loe himself couldn't help but blush slightly—he certainly wasn't aiming for health preservation.
The Nara clan wasn't large, but they held considerable prestige in Konoha, with many Jonin and Chunin among them.
Originally, he had shown promising talent with potential to carry the future of the family, but because he was simply too lazy, expectations had gradually diminished. So truly, he was just plain lazy—not some lifestyle philosopher.
"Oh right, Loe, I remember your family owns a small house here in Konoha, right?"
As Akaba sorted through the drawings completed by his clone, he suddenly recalled a small house near the Nara compound, seemingly belonging to Loe's family.
Nara Loe sat in his chair, thinking for a while before asking, "You mean that small shop unit near your place?"
"Yeah, that one."
Akaba wanted to open a store to earn more Points. He passed by that shop every day after school, so when he decided to buy a space, he immediately thought of the one next door.
"Oh, that unit used to be close to the forest, so it was used for selling medicine. But it's too small and has been vacant already."
Loe replied tiredly.
He had just fought against Yizhong from the Akimichi clan, and compared to usual, today's energy consumption was quite significant.
"Will they sell it?"
"Well, I don't know what you're planning to use it for, but I can ask for you."
Loe hesitated for a moment before finally saying no at first.
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~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!