"How about… I give it a try?"
As soon as Shinju said he wanted to give it a try, the whole class burst into laughter.
Shinju chose to ignore it.
Fearing the ridicule from the other students would get to him, Iruka-sensei comforted him, saying,
"It's alright, Shinju. Failing isn't scary. Don't mind their jokes."
Shinju shook his head.
"It's fine, sensei. I've long since gotten used to it."
Iruka's gaze softened as he looked at him.
Such a young child, yet already bearing so much.
And still, he remained strong and eager to improve.
"Iruka-sensei."
Shinju suddenly lifted his head.
He looked at Iruka seriously and said,
"Could you show me once more how to perform the Transformation Jutsu?"
Although Shinju had inherited the memories of this body's original owner and knew the hand seals and key points for the jutsu, he still felt a little uneasy inside.
Hearing the explanation again would help reinforce it.
He had no choice.
Shinju thought helplessly.
After all, he was just an utterly ordinary nobody.
"Alright."
Iruka nodded—he could see the hunger for knowledge in Shinju's eyes.
That pure, childlike heart for learning.
It was rare indeed.
"If you want to score high in the Transformation Jutsu exam, it's best to turn into something you're very familiar with. Try to minimize any visible flaws. First, you need to…"
Iruka then patiently explained the key points of the Transformation Jutsu to Shinju.
At the same time, he gave him several important reminders.
"Shinju, no ninjutsu has only one set path. You can try different approaches."
"Comprehension and adaptability are both very important…"
Iruka added in the end.
Shinju nodded, half-understanding.
Comprehension and adaptability…
He frowned in thought.
The original Shinju, when learning Transformation Jutsu, had only tried to turn into people—and the results had been downright terrible.
Maybe… he could try turning into something else.
Something familiar, yet with details people wouldn't scrutinize too closely…
Shinju stood there thinking for a long time.
Around him, his classmates were already growing impatient.
"Shinju, can you even do it or not?"
"You're going to embarrass yourself anyway, so what difference does it make if it's now or later?"
"Yeah, what are you dawdling for? Stop wasting everyone's time!"
"Go for it, Shinju. Be bold."
Only Iruka-sensei patted him on the shoulder, encouragement in his eyes.
"Even if you fail, I'll still applaud for you."
Shinju was moved.
"Thank you, sensei."
With that, he walked out of the classroom and onto the training field.
The teacher said failure wasn't scary.
So there was nothing to worry about.
Adaptability and comprehension…
He repeated those words in his mind over and over.
Images of various people and tailed beasts from Naruto flashed through his head.
Finally, he settled on one he knew the best—one that, in his past life, his classmates had loved to talk about.
Time to try.
Take the first bold step!
Forming the hand seals, Shinju shouted,
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Whoooosh!!!
A towering Nine-Tails beast, fifty to sixty meters tall, appeared outside the ninja academy building!
Its entire body radiated a fierce, oppressive aura.
In its eyes was a clear disdain for humanity.
Even Iruka, a chunin, felt his heart clench in fear.
"Ahhh!"
"A monster!"
Inside the classroom, several girls screamed and burst into tears.
Even the usually calm Sasuke and Shikamaru, seeing Shinju turn into a beast tens of meters tall, stumbled back a few steps, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
It looked real.
Too real.
It was as if a genuine Nine-Tails had appeared right before them!
That crushing pressure of overwhelming power, that instinctive dread from deep within—
Far too real!
After using the Transformation Jutsu, Shinju noticed that Iruka-sensei's face seemed a little stiff.
He instinctively thought it was because his transformation wasn't good enough.
So he released the jutsu and stood before Iruka like a child who'd made a mistake.
"Sorry, sensei. My comprehension and adaptability are just too poor… this is the best I can manage."
He spoke earnestly.
Iruka blinked, snapping out of his shock, the corner of his mouth twitching.
The best you can manage?
You call that the best you can do?!
Iruka had once seen the Nine-Tails with his own eyes. His parents had died at its claws.
That was why he had been so stunned just now.
Because the Nine-Tails Shinju had transformed into…
Was exactly the same as what he had seen back then!
Even more—its chakra waves and its man-eating ferocity were stronger than the original!
Although Iruka was a chunin and had seen the Nine-Tails in person, if he were to attempt such a transformation himself, he was sure he couldn't even match a thousandth of Shinju's accuracy!
Could it be… his student had just awakened his potential?
That he wasn't a failure at all, but a ninjutsu prodigy?!
"Shinju… I want to ask, why did you choose to transform into that beast, and make it so… vivid?"
Iruka asked, forcing down his shock.
"Because I once dreamed of this giant beast. I figured if I turned into it, the sheer size would make people less likely to scrutinize the other details."
Shinju looked discouraged.
"So… I still didn't do well?"
Iruka rubbed his forehead.
Such a simple, honest thought…
Finally, still reeling inside, he managed to say,
"Not bad this time. But… next time, maybe try a normal person instead."
Seeing his teacher's strained expression, Shinju was sure Iruka was only trying to comfort him.
"Sensei, you don't need to cheer me up. I know my talent's not that great…"
...
Konohagakure.
Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had just seen the massive Nine-Tails appear at the ninja academy!
That terrifying aura had made him think the Nine-Tails had broken free from its seal!
Just as he was about to rush out to face it, the beast had vanished mysteriously.
So he ordered the ANBU to investigate.
Now, the report had come in.
"Have the results come back? Was it the Fourth's seal weakening? Did the Nine-Tails inside Naruto escape?"
The Third Hokage asked urgently.
The masked ANBU operative replied,
"No, it was just an ordinary student at the academy performing Transformation Jutsu."
"What?"
The Third Hokage's pupils narrowed.
"You're sure you didn't see wrong?"
"Certain," the ANBU replied firmly.
"Who was it that performed the transformation? Naruto?"
The Hokage continued.
"Only he has enough chakra to mimic a tailed beast with Transformation Jutsu, and only with the Nine-Tails sealed inside him could the aura be replicated so perfectly. That brat's gone too far this time…"
The Hokage muttered to himself.
"No—it was Shinju. The war orphan you named yourself."
"What?"
The old man's voice jumped two pitches higher.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor of Ninjutsu, was a master of all ninja techniques.
He had studied Transformation Jutsu in great depth.
And so—
He knew.
To mimic a tailed beast with Transformation Jutsu…
Not only did you need an enormous amount of chakra, you also needed deep familiarity with the beast, and flawless Transformation Jutsu technique!
"That boy Shinju… he's never even encountered a tailed beast before."
Hiruzen drew in a sharp breath.