Chapter 127: Third year.

In a classroom at the Konohagakur academy, the droning voice of a teacher filled the classroom, lulling Homura into a deep slumber. His head lolled forward, and soft snores escaped his slightly parted lips. Unbeknownst to him, the teacher, growing frustrated with Homura's consistent drowsiness, decided to take action.

Teacher: Shino, please wake up our esteemed class president.

Shino:…Understood.

Shino Aburame, who had the unfortunate position of sitting next to this year's class president, inwardly sighed. His stoic demeanor betrayed a hint of exasperation. It was not the first time he had been assigned the responsibility of rousing Homura from his deep slumber. As his hand extended towards Homura's shoulder, ready to nudge him awake, a sudden movement from Homura caught him off guard.

Homura stirred and evaded his touch, his instincts rousing him from his sleep-induced haze.

Homura's bleary eyes blinked open, his mind slowly registering his surroundings. The realization that he was still in class was certainly quick but also quite disappointing to him, as he realized that it was not break time.

Not because he was hungry but because he believed that most classes were, in general, more or less useless, it would only take Homura a few hours to have C register most of his notes, if there was nothing practical to gain he may as well get some shut-eye.

In order to prepare himself for his training regiment at night.

Though soon he realized that the teacher's gaze fell upon him, with a clear hint of being annoyed in his one good eye.

This year's shinobi in charge of their class was an intimidating fellow.

Not even Homura dared to get on his bad side, well as much as he could help.

Somethings in life are more or less unavoidable if

Teacher: Well, it's nice of you to join us, Homura.

Laughter rippled through the classroom, some students finding humor in Homura's habitual sleepiness.

While some didn't seem to care or find the situation funny at all.

Meanwhile, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino exchanged incredulous glances, their thoughts filled with puzzlement.

Sakura: Internal thoughts I still can't believe this, but how did that lazy idiot, manage to become class president?

Ino: Internal thoughts Knowing him…He must have bribed more people than I thought.

Indeed, it was more or less an open secret that Homura bribed a lot of people within the classroom.

At least enough to get a majority of the votes.

Homura had employed various means, both deceitful and genuine, to secure his position as class president. Promises, some kept and others abandoned, had played a significant role in the matter.

Promises ranged from promising to assign seats to people next to their friends or people they want to seat next to, or making outrageous demands that break time could be extended and lunch could be changed as well, only to later find out what a class president really do…didn't really amount to much.

Fortunately for him, having a job where he could sell toys had certainly provided him with resources and influence during the election.

Not that many people were participating in the race, but those who did were not expecting a candidate like Homura and had little faith that he would be chosen as class president; but by the time they realized what was happening it was already too late and Homura had secure enough votes to win.

So far he was turning out to be the worse class president in the history of the academy, shattering the legacy of all class presidents before himself.

Some had high hopes that due to his high grades, Homura was turning a new leaf by becoming more serious in other aspects but they were dead wrong.

It was the first time that a class president was not trusted by their teachers, in fact, most didn't really know what to do since nothing like a class president that almost never shows up on time and doesn't take care of most of his duties.

Sadly, he couldn't really be removed as such so last year's class president was pretty much the class president of this year; in everything but name.

Which so happened to be Haruno Sakura who was using that opportunity to get closer to Uchiha Sasuke, which didn't really pan out.

She had plans to make things better for herself compared to last year's debacle but it seemed that most of the girls got wiser from last year's events and understood that she should not be allowed to be class president again.

So Homura was actually a viable candidate to many.

Contributing further to Homura's more or less crushing victory.

Homura: Internal thoughts I still can't believe how little a class president can actually do, but at least now I have a good excuse to get close to most students without having

As classes had resumed after almost five weeks now, regret hung in the air among the students who had elected Homura. It became increasingly apparent that he had little understanding of his responsibilities and displayed a stubborn resistance to learning about the intricacies of his role.

Not that a class president was forced to do many things, but Sakura had performed so well and Homura did so little or outright would forget; that most just had no idea what the exact role of a class president was anymore.

Just as Homura began to settle back into his seat, the teacher's voice resonated through the room once more, breaking the momentary calm.

Teacher: "Class, we will be having a transformation jutsu test today. I will call upon each of you individually. You have one hour to prepare, and I will return to the classroom."

The teacher's gaze lingered momentarily on Homura, a subtle expression of disappointment crossing their face. The class president was traditionally responsible for maintaining order and guiding the class, but Homura had shown little interest in anything beyond the bare minimum of his duties.

With that, the teacher exited the classroom, leaving the students to their own devices. Some began conversing with one another, discussing strategies or exchanging tips. Others took to the task at hand, diligently practicing their hand seals and channeling their chakra. And then there were those who remained seated, seemingly disinterested in the impending test.

Homura felt a surge of relief wash over him. He didn't particularly need to practice the transformation jutsu, having observed and copied it from others. Though he struggled to maintain the transformation for extended periods, he possessed a basic grasp of the technique. Satisfied with this knowledge, he decided to seize the opportunity and indulge in a little more rest, his fatigue amplified by his new job and training regimen.

As the classroom buzzed with activity around him, Homura settled back into his seat, his eyelids growing heavy once more. His mind drifted, welcoming the sweet embrace of sleep, oblivious to the whispers of discontent that began to circulate among his peers.

Especially from a pink-haired girl who was cursing him as she watched him fall asleep once.

Sakura: Internal thoughts That monochrome-haired jerk, is leaving everything up to me again!… Why did I lose to him? *sigh*

[About an hour and a half passed as Homura remained asleep. ]

The late afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the bustling classroom. Homura slowly roused from his drowsiness, his senses sharpening as he caught snippets of conversation floating through the air. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up, straining to make sense of the fragments of dialogue that reached his ears.

Naruto's voice, filled with desperation and determination, reached Homura's ears first.

It was so loud that he had no other choice but to wake up.

Naruto: "Please, sensei, just one more try! I know I can do it!"

The teacher's response was firm but tinged with a hint of weariness.

Teacher: "Naruto, I've already given you ample opportunities. It's time to move on and focus on other techniques."

A heavy sigh escaped Naruto's lips as he trudged back to his seat, his youthful enthusiasm dampened. Homura couldn't help but feel a pang of empathy for his fellow classmate.

Not exactly because of Naruto.

If he wasn't able to copy others' most basic ninjutsu, he might have been in the same situation, Homura was not exactly good at anything.

Performing ninjutsu isn't exactly as difficult as many, who are not shinobi or never had any shinobi training might believe, however, if you have no knack for it, then you may as well be throwing darts at sea while hoping to hit a goldfish.

Such was the case for genjutsu, most people are just incapable of performing any, and even breaking free from one is outright impossible for most.

Especially for academy students.

So Naruto not being able to fully perform the transformation jutsu was normal.

He was a child and had poor chakra control, a common trait shared by most children; though Naruto always seemed to be lagging further behind than what was actually considered normal.

Even worse than Homura whose actual implementation of other people's cells had a negative short-term effect on his ability to mold chakra properly.

So as most had moved on from a specific problem from a technique they were being taught, Naruto always seemed to take much more effort to catch up to his peers.

And for Homura, who had witnessed Naruto's struggles and setbacks firsthand and was somewhat in a similar situation, knowing how hard Naruto had been working to master the transformation jutsu was slightly painful.

He didn't exactly enjoy seeing Naruto fail, but it was a necessary evil for Naruto to become the hero he was meant to become one day.

However as Naruto slumped into his seat, a group of three girls seated in the row below Homura began whispering to each other, unaware that their words carried to his ears.

Girl 1: "Ugh, Naruto is such a troublemaker. I heard he's cursed. That's why he doesn't have parents."

Girl 2: "Yeah, he can't even change his height yet even after all this time, no wonder people say he brings nothing but bad luck. It's like a dark cloud follows him everywhere."

Homura's jaw clenched at the callousness of their words. He knew the truth behind Naruto's hardships, the pain he had endured from being an outcast and the longing for acceptance. But he also knew that saying anything would likely fall on deaf ears. Instead, he chose to keep his frustration to himself.

Minutes ticked by, and the classroom settled into a temporary lull. However, the tranquility was soon interrupted by the teacher's commanding voice, cutting through the murmurs.

Teacher: "Homura, it's your turn. Step up and demonstrate the transformation jutsu."

Startled by the sudden call, Homura felt a mix of surprise and annoyance wash over him. Gathering his composure, he stood up and made his way to the front of the class.

He didn't know why they had to perform the same jutsus, all the time.

Little changed from having to demonstrate the same jutsus in front of the class every week or so.

Very few students managed to show much progress.

Homura: Internal thoughts I was supposed to transform into Toshio, the familiar face I've known since our days in the orphanage.

Homura closed his eyes after performing a series of hand seals.

He emptied his mind and tried to recall the person he was supposed to transform himself into.

Homura: Internal thoughts Remember Toshio, Toshio, Toshio…Toshio…?

But... something stirred within him, a rogue thought that slipped in at the last moment.

He couldn't exactly remember what Toshio looked like.

So as his mind filled with a maelstrom of confusion. With a flicker of uncertainty, he called out the command, his voice laced with doubt.

Homura: "Transform!"

A cloud of smoke enveloped his entire body, billowing and swirling. The expectant gazes of his classmates turned into astonishment as the smoke gradually dispersed, revealing an almost perfect replication of Naruto, right down to the distinctive tuft of spiky blond hair. The class erupted into laughter, their mirth echoing through the room.

Teacher: Momentary annoyance flickers across his face before he regains composure "Quiet down, everyone! Show some respect!"

As the laughter subsided, Homura stood there, stunned and bewildered by the unexpected outcome. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.

He looked at the mirror that was placed next to the podium, but the person he had transformed himself into was not Toshio and much less Homura.

His eyes, still his own, stared back at him from the Naruto-like visage he now possessed.

Teacher: Masking his irritation with a forced smile "Homura, you've passed the transformation. However, remember that there's always room for improvement. You'll need to execute the technique flawlessly next week."

Homura nodded, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Confusion mingled with a touch of awe, for he had stumbled upon a transformation he didn't fully understand. And yet, deep within, a sense of disappointment tugged at him. He had intended to transform into Toshio, a quote friend of his who had shared his journey from the orphanage. The fact that he had inadvertently taken on Naruto's appearance puzzled him.

*boom*

A cloud of smoke enveloped Homura as he undid his transformation, reverting back to his usual appearance.

As Homura returned to his seat, a mixture of emotions consumed him as he detected Naruto's gaze land upon him.

He stole a quick glance at Naruto, who wore a blend of surprise and admiration on his face. At that moment, Homura realized that their connection ran deeper than he had initially thought.

Sadly that was not because they were such good friends, but because Homura had made plans to use Naruto after class.

Nonetheless, a silent understanding passed between them.

Homura: Whispering to Naruto " Naruto meet me at the training grounds near the river after school."

Naruto nodded, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes amidst the challenges he faced.

Naruto: "Thanks, Homura. We'll prove them wrong, won't we?"

Homura didn't exactly like to be lumped as a failure. According to Naruto's words he had failed as well, but it was of little importance.

Homura: "…sure."

With renewed determination and shared resolve, Homura settled back into his seat. The echoes of laughter and the weight of their words lingered in the air, but he was determined to rise above it all.

But it didn't matter to him.

He has set into motion another plan to get stronger, while the other may look down on him now, he still is one of the strongest cadets around.