Flick

Naruto leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head. The classroom had that usual low murmur—students chatting in little cliques, some half-asleep, others pretending to study.

He glanced at Hinata from the corner of his eye. She was focused on a notebook, scribbling something, probably trying to keep herself from looking at him. Still, her cheeks had that soft pink tint, and every now and then, her eyes drifted toward him when she thought he wasn't looking.

'She's warming up. Slowly, but surely. She's honestly adorable when she's flustered.'

Before he could say anything more, the door slid open and Sakura stepped in, her usual confident gait turning just a little hesitant when her eyes locked on him. She frowned—probably confused to see him next to Hinata and not glued to her side like a lost puppy.

Naruto smirked a bit.

'Yeah, keep watching, Sakura. Things are different now.'

Ino entered right after, giving a small glare to Sakura and flipping her long blonde hair back. She scanned the classroom, then locked eyes with Naruto and arched a brow.

He shot her a wink on some nonchalant shii.

She gave a half-smile before moving on to her seat.

'Right... Ino has always been cool with Naruto last I remember. So this isn't surprising ' he thought.

Shikamaru yawned loudly from the back of the class, his head resting in his arms as he muttered, "What a drag…"

Chōji, as usual, was munching away on a bag of chips.

"Man, Naruto's really on something these days," Chōji said between bites.

Shikamaru opened one eye. "He's focused. Guess getting your act together really makes people look different."

Sasuke walked in a moment later, backpack slung over one shoulder, looking bored and brooding as always. Naruto caught the faintest twitch of annoyance in his eyes when he noticed where Naruto was sitting.

' Emo boy, is probably mad I'm not in his face anymore.' He thought.

Mizuki-sensei entered not long after, followed by Iruka, who was holding a clipboard.

"Alright everyone, settle down," Iruka said as he walked to the front. "We've got a few things to go over today."

Everyone started getting quiet, shifting in their seats.

Naruto straightened, his posture alert—not out of respect for Iruka, but because he was curious. He remembered this part vaguely. Soon, things would get real.

Iruka began explaining chakra flow and the basics of sealing techniques. Naruto already knew this stuff now, but he listened anyway—taking mental notes and watching the way other students reacted.

As Iruka spoke, Naruto took the opportunity to focus on his chakra again—subtly pulsing it through his limbs, trying to maintain balance even while seated. It was like flexing a muscle no one else could see.

He heard Hinata gasp softly.

He turned and caught her staring at him with wide eyes.

"You're… using chakra right now," she whispered, amazed.

Naruto winked. "You can sense that? Nice."

She flushed, looking down quickly, but she nodded.

'Damn, that Byakugan of hers is gonna be so useful later. I gotta get her confident enough to spar with me sometime.'

The class continued for a while, and during the break Iruka stepped out, leaving Mizuki in charge. Which meant, practically speaking, it was free time.

Kiba, not one to give up, marched over with that cocky smirk of his and leaned over Naruto's desk.

"So, what's with you lately? Think you're better than us now?"

' The fuck, I didn't even do anything ' Naruto thought.

Naruto didn't even blink. "Nah. I just realized I'm already better than you."

A few people around them laughed—Shikamaru snorted.

Kiba's eye twitched. "Tch. Cocky. You gonna back that up?"

Naruto yawned. "You can try me after class. I'll make it quick."

Kiba scoffed, but didn't say anything more. He returned to his desk, fuming.

Hinata was staring at Naruto again, wide-eyed.

"You… aren't scared of Kiba?"

Naruto leaned closer, giving her a half-smile. "Scared? Nah, who'd be scared of a furry?"

She giggled—a small, sweet sound.

Naruto leaned back again, satisfied.

Alright, here's the continuation—Naruto vs. Kiba after class, with that chakra-controlled punch showing off:

The final bell rang, echoing through the room as Iruka dismissed the class.

"Alright everyone, don't forget—final evaluations are coming up in a few months. Make sure you're ready. That means everyone, especially you, Naruto."

Naruto : "."

Kiba was already halfway to Naruto's desk by the time most students were packing up. He smirked, his sleeves rolled up and Akamaru barking excitedly from his head.

"You ready to back that cocky mouth up?"

Naruto stood slowly, stretching a bit. "Sure, but don't cry when it's over."

The other students lingered by the windows or followed outside, curiosity buzzing in the air. Fights like this weren't officially allowed, but everyone knew Iruka wouldn't be back for at least ten minutes—and Mizuki couldn't care less.

They moved to the training yard behind the classroom building.

Kiba cracked his knuckles. "Let's go, loser."

Naruto stood casually in the middle of the ring. "Alright then. Put the dog down first."

"Alright. I thought I'd give you an advantage, but guess not," Kiba said, placing Akamaru on the ground.

"Okay, let's do this," Kiba added, a smirk on his face.

Kiba didn't hesitate. He charged forward with a burst of speed, aiming a direct punch at Naruto's face. But Naruto ducked with ease, shifting slightly as if he'd been expecting the move since yesterday.

Kiba followed up with a sweeping kick.

Naruto jumped just enough to let it pass under him, then twisted as he landed.

"I'll end this with a flick of my finger," Naruto said, raising one hand casually.

Kiba sneered. "Big talk!"

Naruto planted his feet firmly. He channeled chakra into his right arm, concentrating it into his finger—not too much, just enough to leave a lasting impression. His muscles tightened, veins pulsing faintly with blue energy.

He stepped in.

And flicked Kiba straight in the face.

BAM!

The flick landed with a shockwave of force, sending Kiba flying backward like a ragdoll. He crashed into the dirt, skidding a few feet before groaning and curling into himself.

Akamaru yelped and sprinted over to check on him.

The students gasped.

"Holy crap…" Shikamaru muttered, eyes wide.

"That was... insane," Ino whispered.

Hinata looked like she might faint from the shock and awe.

Naruto shook out his hand. ' Damn. Still not used to controlling the output. That was supposed to be lighter.'

Kiba wheezed from the ground, clearly not getting up anytime soon.

Without another word, Naruto turned and walked back toward the academy building, hands shoved casually into his pockets.

' I know I looked cool, ' he thought, rubbing his nose proudly.

It felt just like a scene out of one of those weak-to-strong anime moments—and naturally, he was hyped.

But then a sharp sting shot through his hand. Naruto raised it and grimaced when he saw his finger bent unnaturally.

' Fuck!!! ' he thought, wincing hard.

TO BE CONTINUED

[ A/N: This ain't My Hero bro. Also after this I'd like to write an MHA fanfic similar to this ]