Naruto: Evolution.

"Gen, this is for you."

Kurenai had arrived early. As soon as Gen sat down next to her, she took a breakfast out from under her desk and slid it in front of him with a radiant smile.

"Thanks again, Kurenai."

Without a second thought, Gen accepted the food without much ceremony and began to eat it.

He had already had breakfast before arriving, but not enough to feel satisfied. Since his body had evolved, his appetite had become ridiculous.

Basically, he was a Saiyan.

Of course, it was no coincidence that he arrived at the academy without having eaten enough. He knew that Kurenai would bring him something. It was a habit that started when she moved her seat next to his, and until now, it had not changed.

The same happened with Shizune.

Just as he finished Kurenai's breakfast, Shizune entered the classroom with another portion and, with a kind smile, handed it to him.

"I want to be treated like that too!"

"So jealous... He's too popular with the girls."

"Ugh... Kurenai and Shizune are cruel! They're too close to Gen... I want to sit next to him too."

The classroom filled with jealous looks. The boys looked at Gen with admiration and frustration, while the girls envied Kurenai and Shizune.

Among them was Asuma Sarutobi.

His seat was right behind Gen and the two girls.

Every time he saw Kurenai smiling at Gen with such sweetness, he felt his chest tighten. His expression, already somewhat mature for his age, seemed even more tired.

He knew he couldn't do anything about it, and that helplessness was killing him.

After devouring Kurenai and Shizune's breakfasts, both girls handed him napkins to wipe his mouth.

Enjoying the attentive care of the two girls, Gen couldn't deny that he felt very comfortable.

Although, due to his age, he couldn't do anything with them yet, that feeling of "raising them" was quite pleasant.

…

Riiiiiinnnnggggg!

As more students arrived in the classroom, the sound of the bell echoed throughout the academy. Within seconds, the teacher entered with a firm step, and the class fell into absolute silence.

"..."

The man stood at the podium, took a quick glance at the students, and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Alright… today is exam day. I don't need to tell you how important it is, so I'll get straight to the point. In the morning, you will have a theoretical test and a random evaluation of one of the three basic jutsus. In the afternoon, a ninja tool-throwing test and a combat."

His words made the attention in the room sharpen.

Exams were always a source of stress, no matter the time or place. Some students had already prepared in advance, but others swallowed hard as they remembered what awaited them.

However, nerves changed nothing. As soon as the teacher finished speaking, the test began immediately.

Another instructor entered the classroom with a stack of exam sheets and began handing them out.

The first part: the theoretical test.

For Gen, this was a piece of cake. Not only was he the best physically, but he also excelled in knowledge. Thanks to the fused memories of his previous life, his mental strength was great. Learning theory was as easy for him as perfecting his combat skills.

In just a single year, he had completely mastered all the academic content. He was not only the strongest but also the brightest.

As soon as he received the exam, he began writing without missing a beat. He solved each question with astonishing ease, without hesitating even once.

Less than half an hour later, he stood up and handed in his answer sheet, being the first to do so.

"..."

The already silent classroom became even quieter for a moment as his classmates watched him in awe… and a bit of envy. Kurenai and Shizune were no exception.

With his hands in his pockets and a nonchalant expression, he left the classroom without saying anything.

But he didn't go far. Instead of wasting time, he found a quiet corner and began practicing hand seals while waiting for the next test.

When the first part of the exam ended, he returned to the classroom for the next evaluation.

The Three Basic Jutsus exam did not require students to demonstrate all of them, but rather one was selected at random. This time, the chosen one was the Clone Jutsu.

For him, this posed no challenge. Not only had he learned the Three Basic Jutsus long ago, but he also mastered advanced versions of these techniques thanks to the scrolls he had inherited from his parents.

One by one, the students stepped forward. Some performed better than others, but most managed to pass—even Obito.

Obito was known as the worst in the class, but that didn't mean they were mediocre. On the contrary, this was the elite class, with students like Asuma, Kurenai, and Shizune among its ranks.

With the second test completed, noon arrived.

As always, Kurenai and Shizune had prepared something for him to eat. Gen enjoyed his lunch in peace while, around him, the other boys looked at him with resentful admiration.

...

"Whoosh… Whoosh… Whoosh"

Several kunai flew through the air, striking the humanoid targets placed at 10 and 20 meters away with precision.

"Uchida Ichirō, passed."

The evaluating teacher glanced at the impacts and gave his verdict without hesitation.

"Next, Asuma Sarutobi."

Another teacher called the next name.

Among the students waiting for their turn, Asuma stepped forward as soon as he heard his name. He walked with firm steps to the red line that marked the exam zone.

Now, the first test of the afternoon was taking place: the ninja tool-throwing exam.

The evaluation required students to attack the humanoid targets positioned at 10 and 20 meters away. Five targets at each distance, ten attempts in total.

Asuma took all the shuriken handed to him by the teacher, took a deep breath, and prepared himself.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Instead of throwing them one by one like most students, Asuma opted for a more aggressive approach. He launched two shuriken at the same time with each movement of his hand, and in just five throws, he had already used all ten.

"Asuma Sarutobi… Excellent!"

All ten shuriken struck the targets' chests, right in the center. The precision was impressive, but what truly made his performance stand out was the speed and the way he had executed the throws.