Disciple?

Just as Kurenai walked toward the Ninja Academy with Kirito's arm around hers, a man with a watermelon head and dressed in a tight green combat suit spotted them on the street.

Might Guy waved excitedly, catching Kirito's attention. He nodded at Guy, who quickly approached. As a battle maniac, Guy immediately noticed Kurenai's outfit, which was different from the one she wore before. Seeing her, he gave her a playful wink, signaling that she'd acted quickly.

Kurenai understood the implication and her face turned red. She looked like a ripe apple, flustered and avoiding Kirito's gaze.

Seeing her reaction, Might Guy awkwardly cleared his throat. "What's going on here?"

Before Guy could finish his question, Kurenai, eager to clear the air, quickly spoke up.

"Well, we're heading to the Ninja Academy to watch the graduation exam today!" she said, trying to justify their outing. "We'll also be looking for potential disciples. After all, I'm about to take over a class soon."

"Huh? Looking for disciples?" Might Guy joked.

Kurenai ignored his teasing, lowering her head and clutching the edges of her clothes nervously. Guy immediately stopped teasing her and changed the subject.

"That's great! I was also planning to check out the Ninja Academy and see if there are any promising students. Let's go together!"

Soon, the three of them arrived at the Ninja Academy, where the students were preparing for their assessments. Two teachers, Iruka and Mizuki, sat at the front of the exam room, and the students lined up, waiting to perform their ninjutsu for the examiners. Those who passed would become official Genin, while those who failed would have to try again later.

The students displayed a range of emotions—some were calm, while others were visibly nervous.

"Haruno Sakura!" one of the examiners called. "Your test is the Clone Technique. Begin!"

A girl with pink hair and a cheongsam stepped forward. Despite her somewhat broad forehead, she confidently performed the hand signs, and with a poof, two clones appeared beside her.

"Passed!" the examiner announced. "Next!"

Sakura's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she turned to the boy with a cold expression, not far away.

"Sasuke, I succeeded! You have to do your best!" she called out.

Kirito and the others slowly entered the exam room, observing the scene. Iruka stood up and nodded respectfully toward them.

"Three esteemed Jōnin," Iruka said.

Mizuki, noticing Kirito's arrival, stiffened. His pupils contracted as he remembered the rude words he had spoken to Kirito the day before. Feeling the weight of his previous actions, Mizuki quickly stood up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kirito!" Mizuki apologized, his voice filled with unease. "I hope you can forgive my rudeness yesterday."

The room fell silent as the students stared in surprise at Kirito, who was wearing sunglasses.

"Is that Kirito?" one student whispered. "Is he really a Jōnin? He was promoted without an exam?"

"Wait... he's a Jōnin?" another student asked, wide-eyed.

Mizuki's actions only fueled the curiosity of the students. "What did Mizuki do to make him apologize like that?"

"Ugh…" Mizuki muttered to himself, but Kirito simply ignored him, unfazed by the apology.

Mizuki, realizing Kirito wasn't going to respond, bowed again, hoping to avoid further embarrassment. "Please forgive me!"

There was no response. Mizuki slowly raised his head, feeling more humiliated.

Kirito glanced at Sakura, Sasuke, and the other students, his face unreadable.

Kurenai quickly intervened, sensing the tension. "Okay, Mizuki, stop apologizing. Kirito doesn't care about that! Let's continue the exam!"

Kurenai gently pulled Kirito's arm, leading him to a seat in the back row as the exam continued.

Mizuki, still fuming, sat back down in frustration. The assessments resumed.

"Pass! Pass! Pass!" the examiners called out as the students performed their techniques.

Finally, it was time for the last student. "Uzumaki Naruto!" the examiner called. "Your test is the Clone Technique. Begin!"

A boy with short blond hair, blue eyes, and whisker-like markings on his cheeks stepped forward nervously. Kirito's gaze shifted toward Naruto, his mind immediately recognizing the boy as the iconic underdog of Konoha.

Kurenai noticed Kirito's gaze and spoke softly, "Kirito, if you're choosing a disciple, don't pick him. He's the worst student in all of Konoha. Honestly, it's hard to say whether he'll even graduate this year."

Kirito didn't respond, just giving a polite smile in acknowledgment.

The results of Naruto's test were as expected—he failed.

As the exam came to a close, the students began to leave the room. Iruka nodded to Kirito and Kurenai before exiting. Mizuki, eager to avoid any further interaction, quickly slipped out as well.

Might Guy, still full of energy, looked at Kurenai and Kirito. "So, did you find any students you like?"

Kurenai glanced at the students with a thoughtful expression, while Guy excitedly spoke up.

"I've already accepted a disciple, a kid named Rock Lee. He's the next Blue Beast!" Guy boasted proudly. "He's going to be amazing!"

Just as Kirito was about to respond, a boy wearing a dark blue short-sleeved shirt with a fire fan design on the back approached him. The name "Sasuke" immediately came to Kirito's mind.

Sasuke had heard about Kirito's abilities and wanted to be his disciple. Knowing that Kirito had defeated Kakashi, even someone with the Sharingan, Sasuke saw Kirito as his best chance to gain the power he needed for revenge.

With a determined look, Sasuke walked up to Kirito.

"I want to be your disciple!" Sasuke declared firmly.

Kirito blinked in surprise. "Me? Why me?"

Sasuke didn't hesitate. "I need to become strong. I'll do whatever it takes to learn from you."

Kirito remained silent for a moment, then simply shook his head.

Sasuke's determination didn't waver. "Don't worry. I'll make myself worthy to be your disciple!"

Meanwhile, Naruto, still disappointed by his failure, saw the interaction and rushed over to Kirito.

"You're the senior ninja, Kirito, right?" Naruto said boldly. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I want to be your disciple too! Please accept me!"

Kirito watched Naruto with an expressionless face. "I have no interest in teaching either of you."

Naruto, undeterred, shouted, "I'll become your disciple before Sasuke does!"

Sasuke glanced at him coldly. "Worry about passing the exam first," he said before walking away.

Naruto stood frozen, his competitive spirit ignited. Meanwhile, Kirito silently left the room, ready to continue his own path, far from the drama surrounding the young ninjas.

Kurenai followed him, still puzzled by his indifference toward Sasuke and Naruto. But she didn't push him for an explanation. Instead, she walked by his side, content with whatever path Kirito chose.