Naruto: The Medical God

Shin returned to his desk, his calm demeanor masking the quiet pride he felt after the exam. As he settled into his seat, Iruka glanced at his clipboard and called out the next name.

"Ayaka Mori, you're next."

Ayaka froze for a moment, her heart pounding as the reality of her turn set in. Before she could move, Shin leaned slightly toward her, a faint but genuine smile gracing his lips.

"Good luck, Ayaka," he said softly, his tone steady and warm.

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, everything else faded away. The weight of the room's tension and the countless eyes watching her seemed insignificant in the face of Shin's words. Her heart fluttered, but instead of distracting her, it fueled her resolve. If Shin believed in her, she couldn't afford to let him—or herself—down.

"Thanks, Shin," she replied, her voice quiet but firm, a spark of determination lighting her eyes. She stood, smoothing her hands over her skirt, and made her way to the front of the classroom.

As she took her place in the center, the murmurs in the room stilled. Ayaka took a deep breath, willing herself to focus. Iruka nodded encouragingly. "Whenever you're ready, begin with the Transformation Jutsu."

Ayaka closed her eyes briefly, steadying her thoughts. Her hands moved through the seals, and with a puff of smoke, she transformed into Mizuki. While the likeness was good enough to pass, the smirk she mimicked wasn't quite as sharp, and her stance leaned slightly off-balance.

"Well done," Iruka said with a smile, though his keen eyes caught the minor flaw. "Now, the Substitution Jutsu."

Ayaka nodded, her confidence growing despite her nerves. She formed the seals with care, and in an instant, she disappeared, replaced by a chair. However, her reappearance was slightly off-center, placing her a step away from where she'd originally stood. Still, the jutsu had been successfully executed.

"Good. Finally, the Clone Jutsu," Iruka instructed.

Ayaka clasped her hands together and focused her chakra. Two clones flickered into existence beside her. They were solid and steady enough to be convincing, though one had a faint shimmer around the edges, betraying a slight instability in the chakra flow.

The room remained silent for a moment, the students processing her performance. While it wasn't perfect, it was clear she had passed. Murmurs of approval began to ripple through the class. Ayaka allowed herself a small smile, her heart swelling with relief and pride.

Iruka clapped his hands. "Well done, Ayaka. You pass."

She stepped forward to receive her headband, her hands trembling slightly as she accepted it. Ayaka tied it around her forehead with a steady hand, the gesture solidifying her status as a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.

As she walked back to her seat, she dared a glance at Shin. He met her eyes, his smile returning, faint but filled with approval. Her cheeks warmed, but this time, she didn't look away. She let the quiet pride in his gaze fill her with a sense of accomplishment.

She took her seat, her hand brushing against the headband as if to confirm it was real. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly confident—not just in her skills, but in the belief that she belonged among Konoha's shinobi.

...

The tension in the classroom shifted as Iruka looked at his clipboard, calling out the next name. "Naruto Uzumaki, you're next."

All eyes turned toward Naruto, and an uneasy silence hung in the air for a moment before it was broken by scattered snickers.

"Ha! This should be good," one student whispered loudly.

"He can't even make a proper clone," another added, their laughter louder this time.

Naruto rose from his seat, his hands balled into fists. He held his head high, but his steps toward the center of the classroom were heavy, the laughter around him pressing down like a weight.

"Alright, Naruto, you can begin," Iruka said, though his voice lacked its usual warmth. A hint of disappointment flickered in his eyes—he, too, didn't hold much hope for Naruto to pass.

Naruto closed his eyes, blocking out the sneers and whispers. In their place, Shin's calm, steady voice echoed in his mind.

"Naruto, do you know how a Clone is formed? You have to shape your chakra to give it the form of someone else. Just use enough chakra to deceive your enemy about which one of you is real. If he hits the clone, it'll disappear because the chakra used isn't enough to make it solid. But... what if you poured more chakra into it? It might gain enough consistency to let you manipulate its form, just like you manipulate clay to give it a proper form."

He inhaled deeply, focusing his thoughts. His chakra—unruly, chaotic—needed to be shaped, like molding clay into a vase. He brought his hands together to form the seals, then started moving his hand as if working like a master artisan, his fingers trembling slightly but his determination unshaken.

As he began shaping the chakra, a student burst out laughing. "What is he even doing with his hands? Trying to look cool?"

"This monster really knows how to put on a show!" another jeered, the laughter spreading like wildfire.

Naruto's focus wavered, his hands faltering. He glanced at Iruka, hoping for even a hint of encouragement, but the teacher's face was grim, his lips pressed into a thin line. That expression pierced deeper than any insult.

His hands began trembling, his control slipping as the laughter echoed louder in his ears. He tried to block it out, but the taunts clung to him like shadows.

Shin's earlier illusion returned to his mind—Reject. Delusion.

"No," Naruto whispered to himself, but his chakra control spiraled out of control. He forced the technique to completion, but the result was disastrous. A misshapen, grotesque clone materialized beside him, its form so distorted that the laughter in the room turned uproarious.

Even Iruka sighed heavily. "Naruto... I'm sorry, but you failed."

The words struck Naruto like a physical blow. He stood there, frozen, as the laughter from his classmates grew louder. His vision blurred slightly, and for a moment, he clenched his fists tightly, the urge to lash out bubbling beneath the surface. But instead, he lowered his head, turned, and walked back to his seat in silence.

As he sat, his gaze dropped to the desk, the weight of failure pressing hard on his shoulders. The quiet whispers of ridicule around him were quieter now, but no less painful.

"Naruto..."

To be continued...

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