Kushina didn't realize until she entered the classroom and sat down that her resentful gaze had affected the students' emotions in the class.

Only Araki could truly sense this feeling of being regarded as an enemy by the students in the class.

This was definitely not an illusion!

Araki had always been invisible in the class, and no one would pay any attention to him. But in this short period of time, many gazes passed over him.

This was an unprecedented phenomenon.

"Sigh..."

Araki felt that life was becoming more and more difficult. Even if he wanted a peaceful life without bothering others, he couldn't withstand others intentionally causing trouble for him.

Feeling the constant gazes directed at him, he had a vague sense of ominous premonition, always feeling that someone might jump out.

Based on past history, there were many troublemakers among the students in this class, and they had clashed with Kushina countless times. But now, it seemed that their conflicts were not directed at Kushina but were very likely to target him.

Thinking of this...

Araki felt extremely helpless in his heart.

He could only silently hope that these students could be magnanimous and not engage with him.

...

Step, step, step...

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed at the entrance of the ninja school classroom.

With this sound of footsteps, the students inside the classroom immediately quieted down. After years of adaptation, they understood that it meant Teacher Yinsui was coming.

In an instant, the gazes that had fallen on Araki disappeared without a trace, and each student sat in the classroom like obedient children.

Although Teacher Yinsui usually seemed approachable, no student could withstand his anger if provoked.

The footsteps grew closer, until they reached the entrance, and then the frequency immediately eased, as if they had stopped.

Immediately after, a figure emerged and appeared before the students—it was Teacher Yinsui.

Teacher Yinsui's gaze swept over the people in the class with indifference, quickly scanning each student's face.

As a teacher, he had already memorized each person in his heart, so there was no need for roll call. He knew whether everyone was present or not.

"Today, we will have a simulated duel. Gather at the playground in five minutes."

After Teacher Yinsui finished speaking, he turned and left, leaving the bewildered students in the class. None of them expected today's lesson to be so exciting.

In the ninja school, simulated duels were conducted every once in a while, where ninjas would be paired up and engage in one-on-one battles.

Such simulations helped cultivate the combat awareness of these aspiring ninjas from a young age and tested their progress in their studies.

Not only did it inspire a competitive spirit among the students, but it also allowed the teacher to assess the level of the students' abilities more clearly.

However...

These simulated duels were often random.

No one knew which day they would occur.

And there was no way to prepare in advance.

The ninja school wanted to use this method to teach students that there is never a moment of complete preparation, just like when ninjas are on a mission, anything can happen.

This also keeps the students in their best state at all times, as otherwise they may embarrass themselves in front of the entire class.

In the simulated duels, the winner may not receive much praise, but the loser will certainly face a lot of mockery.

Swish!

However, at this moment, several gazes swept towards Araki.

These gazes only lasted a moment before shifting away.

Araki didn't engage in a stare-down with these people, but he could clearly sense the meaning behind their gazes.

It seemed...

These people were looking forward to being in the same group as him.

Perhaps they wanted to use this opportunity to suppress him and win Kushina's favor!

Araki helplessly shook his head. Such things didn't really bother him. He had always approached the simulated duels with a laid-back attitude, maintaining a 50% win rate, keeping himself in the middle of the class.

He wasn't an easy target to pick on, nor was he an outstanding genius who appeared formidable.

Everything was maintained in a balanced manner.

As for whether he would win or lose today...

That would depend on the performance of the opponent.

Araki didn't care about the gazes of these people. He stood up and followed the other students in the class, walking towards the direction of the playground.

...

Five minutes later.

The students in the class stood on the playground, arranged in three rows, facing Teacher Yinshui.

"Next, when I call your name, step forward. You will engage in a simulated duel, fight until I intervene, and make sure not to harm each other."

Teacher Yinsui said in a deep voice. As a Chunin from Konoha Village, he had no problem dealing with these kids who hadn't graduated from the Ninja School.

"Yes, sir!"

The students responded in unison, and almost everyone had a serious expression on their faces.

These students were still in their childhood, and everyone hoped to defeat their opponents in these duels to demonstrate their strength in front of other children.

No one would hide their abilities in this kind of duel.

After all, it required a great deal of cunning and strong mental fortitude. Not everyone could endure the loneliness and deliberately answer questions incorrectly in a simulated exam, keeping their score just above the passing line...

"The first round, Yamanaka Inoichi versus Nara Shikaku!"

Teacher Yinshui announced the first two names, and two figures stepped out from the queue, coming into view of the students.

The two students faced each other with smiles on their faces. They were very familiar with each other.

Araki stood in the queue, looking at the two individuals in front of him. The one with blond hair was Yamanaka Inoichi, a member of the prestigious Yamanaka clan of Konoha. The one with black hair was Nara Shikaku, also from the prestigious Nara clan of Konoha.

Together with Akimichi Chōza, who was already a big guy at such a young age in the queue, they would form the Ino-Shika-Cho trio of this generation.

These three families had a deep connection, and they had grown up together since they were young. They often played together after school and were extremely familiar with each other.

Araki recognized these few individuals from the moment he arrived in the ninja world. After all, they were among the few people he could see in the official storyline.

Yamanaka Inoichi was the father of Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikaku was the father of Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chōza was the father of Akimichi Chōji. The descendants of these three individuals were also outstanding in their own right.

For a while, the attention of the students in the class was fully engaged.

Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku both had excellent academic records in the class and belonged to the top tier. The fact that these two were facing each other in a duel was a relief for them, as it meant they could avoid encountering such formidable opponents.

At the same time, these students were also very curious about who would win between these two...