Naruto: Drinking Makes You Stronger

The tests for shuriken throwing and the Three-Bodies Technique had been conducted multiple times.

However, this was indeed the first official test.

There had been previous battles, but those were just practice sessions. This time, the test was official and graded. Each result would determine whether a student could graduate from the Ninja Academy and become a true ninja.

"Alright, everyone, head to the playground to gather," Tanaka-sensei clapped his hands and announced loudly.

At the end of his announcement, he suddenly became more cautious.

"Kurenai, Rin, could you please take Leo to the playground?" Tanaka-sensei asked carefully, glancing at Leo, who wasn't participating in the class at all.

He felt helpless because he didn't dare to be too harsh with Leo. Despite scoring zero in all the previous tests—whether for shuriken throwing, the Three-Bodies Technique, or the written exam—Leo still needed to be present.

Can you imagine a drunken kid throwing shurikens? Or attempting a written test?

When Leo tried shuriken throwing, the entire class stood a hundred meters away.

Leo, terrified of missing his target, had once accidentally injured himself with a shuriken.

But as a teacher, Hideichi Tanaka couldn't avoid his responsibility. He had to stay near the target to observe the students' technique and speed while throwing shurikens and offer guidance.

The shuriken thrown by an ordinary student didn't pose a lethal threat to him as a Jonin. But Leo was different.

The speed and strength of Leo's shuriken throws were far beyond normal. If assessed solely on lethality, Tanaka-sensei would have given him an excellent score.

But that particular shuriken had been aimed at him!

He didn't even have time to react before the shuriken shaved a layer of hair off his head.

Not to mention the written exam—Leo couldn't even hold the pen steady and struggled with it throughout the class. Yet, when Leo held a knife, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Tanaka-sensei could only ask Kurenai and Rin, who were closer to Leo, to help.

"Okay, no problem!"

"Yeah! Teacher!"

Kurenai and Rin nodded, exchanging a determined look.

One on each side, they gently supported Leo by the arms.

"What's going on? Are you… here to drink with me?" Leo looked at Kurenai and Rin, muttering to himself.

"Alright, alright, it's just you two. I won't drink with anyone else."

Leo said, picking up the wine bottle and offering it to Kurenai.

"No, Leo, you should drink it," Kurenai quickly pulled away in a panic.

Although she loved the taste of alcohol, ninja rules still had to be followed. If her parents smelled alcohol on her when she got home, she'd be dead.

Getting scolded was a minor issue. Her father would certainly suspect she had stolen the alcohol. If she tried to hide it, how could she explain sneaking it for Leo?

"What about you? Do you want to drink?" Leo didn't force the issue. Although confused, he understood that Kurenai and Rin often brought alcohol to share with him.

If anyone else dared to offer him alcohol, they'd have to face his wrath.

"I'm not drinking anymore, Leo. Let's head to the playground," Rin smiled.

And so, Kurenai and Rin continued to support Leo, leading him to the playground.

"Dammit, that bastard!" Obito and Asuma watched from the side, glaring at the trio.

Kurenai and Rin were their crushes!

Seeing Leo, that bastard, getting so close to Kurenai and Rin infuriated them.

Asuma clenched his fist tightly, then slowly relaxed it. He still couldn't shake his fear of Leo.

Obito, with his Sharingan activated, looked as though he was ready to fight.

Clenching his fist, he followed them to the playground.

---

Konoha Ninja Academy Playground

Tanaka-sensei's class was busy pairing up and preparing for their combat tests.

To everyone's relief and surprise, Leo wasn't paired with anyone for the combat tests.

This brought a collective sigh of relief. None of the students had the courage to face Leo.

Even Kakashi Hatake, one of the greatest prodigies since the founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy and the inheritor of the legendary "White Fang" swordsmanship, had been seriously injured in a sparring match with Leo.

Not to mention Sarutobi Asuma, the son of the Third Hokage, who had barely escaped grave injury.

For the rest of the class, far less skilled than these renowned names, Leo was nothing short of a terrifying force of nature.

In their eyes, he wasn't just a fellow student—he was a demon incarnate.

Thankfully, this test proceeded without them having to face him.

The class was efficiently grouped, and the tests progressed quickly. Before long, the first round was over without incident.

"Smack-smack!"

The sound of clapping hands cut through the murmurs of the students, drawing their attention back to their instructor.

"Alright, everyone," Tanaka-sensei announced, "the first round of testing is complete. Now, we'll begin the second round of the actual combat tests."

The students, who had just started to relax, froze in disbelief.

"Huh? There's a second round?"

"What's going on? My older brother graduated years ago, and he never mentioned anything about a second round of testing!"

A wave of whispers spread through the group, accompanied by growing unease.

"The second round is a ring battle," Tanaka-sensei continued. "One person will defend the ring while the rest take turns challenging them."

The class collectively held its breath.

"There will only be one defender for this test," Tanaka-sensei said, glancing at the name on his clipboard. His expression tightened as he called out, "The defender will be… Leo!"

"WHAT?!"

The playground fell silent, save for the faint rustling of leaves and the steady rhythm of Leo gulping down alcohol.

"Huh? Who called me?" Leo asked lazily, exhaling a breath heavy with the scent of sake.

Rin hurriedly leaned in, explaining the situation to him.

The rest of the class could only stare in horror.

"You want us… to challenge Leo?"

"Is this some kind of joke? Are we supposed to walk to our deaths?"

Sweat dripped down their faces as panic set in.

Tanaka-sensei, watching their reactions, couldn't blame them. He knew better than anyone just how dangerous Leo was.

Even as an instructor, he wouldn't dare to face Leo in combat.

This was the same Leo who had left a shinobi instructor gravely injured two years ago. Since then, his strength had only grown.

While most sparring matches were meant to stop short of serious harm, could anyone trust a drunkard to hold back? If Leo accidentally went too far, someone could end up in the hospital—or worse.

Tanaka-sensei took a deep breath to continue his announcement, but before he could, a loud voice rang out.

"Wait a minute!"

All eyes turned to the source of the interruption.

"I'll challenge Leo!"

It was Uchiha Obito. His Sharingan eyes glowed red with determination as he glared fiercely at Leo.

The class gasped in shock.

"What? Obito is challenging Leo?!"