Melody (Konoha School Of Arts)

23. Dear Sensei...arigato

Spoiler alert! Don't read the paragraph below if you haven't read Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga!

It just came to my mind that my book, Best Friend, foreshadowed a massive event that takes place in Boruto! Like...sugoi na!

***

If tension was a person, he/she would have a really big swell head with how much tension was in class B. The promotional exams were over and their results were quickly sorted out. It was time to see whether they qualified to enter the Summer Competitions.

They all stiffly walked over to the notice board where their overall ranks and scores were inevitably pasted. The only ones that weren't feeling any form of tension were Shikamaru and Gaara - lucky smart bastards.

"Uzumaki Naruto... Uzumaki Naruto..." The whiskered blond chanted as he searched for his name. When his blue eyes landed on his name they widened into saucers at what he scored overall. "F-f-fifty two point seven zero...?!"

It was really 52.70! Naruto wasn't very academically inclined so the highest GPA he had actually ever gotten was in the thirties. To think he could make it into the fifties... Tears began to drop from his eyes as the realisation sunk in.

"Iruka-sensei, I-I made it..." He couldn't even get words out without sobbing. What was wrong with him? Why was he crying over grades? Why was he overwhelmed? Ah. He knew why. Naruto had never done well in his tests before. He just managed to get barely enough not to repeat a class and he was often advised to give up studying in the juvenile center.

His plight began from a particular visit to the doctor; when he was diagnosed with ADHD at seven. He was just a child, it could pass over and he could get better- at least that was what the doctor said while writing down his mother reference letter to a professional.

Naruto never got better and teachers just wrote him off as a dullard until he got met Iruka-sensei.

"Naruto focus."

Iruka's gentle voice came to mind at that moment.

"Naruto, keep your attention on me for a moment."

"Naruto you can solve this problem, you just need to calm down and focus."

"You did it, I'm so proud of you!"

"You can do it. Ten correct answers for one bowl of ramen, deal?"

Iruka-sensei devoted his time to teach him despite how short his attention span was, and even though Sasuke-teme was reluctant at first he also found a way to teach him efficiently.

His best friend's efforts and his sensei's gentle encouragements helped him with this achievement. Naruto couldn't have done it without their help.

"Are you crying?" Kiba questioned from beside him. Naruto stiffened and tried to hide the happy tears that slipped down his eyes but he froze when he caught a glimpse of Kiba's face. Who knew the brash boy was capable of melting because of his success? "I am too. I freaking scored 53.67." The dog lover's voice was shaky because of his tears. He was damn happy!

Kiba could vividly remember the day Iruka-sensei called him aside privately after their first aptitude test. He did badly as expected but was his sensei calling him aside to scold him? Other senseis at his middle school did that any time he failed a test.

"Kiba don't be so tense, I am not punishing you. I just wanted to speak about your test."

Kiba remembered how his head bowed in both disappointment and resignation. He knew it. But then Iruka-sensei was sliding a text over to him.