“So unfortunate! Two of them were just a little off from the bullseye!” Matthew consoled, since the cold and aloof Uchiha clan didn’t like his personality, he truly cherished the few friends in class who would hang out with him.

“Compared to me, you’re still far behind. You need to keep working hard. I’ll be waiting for you up ahead.” James continued to show off, as his results were still ranked first.

“Tch, you think those results are something to be proud of? Just wait, and Matthew will show you what real kunai throwing is! The Uchiha throwing technique of Konoha is famous for a reason!” Matthew said proudly.

“……” The boy named James fell silent. The Uchiha clan’s throwing technique was unrivaled in the ninja world. To avoid being embarrassed, he decided to wait and see. If Matthew’s performance didn’t live up to his boasting, he wouldn’t mind delivering a ton of mockery.

“It’s okay, youth is all about hard work. I believe you’ll succeed next time! As a testament to our youth, let’s run a hundred laps around Konoha after school!” Brian also tried to comfort him, though he wasn’t very skilled at it.

Henry Carter firmly refused Brian’s repeated invitations. Only he knew that he had deliberately missed two bullseyes. As for the reason? “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down,” “A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be destroyed by the wind,” “If you excel above others, you’ll be criticized.” Five thousand years of cultural wisdom summed up in one phrase: moderation is the way! Who knows what his true identity really is? Since William Baker wouldn’t say, he couldn’t exactly go investigate himself. Until everything came to light, keeping a low profile was the safest bet. What he didn’t know was that his little tricks had already been seen through by a certain purple-haired middle-aged uncle, who, finding his clumsy acting amusing, simply chose not to say anything.

Having transmigrated into a civilian boy from the Land of Water, now raised by Konoha ninjas, Henry Carter quietly gave himself a thumbs up. The Land of Water, still in the Bloody Mist era, had harsh survival conditions; by comparison, Konoha was paradise. With no cheat abilities, no Uchiha or Senju bloodline, and neither Byakugan nor red hair, Henry Carter was just an ordinary member of the ninja world. Besides, knowing the plot, he was well aware that at the critical moment, the child of destiny would step up and go OP. So, saving the world could be left to Ultraman—he’d just be there to watch and cheer “666”!

As for why he became a ninja, first, it was William Baker’s decision, and Henry Carter had no say in it. Second, he was genuinely interested in the profession of ninja—he was a hero… ninja, purely out of interest.

Besides, this is the world of Naruto—since he’s here, what else would he do, become a couch potato?

Chapter 10: Even If You’re Not Rich, You Still Need Good Gear

“Yūhi Kurenai, hit 9 bullseyes, 90% accuracy, time: 2.5 seconds, assessment: Good, Grade B.”

“Wow, could it be Grace, my destined true love?” James clutched his chest, but all he got was the back of her head.

On the first day of school, James left a deep impression on all the teachers and students. Plus, all his friends were guys with no luck with girls, so Grace Evans wasn’t interested in him at all. Being liked by a goofball who confesses to boys—could anything be worse? Just like Dr. Dr. Carter back in the day, making friends was just too embarrassing—please, go find someone else.

“Isn’t your true love Henry Carter?” Matthew haunted him, adding, “The whole village knows.”

“Ahhh… the shame of my life!” James collapsed to the ground, shooting a resentful look at Henry Carter. It was all your fault—I got beaten up by my dad that day without even a chance to explain. How was I supposed to know someone so cute would turn out to be a boy! Ah, I can’t look, I’m going to be turned gay!

Facing James’s resentful expression, Henry Carter retorted bluntly, “You being blind is my fault?”

It really is your fault! James, Matthew, and Brian all nodded furiously in their hearts, but didn’t say it out loud. In this respect, the boys in the class were actually grateful to James—thanks to him testing the waters, otherwise, the embarrassment might have been theirs.

“Next, Olivia Parker!”

Ah! My goddess!

In an instant, Matthew stood at attention with a speed surpassing Kage level, eyes filled with hearts, gazing foolishly at the girl in front. Born into the strict Uchiha clan, a gentle and virtuous girl like Olivia was exactly Matthew’s type. According to Matthew, Olivia was like an angel sent by God, dispelling the darkness around him, giving him encouragement, and making him brave enough to face all the misfortunes of the world.

However, Henry Carter, James, and Brian all said they’d never seen Olivia give Matthew any encouragement. Whenever Matthew tried to talk to her, Olivia would usually respond with things like “Hehe,” “Hehe, that’s interesting,” or “I have something to do, let’s talk later.” Yet, completely oblivious, Matthew enjoyed it immensely and couldn’t extricate himself. King of the friend zone, boy, it’s decided—it’s you.

“Olivia Parker, hit 8 bullseyes, 80% accuracy, time: 3 seconds, assessment: Good, Grade B.”

“Amazing, Olivia!” Matthew moved closer, trying to impress her.

“Hehe!”

After joining the line, Olivia instinctively distanced herself from Matthew. With so many people watching, she felt a bit embarrassed. Naturally kind and quiet, Olivia didn’t like Matthew’s jumpy personality, and his strange friends made her keep her distance.