“Yes! Sasuke-kun, did you see? I passed too!”
Sakura quickly returned, proudly showing Sasuke her forehead protector.
Sasuke glanced at her, then turned away and continued looking out the window.
“I-It’s my turn.”
Hinata also wanted to say something to Naruto like Sakura had done with Sasuke.
But in the end, she was too shy to get the words out.
Her cheeks slightly flushed, she hurried off to take the exam.
Before long, Hinata returned wearing a forehead protector as well.
Unfortunately, she had not even possessed the courage to say anything to Naruto before leaving, so naturally she had even less courage to show off to him after coming back.
All she could do was clutch her forehead protector and return to her seat, looking both frustrated and embarrassed.
“My turn. Sakura, don’t get cocky. I’m not losing to you, Forehead Girl.”
Ino raised her chin proudly.
“Sasuke-kun, just watch. I’ll bring my forehead protector back in no time.”
Then she marched toward the neighboring classroom with great confidence.
And sure enough, she quickly returned with her forehead protector.
“See that, Sakura? There’s nothing worth showing off about. Right, Sasuke-kun?”
Ino spoke smugly.
Instantly provoked by each other, the two girls glared at one another, sparks practically flying between their eyes.
Meanwhile, Sasuke—the person they were competing over—did not even bother looking at either of them.
Next, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Chōji, and the other members of the future Konoha Twelve all received their forehead protectors one after another.
Finally, once everyone else had returned with theirs, only Naruto remained.
By now, the classroom had already become a sea of celebration.
Naruto calmly stood up and walked into the neighboring classroom.
Just as expected, Iruka and Mizuki were inside.
“Naruto, are you ready?” Iruka asked in his usual gentle tone.
“Mm. I’m ready.”
Naruto nodded.
“Then begin.”
Iruka nodded as well.
Naruto slowly formed the hand seal.
“Clone Technique!”
Poof!
Poof!
Poof!
Three clones appeared beside him.
“Good. You pass.”
Iruka nodded.
“Congratulations, Naruto. This is your ninja forehead protector.”
“Thanks.”
Naruto accepted it, then turned and left.
When he returned to the classroom, everyone was already celebrating wildly.
The moment Kiba saw Naruto return with a forehead protector, he shouted,
“Every student in Class A passed the Ninja Academy graduation exam!”
“WHOOO!”
Everyone immediately erupted into cheers.
“QUIET!”
“Your graduation exam is finished, but Class B is still taking theirs! Don’t disturb their exam. All of you, quiet down!”
The students immediately stuck out their tongues and obediently lowered their voices.
Seeing that they had settled down, Iruka returned next door to continue overseeing the examinations.
Before long, Class B finished as well.
“Everyone, good work.”
Iruka returned to the classroom.
“All thirty students in Class A passed the graduation exam. Congratulations.”
“WHOOO!”
At last, the entire class could cheer at full volume.
“All right, don’t celebrate just yet. Listen to the arrangements first.”
Iruka raised a hand and quieted everyone down.
“Within the next week, take your forehead protector to the ninja registration office in the Hokage Building to have your photograph taken and complete your registration.”
“One week from now—next Wednesday—we’ll hold the Genin orientation here.”
“Make sure none of you are absent.”
“That’s everything. Now you can celebrate. Afterward, you’re free to leave.”
Iruka smiled faintly.
“WHOOO!”
The classroom erupted again.
“Iruka-sensei, what do they explain at the Genin orientation?”
Sakura, always relatively sensitive when it came to gathering information, immediately asked.
“It’s simply an orientation and arrangement session for those of you who’ve become Genin. You’ll understand when the time comes.”
Iruka smiled.
“Once again, make sure you don’t miss it.”
“Oh, one more thing. Just arrive before ten in the morning.”
“Since there’s nothing else, I’ll head home first.”
Naruto stood up calmly.
“Iruka-sensei, everyone, goodbye.”
Naruto understood the Genin orientation far better than any of them did.
Naturally, he had no interest in digging for more information.
While everyone else was still trying to learn more, Naruto simply left.
Graduating from the Ninja Academy was nothing particularly impressive.
Still, life ought to have some sense of ceremony, shouldn’t it?
So Naruto decided to go to Ichiraku Ramen and celebrate by himself.
It absolutely was not because he had become increasingly lazy and no longer felt like cooking.
Naruto did not leave home the next day.
He figured there would be too many people registering as ninja that day.
So he decided to wait until the third day before going to the Hokage Building.
As for Mizuki, who had manipulated Naruto in the original story, he never appeared before Naruto.
Perhaps it was because Naruto had passed the graduation exam smoothly.
Perhaps there was some other reason.
Naruto did not care.
On the third day, Naruto arrived at the Hokage Building to have his photograph taken and complete his ninja registration.
When it came time to submit the paperwork to the Third Hokage for approval, however, he still encountered Konohamaru.
“Grandpa! Let’s settle this once and for all! Take this!”
Just as Naruto handed his ninja registration form to the Third Hokage, Konohamaru suddenly charged out while holding a shuriken.
Then—
He stepped directly on his own long scarf.
He immediately face-planted onto the floor.
“Young Master Konohamaru!”
Ebisu, the closet pervert, rushed inside in alarm.
“Was that a trap? Damn it!” Konohamaru cursed.
“Y-Young Master! Are you all right, Young Master? And just to clarify, there wasn’t any trap here!”
Afraid that the Third Hokage might blame his poor teaching, Ebisu hurriedly explained.
Naruto calmly watched the entire scene.
Unexpectedly, Konohamaru suddenly turned toward him and angrily pointed a finger.
“I get it! You’re the one behind this!”
That’s…
Hmph.
The Nine-Tails brat?
I hate useless trash like him the most.
The moment Ebisu saw Naruto, his heart jolted before filling with disdain.
“Grandpa Third, there’s nothing wrong with my registration form, right? If everything’s fine, I’ll be leaving.”
Naruto glanced at the two of them.
He had no intention of lowering his intelligence to their level.
So he decisively ignored them.
“Mm. There’s no problem. You can go.”
The Third Hokage nodded.
“You bastard! How dare you ignore me! Take this!”
Wherever Konohamaru went, everyone treated him with extreme respect.
How could he tolerate Naruto ignoring him?
His expression immediately darkened.
He actually pulled out a kunai, leaped into the air, and attacked Naruto.
Naruto acted as though he had not even seen the attack.
He simply turned around and calmly walked away.
Yet by sheer coincidence, that movement allowed him to evade Konohamaru perfectly.
Konohamaru froze.
Smack!
His head slammed straight into the Third Hokage’s desk, which was taller than he was.
“Owww! It hurts, it hurts!”
He immediately clutched his head and cried out in pain.
By then, Naruto had already left.
He had no obligation to educate the Third Hokage’s grandson for him.
“Good grief…”
The Third Hokage looked helpless.
Top-tier ninja talent really was difficult to pass on to one’s descendants.
As for Naruto casually avoiding Konohamaru’s attack, the Third Hokage did not think much of it.
Konohamaru was simply too weak.
Whether Naruto had dodged deliberately or by coincidence, even a bottom-ranked student like him being capable of that much was perfectly normal.
Of course, it was precisely because Naruto occasionally revealed little abnormalities like this that, even now, the Third Hokage had never withdrawn the surveillance around him.
After all, even an Oscar-winning actor occasionally slipped up.
And that was without mentioning the intuition of another seasoned actor like the Third Hokage himself.
Then again…
Perhaps he really was overthinking things.
People tended to become overly suspicious as they grew old.
Watching Naruto’s back disappear from sight, the Third Hokage shook his head with a faint, self-mocking smile.