Just as the fireball was about to reach Sasuke, a figure appeared beside him, grabbed him, and swiftly moved him out of harm's way.
When the figure stopped at the far end of the playground, everyone could finally see his face clearly.
"Sasuke, didn't you say this was just a competition? Why did you use such dangerous ninjutsu?" Iruka shouted angrily, looking at Sasuke with reproachful eyes.
It was Iruka who had saved Sasuke just now.
"Sorry, sensei," Sasuke muttered, but his eyes remained fixed on Naruto in the distance.
"This guy… he's really strong. He'll be my first target to defeat in the future."
Sasuke had to admit it—Naruto was powerful. The duel hadn't been a fluke. He had lost fair and square.
"Oh my god! Naruto actually beat the number one student, Uchiha Sasuke?"
"Am I dreaming? Is this even real?"
The students were still in shock, whispering among themselves while pointing at Naruto. But this time, their discussions weren't filled with doubt. Instead, they were tinged with admiration and awe.
At just 12 years old, Naruto had demonstrated fire-style ninjutsu at a level far beyond his peers. It was as if he had spent years mastering it.
If Sasuke was considered a genius at the Ninja Academy, then Naruto was a monster among geniuses—his abilities simply defied common sense.
Naruto stood in the middle of the playground, basking in his quiet triumph. Though this victory had put him in the spotlight, he didn't care much. After enduring 12 years of being overlooked, he wouldn't let this moment faze him.
This was just the beginning. More incredible things would happen to him in the future.
Iruka slowly walked toward Naruto, his expression complicated. "Naruto, it's rare to see someone in this grade with such strength," he admitted. "I hope you follow the right path and use your abilities to protect Konoha."
Then, Iruka grabbed Naruto's arm, lifted it high, and announced, "The winner of this friendly competition is Naruto Uzumaki!"
"However, Sasuke's strength is undeniable. He fought well."
"I hope all of you take Naruto and Sasuke as examples. Train hard and become excellent shinobi for Konoha!"
At that moment, a ninja wearing a green vest rushed over. His head was wrapped in a cloth scarf, and he wore sunglasses. His sharp gaze scanned the students before locking onto Naruto.
Naruto immediately had a bad feeling. This was Ebisu—the same ninja who had chased him before.
"I'd better get out of here…" Naruto muttered, slowly edging toward the crowd, trying to blend in.
But Ebisu's sharp eyes spotted him instantly.
"Iruka, that's the kid! He defiled Hokage Rock with graffiti!" Ebisu fumed. "The statues of the past Hokage have been completely ruined! You must punish him!"
[Ebisu Anger Value +26]
[Iruka Anger Value +15]
"Naruto!! You little brat! What the hell were you thinking?!" Iruka roared, marching over and grabbing Naruto by the collar. His voice practically shook the air.
"Ah, Iruka-sensei, I know I was wrong!" Naruto said with an awkward smile, rubbing his ears.
Good grief, Iruka's voice was like a sonic attack. He could probably defeat enemies just by yelling at them.
"Is knowing you're wrong going to fix it?!" Iruka bellowed. "Now, immediately, wipe those statues clean!"
The students winced at the sheer volume of Iruka's shouting. They couldn't help but look at Naruto with sympathy.
Thus, the graduation exam ended with this absurd situation. The students were soon told they would be divided into teams of three, each assigned a Jonin instructor.
Many were excited at the prospect of learning from an elite ninja. However, Naruto understood that these teams were formed based on hidden factors—family ties, potential compatibility, and other strategic reasons.
As the sun set over Konoha, the village's warm air cooled, and a gentle breeze rustled through the trees. At that moment, on a small suspension bridge near Hokage Rock, a certain blond-haired boy in an orange jumpsuit stood miserably, scrubbing paint off the stone faces with a rag.
"Naruto! You're not going home until you've cleaned every last bit of that graffiti!" Iruka called from above, arms crossed as he supervised.
"Iruka, why don't I go down and help him?" a voice chimed in.
It was Mizuki, standing beside Iruka. He suddenly leaped down, landing next to Naruto, and grabbed a rag from the bucket. "It's getting late, and this will take too long if he's doing it alone."
"Hey! Mizuki, what are you doing?!" Iruka frowned.
His intention had been to teach Naruto a lesson, to make him take responsibility for his actions. Mizuki stepping in made it seem like Iruka was being overly harsh.
Iruka sighed. "Forget it," he muttered, jumping down as well. Reluctantly, he started helping Naruto scrub the paint away.
"Sensei, thanks a lot! If you hadn't helped, I'd be here all night!" Naruto grinned.
Iruka sighed again and said earnestly, "Naruto, I made you clean this up to teach you a lesson. You need to think before you act."
"Don't just do whatever comes to mind."
(End of Chapter)