After Yagyu and the others finished taking their profile photos, the school gate was crowded with parents who had come to pick up their children. Some of the students, holding their ninja forehead protectors, were receiving praise from their parents. Others, who had failed the graduation exam, ran into their parents' arms in tears, being either comforted or scolded.
Just like in the original story, Naruto sat on the swing, having failed the graduation exam. His expression was filled with deep disappointment.
Many people noticed Naruto, and some shot him hateful glares, while others looked at him with disgust before turning away. Whispering could be heard among the parents as they gossiped about him.
Yagyu also saw this, but he didn't go over to comfort Naruto. Despite how bad things looked for Naruto now, Yagyu knew that after today, Naruto's rise would begin.
Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha's fate was about to take a darker turn.
After parting ways with Hinata, Ino, and Sakura, Yagyu returned home.
After dinner and a bath, Yagyu lay on the couch on his balcony, gazing at the star-filled sky and the high-hanging moon. As he admired the night sky, black shadows occasionally darted across the rooftops.
On any other night, there were usually ninja on patrol who would flash across the rooftops with the Body Flicker Technique. But tonight, the shadows moving across the rooftops were far more numerous than usual.
Moreover, whenever one of these shadows stopped, they were all wearing green vests, signifying that they were at least chunin-ranked.
From their behavior, it seemed like they were searching for something.
Yagyu knew exactly what they were looking for—they were searching for Naruto.
As expected, Naruto was either in the middle of learning or had already learned the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Like the Rasengan, this A-rank forbidden jutsu would become one of Naruto's signature techniques in the future.
The Shadow Clones, Rasengan, and the Kyubi Chakra Mode... Naruto didn't have as many flashy techniques as Sasuke, but with the help of his Sage Body and the Kyubi, very few people could withstand his three-pronged attack.
Yagyu was also quite envious of the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.
His own Shadow Clone Jutsu could also create a large number of clones, but it took him time to do so. He couldn't create hundreds or thousands of clones in one go like the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu.
The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu uses a massive amount of chakra to instantly create hundreds or thousands of clones. It was one of the jutsu developed by Tobirama Senju and is particularly suited to those with the Sage Body.
Though envious, Yagyu had no intention of intervening in this event.
It's often said that those involved in the situation can't see clearly, but outsiders can. The Hokage's office, being the most important place in Konoha, would surely be under constant watch by the Anbu. And something as important as the Scroll of Seals wouldn't just be lying around for anyone to take.
Naruto only succeeded in obtaining the scroll because Hiruzen Sarutobi allowed it. The Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu was Sarutobi's way of compensating the son of a hero, and it was a jutsu perfectly suited for Naruto.
Naruto could steal and learn it without consequence, but if Yagyu dared to do the same, he'd probably be hauled off to the interrogation unit as soon as the incident ended.
So, Yagyu had no interest in getting involved.
After enjoying the starry sky for a while, Yagyu returned to his room to rest.
The next morning, after washing up, Yagyu tied his ninja forehead protector around his arm and, after breakfast, headed out.
Since school was officially on break, and only students who passed the graduation exam were attending, the ninja academy was unusually quiet.
However, Yagyu still ran into several classmates along the way who greeted him, some from his class and others from neighboring ones, all proudly wearing their forehead protectors.
"Yagyu, good morning!"
When Yagyu entered the classroom, Hinata, Ino, and Sakura, as usual, had arrived early.
Wherever they went, the three girls were always together.
This trio had become quite famous at the academy. Thanks to them fending off fan groups for him, Yagyu didn't have to deal with being surrounded by a large crowd of girls like Sasuke often was.
Due to their close-knit friendship, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata were often shunned by other girls at the academy. Many of the other girls in their class even isolated them.
Thankfully, all three of them ranked in the top ten of their year, or else a certain clique of girls would have probably found a way to "teach them a lesson."
After greeting Yagyu, Ino rested her chin on her hands, full of anticipation. "We're about to be assigned to our teams. I wonder if we'll end up in the same group as you, Yagyu."
Sakura and Hinata also looked hopeful.
Before Yagyu could respond, Shikamaru, leaning on his desk with his head propped on one hand, yawned and said, "Maybe Sakura or Hinata, but you, Ino, not a chance."
"Why not?" Ino asked.
"It's simple. It's because our dads are too well-known," Shikamaru replied lazily. "If Choji, you, and I weren't all the same age, then maybe you'd have a chance. But since we are, we've been destined to be on the same team since birth, regardless of our grades."
"Just watch—our jonin-sensei won't be an ordinary jonin. His job will be to train us to become the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho."
"No way!" Ino shouted in frustration. "So I've been assigned since I first enrolled?!"
"More like since we were born," Shikamaru added, his words crushing her hopes even more.
Curious, Yagyu asked, "So, Shikamaru, can you guess who might be on my team?"
"You're asking the right person. I've actually thought about that." Shikamaru perked up, clearly interested in the question. "I think there's a good chance that you'll be paired with either Sakura or Hinata."
"Why's that?" Ino quickly asked, while Sakura and Hinata both looked delighted.
"Well, you four have been practically inseparable for the past few years," Shikamaru explained. "So, in terms of teamwork, you're already ahead of the other girls. Then there's your individual strengths."
"Yagyu is an all-rounder, while the three of you are more support-oriented. Considering the rapport you've built with Yagyu, it's very likely that either Hinata or Sakura will be assigned to the same team as him."
Shikamaru's logic made perfect sense, and Sakura and Hinata's faces lit up with joy.
Sakura, unable to hold back her excitement, asked, "Shikamaru, do you think I or Hinata have a better chance?"
"It's you, Sakura," Shikamaru replied, pointing at her. "It's similar to my situation with Ino and Choji. There are other students from well-known clans in our class. Most of them will probably be grouped with others based on their specialties."
"This way, the village doesn't have to allocate too many resources—just assign a powerful jonin to lead them, and that's enough."
"Hinata has the Byakugan, which is a famous sensory ability. If I'm right, the best match for her team would be Kiba from the Inuzuka clan and Shino from the Aburame clan. Together, they'd form the new sensory unit."
Hearing this, Hinata's spirits immediately dropped.
Meanwhile, Sakura's happiness was written all over her face, a beaming smile that contrasted with her two friends' more somber expressions.
Luckily, thanks to Yagyu's influence, the three had become very close over the years. If they had the same shallow friendship they did in the original series, things might have escalated into a fight.
"Wow, Shikamaru, you've really inherited the intelligence of the Nara clan!" Yagyu clapped his hands, thoroughly impressed by Shikamaru's deduction.
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