Leaving aside whether Iruka's words came from the heart for now, Iruka is one of the few who had ever invited Naruto to eat ramen before all this.
Isn't the number of Naruto's shadow clones a bit outrageous though? There are more than a thousand of them, densely packed in every direction.
Third Hokage: "Look, no matter what, the result is perfect, isn't it? Naruto has learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu from the Scroll of Seals."
Want to criticize the old man? Not even close. Hiruzen sits firmly, unbothered. He could admit that it was all part of his plan, even if his intentions were questionable. So what?
For Naruto, who was unable to graduate, the result now is what everyone wanted. At least, Naruto is happy to be a ninja.
Tobirama: "As expected of the Uzumaki family. His Chakra is still incredible."
Hashirama: "At twelve, creating over a thousand shadow clones? This kid's chakra is almost on par with mine."
Onoki: "Tsk, tsk, tsk. The old monkey really pulled it off this time."
Terumi Mei: "This is too ridiculous. Naruto, who couldn't even do the Clone Technique during the day, is now creating thousands of shadow clones at night?"
Really outrageous! Naruto's peers were left speechless. So, that's how Naruto managed to graduate. The graduation exam was a clone technique, and it turns out he had this trick up his sleeve.
Not just graduating—many ninjas might never have a moment like this in their entire lives.
"Hehehe, as expected, Sarutobi-sensei. You're truly cunning," Orochimaru taunted. "The Will of Fire, you say? Just a grand scheme in the end."
"I think, regardless, the outcome is a perfect one. If Iruka died saving Naruto, the Anbu you placed would have stepped in at the right time. If the Jinchūriki and the Scroll of Seals had been harmed by a mere Chūnin, you, as Hokage, would never have been forgiven, even if you offered your life."
"Oh! If Iruka died, his sacrifice would just be another demonstration of the Will of Fire." Hiruzen remained calm, glancing at Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, everything requires evidence."
"As you can see, everything ended perfectly."
Damn it! Orochimaru gritted his teeth in frustration. He had come here intending to see Hiruzen off one last time, but not only had his plan failed, he couldn't even get the upper hand in their conversation.
He then focused his snake-like eyes on the large screen in the sky. The scene switched, the white borders turning pitch black.
"It seems if I want to embarrass the old man, I'll have to rely on that sharp-minded Naruto-kun. Don't let me down."
[Time passed slowly.]
[Naruto had no intention of playing pranks.]
[On the contrary, he seemed more interested in watching others train.]
[He spent most of his time practicing shuriken throwing.]
[Becoming stronger seemed like his only goal.]
[Even though he constantly heard harsh comments, he didn't seem to care.]
[As time went on, Naruto reached school age.]
[Once he started school,]
[He found that his classmates didn't seem to intentionally exclude him.]
[At least some of them would greet him.]
[A boy with pineapple-shaped hair, a chubby kid.]
[And then...]
["Sasuke! Sasuke!"]
["Uchiha Sasuke!"]
["So handsome!"]
[A group of noisy girls.]
[...]
Ino: "..."
Sakura: "..."
Shikamaru: "..."
"Damn it, this Naruto isn't as cute as the one we know."
"Yeah, who's he even talking about?"
"It's only the beginning. We weren't that obsessed with Sasuke yet."
"Exactly! We were much quieter. He lumped all the girls into the 'noisy' group."
"I disagree. Even if we all eventually liked Sasuke, at least Hinata was always quiet, right?"
"Ino, why bring Hinata into this?"
"Huh? Forehead girl, worry about your own lines."
Chōji: "Shikamaru, don't stop me. I'm about to lose my temper."
Naruto: "If you're mad, be mad at him. Why are you all looking at me?"
At the same time, the Genins watched Naruto on the screen, astonished. They didn't even realize how connected they had become to these alternate versions of themselves.
Eventually, they noticed that the Naruto in this other world was different from the Naruto they knew.
At least, the Naruto in the black frame didn't seem to care about blending in with others.