They said that the scores from practicing shuriken techniques would count toward the graduation assessment, but this was already quite lenient. After all, everyone had ten chances, and only the highest score would count.
The scoring system was similar to shooting: a fixed target was set up at a distance, marked with ten rings, and hitting the ten-ring scored ten points. The target was only twenty meters away, which was exceedingly simple for a ninja. Even throwing blindfolded wouldn't result in a terrible score.
However, when the practice actually began, Naruto was left dumbfounded by the chaos unfolding around him. Scores of one and two were commonplace, and many were missing the target entirely. A score of five was needed to pass, yet aside from the "Konoha Nine," hardly anyone had managed to qualify in the first three rounds.
Oh, wait—Naruto hadn't qualified either. It wasn't intentional; he was just holding a grudge!
"Ahhh! I'm bleeding! I'm going to die!"
"It's on purpose! That guy is definitely doing this on purpose!"
"Bastard! I'll kill you!"
Each time Naruto threw a shuriken, the scene erupted into chaos. The first time, a background character got hit in the rear. The second time, another character had their hair shaved down the middle like a dividing line. The third time, a character's belt was struck, and since they weren't wearing underwear, they were exposed for everyone to see.
Many suspected it was deliberate because the ones hit were the loudest in mocking Naruto just moments before. However, Naruto had a history of being unreliable, and several times even Iruka, who stood at the back, had been caught in the crossfire. It was hard to believe he was aiming with any accuracy.
Regardless, suspicion was one thing; no one genuinely believed he was doing it on purpose. Ultimately, under Iruka's firm hand, the injured characters could only accept their fate in tears.
By the fourth round, nearly everyone kept their distance, including Iruka.
"Do I really need to do this?" Naruto said innocently. "Actually, I was just kidding earlier. This time, I'm going to hit the bullseye and score ten points for you all!"
No one believed him!
Everyone silently raged, unwilling to be tricked back into faith in him.
Swish!
Incredibly, Naruto hit the target. Although it wasn't a bullseye, a score of six was enough to surpass the passing mark.
"Wahaha! I really hit it! I told you all, once I get serious, there's nothing I can't do!" Naruto cheered loudly.
"That's a lie!"
"Pure luck! That doesn't count as skill!"
"Hey, Iruka-sensei, that can't possibly count!"
Everyone knew Naruto's "skill," and if this counted, many would feel unjustly treated. At this point, besides the "Konoha Nine," only two others had passed.
Iruka secretly felt happy for Naruto and calmly replied, "Luck is also a part of skill. Sometimes, the role luck plays is crucial, so this score counts."
"That's unfair!" many protested.
Unfortunately, their protests fell on deaf ears as Iruka ignored them entirely.
"Damn it! If that slacker can pass, there's no reason I can't get a ten!"
One background character confidently stepped up, only to miss the target completely and return with a glum face.
In the fifth round, Naruto set a new personal best with eight points.
In the sixth round, he hit the target again—this time with five points—which made many characters who hadn't passed yet fume in anger.
By the seventh round, while everyone relaxed their guard, another background character was struck again. Perhaps having collected enough points, Naruto decided to let loose and threw four shurikens in one go.
Those around were still laughing, teasing Naruto for his earlier efforts. Yet, the four shurikens accurately hit four different characters:
One lost a front tooth; Another had their hair turned into a Mediterranean style, losing a layer of scalp in the process; One merely had their clothes sliced, leaving two holes in front, which left a rather embarrassing situation that caused laughter from onlookers as they ran away in shame.
The last hit was the most absurd, landing a classic "thousand years of pain" technique, which left everyone clenching their legs at just the thought of it.
"I really didn't do that on purpose!" Naruto chuckled awkwardly.
Seeing the murderous glares from the hit characters, who seemed ready to team up against him, Naruto decided it was time to make a quick escape.
After all, he had already finished throwing shurikens for the day, and since the class was officially over, he seized the opportunity to slip away, with Iruka tacitly allowing it.
"Heh heh heh, challenging me? Do they not know my mother's name is Blood Pepper?"
As he walked, Naruto hummed proudly to himself.
Okay, teasing these noobs didn't feel that rewarding. He merely found ninja school to be quite entertaining.
At that moment, he suddenly paused, a strange expression flashing across his face.
"Did I just... succeed?"
The shadow clones he had left at home dissipated, as one had completed the training.
He had barely managed to use the Flying Thunder God Technique. Although it took several seconds to sense the position of the technique and adjust after teleportation, the long cooldowns rendered it impractical in battle. Still, achieving this much in just half a day was already impressive.
The feedback from the shadow clones relied heavily on the experience of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. But who cared? The important thing was the result!
"Now, it's time to execute the second part of the plan!"
A grin spread across Naruto's face as he first left a technique and a shadow clone at home, then transformed and headed out.
He found a chūnin who was about to leave the village on a mission and swiftly transformed into a charm from the ninja's tool bag, slipping out of the village unnoticed.
Thanks to the Nine-Tails masking his presence, the entire process went off without a hitch.
At that moment, Naruto had successfully slipped out of the village. He found a secluded spot, marking a boulder with the Flying Thunder God mark—Naruto Uzumaki!
"Okay! From now on, I can leave the village at will and start training without restraint!"
Excitement sparkled in Naruto's eyes.
The entire series of actions aimed to find a place away from prying eyes, allowing him to train wholeheartedly. With the Nine-Tails as his power source, he could send out numerous shadow clones to accumulate experience.
Training like this made too much noise; he certainly couldn't do it in the village, which is why he had held off until now.
"However, this place is still too close to Konoha. I need to find a more concealed location."
Naruto sensed around, confirming that he could teleport back home from here, which put him at ease as he continued on to a more distant spot.