Since that night passed.
Spring turned to summer, autumn arrived before winter—
Day after day, year after year, two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Land of Fire, Konoha Village, Residential Area.
Morning came, the air tinged with a slight chill. Children formed groups, chasing and playing with laughter.
Naruto sat cross-legged atop his home's rooftop, eyes closed, holding his breath and concentrating deeply.
Passersby who glanced up seemed to notice someone on the roof, only to doubt their eyes. The rooftop appeared empty.
Sparrows occasionally flew across the sky in flocks; some landed on Naruto's head, perched there briefly, then spread their wings and flew into the distance.
Naruto opened his eyes, their depths swirling with chaos, enough to captivate and unsettle.
Under his guidance, the chaos in his eyes began to coalesce,
Finally condensing into a pair of brownish-yellow frog eyes.
Orange pigment spread across the corners of his eyes, framed by streaks of red eyeshadow, as if etched by nature itself.
The facial markings signifying successful Sage Mode appeared—his body showed no signs of frog-like transformation. Evidently, it was a flawless Sage Mode.
In two years, Naruto mastered Sage Mode entirely on his own, without relying on any external assistance.
He shattered the myth that Sage Mode could only be mastered in the Three Great Sage Regions.
Dispersing the Sage Mode, Naruto smiled faintly. In this dangerous world, he had gained another trump card.
His next goal was to activate Sage Mode instantly, as only then could its value be fully realized.
One minor but noteworthy change: Naruto now wore the iconic orange-and-black outfit from Shippuden.
At twelve years old, he had already grown to a height of 163 cm.
In the original work, Naruto at twelve was only 143 cm tall—a full 20 cm shorter.
Thinking of this, Naruto let out a cold laugh. His fists clenched tightly, producing a crackling sound.
"The stubborn Third Hokage, those damn Konoha higher-ups, and that damn Danzo...
In this lifetime, I, Naruto Uzumaki, will take everything back bit by bit..."
"Naruto, get moving! If you don't hurry, you'll be late for school!"
Kushina called from below, her voice echoing through the morning air.
"Kushina, you always take such a long detour. That must be tiring for you."
"Not at all! Especially when there's a dangerous woman eyeing my family's pig!"
"I..."
---
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe in one hand, his gaze fixed on the document before him.
It was the record of this year's Academy students. Hiruzen rubbed his temples with some frustration.
Minato Namikaze: Exceptional shinobi talent aside, his unique charisma was even more remarkable.
Naruto Uzumaki: Calm judgment, decisive action, and a strategic vision beyond his years.
Mikoto Uchiha: A young prodigy who had awakened the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai, her potential boundless.
Kushina Uzumaki: Unpredictable, to say the least.
"Hmm..."
When he saw Kushina's record, Hiruzen chuckled, exhaled a puff of smoke, and resumed his contemplation.
The importance of Kushina to Konoha was self-evident.
Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto Uzumaki, and Mikoto Uchiha—these children were all exceptional talents.
This should have been a cause for celebration.
But therein lay the problem.
They were too outstanding.
Without the right teachers, these brilliant children might as well be wasted potential.
Konoha was currently in a transitional phase. Would he have to humble himself and step in as their teacher?
Tsunade was preoccupied with building the medical corps, unable to spare any time.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya were gathering intelligence in enemy territory, their return is uncertain.
Even someone like Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu in the shinobi world, found himself at an impasse.
Suddenly, a dark shadow burst into the Hokage's office through the window!
The figure wore a black cloak and a white tengu mask, marking him as the captain of the ANBU.
"Third Hokage, Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru-sama have completed their mission and returned."
"Understood. Inform them to rest for a day, then report to me."
"Yes, Third Hokage!"
The ANBU captain leaned forward slightly. With a swoosh, he vanished like a shadow.
Hiruzen gazed out the window, smiling faintly. "It seems the First and Second Hokage are watching over Konoha from above."
---
Elsewhere, at the Ninja Academy.
Standing at the podium, Morino Masakazu spoke in a somber tone:
"Today, we will conduct the graduation assessment. The test is the Three Basic Jutsu."
After a pause, his voice grew chilling:
"Anyone who fails will lose their qualification to become a shinobi."
"Three years of training, yet unable to master the basic techniques? Better to work on a farm than die on the battlefield."
"Of course, some of you might have special circumstances preventing you from performing the techniques smoothly."
"But this year, I personally set the graduation standards. There will be no exceptions."
"You will form groups of three. When your name is called, head to the next classroom. The proctor awaits you there."
"Kushina Uzumaki."
"Mikoto Uchiha."
"Naruto Uzumaki."
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