As the morning sun glowed over the Hokage Rock, Naruto made his way toward the academy, a bright smile on his face. Today was the final examination, and he was feeling excited.
Upon entering the school, he immediately noticed something different—Iruka-sensei was standing outside the classroom instead of inside.
As all the students gathered around, Iruka spoke up.
"Alright, everyone. I will call your names one by one. When your name is called, enter the classroom and perform whichever ninjutsu I instruct."
"Yes, Iruka-sensei!" the students responded in unison.
Iruka glanced at his list and called out the first name.
"Kiba, come with me," he said while looking at the Inuzuka boy.
Kiba, slightly startled, blinked before stepping forward and following Iruka inside.
Inside the classroom, Mizuki was already seated, observing the students as they entered. Kiba stood before them, feeling slightly nervous under their watchful eyes.
"Perform the Clone Jutsu," Iruka instructed.
Kiba quickly formed the necessary hand seals and—Poof!
A perfect clone appeared beside him.
Iruka nodded in approval. "Kiba, passed."
Hearing this, Kiba grinned from ear to ear as Iruka handed him a Konoha forehead protector. He took it eagerly and left the room, still smiling.
As he stepped outside, he immediately spotted Naruto and made his way over to him.
Grinning, Kiba placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and proudly pointed at his forehead protector.
"You see this, Naruto?" Kiba smirked, while Akamaru let out a small howl.
"..."
Naruto was speechless at Kiba's attempt to show off and simply remained quiet.
Kiba was about to tease Naruto further, but when he noticed Shikamaru and his group nearby, he grinned and walked toward them instead.
On the other side, as Kiba approached, Shikamaru muttered under his breath, "Troublesome…"
One by one, the other students were called in.
"Aburame Shino, come in," Iruka called out next.
Shino, as composed as ever, walked into the classroom just as Kiba was exiting. Moments later, he emerged with a forehead protector as well.
The exam continued, with students entering one by one—Shikamaru, Hinata, Ino, Choji, Sakura, and Sasuke all successfully performed the Clone Jutsu and passed.
Finally, it was Naruto's turn.
Taking a deep breath, Naruto walked into the classroom, where Iruka and Mizuki were waiting.
Iruka wasted no time. "Perform the Clone Jutsu."
Naruto immediately formed the seals. "Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
A clone appeared beside him, though it wasn't perfect. It looked slightly pale and unstable, but it was still recognizable.
Iruka stared at it for a moment before smiling. "Naruto Uzumaki, passed!"
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise before he broke into a huge grin. "Yes!" He jumped up excitedly.
Iruka chuckled and ruffled Naruto's hair before handing him his forehead protector. "Good job, Naruto."
Naruto clutched it tightly, staring at it in awe. He had finally become a ninja.
Since he was the last to take the exam, the other students had already left. As he walked through the empty halls, he eventually stepped outside—only to see his classmates celebrating with their families.
Parents congratulated their children, hugged them, and took them out for meals. Laughter and cheers filled the air.
Naruto watched from a distance, gripping his forehead protector. A pang of jealousy hit him, but he forced a smile. He had passed. That was all that mattered.
Determined to celebrate in his own way, he went home and retrieved the special premium ramen he had saved for this occasion.
After devouring the delicious meal to his heart's content, he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. A small tear escaped his eye, but he quickly wiped it away.
Today was supposed to be a happy day.
And yet…
Feeling exhaustion take over, Naruto slowly closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.
The Next Day
Naruto woke up early, stretching his body with a satisfied groan. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up, glancing to the side of his bed. His gaze landed on his forehead protector. A bright smile formed on his face as he eagerly picked it up, tying it around his head.
The moment the cold metal plate touched his forehead, a slight shiver ran down his spine, making him fully awake.
With a newfound excitement, Naruto left his house and headed toward the academy, ready to meet his instructor.
After a short walk, he arrived at the school and entered the classroom. As usual, the room was filled with noise, students engaged in animated discussions about their teams, expectations, and future missions.
However, the lively chatter was quickly replaced by silence as Iruka entered, followed by a group of jōnin instructors—the ones who would soon be taking them under their wings.
One by one, the jōnin stepped forward, calling out their assigned students.
Kurenai Yuhi came first, walking to the front with a composed expression.
"Kiba Inuzuka, Aburame Shino, Hyūga Hinata," she called out, her gaze passing over each student.
The three quickly gathered, and Kiba, as usual, had a smug look. "Heh, guess I'll be leading this team!"
Shino remained silent, and Hinata shyly glanced at Naruto before following her team.
Next, a man with a lit cigarette took a puff before exhaling a lazy sigh.
"Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Chōji, Nara Shikamaru," he announced.
Shikamaru groaned. "Troublesome…"
Ino, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement. "Yes! I'm with Sas—" She suddenly paused, realizing she hadn't heard his name. Her excitement faded slightly, but she still walked up with confidence.
Chōji, munching on a bag of chips, simply smiled and followed his team.
One by one, all the jōnin collected their teams and left the classroom.
Soon, only three students remained—Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.
Naruto's bad premonition grew stronger. He couldn't shake the feeling that something unpleasant was about to happen.
He frowned. "Please don't tell me… this is my team?"
An hour passed.
Still, no sign of their instructor.
Naruto, growing bored, yawned and slumped back in his chair before eventually falling asleep.
Sakura, irritated by his carefree attitude, crossed her arms and scowled. "Hey, Naruto! You can't just sleep here!"
Naruto, still half-asleep, cracked open an eye and muttered, "I didn't even do anything wrong this time…"
Still, he smiled and responded, "Okay, Sakura, I won't do it again."
Sakura rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She immediately turned toward Sasuke, her expression softening as she blushed slightly.
"Hey, Sasuke… do you think we'll be on the same team?" she asked shyly.
Sasuke didn't answer her. Instead, his sharp gaze moved to Naruto. His lips twitched.
The memory of what happened months ago resurfaced in his mind—an embarrassing moment that he still hadn't forgotten.
'That bastard…' Sasuke cursed internally.
Naruto, now fully awake, shuddered at the intense stare.
'Why is he looking at me like that?'
Before Naruto could react, their instructor finally arrived.
A silver-haired man casually stepped into view, scratching the back of his head. His half-lidded eye and relaxed posture gave the impression of someone who had just woken up from a nap.
"Yo," he greeted lazily. "I'm your instructor from now on—Kakashi Hatake."
Sakura, still frustrated from waiting, immediately snapped, "Kakashi-sensei, aren't you a bit late?!"
Kakashi simply shrugged. "Oh, that? Haha, well… you see, an old lady needed help, so I was busy assisting her. That's why I was late."
He sweated slightly as he spoke.
Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all stared at him.
'Like hell we believe that!' they thought in unison.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's move on. Tomorrow, we'll have a test, so be at Training Ground 10 by 8 a.m. sharp."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, what?! Another test?!" He nearly fell over. "Kakashi-sensei, you're joking, right?"
Kakashi's tone remained calm. "No, Naruto. I'm serious. And it's an important test. If you fail… you'll be sent back to the academy for another year."
Naruto instantly began sweating. Even Sasuke and Sakura tensed at the announcement.
Kakashi turned to leave but gave one final parting remark.
"Oh, and remember—not to eat in the morning. Come on an empty stomach."
With that, he disappeared, leaving the trio dumbfounded.
Sakura let out a sigh before turning to Sasuke, her voice slightly hesitant.
"Sasuke, would you… like to leave school with me?" she asked, a hint of hopefulness in her tone.
Sasuke didn't even glance at her. Without a word, he simply walked away.
Sakura's expression darkened, her frustration evident.
Meanwhile, Naruto didn't want to get involved and quickly headed home. But before that, he made a quick stop at Ichiraku Ramen.
After treating himself to a delicious meal, he finally returned to his house.