I've Arranged Everything for You

"Heh heh! Naruto, I've seen your grades, they're excellent! But Iruka said your attitude in class is a bit unfocused. Do you dislike Teacher Iruka's lessons?"

"Hokage-sama, I just find the school curriculum a bit boring and zone out. You taught me everything they teach before I even enrolled. Have any other teachers mentioned any issues with my class participation?"

Not long after dinner, Naruto noticed the Third Hokage leaving his office and heading his way. Considering Iruka had complained about him earlier that day, Naruto knew he must be coming for a home visit.

"Well, other teachers haven't specifically mentioned it individually, but since Iruka is the homeroom teacher, they collectively asked him to inform me about your lack of focus in class."

"But my assessments seem fine, and I haven't been holding the class back with my grades."

The Third Hokage paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Naruto, the Ninja Academy isn't just about grades. After each student graduates, their homeroom teacher and subject teachers will provide me with recommendations based on the student's individual circumstances. I'll then decide which Jonin will mentor the students based on their evaluations."

"If you don't perform well in school, you won't get good reviews from them after graduation. And the mentor assigned to you might have a negative impression of you."

Naruto looked at the Third Hokage strangely. After a long moment, he replied, "Then I just won't graduate, right? Or is it still possible for me to drop out now?"

"Ahem!" The Third Hokage, seated in his chair, hadn't expected Naruto to say something like that. After recovering, he continued with a kindly smile, "Naruto, you must never think that way. Once you enter the Ninja Academy, it's impossible not to graduate, and even more impossible to drop out."

"Because the moment you learned to control Chakra and use Ninjutsu, you became a ninja, understand?"

Naruto lowered his head upon hearing this. He realized the Third Hokage's reaction was very different from the original story.

In the original story, when Iruka complained to the Third Hokage, the Third Hokage had explicitly stated that if Iruka refused to accept Naruto, then Naruto would have to drop out.

Yet, the result of his probing now was completely different.

Seeing Naruto with his head down and not speaking, the Third Hokage thought Naruto was throwing a tantrum. Just as he was about to comfort him, a voice from the Anbu came from outside the door.

"Hokage-sama!"

The Third Hokage's eyes flickered slightly. He then stood up, gently patted Naruto's shoulder, and said, "Naruto, I'll come visit you again next time. Don't worry, I'll personally arrange an excellent Jonin to mentor you once you graduate."

Naruto never looked up. Only after he sensed the Third Hokage had gone far away did he gently close the door and head up to his bedroom on the second floor.

Sitting by the windowsill, Naruto turned his head to gaze at the starry sky. A bright moon hung in the sky like a disc.

This was the last full moon of the year.

"Advisor Danzō, what happened that made you rush here to notify me personally? And the Barrier Team is here too?"

The Third Hokage had just arrived at the Hokage's office. As soon as he entered, he saw Danzō and the head of the Barrier Team looking grave.

"Hiruzen, we just received intel that the Uchiha's dissatisfaction with the village has escalated again. The entire Military Police Force is reinforcing their armament, and the Barrier Team has also detected suspicious individuals repeatedly breaching the barrier and appearing in the Uchiha Clan Compound."

Danzō, leaning on his cane, walked a few steps towards the Third Hokage and handed him two reports with a serious expression.

The Third Hokage glanced at the head of the Barrier Team, who remained silent, and then took Danzō's reports. His expression immediately turned grim.

He was well aware of the issues concerning the Uchiha mentioned in the first report, as the Anbu had also received similar intelligence, which was within the village's control.

However, the suspicious individual recorded by the Barrier Team in the second report, who repeatedly appeared and disappeared, breaching the barrier to enter the Uchiha Clan Compound, greatly concerned him.

This reminded him of the report about the mysterious person detected by the Barrier Team during the period he had left the village. Furthermore, this mysterious person seemed to have been detected by the Barrier Team appearing in the Forest of Death on the night Shisui Uchiha committed suicide.

The Third Hokage paced to the main chair at his desk and sat down. He looked at the reports in his hand again and gave Danzō a look.

Danzō's eyes narrowed. He nodded slightly, then walked out of the office with his cane, leaving only the Third Hokage and the head of the Barrier Team.

A moment later, the Third Hokage walked to the window and suddenly said, "Hayate."

"Yes!"

Hayate Gekko's figure appeared out of thin air.

"Call Kakashi over."

"Yes!"

Not long after, a silver-haired figure carrying a Ninja Sword entered the office. It was none other than Kakashi Hatake.

"Hokage-sama, you sent for me?"

"Yes. Investigate this matter."

The Third Hokage pulled out the report from the Barrier Team and handed it over.

Time flew by, and Konoha year 55 officially arrived. The Ninja Academy started its new school year once again.

In the morning, the school conducted individual New Year assessments for each student. After the previous year's grades were handed out, Iruka did not announce them. Now, with the New Year's report cards out, he was reviewing them on the podium.

"Now, I will announce the top three students in the New Year assessment."

"First place: Uzumaki Naruto."

"Second place: Sasuke Uchiha."

"Third place: Sakura Haruno."

Iruka quickly announced the names of the top three.

"What! That dead last kid is in first place! This is impossible!"

"The first place is him!"

"Yeah! Teacher Iruka must have made a mistake!"

The classroom was already in an uproar, but Iruka's attention was entirely on Naruto. He noticed that Naruto seemed unfazed by his ranking and was still spacing out in the corner.

Frowning, Iruka's gaze then shifted to Sasuke. What he saw surprised him; Sasuke also had a preoccupied look on his face, clearly distracted and unaffected by the surrounding noise.

Next, following Sasuke's position, Iruka turned his attention to Sakura. To his surprise, Sakura was staring at Sasuke with an adoring, lovesick expression.

All problem students!

Iruka's expression immediately turned somewhat grim.

"Naruto, you ranked first?"

"Yeah, Father. Are you surprised I got first place?"

Hearing Minato Namikaze's voice, Naruto's consciousness returned to the Sealed Space. He had been using his full sensory perception to track Itachi Uchiha's location, only to discover that Itachi had entered the Root base, which was protected by a barrier that blocked perception.

Minato Namikaze looked at Naruto with a strange expression and said, "This doesn't fit your usual behavior."

"I can't help it," Naruto said calmly, looking at his father. "Didn't the Third Hokage say last year that I couldn't graduate or drop out? If I ranked last, do you believe he wouldn't immediately come looking for me?"

Minato Namikaze was taken aback. "Uh, what you're saying makes some sense~"

Naruto, however, seemed to have thought of something and suddenly asked, "By the way, Father, there's something I find really strange. You were a Hokage, so why do you know so few ninjutsu?"

"I heard the Third Hokage was known for mastering all the ninjutsu currently existing in Konoha."

"How is that possible!" Minato Namikaze's expression turned serious. "The Third Hokage is indeed skilled in many ninjutsu and holds the title of 'Professor of Ninjutsu,' but apart from some forbidden jutsu and sealing jutsu, he only mastered ninjutsu of the five chakra natures."

Naruto's eyes flickered slightly. "Then why didn't you learn more ninjutsu, Father? I heard that past Hokage all kept the Scroll of Seals, which recorded many forbidden jutsu."

Minato Namikaze's expression changed. "Naruto! You want to steal the Scroll of Seals!"