Graduation Exam

Six years later.

On this day in Konoha Year 60, the morning was bright with sunlight, the spring air fragrant with flowers.

Morning dew dampened the dense forest; cool air streamed through the thickets, carrying the songs of early birds and the scent of wildflowers, arriving at a small river.

Two twelve-year-old boys stood on the river's surface, facing each other in focused stillness.

Sasuke Uchiha wore a round-collared black shirt, the Uchiha clan crest on his back.

Naruto Uzumaki was clad in orange, the Uzumaki clan emblem on his back.

Suddenly, a small fish leaped from the water, splashing droplets.

Almost simultaneously, three shuriken flew at Naruto in a triangular formation.

Shing. Naruto hooked a kunai with his finger, spun it twice, and clink, clink, clink, deflected the shuriken. Thud. His right arm collided with Sasuke's as the latter charged in.

The two locked eyes at close range.

Hmph. They smirked at the same time.

Sasuke's eyes instantly turned red, three black tomoe emerging in his pupils.

At the Ninja Academy, today was the graduation exam day.

In the classroom.

"Alright... the graduation exam subject is the Clone Technique. Those called will proceed to the next room in order. First... Kin Utsukushizō, come to the next room." Iruka announced, holding the roster.

"Coming!" A plain-looking student raised his hand and followed Iruka out.

Naruto and Sasuke sat in the back row. Sasuke rested with his eyes closed, looking indifferent to everything around him, while Naruto sat with his hands behind his head, bored, occasionally glancing at Hinata, who sat diagonally to his left.

One by one, students were called in. Those who came out were either excited or dejected.

"Next, Sasuke Uchiha."

Naruto grinned. "Confident?" Sasuke stood up and snorted, "Idiot." He had already copied Naruto's Shadow Clone technique with his Three Tomoe Sharingan—how could a mere Academy-level Clone Technique exam stop him?

Soon, Sasuke walked out of the next room with a calm expression, a Konoha forehead protector already on his head.

This kind of exam was a piece of cake.

"Hurry up, I'll be waiting in the forest behind the hill." Today's school schedule was only the graduation exam. Since Sasuke was done, he had nothing else to do. He called out to Naruto before leaving the Academy to train at the hill.

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki."

"Ahh..." Naruto stood up, scratched his head, and walked into the next room.

The room had only one desk, with Iruka and Mizuki sitting behind it. Several neat rows of forehead protectors were laid out on the desk.

"Begin." Iruka nodded from his seat.

Naruto nodded, took a deep breath, and formed hand seals. Chakra immediately surged around him, practically flying all over the room—

Poof.

A pale, half-broken clone flopped onto the floor to Naruto's right, its tongue comically sticking out, looking utterly hopeless.

"..." The three people present fell into a brief silence.

Iruka declared decisively, "Failed!"

Naruto looked as if he'd been struck by lightning.

"Iruka-sensei!" Mizuki spoke up beside Iruka, pleading for Naruto. "I know Naruto's grades aren't usually good, but we've all seen his effort. And this Clone Technique was technically a success—please let him pass..."

Naruto looked up in surprise.

Iruka disagreed. "No matter what you say, Mizuki-sensei, it won't work. Everyone else produced three clones, but Naruto only made one... and that clone is completely useless! So I can't let him pass!"

Naruto lowered his head, then turned and jumped out the classroom window.

After the exam, at the Ninja Academy entrance, a crowd of parents came to pick up their children. Those whose children wore the Konoha forehead protector beamed with joy; those whose children didn't were deeply disappointed.

"Well done, that's my son!"

"Hehe, Dad, I'm a full-fledged ninja now!"

"Congratulations on graduating! Mom will make a big dinner for you tonight!"

"Really!?"

Naruto sat on a swing across from the entrance, head down and silent, listening to their lively chatter in the distance. Tree shade fell over him. The forehead protector wasn't his, and neither was the joy.

Some parents noticed Naruto across the way and couldn't help whispering. "Hey, that kid..." Another replied, "Looks like he was the only one who failed. If someone like that became a ninja, it'd be a disaster!" "Huh? I heard his grades are usually..." "Hmph, serves him right, because he's..." "Shh! Don't say that, he might hear! And Lord Hokage has forbidden talk about it..."

Under the tree shade on the swing, Naruto adjusted his goggles and vanished.

In the crowd, Iruka watched Naruto leave.

Iruka's home. Mizuki suddenly knocked on the door. Iruka opened it in surprise. "What's wrong?"

Mizuki answered urgently, "Please hurry to Lord Hokage's place for a gathering! It seems Naruto... stole the Scroll of Sealing!"

"What?!" Iruka's face went pale.

At the Third Hokage's location.

"That's a dangerous scroll sealed by the First Hokage. If it's misused, things will turn dire... Find Naruto quickly!"

The Third Hokage spoke gravely, waving a hand. "Dismissed!"

Whoosh. The ninjas scattered out of sight.

The Third Hokage stood in place, smoke curling from his pipe. Kakashi emerged from behind him, gazing at the distant black sky and dense forest. "Lord Third, which jutsu do you think Naruto will look into?"

The Third smiled, puffing his pipe a few times before saying slowly, "It should be that technique... but to learn it, he'd need that person's notes."

"Ah..." Kakashi pulled down his forehead protector, covering his crimson left eye.

In the night, Mizuki leaped through the trees.

First, let everyone in the village know about this, then take care of Naruto... After that, I'll disguise it as Naruto stealing the scroll and head to Lord Orochimaru's place...

Mizuki thought through his plan and soon arrived near the forest cabin where he'd arranged to meet Naruto.

"Hm? Iruka? What's that guy doing here..." Mizuki hid in a tree, spotting both Naruto and Iruka in the clearing before the treehouse.

But just one Iruka won't stop me...

Mizuki pulled out eight kunai, aimed at Naruto, who had the Scroll of Sealing on his back, and flung them with both hands.

Below, Iruka suddenly sensed the danger and shoved Naruto away, taking three kunai himself. Blood gushed from the wounds.

"So you found this place, Iruka..." Mizuki stood on the tree, his voice sinister. "Naruto, hand over the scroll."

Iruka roared, "Naruto, don't give it to him even if you die! This sealed scroll contains many dangerous jutsu!"

Naruto, carrying the scroll on his back, kept his head down in silence.

Mizuki stood on the tree, extending a hand with a smile. "Naruto, it's useless for you to hold onto it. Let me tell you the truth..."

"Don't!" Iruka realized what Mizuki was about to say.

Mizuki paid Iruka no mind and continued, "Twelve years ago... you know about the Nine-Tails Fox being sealed, right? After that incident, the village made a rule no one could break! A rule... that only you, Naruto, weren't allowed to know!"

Mizuki paused, looking at Naruto, but saw he still had his head down. Not getting the expected reaction, Mizuki pressed on with his speech: "That rule is—never mention that you are the Nine-Tails Fox!"

"Stop it!" Iruka shouted.

"You're the one who killed Iruka's parents! You're the Nine-Tails Fox that destroyed our village! After you were sealed by the Hokage you admire so much, everyone in the village kept you in the dark! You—" Mizuki laughed, pulling a giant shuriken from his back.

"Are you done?" Naruto looked up, cutting off Mizuki's words.

Mizuki froze. Iruka was stunned too.

"The Nine-Tails Fox you're talking about..." Naruto actually smiled. On his face, on the fabric of his shoulders, [golden flames] began to flicker... Boom. Naruto was bathed in a golden glow!

"Is this it? Kurama!"

Roar...

A massive golden fox head lunged at Mizuki in the tree.