"Damn it!"
Mizuki, bruised and battered, fled.
Cangwu looked utterly regretful.
If it was acting, he could do that too.
Especially when he sensed that strange chakra descend.
Cangwu hadn't let his guard down for a second.
Unfortunately, Mizuki was far too weak to pose a challenge to him now.
In the end, he had no choice but to pretend he wasn't familiar with such powerful strength or fighting styles.
That let Mizuki get away.
By the time Cangwu arrived, Mizuki was confronting Naruto.
"Damn it!"
"Cangwu, how long are you going to keep getting in my way?!"
Mizuki was on high alert.
He suddenly realized Cangwu wasn't as useless as he'd imagined.
So he changed his strategy.
"Naruto is just like us!"
"Once you use the jutsu in that scroll, you can do whatever you want!"
"Naruto, that Fox Demon can't possibly resist using the scroll's power!"
At that, Naruto froze.
So it really is... It really is like that!
See? Even Teacher Cangwu doesn't accept me deep down!
"If he were the Fox Demon... But Naruto is different."
Huh?!
Naruto jerked his head up, staring at Cangwu in disbelief.
Cangwu still had the familiar smile on his lips.
"He's an excellent student whom I believe in."
"Fox Demon or whatever? I don't know anyone by that name. I only know Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha."
Those words brought tears streaming down Naruto's face.
Mizuki's eye twitched.
"Looks like there's no getting through to you... Then let's fight!"
With that, Mizuki was about to attack.
Suddenly, a figure rushed forward.
Thud—
Mizuki took a heavy blow to the chest and flew backward.
Naruto stood in front of Cangwu, setting down the Scroll of Seals as he glared fiercely at Mizuki.
"Don't you dare attack Teacher Cangwu!"
"I'll kill you!"
Seeing this, Cangwu shook his head with a smile.
Did this kid not realize that Mizuki was no match for him at all?
Still, it was a good thing. Letting the kid blow off some steam would make him easier to teach later.
"Don't get cocky!"
"I'll take care of a brat like you with one move!"
Mizuki said viciously.
"Go ahead and try. I'll pay you back a thousandfold!"
As Naruto spoke, he formed hand seals.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!!!"
Poof—!!!
A huge cloud of smoke billowed up.
More than a thousand shadow clones of Naruto appeared.
Cangwu paid no further attention to what happened next.
Once he felt the gaze on him disappear,
Cangwu quickly opened the Scroll of Seals.
After memorizing the method for learning the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, he put it back where it had been.
Since he already knew the Shadow Clone Technique, learning this one wouldn't be difficult.
It was just that with his current amount of chakra, even if he learned it, it would be hard to put to use.
Of course, that was only true for now.
A quarter of an hour later.
Naruto dispelled all of his shadow clones.
Looking at Mizuki twitching on the ground, he awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"I might've gone a little overboard... Hahaha!"
Cangwu chuckled and beckoned him over.
"Naruto, come here for a moment."
"I have something to give you."
By then, the sky was already growing light.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had also sent the other ninja away.
The show was over.
As the first rays of morning sunlight fell,
Naruto slowly opened his eyes.
Cangwu was looking at him with a smile,
his body wreathed in a faint golden glow.
He looked so cool... If Naruto had been a girl, this scene might have completely swept him off his feet.
"Congratulations, Naruto."
"You've graduated."
At the sound of Cangwu's gentle voice,
Naruto's eyes widened.
He noticed the forehead protector was gone from Cangwu's forehead.
An unfamiliar sensation touched Naruto's own forehead.
He couldn't hold back his tears.
"Now then, to celebrate your graduation, how about we head to Ichiraku Ramen?"
"Until you're full, sound good?"
Naruto's mouth quivered, and he threw himself at Cangwu.
Cangwu had expected it.
He stroked the poor boy's head.
Rounding things off, what would Kushina have to call me?
Over the next two days, Cangwu was forced to follow Hiruzen Sarutobi around and help out in the Hokage's office.
It was also Hiruzen Sarutobi's final test.
At last, after helping Hiruzen Sarutobi finish the final document,
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had finally found a moment to relax, said reluctantly,
"All right, Cangwu. From here on... I'm counting on you to take care of Team 7."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The team assignments were happening that morning.
Cangwu wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to get breakfast first.
"Cangwu."
Suddenly, a cool voice called out.
Cangwu turned around and saw Uzuki Yugao standing behind him.
However, she wasn't wearing her Anbu uniform.
Was it her day off?
"Care to talk?"
Uzuki Yugao stepped closer and came to Cangwu's side.
"Yesterday it was Anko... and today it's you?" Cangwu said helplessly.
Uzuki Yugao froze.
Anko?
This guy... wasn't even going in order...
"So, are you coming or not?"
Yugao pouted.
"No. I'm going to get breakfast."
Yugao: "???"
He turned me down?
Did I hear that right?
How could he have changed so much?
Yugao couldn't help thinking back to when Anko had tried to help Cangwu work up his nerve by taking him to steal Yūhi Kurenai's and her own underwear...
Wait, why was she thinking about that?
Yugao touched her cheeks, feeling them grow warm.
When she looked up, Cangwu was already some distance away.
"Damn it!"
Yugao stomped her foot and hurried after him.
In front of a flower shop on the shopping street.
"Mom, I'm heading out."
A lovely girl stepped out of the flower shop.
She had barely gone outside when she stopped.
She saw a pink-haired girl coming toward her.
They both stopped at the same time.
"Good morning, Sakura."
Ino greeted her first.
Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Good morning, Ino!"
The greeting was thick with hostility.
But to Sakura's surprise, after greeting her, Ino didn't say another word.
Just as Sakura was starting to feel puzzled,
Ino suddenly turned in another direction.
"See you at school."
After saying that, Ino left without the slightest hesitation, while Sakura watched in confusion.
Feeling uneasy again, Sakura decided to follow her.
That was when she saw Ino walking side by side with Hinata.
Ino was smiling happily.
Hinata had her head lowered, her cheeks flushed.
"No!"
"She's definitely trying to throw me off!"
Sakura refused to believe it.
She followed them all the way to the classroom.
Then she walked past Ino and went over to Two-Bit.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!"
"Can I sit next to you?"
She was talking to Two-Bit, but Sakura's attention was entirely on Ino behind her.
She could already imagine Ino running over to compete with her in a moment.
But then... out of the corner of her eye, she saw something unexpected.
Ino led Hinata to sit at the back with Shikamaru and Choji.
The other girls, however, hurried over to compete with Sakura.
"This is so annoying." Uchiha Sasuke closed his eyes.
Thump—
Just then, someone crouched down in front of Uchiha Sasuke.
Their faces were practically touching.
At that distance, it was either a kiss or a fight.
It was obviously the former.
Normally, Sakura would have been irritated to see Naruto so close to Sasuke.
But right now, she felt empty inside.
She felt no joy at all over having one less formidable rival.
"Eh? Seriously?!"
Suddenly, the classmate behind Naruto jumped to his feet, visibly excited.
Caught off guard, Naruto was pushed forward.
Smooch—
"Sorry, sorry."
The classmate turned around and froze.
Well, that was one iconic scene achieved...
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