At first light, Kizaru, already dressed, opened his door.
In the courtyard outside, a maid from the Shimura Clan came in carrying a tray.
She bowed slightly to Kizaru and set the tray on the table.
"Young Master, do your best today!" After arranging the breakfast neatly, the maid smiled and gazed at Kizaru admiringly.
"Thanks, Keiko!" Kizaru replied with a smile.
Keiko bowed to Kizaru once more, then backed out of the room with a smile.
Taking his seat, Kizaru leisurely ate his breakfast.
Outside the courtyard, Shimura Yoshihiko, Shimura Tanin, Shimura Yuki, and Shimura Shintaro—the four little ones—waited excitedly for Kizaru to finish breakfast and come out.
The graduation assessment today had filled the entire Shimura Clan with excitement.
They were all eagerly anticipating Kizaru's appearance, and his victory!
Kizaru was the young master in the hearts of every member of the Shimura Clan. The family's hopes for a bright future rested on him alone.
As everyone waited, the minutes ticked by.
At last, Kizaru finished breakfast and walked out of the courtyard.
By now, dozens of clan members—men and women, young and old—had gathered outside.
"Ohoho! Everyone's up bright and early!" Facing their expectant gazes, Kizaru wasn't nervous in the slightest. He greeted them with a smile.
"Do your best, Big Brother Kizaru! You're sure to win!" Shimura Yoshihiko was the first to speak. He clenched his right hand into a fist, raised it high, and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Big Brother Kizaru is sure to win!"
"Victory! Victory!"
"Victory!"
Shimura Yoshihiko had lit the fuse, and the Shimura Clan erupted in an instant.
The clan members present looked eagerly at Kizaru, repeatedly raising their right hands and shouting at the top of their voices.
The cheers and encouragement continued for several minutes before gradually dying down.
Everyone looked at Kizaru, waiting for his reply!
Kizaru looked around at every face brimming with anticipation and enthusiasm. Smiling, he declared with absolute confidence, "Today, victory is certain!"
"Victory!"
"Yeah!"
At Kizaru's confident reply, everyone cried out even more fervently. The atmosphere reached its peak!
Watching Kizaru interact with the clan from a distance, Danzo and the three elders all smiled with satisfaction.
The Shimura Clan was blessed by heaven to have such a child!
As the four watched, Kizaru slowly headed for the gate, surrounded by his clan. He gradually receded into the distance until he disappeared from view.
"We should get going too," Danzo said calmly, turning his gaze away.
"Indeed!" The Third Elder nodded repeatedly, a brilliant smile on his face.
"Today is the day the hidden dragon of the Shimura Clan takes to the sky! Even if my legs break, I'll crawl there to watch!" The Great Elder stroked his beard and said with a laugh.
"Hahahaha!" After hearing the Great Elder's words, the three elders all burst into delighted laughter.
Danzo didn't laugh aloud, but his smile grew even brighter!
Surrounded by his clan, Kizaru walked slowly toward the school.
Today's graduation assessment would be held on the school grounds.
Considering the combat strength of both sides, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi had arranged the night before for his subordinates to reinforce the grounds and the surrounding area.
And since the upcoming match had reached the Jonin level, the school had also given students the morning off so they could all watch.
So when Kizaru arrived at the school, there was no one there except a few teachers and several Anbu Ninjas responsible for security and keeping order.
Yamakawa Kiyoshi, Kizaru's homeroom teacher, stood guard at the entrance and watched him approach with complicated feelings.
What an extraordinary student his class had produced!
Not even seven years old, and already able to challenge a Jonin. What a monster!
He felt envy, a little jealousy, but above all, satisfaction and joy.
After all, no matter what, Kizaru was his student, and he had taught him for over half a year.
Even if the boy had spent most of that time sleeping!
"Student Kizaru!" Yamakawa Kiyoshi stepped forward and called out.
"Yo! Good morning, Sensei!" Kizaru greeted him with a smile.
Yamakawa Kiyoshi had a lot he wanted to say, but looking at Kizaru, he ended up simply smiling and saying, "Do your best, Kizaru!"
"Thank you, Sensei!" Kizaru replied sincerely.
"Go on in! Everyone will be there to cheer you on today!" Yamakawa Kiyoshi said, stepping aside and gesturing for Kizaru to enter the school.
"Really? Then don't get too shocked, Sensei!" Kizaru joked as he walked into the school under the watchful eyes of his clan.
It was only a graduation assessment, so ordinary clan members weren't allowed inside the school. They could only watch from outside.
Watching Kizaru's tall figure disappear inside, Yamakawa Kiyoshi said nothing, merely shaking his head with a smile.
Not long after Kizaru went in, people from the Uchiha Clan arrived at the school too.
Unlike the fired-up, excited members of the Shimura Clan, the Uchiha Clan members weren't nearly as worked up.
After exchanging a few words with Uchiha Kensuke, they simply watched as Uchiha Ken was led into the school by one of the teachers.
With both contestants now present, the atmosphere grew tense.
The Uchiha and Shimura Clans already had plenty of grievances between them. Now they stood on opposite sides of the school gate, glaring at each other.
Thanks to Hiruzen Sarutobi's foresight in assigning Anbu Ninjas to maintain order, both clans held themselves in check, and no conflict broke out.
Neither side stooped to trading insults. They simply glared at one another, confidence shining in their eyes as each believed their own contestant would win.
The tense standoff lasted until Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo arrived, along with the Uchiha Clan's head and several elders, as well as the other high-ranking officials of Konoha.
The two clans turned their attention to the group approaching from the very center of the village's power.
"Hahaha! Looks like today's assessment has drawn quite a crowd!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a chuckle, pipe in hand, as he looked at the two clans and the other villagers who had come to watch.
"Everyone's looking forward to seeing how that genius from the Shimura Clan performs," Hokage Advisor Mitokado Homura said enviously.
"Indeed! I'm quite envious of Elder Danzo for having such a remarkable junior," the head of the Uchiha Clan said with a perfectly composed smile, emphasizing the words "such a remarkable junior" with pointed meaning.
Danzo glanced at the head of the Uchiha Clan and replied coldly, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "That child is far too arrogant. I hope he gets a taste of hardship today and learns to show some restraint!"
Everyone present was an old fox. They understood the exchange between the two sides perfectly.
Their reactions differed according to their own positions. Some were amused, others irritated, but all wore smiles on the surface.
"It's getting late. Let's head inside. I'm looking forward to today's assessment too!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a smile, stepping in to ease the tension.
With that, he led the group inside, guided by one of the school's teachers.