Victory is Assured Today!

At the first light of dawn, Kizaru, already dressed, opened his bedroom door.

In the courtyard outside, a maid of the Shimura Clan walked in carrying a tray.

Bowing slightly toward Kizaru, the maid placed the tray on the table.

"Young Master, please do your best today!" After neatly arranging the breakfast, the maid looked at Kizaru with a smile, her eyes filled with adoration.

"Thanks, Keiko-nee!" Kizaru responded with a smile.

Bowing to Kizaru once more, Keiko smiled and backed out of the room.

Sitting down, Kizaru began to eat his breakfast in a leisurely manner.

Outside the courtyard, the four youngsters—Shimura Yoshihiko, Shimura Tanin, Shimura Yuki, and Shimura Shintaro—were waiting excitedly for Kizaru to finish his meal and step out.

Today's graduation exam had the entire Shimura Clan buzzing with excitement.

They were all waiting in anticipation, waiting for Kizaru's appearance, waiting for Kizaru's victory!

To everyone in the Shimura Clan, Kizaru was their Young Master; he alone carried the clan's beautiful hopes for the future.

As everyone waited, time ticked away second by second.

Finally, Kizaru finished his breakfast and walked out of the courtyard.

At this moment, dozens of clansmen, young and old, men and women alike, were already standing outside.

"Ohoho! Everyone is up so early!" Facing the gazes of the crowd, Kizaru didn't feel a hint of nervousness and greeted them with a smile.

"Big Brother Kizaru, do your best! You'll definitely 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 will definitely win!"

"Victory! Victory!"

"Victory!"

Shimura Yoshihiko had lit the fuse, and the Shimura Clan erupted instantly.

The clansmen present looked at Kizaru with fervent eyes, repeatedly raising their right hands and shouting loudly.

The cheers and encouragement continued for several minutes before slowly dying down.

Everyone looked at Kizaru in unison, waiting for his response!

Scanning his surroundings and looking at every face filled with expectation and passion, Kizaru smiled. He spoke with an extremely firm tone: "Today, I will~ win!"

"Victory!"

"Yeah!"

Having received Kizaru's affirmative reply, the crowd cheered fervently once more, and the atmosphere at the scene reached its climax!

Standing in the distance, taking in the interaction between Kizaru and his clansmen, Danzo and the three elders all wore gratified smiles.

For the Shimura Clan to have such a child—it is a blessing from the heavens!

Under the gaze of the four, Kizaru, surrounded by his clansmen, walked slowly toward the main gate, gradually moving further away until he disappeared from sight.

"It is time for us to depart as well!" Withdrawing his gaze, Danzo said calmly.

"Indeed!" With a radiant smile on his face, the Third Elder nodded repeatedly.

"Today is the day our Shimura Clan's hidden dragon takes flight! Even if my legs were broken, I would crawl to the venue!" The Great Elder stroked his beard and said with a laugh.

"Hahaha!" Hearing the Great Elder's words, the three elders laughed heartily.

Danzo did not laugh aloud, but the smile on his face grew even more joyful!

Escorted by his clansmen, Kizaru walked slowly toward the academy.

Today's graduation exam was being held on the school playground.

Considering the combat power of both sides, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had arranged for his subordinates to reinforce the playground and its surroundings the previous night.

At the same time, considering that this duel had reached the Jonin level, the school had specifically declared a half-day holiday so that all students could watch the match.

Therefore, when Kizaru arrived at the school, there was no one else present except for a few teachers and the Anbu ninjas responsible for security and maintaining order.

Standing guard at the gate, Yamakawa Kiyoshi, Kizaru's homeroom teacher, looked at Kizaru as he approached with complex emotions.

His class had truly produced an incredible student!

Less than seven years old and already able to challenge a Jonin—what a monster!

There was envy, a tiny bit of jealousy, but mostly gratification and happiness.

After all, no matter what, Kizaru was his student, and he had taught him for over half a year.

Even if this child had spent most of that time sleeping!

"Student Kizaru!" Yamakawa Kiyoshi took the initiative to step forward and call out.

"Yo! Teacher, good morning!" Kizaru greeted him with a smile.

There were many things he wanted to say, but looking at Kizaru before him, Yamakawa Kiyoshi finally just smiled and said one thing.

"Do your best, Student Kizaru!"

"Thank you, Teacher!" Kizaru replied sincerely.

"Go on in! Everyone will be there to cheer you on today!" Yamakawa Kiyoshi stepped aside and gestured, letting Kizaru walk into the school.

"Is that so? Then don't be too shocked, Teacher!" Kizaru joked, walking into the school under the watchful eyes of his clansmen.

Today was only the graduation examination, so ordinary clansmen were not allowed inside the school and could only watch from the outside.

Watching Kizaru's tall back, Yamakawa Kiyoshi said nothing, merely shaking his head with a smile.

Not long after Kizaru went inside, the Uchiha Clan also arrived at the school.

Unlike the hot-blooded and excited Shimura clansmen, the people of the Uchiha Clan were not nearly as agitated.

They simply exchanged a few words with Uchiha Kensuke before watching as Uchiha Kensuke followed the school teacher's guidance into the school.

With the arrival of both sides of the competition, the atmosphere became tense.

The Uchiha and Shimura clans, already harboring many conflicts, stood on opposite sides of the school gate, glaring at each other with hostility.

Thanks to the foresight of Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had arranged for Anbu ninjas to maintain order, both clans remained very restrained and no conflict erupted.

There was no undignified trash-talking; the two clans simply glared at each other, their eyes filled with confidence—confidence that their own representative would surely emerge victorious.

The rigid atmosphere was only broken by the arrival of the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, the Uchiha Clan head, several elders, and other high-ranking officials of Konoha.

Both clans shifted their gazes toward the group of people walking over, who stood at the very center of the village's power.

"Hahaha! It seems today's examination has garnered quite a lot of attention!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a chuckle, holding his pipe as he looked at the two clans and the other villagers who had come to watch.

"Everyone is looking forward to the performance of that genius from the Shimura Clan!" the Hokage Advisor Mitokado Homura said with an envious tone.

"Indeed! I truly envy Elder Danzo for having such an outstanding descendant!" The Uchiha Clan head wore a polite smile, emphasizing the word "one" with a meaningful tone.

Glancing at the Uchiha Clan head, Danzo replied coldly with a pointed remark: "That child is far too arrogant. I hope he suffers a bit today and learns some restraint!"

Everyone present was an old fox; they all understood the clash hidden within those two exchanges.

With different stances came different reactions—some laughing or fuming inwardly—but on the surface, they all wore smiles.

"It's getting late, let's head in! I, too, am very much looking forward to today's examination!" Hiruzen Sarutobi took the initiative to smooth things over, saying with a smile.

With that, he led the group inside under the guidance of the school teachers.