The Beginning of Change

"Naruto, you bastard! How dare you run into me? Look, my tongue's bleeding!" Ino angrily stuck out her tongue for Naruto to see.

"My head hurts too! My breakfast got dirty! Ino, what are you doing? Why are you here?" Naruto asked.

Noticing Naruto's words, Ino looked down. A piece of buttered bread was stuck to the slightly rising curve of her chest.

"Ah... my clothes, my clothes!" Ino reflexively flung the buttered bread away.

"No... my breakfast!" Naruto instinctively reached out and grabbed for it.

Ino came back to her senses too. Patting herself off, she hurriedly said, "Idiot Naruto, you're late too, right? Today's the graduation exam! Forget about your bread! If we're late, Iruka-sensei will definitely get angry!"

"That's right!" Naruto no longer cared about his breakfast on the ground and immediately sprinted toward the Ninja Academy with Ino. Somehow, the two gradually turned it into a race.

Naruto had great stamina. When he pulled pranks on Hokage Rock, even several Chunin had been unable to catch him. Naruto reached the classroom first, with Ino following close behind a few seconds later.

Both of them were panting heavily when the class bell rang. They breathed sighs of relief and said in unison, "We made it just in time!"

Naruto sat down in his seat. As Ino returned to hers, a pink-haired girl with a rather broad forehead and emerald-green eyes looked at her mockingly.

"Ino-pig, why were you late? And you even came in with Naruto!"

"Forehead girl, what's it to you?" Ino shot the pink-haired girl an impolite glare.

The pink-haired girl lightly raised her chin and said proudly, "I thought you'd given up on Sasuke, that your taste had gotten worse, and that you'd fallen for Naruto. If you like Naruto, I'd be so happy. Sasuke would be all mine."

Ino gritted her teeth. "Sakura, what are you talking about? How could I possibly like that guy Naruto? Keep dreaming. I'll never give Sasuke to you."

Sakura spread her hands, narrowing her eyes. "True enough. How could you possibly like Naruto? Look, doesn't he have no parents? He's always picking fights with Sasuke, so he keeps doing whatever he wants. I'm so jealous that he doesn't have parents nagging him. If I acted like that, my parents would've scolded me to death. A guy like him is annoying just to look at."

To get a closer look at Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura and Ino sat near him. Even though Sakura had spoken quietly, Sasuke still heard her. His black eyes turned cold, and the look he gave Sakura was full of hostility.

Naruto sat farther away and did not hear Sakura and Ino's conversation. Iruka soon entered and announced the content of the graduation exam: the Clone Technique, Naruto's worst subject.

In the inner space, the Nine-Tails watched what was happening outside through Naruto's eyes.

"Oh, so it really is the same. That guy Awen's memories were real." Nine-Tails pondered. Awen's memories included the entire later storyline of Naruto, including the future Fourth Shinobi World War, Madara Uchiha, and the resurrection of the Sage of Six Paths' mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki.

More importantly, there was the later Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Unfortunately, Awen had never watched Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and only knew a few scattered details. He apparently would die later on as well. Faced with this future, Nine-Tails fell into deep thought. Even after the Fourth Shinobi World War, the future was not peaceful. Conflict would continue without end.

While Nine-Tails pondered in the inner space, Naruto forced himself to watch student after student get called away. By the time it was his turn, he still felt nervous. Yet when he saw Iruka and Mizuki, who were in charge of the test, his unease suddenly calmed.

The same. Just like Awen's memories! Naruto thought. His expression remained calm, while an indescribable light shone in his large blue eyes.

Iruka also sensed that Naruto seemed different from before. Could it be that Naruto had mastered the Clone Technique?

At the thought, Iruka looked at Naruto with anticipation, his eyes especially gentle.

Naruto formed hand seals with both hands, chakra swirling around him. Under Iruka's expectant gaze, the smoke dispersed to reveal a limp clone lying on the ground. Forget seducing an enemy—even an enemy would laugh themselves to death upon seeing it.

Iruka felt all his expectations shatter. Looking at Naruto, he shouted, "Naruto! The Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique, and Clone Technique are all the most basic E-rank Three Basic Body Techniques. You fail."

Naruto lowered his head, not wanting Iruka to see his expression. He was supposed to look devastated right now, but he could not. Knowing what would happen next, how could he possibly be sad?

Mizuki took the opportunity to say, "Iruka-sensei, just let him pass. Naruto has already taken the pre-exam three times, and this time, he did manage to make a clone."

Iruka replied sternly, "No, Mizuki-sensei. Everyone else made three clones, but Naruto only made one, and it's completely useless. I can't let him pass."

And so the Ninja Academy graduation exam ended. In front of the school gates, parents watched their children put on their forehead protectors amid laughter and celebration. Beneath a distant tree, Naruto sat alone on a swing. In the shadows, he seemed utterly out of place with everything around him. With his head lowered and eyes closed, he communicated with Nine-Tails in the inner space.

Nine-Tails said to Naruto, "It has been completely confirmed. Awen's memories are correct. Naruto tells the story of our world's past and future. Next, Mizuki will trick you into stealing the Scroll of Seals. Copy down all the techniques inside. I refuse to accept this future, Naruto. You have to grow stronger, understand? And put on a convincing act. Don't give yourself away."

"I understand, Kurama!" Naruto answered with a serious expression. Because of Awen's memories, the boy and the fox had formed an alliance, and Naruto's personality had changed somewhat as well.

Returning to reality, Naruto opened his eyes. The adults who had come to pick up their children noticed him too. Among them, two women whispered to each other, their faces full of malice.

"That child!"

"I heard he's the only one who didn't pass."

"Hmph, serves him right... It would be terrible if he became a ninja. After all, he is..."

"Forget it, stop talking. What if he hears us..."

The two women fell silent and left the Ninja Academy with their children. Amid the crowd, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, stood at the school gates wearing his Hokage hat and smoking a pipe. He said to Iruka, who stood nearby, "Iruka, I need to speak with you."

"Yes!" Iruka followed Hiruzen Sarutobi through the crowd, secretly watching Naruto.

Just as Iruka and Hiruzen Sarutobi were about to leave, a blonde girl walked toward Naruto. Iruka and Hiruzen Sarutobi immediately stopped, watching curiously.

"Ino, why did you come over here?" Naruto was equally stunned.

Resting her cheek on her right hand, Ino looked somewhat embarrassed. Her gaze shifted slightly as she said, "This morning, I accidentally threw your breakfast onto the ground. You haven't eaten yet, right, Naruto? To apologize, I'll treat you. How about we go to Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Huh?" Naruto's expression looked exactly like the old man staring at his phone on the subway in Awen's memories. He could not hold it together.

"Naruto!" Suddenly, a somewhat heavy voice came from behind him. Mizuki stood there smiling at him, clearly surprised to see Ino there as well.

"Mizuki-sensei!" Ino greeted him.

"Ino." Mizuki gave a polite smile. "I'm very sorry to interrupt you two, but Naruto, there's something I need to discuss with you."

"Sure, Mizuki-sensei!" The moment Naruto saw events finally returning to the course described in Awen's memories, he left with Mizuki. Before going, Naruto gave Ino a particularly strange look. The current Naruto did not yet understand the butterfly effect.

If he had not been possessed and fought over, Naruto would not have failed to hear his alarm clock, would not have been late, and would not have crashed into the late Ino. They would not have had their simple encounter, and because of that encounter, Ino would not have seen Naruto sitting pitifully alone on the swing. Her sensitive yet kind nature would not have made her want to comfort him.

"Naruto, idiot, total jerk... Hmph! As if I care about talking to you! You should've stayed here alone and starved to death! Naruto, starve to death! Starve to death! Starve to death already..." Ino stormed away, her angry voice full of dissatisfaction toward Naruto.