Successfully Graduated

In the back-mountain woods, the smile on Naruto's face froze completely, and the color drained from his face at a visible speed.

His azure eyes widened, filled with shock and the pain born from a trusted person's betrayal.

"A... a tool? Monster?" Naruto muttered to himself, his brain feeling as though it had been struck by a heavy hammer, completely blank.

Mizuki smiled contemptuously, continuing to close in, preparing to take the scroll and deal with these two obstacles.

Yet at this very moment, Naruto, who had kept his head lowered and his body slightly trembling, suddenly raised his head!

His eyes no longer held confusion and pain, but instead burned with a blazing, furious fire!

"Don't you... don't you dare call me Monster ever again! My father is the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze!" Naruto roared with extreme anger. "And even more so, don't you dare hurt Iruka-Teacher!"

Almost simultaneously with the roar, his hands had already swiftly completed the hand seals.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

This time, it was no longer practice, but an outburst into which Naruto poured all his rage!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Multiplying several times over compared to a moment ago, the seemingly endless Shadow Clones surged like a golden tsunami, instantly flooding the entire woodland!

Thousands of angry Naruto roared earth-shatteringly, completely swallowing the dumbfounded Mizuki, who was far too late to react!

"This... this is impossi—" Mizuki's screaming was instantly drowned out by countless fists and kicks.

The fists of countless shadow clones fell like a torrential storm, and poor Mizuki could not even mount a decent resistance, resembling merely a leaf tossed into raging waves.

In an instant, he was beaten until he had zero ability to fight back, finally collapsing limply to the ground covered in bruises and seeing stars, losing consciousness entirely.

The smoke slowly dispersed, leaving only Naruto's true body standing in place, breathing heavily with his small fists tightly clenched, yet his gaze revealing unprecedented firmness.

Iruka clutched his shoulder wound, staring dumbfoundedly at the scene before him.

He thought to himself that this guy Naruto might truly become the Hokage someday!

Immediately, Iruka gripped his injured shoulder and walked step by step toward Naruto.

Although his wound was still throbbing with pain, his gaze was exceptionally soft, as if he had made a certain resolve.

"Naruto," Iruka began, his voice somewhat hoarse yet extraordinarily firm.

Naruto raised his head, not quite daring to meet Iruka's eyes, and mumbled softly, "Sorry, Iruka-Teacher, I... I stole the Scroll of Seals. Did I mess up again? Am I still not going to be able to graduate?"

The more he spoke, the quieter his voice became, carrying thick disappointment and deep remorse for his own impulsive actions.

The pride and smugness from before had long since vanished without a trace.

However, Iruka shook his head, an extremely warm smile appearing on his face that carried incomparable pride. This smile dispelled the gloomy shadow in Naruto's heart, leaving him stunned.

"No, Naruto," Iruka's voice raised slightly, filled with unquestionable certainty. "You did very well."

"Eh?" Naruto jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Through your own effort and willpower, you mastered the A-rank ninjutsu Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, which many Jonin fail to grasp. This is without doubt proof of formidable strength."

Iruka continued speaking, his gaze filled with recognition. "More importantly, when you thought you had gained approval, only to find yourself deceived by someone you trusted,"

"You didn't wallow in sorrow and rage, but instead chose to use that power to protect the person you wanted to protect, to rise up against true evil!"

As he spoke, Iruka glanced briefly at Mizuki on the ground, then shifted his gaze back to Naruto, becoming even softer and more solemn.

"You obtained power, and you used it correctly. You possess the heart to guard your comrades and the village." Iruka's voice carried a hint of emotion. "This is precisely what a true ninja needs to have above all else!"

With that, Iruka took a deep breath. Enduring his shoulder injury, he raised his other hand and slowly, solemnly untied the forehead protector on his head that symbolized his status as a Konoha Ninja.

Naruto widened his eyes as he watched Iruka's movement, his heart beating wildly on its own accord. An unbelievable guess formed in his mind, making him almost forget to breathe.

Iruka held the forehead protector, which still carried his own body heat, with both hands, his expression unprecedentedly serious and formal.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Here!" Naruto instinctively straightened his back, his voice turning somewhat strained from tension.

"I declare, in my capacity as your instructor," Iruka's voice was clear and resonant, echoing through the silent woods, "that you have successfully passed the graduation exam through your outstanding performance and resolute willpower!"

"From today on, you are an independent Konoha Ninja!"

As his words fell, Iruka stepped forward and solemnly tied that forehead protector—still stained with a trace of his own blood and symbolizing protection and responsibility—onto Naruto's forehead.

Naruto stood blankly in place, feeling the heavy weight upon his forehead. At this moment, the entire world seemed to grow quiet, leaving only the sound of his crazily beating heart.

He raised a trembling hand, cautiously touching the smooth forehead protector, touching the clear Konoha symbol upon it.

This wasn't a dream.

Iruka-Teacher really acknowledged me?

Did I really graduate?

The loneliness, grievance, hard work, and longing that Naruto had accumulated over many years finally received an answer at this very moment.

These feelings instantly transformed into scalding hot tears, gushing like a broken dam out of his big azure eyes.

"Wuwu... wuwu... Iruka... Teacher..." Naruto could no longer control himself and burst into loud sobs.

"Thank you... thank you, I... I will definitely become the Hokage, I will definitely become an amazing ninja!" he choked out, shouting his dream with every ounce of strength in his body.

This time, his words were filled with unprecedented conviction and certainty.

Watching the crying Naruto, Iruka felt his own eye sockets grow moist.

He reached out, once again forcefully messing up Naruto's hair, and nodded heavily. "Yeah! I believe in you, Naruto! There will definitely be such a day!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The next moment, three figures appeared near them silently like phantoms, cutting off all their paths of retreat.

The arrivals all wore bizarrely patterned masks, dressed in standard Root ninja attire, and the one leading them was none other than Danzo Shimura.

His single eye swept coldly across the scene: the unconscious Mizuki, the unfurled Scroll of Seals, the injured Iruka.

Finally, he pressed that icy gaze, substantial as a physical weight, onto Naruto Uzumaki.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Danzo's voice was low yet carried unquestionable pressure, "you have stolen the village's highest-classified Scroll of Seals, committing a grave crime."

"Surrender immediately now, and be handed over to Root for disposal."