Passed

Familiar names were called out one after another as Toru Kujyo waited quietly. The throbbing in his eyes grew stronger, and he could feel some kind of power brewing deep within his eye sockets.

"Toru Kujyo!"

At last, it was his turn. Toru rose and walked calmly toward the examination room.

He pushed open the door. Two people stood inside-Umino Iruka and Mizuki. Mizuki wore a gentle smile, but Toru keenly caught an unusual glint in his eyes.

"Hello, Toru Kujyo." Iruka nodded. "The test is the Clone Technique. Please begin."

Toru stood in the center of the room and casually formed a hand seal. At that moment, the throbbing in his eyes peaked, as though something were about to break out of its shell.

He did not perform the extravagant Hundred Shadow Clones, merely creating three ordinary clones. But the instant his chakra began to flow, a fierce burning sensation erupted in his eyes.

It felt as though something were burning inside his eyeballs, mingled with a clash of ice and fire. Toru gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain silent, executing the Clone Technique flawlessly all the while.

Iruka nodded in satisfaction. "Very good. You pass!" He picked up a forehead protector from the table and solemnly handed it to Toru. "Congratulations, Toru Kujyo. From today onward, you're a genin of Konoha!"

Toru accepted the forehead protector. The burning in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented sense of clarity. He could feel that his ocular power had undergone a qualitative leap.

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Toru said with a smile.

"Don't leave the school yet. Wait at the Playground. We'll arrange for everyone's identification photos afterward," Iruka instructed.

"Yes." Toru nodded, then turned and left the examination room.

As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Hinata waiting against the wall. She immediately came over when she spotted him.

"Big brother Toru, how did it go?"

"Of course I passed." Toru waved the forehead protector in his hand.

Hinata clapped happily. "Wonderful! Let's go to the Playground together."

They walked toward the Playground side by side while Toru quietly felt the changes in his eyes. In that moment earlier, he had distinctly felt [Kekkei Genkai · Byakugan] leap from gold toward a higher tier. That sensation... felt very much like an evolution toward the legendary Tenseigan.

Quite a few students who had passed the exam had already gathered at the Playground. Sasuke stood alone in a corner. When he saw Toru arrive, he walked straight over.

"Toru Kujyo." Sasuke's tone held a challenge. "Now that we've both graduated, it's time to settle this."

Toru looked at Sasuke and noticed that his Sharingan had already evolved to three tomoe, making him far stronger than in the original story. This was all a result of Toru's constant "farming."

"Sasuke, we've only just become genin. We should train under our Elite Jonin for a while first," Toru said evenly. "There'll be plenty of time to fight once we've both improved."

Sasuke frowned. "Are you running away?"

"I'm not running away. I want a better fight." The corners of Toru's mouth curled slightly. "You wouldn't want me to go all out right now, would you? What if I hurt you?"

That successfully infuriated Sasuke, and his Sharingan manifested instantly. "Arrogant fool!"

"All right, all right, don't fight at school." Hinata hurried forward to intervene. "Let's wait until the team assignments are announced."

Sasuke snorted coldly and turned away. But Toru noticed that the look flashing through his eyes as he left was not anger, but something more complicated.

Toru chuckled inwardly. Over the years, fighting Sasuke, Hinata, and the others had earned him not only a wealth of points and improved abilities, but, more importantly, had helped him develop these original "main and supporting characters" into people far stronger than their counterparts in the original story.

Sasuke's current strength was probably already close to his level in the original story when Naruto first learned the Rasengan. As for Hinata, thanks to Toru's "feeding," both her figure and her strength far surpassed the original.

As for the team assignments... Toru glanced at Naruto, who was celebrating with the other students in the distance.

The fated bond between Sasuke and Naruto, along with the special arrangements for Kakashi, meant they were unlikely to end up on the same team as Toru. But that was fine. Once they were separated, he would be freer to develop his own power.

Especially these eyes... Toru touched his forehead protector, anticipation flashing in his eyes.

The graduation exam ended, and the students emerged from the examination rooms one after another, their faces wearing all sorts of expressions. Some cheered, some looked relieved, and others hung their heads in dejection.

"Everyone who passed the exam, please gather at the Playground!" Iruka's voice echoed down the corridor.

Toru and Hinata walked side by side toward the Playground, the forehead protectors on their foreheads gleaming in the sunlight.

"Big brother Toru, your exam must have been easy, right?" Hinata asked softly.

Toru smiled faintly. "It was all right. Just an ordinary Clone Technique." He did not mention the strange sensation in his eyes during the exam. That power was still changing quietly within him, and he could feel his Byakugan evolving in an unknown direction.

"It seems Naruto-kun didn't pass..." Hinata's gaze drifted unconsciously toward the empty swing in the distance, where Naruto often sat.

Toru followed her gaze and said lightly, "He has his own path to follow."

The newly minted genin had already gathered at the Playground. Iruka stood before them with a gratified smile.

"Congratulations on passing the graduation exam! From today onward, you are shinobi of Konoha." Iruka looked around at everyone. "Please put on your forehead protectors. We're going to take your identification photos."

The students excitedly whispered among themselves, discussing the coolest ways to wear their forehead protectors. Some tied them around their foreheads, some around their arms, and others around their waists.

Toru tied his forehead protector around his forehead and turned to Hinata. "How does it look?"

Hinata blushed and nodded. "It l-looks really good on you, big brother Toru."

"Yours looks lovely too," Toru said with a smile. Hinata had tied her forehead protector around her neck, making her fair skin look even paler.

The photos were taken quickly. The students left the school in twos and threes, discussing their future team assignments and their dreams.

Sasuke Uchiha stood alone by the school gates, seemingly waiting for something. When he saw Toru and Hinata emerge, he gave them a cold glance, then turned and left.

"Sasuke's as awkward as ever." Toru shook his head.

"Big brother Toru! Big sister Hinata!" a clear voice called out.

Six-year-old Hanabi Hyuga raced over like a gust of wind and threw herself into Hinata's arms. She wore a pale purple kimono, her hair tied into two adorable little pigtails, and her Byakugan sparkled with excitement.

"Hanabi, what are you doing here?" Hinata asked in surprise.

"I wanted to see your forehead protectors!" Hanabi tilted her little face up, studying their forehead protectors curiously. "They're so pretty!"