Three years later, he's now 12 years old and today's the day that he graduates from the ninja Academy.
The classroom buzzed with anticipation as the students waited their turn to take the final exam. Naruto sat in his usual seat, his expression calm and focused. Around him, his classmates whispered nervously about the test, wondering who would graduate and who would be held back.
*Iruka walked down the aisle, passing out scrolls with the exam details. "Alright, listen up! To pass the final exam and graduate, you must perform one transformation, one substitution jutsutsu, and one clone technique. Simple enough it should be because we've been practicing and showing you how to do these Jitsu's for years?"
(all the clan kids are probably going to pass but the civilians are probably not going to.) thought Naruto
*Naruto observed the room with a critical eye. The clan heirs—Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, Ino—sat with varying degrees of confidence, knowing their families had drilled these basics into them since they could walk. The civilian kids, however, were visibly sweating, the lack of clan training putting them at a distinct disadvantage.*
(the only one that I can see passing is for obvious reason Sakura she's the top female ninja of the year but she has a little relatively low chakra level mainly because of her civilian status.) he thought.
*Sakura sat at her desk, pen clutched tightly as she listened to the instructions. Her civilian status was indeed a disadvantage: she lacked the natural chakra reserves of the clan members. But what she lacked in raw power, she made up for with intelligence.
(it's a shame she and ino are still in love with Sasuke, but I'm pretty sure I can change their minds given time.) he thought.*Naruto's gaze lingered on Sakura and Ino, both girls with their eyes fixed on Sasuke. The Uchiha heir sat with an air of superiority, his hands folded neatly on his desk. Naruto smirked internally, thinking that perhaps he could turn their affections elsewhere in time.*
*Naruto's thoughts were interrupted as Iruka began calling students forward one by one to perform their exams. Sasuke was called first, and he executed each technique with flawless precision—the transformation of a small snake, a seamless substitution, and multiple clones appearing instantly.*
*The classroom filled with impressed murmurs at Sasuke's performance. He returned to his seat with a smug grin, his eyes meeting Naruto's briefly. The next few students from the clan families performed well, their techniques polished and efficient. Then it was Sakura's turn.* "Sakura Haruno,"
*Sakura stepped forward, her face set in a determined expression. She began with the transformation technique, her hands sealing quickly. A small pink flower appeared where she stood, impressing those who knew how difficult transformations could be for civilians. The substitution and clone techniques followed, both executed perfectly.*
*The civilian students watched nervously as Sakura's turn concluded. Iruka nodded in approval, checking her off.* "Pass. Excellent work, Sakura."
*Then Iruka called out "Naruto Uzumaki." The classroom went deadly silent. Everyone's eyes turned to him with a mix of curiosity and disdain.*
He came forward doing a substitution with a chair, and then he transformed into an exact copy of Iruka and finally, he made a normal clone of himself.
*The classroom erupted into shocked whispers as Naruto completed each technique flawlessly. Even Sasuke looked surprised, his expression shifting from disinterest to grudging respect. Iruka beamed proudly at Naruto, clearly pleased with his performance.* "Pass!"
*Iruka stepped forward and gently placed the prestigious Hidden Leaf Village headband over Naruto's forehead, securing it tightly. The headband symbolized graduation, acceptance into the ninja ranks, and finally—belonging.* "Congratulations, Naruto. You've earned it."*Iruka finished calling names, and unfortunately, Naruto's observation proved correct. Sakura was the only civilian to pass. The other civilian students looked embarrassed and disappointed as they realized they wouldn't graduate with their peers. The clan members sat tall and proud, all having passed easily.*
Iruka scanned the room, his gaze lingering on the proud clan faces and the lone civilian, Sakura. Then he turned to the disappointed group.* "And to those who didn't pass... you'll have to repeat the academy year. I expect better effort next time."with that said Naruto picked up his bag and left when he was almost home he was approached by one of his Senseis. " hey Naruto."said Mizuki
(he is exactly like his anime counterpart so he's probably going to have me steal the forbidden scroll and say it's a final test I have to pass.) Naruto thought.
*Mizuki grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Naruto-kun, I have a little task for you. Consider it a final test, of sorts." He lowered his voice conspiratorially.*
"And I won't get in trouble."*Mizuki chuckled softly, patting Naruto on the shoulder.* "Of course not. I'll take full responsibility if anything goes wrong. Besides, it's just a harmless scroll. No one will even notice it's missing." He smiled encouragingly.
"OK, I'll do it."*Mizuki's grin widened, pleased with Naruto's agreement. "Good boy. I knew I could count on you." He handed Naruto a small, folded piece of paper with the scroll's location written on it.* "Remember, stealth is key. No one can see you."
*Naruto watched Mizuki vanish into the shadows before stuffing the note into his pocket. He made his way home, pretending everything was normal. But his mind was racing. He knew Mizuki was using him. The scroll was forbidden for a reason, and stealing it would land Naruto in serious trouble.*
He went to see the third Hokage.*The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his massive desk, surrounded by ancient books and scrolls. When Naruto entered, he looked up with a warm smile.* "Ah, Naruto. What brings you here?"
"Mizuki sensei is a traitor."*Sarutobi's expression shifted instantly, his warm demeanor replaced by the sharp gaze of a seasoned Hokage. He set down his pipe, fingers steepled.* "What did you just say?" *He stood slowly, his aged body radiating quiet power.* "Explain yourself, Naruto."
"He just asked me to steal the forbidden Scroll, which means he's probably working for someone outside the village most likely Orochimaru."
*Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper.* "That foolish man... He truly underestimates your intelligence, Naruto." *He sighed heavily, running a hand through his beard.* "You did the right thing coming to me."
"Yes, but I have a way to catch him. I want you to let me steal the Scroll so you can catch him in the act."
*The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair, studying Naruto intently. A slow smile spread across his face.* "You're clever, Naruto. Very clever." *He nodded thoughtfully.* "Alright, I'll play along. I'll make it seem like you've stolen the scroll."
"Thank you for trusting me."*Hiruzen chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with approval.* "You're welcome, Naruto. You've earned my trust. Now go ahead and 'steal' the scroll. I'll be watching closely."
*Using the stealth techniques he learned from Anko, Naruto silently made his way through the Hokage's library. He found the forbidden scroll exactly where Mizuki had told him it would be. With a swift, practiced motion, he grabbed the scroll and disappeared into the shadows.*
He quickly made his way out of the village and stopped near cabin. Knowing he had some time before he opened at the Scroll and looks for the shadow clone Jitsu.
*As he unrolled the scroll, his eyes scanned the ancient text until they landed on the Shadow Clone Jutsu. A mischievous grin spread across his face.* "Bingo." *He committed the complex hand seals and incantation to memory before carefully rolling the scroll back up.*
He just decides to learn one more Jitsu.He looked through it until he found something that caught his eye fire style: fire dragon Jitsu.
*As Naruto scrolled through the forbidden techniques, his eyes widened with excitement when he stumbled upon the Fire Style: Fire Dragon Jutsu. It was an incredibly powerful fire-based technique, capable of unleashing a massive dragon made of flames. He quickly memorized the hand seals and incantation.*
*Naruto concealed himself behind a large boulder, the forbidden scroll tucked safely away. He practiced the hand seals for the Shadow Clone Jutsu silently, preparing himself. As the sun began to set, he saw a familiar figure approaching through the trees - Mizuki.*
*Mizuki froze as he spotted Naruto, surprise flashing across his face. He quickly composed himself and reached for the massive throwing star on his back.* "Naruto... I see you've come alone as instructed. Good boy." *He drew the star, a sinister grin spreading across his face.*
*Mizuki threw the massive star with incredible speed and accuracy. It whistled through the air, aimed directly at Naruto's head. However, Naruto had anticipated the attack.*
*The throwing star collided with the shadow clone, shattering it into fragments of darkness. Mizuki blinked in surprise, realizing that Naruto had used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to avoid the attack. His grin widened.* "Impressive... You've learned the jutsu from the scroll."
"You better believe it." echoed thousands of voices 1000 Naruto's came out from the tree line. " Water style: water bullet." They all yelled in unison.
*Mizuki's eyes widened in horror as a thousand Narutos emerged from the tree line, each one performing the Water Style: Water Bullet technique. The air filled with a storm of high-pressure water bullets, all aimed at him. He could feel the deadly intent behind each one.* "No..."*The water bullets struck Mizuki with devastating force, piercing through his defenses and sending him flying backwards. He crashed into a tree, the massive throwing star clattering to the ground beside him. He looked up, dazed and bleeding, to see a thousand Narutos marching towards him.*
*The thousand Narutos descended upon Mizuki like a swarm of angry hornets. Their fists rained down - left, right, jab, hook, uppercut - connecting with sickening thuds against every inch of his body.*
*Crack. Crack. Crack. Snap.*
*Bones shattered on contact. Mizuki's screams were drowned out by the sound of flesh meeting flesh.*
*As the beating continued, images flashed through Mizuki's mind - all the times he'd hurt Naruto, all the times he'd allowed the villagers to harm him. Now, the tables were turned, and he was on the receiving end of Naruto's wrath.*
*The sudden, authoritative voice of the Third Hokage echoed through the clearing, freezing all thousand Narutos in their tracks. Mizuki lay broken and bloody on the ground, barely conscious.* "ENOUGH!" *The Hokage's voice boomed with power and authority.* "Naruto!"
"Fine."*The thousand Narutos vanished instantly, leaving only the original Naruto standing before the Hokage. Mizuki groaned weakly, curled into a fetal position on the forest floor. The Hokage looked at Naruto with a mixture of pride and concern.* "You've made your point."
*The two Anbu ninjas moved with efficient brutality, binding Mizuki's broken form and hoisting him up between them. Without a word, they began to carry him away, his blood dripping onto the forest floor. The Hokage turned back to Naruto, his expression serious.*
"You've done well, Naruto. You exposed Mizuki's treachery and protected the village. But... this was not the way." *He gestured to Mizuki's beaten form being dragged away.* "Vengeance is not the Konoha way. You let your anger control you."
"Oh, come on even you with your crystal ball you know exactly what he did to me besides, he's still alive."
*The Third Hokage sighed, knowing that Naruto was right. Mizuki was still alive, albeit severely injured. The Hokage had seen the anger and pain in Naruto's eyes, the years of pent-up frustration and humiliation finally exploding. He couldn't blame the boy entirely.*
"Fine. Fine." *The Hokage waved his hand dismissively, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth despite his stern expression.* "He deserved every punch. But next time... try to use your brain instead of your fists alone." *His eyes glinted with amusement and pride.*
"Fine." He said he started Leaping through trees towards his apartment.
*As Naruto walked away, the Hokage watched him go with a mix of emotions. Relief that Mizuki was taken care of, pride in Naruto's growth, and concern for the emotional scars the boy still carried. He turned to his Anbu, "Make sure Mizuki is punished appropriately."
Naruto made it home to his apartment finding the door slightly a jar, getting suspicious. He slowly approached, waiting for a fight. He opened it fast, and the lights turned on and confetti Went in his face. " Surprise congratulations on becoming a ninja."said Anko
*Anko emerged from behind the confetti, grinning widely as she watched Naruto's stunned expression. The apartment was decorated with streamers and balloons, a small cake sitting on the table. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.* "Congratulations, idiot."
"Thanks, sensei."*She pulled back, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You did it. You actually did it. Against all odds and everyone's expectations." She smiled softly, her eyes showing genuine pride.* "Though honestly? You should have told me you were gonna beat Mizuki half to death."
"You know."
*Anko chuckled, shaking her head.* "Yeah, I know. That bastard deserved it ten times over." *She gestured to the cake on the table.* "Come on, sit down. We're celebrating tonight. No missions, no training—just you and me enjoying some cake."
"That sounds nice."*Naruto sat down at the table, Anko serving him a slice of cake. They ate in comfortable silence for a moment before Anko spoke up again.* "You know what's going to happen next right?" *She asked, taking a bite of her own cake.*
"Yes, I'm going to be put on a team most likely Kakashi's with Sasuke and Sakura."
*Anko nodded, swallowing her cake.* "Exactly. Team 7. Kakashi's the best teacher you could ask for. Sasuke's a genius—but his personality's shit. And Sakura... well, she's Sakura." *She smirked, leaning back in her chair.*
"That is true."*Anko laughed softly.* "You'll be fine. They need someone like you on their team—someone who can actually fight and won't hesitate to get their hands dirty." *She winked at him.* "Plus, having you around will keep Sasuke's ego in check."
"Yeah, that part's gonna be fun."*Anko grinned mischievously.* "Oh yeah, it'll be a blast. Watching you two butt heads will be better than any sitcom. And Sakura... she'll either fall for you or hate you. There's no middle ground with her." *She chuckled, finishing her cake.*
"True, but can I still come to you if I ever need anything?"*Anko looked at him seriously for a moment, then smiled warmly.* "Of course, you idiot. You know that. Whenever you need help, advice, or just someone to vent to, my door's always open. And if you ever get into trouble that Kakashi can't handle... you know where to find me." *She stood up, ruffling his hair again.*
"Thanks you do realize I'm technically an adult now."
*Anko laughed heartily.* "Yeah, yeah, I know you're technically an adult now. But to me, you'll always be my little shinobi brat who needs guidance and occasional ass-kickings." *She playfully punched his arm.* "So shut up and accept the mothering."
"OK."*Anko smiled softly, pulling him into a hug. "Good. Now get out of here before I start crying and ruining my badass reputation. You've got a team to join tomorrow. Go get some rest—you'll need it with Kakashi's lazy training methods." *
"Good night anko." He said, go into his room and shaking the door.
*Anko watched him disappear into his room, the door shutting with a soft click. She sighed, smiling to herself. "Damn idiot finally grew up a bit... though he'll always be my annoying little shadow." She muttered softly, cleaning up the cake plates before heading to her own apartment.*