The clear sound of the bell echoed under the blue sky, and the lively atmosphere below reached its peak at this moment.
A few figures stood in the sunlight to the north of the field. At the center was Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, dressed in his Hokage attire with a face full of wrinkles. Surrounding him were a few individuals: Asuma Sarutobi, with a beard and a cigarette in his mouth; Kurenai Yuhi, with black curly hair and red eyes; and Kakashi Hatake, silver-haired and masked with a lazy eye.
“Haha, this year’s graduation exam is even livelier than the previous ones,” the Third Hokage said with a smile, puffing on his pipe as he looked at the vibrant atmosphere below.
Kakashi lifted his eyelid, glanced at Yukigetsu, and said with a smile, “The previous exams were predictable, but this year’s outcome is hard to foresee.”
“What’s so unpredictable? That Uchiha kid’s chakra is already at the Genin level, and with the Uchiha clan’s Fire Style inheritance, he’s not only the top student this year but might even be considered elite among Genin. While Yukigetsu from your family is also good, he still has a gap compared to Sasuke,” Asuma Sarutobi analyzed objectively, with Kurenai Yuhi nodding in agreement beside him.
“Asuma, this kid will surprise you,” Kakashi said, his right eye narrowing slightly.
Asuma puffed out some smoke and smiled, “Well, I’ll be watching then.”
Kurenai’s beautiful eyes swept over the uniquely dressed boy in the windbreaker, showing a hint of curiosity.
Hearing their conversation, the Third Hokage smiled as his slightly cloudy eyes scanned the students’ area, finally stopping on the white-masked boy. He sighed, “It’s a pity. This kid seemed to have had some issues before and couldn’t extract chakra. Although it’s resolved now, he has lost too much time. Insufficient chakra will be his weakness.”
Kakashi nodded regretfully. Yukigetsu was skilled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, but chakra was fundamental to all jutsu. Despite his previous accumulation, extracting chakra in a few days couldn’t compare to years of accumulation by others…
The Third Hokage waved his hand and slowly stepped forward to the front of the stage. As he scanned the area, the crowd immediately fell silent. His old and gentle voice echoed in everyone’s ears.
“The time has come, the exam begins. Do not aim to kill your companions.”
“You all know the rules. Each person has one chance to change their ranking but only one chance to challenge. So, choose your opponents wisely to achieve your desired rank.”
“Yes!”
All the students on both sides responded in unison.
The Third Hokage nodded slowly and then waved his hand, “Begin.”
Dong!
As his hand fell, another clear bell rang out, echoing throughout Konoha.
Everyone’s eyes focused on the scene. Today, these graduating children would be the stars of Konoha. Their performance depended on whether they would rise to fame or fade into obscurity.
The entire arena buzzed with excitement. Boys and girls rushed onto the platforms, and the shouts of challenges began to ring out.
“Kiba Inuzuka, I’ve had enough of you! Get down here!”
“Sakuma, you’re going down this time. I’ll beat you to the ground!”
…
Yukigetsu watched the chaotic scene with a smile. Most of these fights were ordinary. After all, classmates knew each other’s abilities. Those stepping up either wanted to show off or settle scores.
He didn’t pay much attention, occasionally glancing at Sasuke’s direction. At this moment, Sasuke was also watching him calmly.
Everyone in the academy knew about Sasuke’s challenge. He would undoubtedly choose Yukigetsu as his opponent in the graduation exam, so no one dared to challenge him first. Of course, A-Class students understood that given Yukigetsu’s demonstrated strength, Sasuke was the only one qualified to be his opponent this year.
The students eagerly awaited the showdown between the two most famous figures of the class.
Yukigetsu didn’t mind Sasuke’s provocative gaze; instead, he chatted and laughed with Ino beside him. However, this behavior sparked jealousy in Hinata’s heart.
Hinata pouted secretly. He had agreed to something with her but ended up closer to Ino. Without a clear answer from Yukigetsu, the young girl felt increasingly insecure.
Yukigetsu was oblivious to the ever-changing thoughts of a teenage girl. His attention remained on the lively fights in the arena, which mostly involved top-ranking students. Typically, those able to change rankings were at this level.
“Isn’t that the eternal dead last, Naruto Uzumaki? Who is he challenging?”
“He didn’t pass the graduation exam, so how does he have a ninja headband?”
…
Hearing the surrounding conversations, Yukigetsu looked over. Naruto Uzumaki, sweating profusely, ran into the arena, looking excited. After a quick glance around, he dashed towards a platform.
“Naruto Uzumaki…”
Seeing him, Yukigetsu was slightly surprised. He had felt sorry for Naruto not graduating a few days ago, but it seemed Naruto had some kind of fortuitous encounter. He was now recognized and allowed to participate in the graduation exam.
Naruto, grinning broadly, leaped onto the platform, attracting many gazes. Despite being the dead last, his over-the-top behavior made him quite famous at the academy, albeit for embarrassing reasons…
“I wonder who he wants to challenge. He’s usually the bottom rank.”
People whispered, exchanging curious glances. With Naruto’s personality, something interesting was bound to happen.
“Sasuke, I challenge you!”
Under numerous gazes, Naruto pointed directly at a figure in front of A-Class, his arrogant voice causing an uproar inside and outside the arena.
“He dares to challenge Sasuke?”
Students looked at each other, finding it laughable for the dead last to challenge the top student.
In A-Class, Sasuke was initially stunned, then his eyes darkened. No one had dared to challenge Yukigetsu so far, yet he was named first. This was making people think he, Sasuke, was lesser than Yukigetsu?
“Idiot dead last…”
Sasuke stood up, his expression cold, causing some students around him to shiver. They could clearly feel Sasuke’s anger.
His form flickered as he appeared on the platform. Glancing at Naruto, he said coldly, “Do you want to die?”
Naruto clenched his fists tightly. This guy had always looked down on him, but he wouldn’t lose this time.
Without forming the Seal of Confrontation, Naruto immediately made hand signs. “Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!”
Boom, boom, boom, boom…
People watched in shock as the platform filled with shadow clones, their expressions amazed.
“He can use such a powerful jutsu!”
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