"Ohhhh!"
Crack!
A prolonged cry of agony was accompanied by a crisp, sickening snap.
Witnessing this scene, Jie couldn't help but widen his eyes. 'Have they really started practicing such high-level performance art nowadays?'
Clad in the Nine-Tails' chakra cloak, Naruto had executed a mid-air dive—spinning three and a half times—and seamlessly docked himself directly onto his target.
For this spectacular performance alone, Jie felt that waving an S-rank mission for Kakashi was entirely justified. And that soft snapping sound just now? That was definitely the sound of fingers breaking.
After all, in that brief instant, Jie had seen Kakashi's face turn deathly pale as thick beads of cold sweat began to seep from his forehead.
Having suffered a devastating blow to a highly sensitive area, even the protection of the Nine-Tails' chakra couldn't keep Naruto conscious.
His eyes rolled back into his head as he went completely limp, free-falling from mid-air and crashing into the dirt.
Even in his unconscious state, the lower half of Naruto's body violently twitched, as if he were still enduring unspeakable agony.
Seeing this, Jie knew the assessment could no longer continue. The chief examiner's fingers were broken, and one of the examinees was currently in a coma.
Moreover, the three kids had already proven they possessed enough tactical thinking and raw strength... it was more than enough to qualify as Genin.
Instructing Izumi to go fetch the medical team, Jie leaped forward, landing lightly on the training ground.
Pulling Sasuke from the dirt like a radish, Jie smiled and said, "You did well, Kakashi."
"Although a bell was taken, seeing how dedicated and responsible you were, that S-rank mission is waived," Jie continued. "As for your injuries, the medical team will be here shortly to treat you."
It was just two broken fingers. In the face of the ninja world's medical ninjutsu, it was nothing but a minor inconvenience.
Even if his entire arm had been severed, couldn't they just graft some Hashirama cells to make a new one? Not to mention Madara Uchiha, who swapped out eyeballs as easily as changing the lenses in a pair of glasses.
"Thank you, Lord Hokage." Kakashi fully understood his predicament. Enduring the throbbing pain in his hand, he nodded at Jie and stood quietly to the side, waiting for the medics.
As for Naruto, although he appeared to be heavily injured... well, he was heavily injured. However, physical trauma was easy to treat. Once the Mystical Palm Jutsu was applied, anything short of a terminal illness could be instantly cured.
If all else failed, there was always Tsunade, the medical sage.
If she could heal Rock Lee's comminuted fractures and shattered Chakra pathway system, Naruto's current predicament was child's play.
For Naruto, the real damage was purely psychological.
Jie figured that after this traumatic encounter, Naruto would probably start checking the ground for loose rocks every time he went for a run, terrified that a hand might suddenly shoot up from the earth to violate him again.
Jie's thoughts were interrupted when he saw Hinata. She was holding a silver bell in her hands, looking up at him with eyes full of hope. A bright smile spread across Jie's face.
"Hinata, you're amazing!" Jie generously gave her a big thumbs-up before gently patting her head. "When did you learn the Four-Finger Nukite? Were you hiding it to give me a surprise?"
"Well..." Feeling the comforting warmth from Jie's hand on her head, a rosy blush spread across Hinata's cheeks. "It was during those few days when Jie-nii went to the Ryuchi Cave."
"I was practicing, and I just suddenly got the hang of it," she explained timidly. "I originally wanted to show Jie-nii first, but I needed to use it early to grab the bell."
"Not bad. Your performance in this assessment was stellar," Jie praised, nodding at both Hinata and Sasuke.
"The three of you working together were even able to hold your own against an elite Jonin like Kakashi for a while. Your progress has greatly exceeded my expectations."
Naruto was still deep in his coma, blissfully deaf to Jie's compliments.
Before long, Izumi returned to Training Ground 1 with the medical team in tow.
Originally, the medical ninjas assumed that since the Hokage had personally summoned them, a disastrous accident must have occurred during the graduation exams. They braced themselves to treat severe, life-threatening casualties.
So, when they rushed onto the field panting and sweating, they were baffled to discover that their primary patient was just Kakashi and his two fractured fingers.
While broken digits weren't exactly a scratch, there was hardly a need to mobilize an emergency field team for it. Wouldn't it have been faster for Kakashi to just walk to the Konoha Hospital himself?
Then, they noticed Naruto lying face-down in the dirt. After a brief examination, a heavy silence fell over the medical squad.
A severe injury was indeed a severe injury. But what kind of graduation exam resulted in a ten-year-old boy suffering catastrophic trauma to that specific region?
Is this a distortion of human nature or a complete loss of morality? ...The medical team had no answers, but the glances they shot at Kakashi were loaded with an inexplicable, judging weight.
After all, they knew Kakashi was the chief examiner. The boy's horrific injury was definitely his doing.
Kakashi was completely oblivious to the medics' dark thoughts. He was just relieved that under the soothing glow of the Mystical Palm Jutsu, the agonizing throb in his hand had immediately subsided.
Medical ninjutsu was miraculous, but it wasn't an instant fix for everything... the fractured bones would still need a few days of rest to properly knit back together.
Given Kakashi's natural recovery rate, two or three days of bed rest would do the trick, leaving no permanent side effects.
Treating Naruto was even simpler. Despite the vital location of the strike and the gruesome appearance of the bruising, the damage was ultimately superficial tissue trauma.
For these types of injuries, the Mystical Palm Jutsu was incredibly effective.
In just ten short minutes, under the warm stimulation of medical chakra, Naruto was completely healed.
Moments later, the blonde boy slowly roused from his coma. The very first thing he did upon waking was frantically grab at his crotch.
"So it was just a dream," Naruto muttered, letting out a massive, shuddering sigh of relief as he confirmed his assets were still intact.
Just a moment ago, he had suffered a terrifying nightmare where Kakashi had brutally assaulted him. The imagery had been incredibly bloody and unbelievably awkward. The scenes had felt so visceral that Naruto had almost lost his grip on reality.
But now, feeling completely fine, he was certain it had all been a terrible hallucination.
Watching Naruto rationalize the horrific event as a mere dream, the expressions of everyone present became incredibly complex. They had to bite their lips, fighting back the urge to burst into hysterical laughter.
Finally, drawing on his strict professional training, Jie forcefully stifled his amusement. He gave two light coughs to clear his throat and spoke up.
"In this graduation assessment, only Hinata managed to grab a bell." Jie's tone was serious.
"According to the rules we established, only Hinata can graduate smoothly. Sasuke and Naruto, you will both have to return to the first year of the Ninja Academy and start over."
Hearing this, visible disappointment crashed over Sasuke and Naruto's faces. They hung their heads, utterly dejected. They knew this was the rule agreed upon before the test, so despite their intense frustration, they had no choice but to accept it.
They had applied for early graduation specifically because they felt their academy peers were far too childish.
Now, not only had they failed, but they were being demoted to an even younger class. How could either of them possibly be happy?
Seeing the sheer despair radiating from the two boys, Jie knew he couldn't keep stringing them along. His lips curled upward.
"But..." Jie's voice shifted, carrying a warm lilt. "...considering that your combat strength and basic ninja fundamentals have far exceeded the standard... your application for early graduation is officially approved."
Jie beamed at the three kids. "Congratulations, Genin of Konoha!"
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