Chapter 9: You... Pass"Sakura and Sasuke's lunch is settled. Next, I'm going to take my share!"Naruto limbered up his body with confidence, already prepared to continue the fight.Seeing him so full of energy, Kakashi narrowed his eyes.On his face covered by the black cloth, he couldn't help but reveal a smile.The Naruto before him reminded him of his teacher, the Fourth Hokage.That hero who was as warm and gentle as the sun, illuminating others with his own light.'Sensei, although Naruto is far from you in terms of grades, looks, and popularity, I am certain that he is a child who has truly inherited your personality and charm!'Kakashi sighed inwardly.Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura, hiding in the distance, also witnessed everything."Naruto actually grabbed a bell? This... this is unbelievable!"Sakura was alright, just surprised.Sasuke, however, gritted his teeth, his body trembling, unable to believe what he had just seen.Compared to Sakura, who was poor in Taijutsu, and Kakashi, who was caught up in the moment, Sasuke, as an onlooker, saw things more clearly.The shuriken Naruto threw didn't change their trajectory after colliding to cut the thin wire holding the bells.After all, the sound of shuriken clashing is crisp; even if Kakashi's attention was drawn by Naruto, he would have definitely reacted immediately.The technique Naruto actually used was Hamon.He infused'suction-like' Hamon into the shuriken, making the two stick together and causing one of them to rotate in the opposite direction.After the shuriken flew a certain distance, the Hamon acting on them vanished, and the two separated.Under the force of the counter-rotation, the detached shuriken spun back to cut the rope, completing its mission.Sasuke, of course, didn't know about the existence of Hamon, but he saw through it at a glance—Naruto must have used some technique to achieve such a silent change in the shuriken's direction.This exquisite Shurikenjutsu... even his brother probably couldn't pull it off!At this thought, a flame burned fiercely in Sasuke's eyes.It was a strange feeling—unwillingness, anger, hatred, and even more...Disillusionment!Sasuke didn't realize that while he harbored a deep hatred for his brother, he was also unconsciously influenced by him.During that bloody night of the clan's massacre, his brother had stripped away everything he once possessed.Therefore, in Sasuke's heart, besides being an unforgettable enemy, his brother was also the strongest person in the world.His brother's Fire Release, his brother's Genjutsu, his brother's Taijutsu, his brother's Shurikenjutsu...These should have been unreachable heights that only someone like himself, who also possessed the Sharingan, could possibly attain after training with his life on the line.Yet now, Naruto had used a Shurikenjutsu even more exquisite than his brother's...How could this be possible?How could this be allowed!Sasuke slammed his fist heavily against the tree trunk, his knuckles scraped by the rough bark as blood flowed from the wound."Yo, Sasuke, Sakura, all of you come over here!"Kakashi ignored Naruto's challenge and called out loudly.Sasuke snapped out of it, realizing his loss of composure.He stood there taking a deep breath until he calmed down, then left the woods in a few leaps.Seeing The Three Little Ones gather, Kakashileaned lazily against a wooden post: "Narutograbbed two bells. This exercise is declared over.""Huh? But I haven't won my lunch box yet!"Naruto was the first to express his dissatisfaction."The lunch box isn't what's important," Kakashiwaved his hand. "Haven't you realized yet, Naruto?""What?""I said it from the start, right? This is an assessment. I will select those among you who can truly become Genin."Kakashi stood up straight, his tone becoming serious."Naruto, you've shown unprecedented talent and passed my test, so next, I'm leaving the choice to you."As he spoke, Kakashi pointed at Sasuke and Sakura."Two bells mean two slots. You can choose to give one bell to someone else as your future teammate, while the remaining one without a bell must return to the Ninja Academy.""What?"As soon as these words were spoken, all of The Three Little Ones were shocked.They never expected that Kakashi's words yesterday were actually serious!Especially Sasuke and Sakura; both looked at Naruto instinctively.After all, the chance for both of them to graduate was now held in Naruto's hands.'Naruto will definitely choose Sasuke, right? My attitude toward him was so bad before, and I'm so weak...'Sakura's body trembled slightly, her fingers constantly kneading the hem of her clothes.'This dead last seems to like Sakura; he'll definitely choose her! Am I actually unable to even graduate? Damn it! At this rate, when will I ever be able to kill that bastard Itachi!'Sasuke kept a stiff face, but his heart was filled with both irritation and resentment.The scene fell silent as everyone waited for Narutoto make his choice.*Jingle*"Hmm!?"The sound of bells rang out, and the result was unexpected.Naruto tossed the two bells in his hands to Sakuraand Sasuke respectively, leaving himself empty-handed."What are you doing, Naruto? I told you, right? You can only choose one teammate!"Kakashi asked the question that was on everyone's mind.Naruto replied calmly, "Isn't the result obvious, Kakashi-sensei? I choose to withdraw and let Sakura and Sasuke graduate.""What nonsense are you talking about, dead last!" Sasuke's voice was filled with anger as he tossed the bell back. "I don't need your pity!"Compared to the shame of returning to the Ninja Academy, Naruto's kindness was even harder for him to accept, especially this kind of charity-like goodwill."You've misunderstood, Sasuke." Naruto calmly flicked his hand, sending the bell back the way it came.Facing the returning bell, Sasuke sidestepped to let it fall to the ground: "I don't need you to lecture me, you bastard.""You don't understand, I..."Naruto wanted to explain further but was interrupted by Sasuke: "Cut the crap!"The two seemed about to start an argument when Sakura also handed her bell over: "No, I should be the one to go back to the Ninja Academy."Naruto and Sasuke looked over at the same time. She blushed and lowered her head: "I... I am the weakest of the three. Kakashi-sensei said he wanted to select Genin with Ninja talent, so I am the one who most deserves to return to the Ninja Academy..."As she spoke, her voice grew lower and lower.Actually, among the three, Sakura, as an ordinary person, was the one least willing to give up.However, whether it was her inner kindness or her self-awareness, she knew she was the least qualified, so she mustered the courage to make a choice."No, keep the bell, Sakura," Naruto refused. "Listen to me!""I'm an orphan. I've failed the graduation exam three times already; I'm long used to it, and no one will care. But you guys are different..."Saying this, he grabbed both of their hands: "Sakura, your family definitely hopes you'll successfully become a Ninja. Can you bear to disappoint them? And you, Sasuke, I don't know what story you're hiding in your heart, but are you really going to waste time going back to the Ninja Academy just because of a momentary fit of pique?"Naruto's voice was soft, and his gaze was earnest, so sincere that one could see into his heart.Even someone as cold and hard as Sasuke had to admit that his previous remarks seemed to have misunderstood the other boy.But even so, he said coldly: "No, I'll be the one to go back. Since I'm the strongest, I'll definitely pass the next graduation exam. So, letting you two graduate first is the optimal choice.""No, we should follow the rules. Since I'm the weakest, I should be the one to go back," Sakuraspoke up hurriedly.The three began to argue again, none of them wanting anyone other than themselves to make the sacrifice.Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Kakashifinally spoke: "Ahem, ahem!"The Three Little Ones' attention was drawn back. He said seriously, "Enough! This isn't playing house, brats!""Naruto, being a Ninja means constantly making choices. There's never a way to have it both ways; that's the Ninja rule. So stop being like a child who wants everything. You must learn to let go, or you'll be treated as trash."Kakashi leaned down and looked directly into Naruto's eyes: "Hurry up and choose your teammate!"He emitted an immense pressure; even Sasuke and Sakura beside him couldn't help but swallow hard, cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads."Teammate..."Hearing Kakashi's words, Naruto murmured softly.On Earth, along his journey, he had defeated countless enemies but had also lost many companions.Caesar, Avdol, Iggy, Noriaki Kakyoin, and many others...Thinking of their figures, Naruto finally looked up, his gaze soft yet firm: "Sorry, I'm not choosing teammates; I already see them as my teammates. If those who break the rules and don't know how to let go are trash, then in my eyes, those who abandon their comrades are even worse than trash!"His words were resolute, without the slightest hint of backing down."Naruto, you..."Sakura and Sasuke were both a bit nervous, wondering what kind of punishment Naruto would face for defying him.Kakashi, meanwhile, stood dazed as countless images from the past flashed through his mind.After a long silence, he finally spoke: "You guys..."...pass. Congratulations!"
AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 10: It's My Luck to Watch Naruto Grow"Congratulations, you pass!""Huh?"The Three Little Ones voiced their confusion in unison.Naruto was fine; after a brief moment of thought, he immediately realized that the so-called bells representing graduation slots were likely part of the assessment.Sure enough, Kakashi leaned back against the wooden post, his tone becoming lazy once more. "My selection criterion is teamwork. After all, under normal circumstances, you couldn't possibly be my match. Only by uniting could you have a chance to grab the bells.""But there are only two bells, aren't there? In a situation like that, it would only lead to infighting. How could that possibly foster teamwork?"Sakura couldn't help but ask."This was a dilemma specifically set for us, right? Only by overcoming this situation, prioritizing the greater good, and putting teamwork first could we achieve victory," Naruto explained, arms crossed. "Unfortunately, I didn't give everyone a chance to show what they could do.""That's your problem, Naruto," Kakashi didn't deny it. "I admit your strength exceeded my expectations. But no matter how powerful you are, one person's strength is ultimately limited. Ninjamissions are carried out in squads, so teamwork is the most important thing, understand?"Naruto rested his chin in his hand, thinking hard for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Hmm... I'll do my best in the future. After all, I used to be quite bad at team battles.""Hehe, don't just pay it lip service."Kakashi chuckled as well, then looked at the other two. "But regardless, you both demonstrated acceptable team spirit just now. Being willing to sacrifice yourselves for others has already met my selection criteria."With that, he said seriously, "So, from now on, we're comrades. Let's introduce ourselves.""The teacher should go first, shouldn't he? We only know your name so far," Naruto protested first."Fair enough."Kakashi's eyes crinkled with a smile; he didn't refuse.He was completely different now from the cold, lazy person he had been before, to the point where The Three Little Ones couldn't help but wonder if their Jonin instructor had been swapped out."My name is Kakashi Hatake. My likes are vacations, my dislikes are troublesome things, my dream for the future is to become a competent Jonin instructor, and my hobby is training students."With Kakashi setting the example, The Three Little Ones also relaxed.The next to introduce herself was Sakura, who volunteered. "I'm Sakura Haruno. The thing I like is..."Sakura glanced at Sasuke and unconsciously smoothed her hair. "...is my long hair."Seeing no reaction from Sasuke, Sakura felt a bit disappointed and continued, "What I hate is... Ino!""My dream for the future is..." Sakura's gaze drifted toward Sasuke again.Sasuke noticed this as well, his brow furrowing slightly.Seeing Kakashi's gaze turn toward him, he spoke coldly. "I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I hate people who get in my way. There isn't much I like, and I don't have something as trivial as a 'dream' that one just talks about.""But if I had to say what I want to do, it would be to restore my clan and kill a certain man!"There was undisguised murderous intent in Sasuke's voice, causing even Kakashi to instinctively frown.Naruto turned to stare at Sasuke's profile, which was shrouded in shadow, as waves of emotion stirred in his heart.Despite their completely different personalities, Sasuke's words and serious attitude reminded Naruto of his former best friend, Caesar.That was the most painful and regretful memory hidden in the depths of his heart.So, when Kakashi gestured for him to speak, Naruto took a deep breath. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I like Ichiraku Ramen and hate people who disregard life. My hobby is playing pranks. As for my dream...""My dream used to be to become the Hokage so that everyone would acknowledge my existence. But now, my dream is to always do the right thing and eventually die without regrets!""Huh? Naruto, that's a pretty huge leap for a dream, isn't it?" Sakura remarked.Naruto replied with a smile, "It can't be helped. No matter who it is, you can only see yourself clearly after dying once."Thinking about it now, the version of himself on Earth must have already died.But Naruto felt no sense of loss because, in that world, Dio had been killed, and he had no regrets left.To be able to return to the Ninja world and start growing again from his youth was, for Naruto, an unimaginable stroke of luck.Therefore, rather than becoming the Hokage, he preferred to carry out his own way of life, starting from the basics and becoming someone acknowledged by others."What do you mean, 'dying once'? Don't just say things like that so casually, Naruto," Sakura said, rolling her eyes at him."I guess so," Naruto said, scratching his head sheepishly.He sometimes forgot that he was no longer that old man, but a vibrant young boy."Alright," Kakashi clapped his hands. "Team 7 will begin carrying out missions starting tomorrow. Everyone is dismissed!""Alright!"The Three Little Ones shouted in unison....That afternoon, at the Konoha Cemetery.Kakashi stood before the Memorial Stone, looking down at the names inscribed upon it, his thoughts drifting elsewhere."Ahem..."Hearing the cough, Kakashi quickly turned around. "Lord Third!""Yes," the Third Hokage waved his hand, telling him not to be so formal as he walked over with his hands behind his back. "I heard from Iruka—did Naruto and the other two all pass your test?""Yes, their performance was far beyond my expectations."At the thought of his students, Kakashi couldn't help but smile.Seeing this, even the Third Hokage was taken aback. "Was their performance really that good? To think it could make even you, Kakashi, wear such an expression.""Of course!" Kakashi nodded solemnly. "Especially Naruto. Whether it's in terms of strength or charisma, I believe he's not inferior to Sensei. Perhaps in the future, he truly can become the strongest Hokage, surpassing all who came before him."Puff, puff...The Third Hokage took a deep drag from his pipe.One had to remember that he had watched Kakashi grow up.The boy had been sharp-tongued and cold since childhood; though he'd improved as he grew older, he was still quite mischievous and calculating.Just what had Naruto done to make Kakashi regard him with such high esteem?"Speaking of which, thank you very much, Lord Third," Kakashi said suddenly."What for?""I used to think that looking after children was a huge hassle, and I was resistant to dealing with kids who grew up in a peaceful environment. But now, I'm incredibly grateful. It's truly a stroke of luck to be the teacher for Naruto and the others and to watch them grow step by step."With that, Kakashi bowed deeply to the Third Hokage. "As their teacher, it's time I showed some enthusiasm as well!"'This is just terrible!'As he watched Kakashi wave and depart, the Third Hokage looked at his back and unconsciously bit down on his beloved pipe, leaving a tooth mark.'Why was I being so reserved this morning?! That boy Naruto performed so well; how wonderful it would have been if I had witnessed it with my own eyes using the Telescope Technique!'
Chapter 11: Don't Let the Muscles NoticeTime flew by, and a month had passed since Naruto officially became a Ninja."How far from the target?"In the dense forest, Kakashi crouched on a tree trunk, asking into his radio."Five meters. I'm ready and can strike at any time.""I'm ready too.""Me too."The Three Little Ones each hid behind a tree, answering while their bodies tensed, ready for combat."Very well, move out!"At Kakashi's command, the three of them pounced out together."Waaah!"The target, a brownish-black cat, had no time to react and was caught directly in Naruto's arms."Ribbon on the right ear, it's definitely the target!"Sakura pulled a photo from her pocket, and after a quick comparison, gave Sasuke a thumbs up.Sasuke nodded and spoke into the radio, "Target captured, identity confirmed.""Very good. The mission to retrieve the lost pet 'Tora' is complete!"Kakashi declared the mission over.Ten minutes later, the four returned to the mission office inside the Hokage Building."Oh, my sweet little Tora! I was worried sick about you!"A heavily made-up lady scooped Tora into her arms, rubbing her oily face against it with great force."This is the wife of the Land of Fire's Daimyo? It seems the Daimyos of this world have a pretty hard life."Naruto whispered his critique, and Sakura nodded in agreement. "No wonder Tora keeps running away.""He'll definitely run away again," the cold-faced Sasuke added.While they were focused on Tora and its owner, Madame Shizimi, the three of them had unknowingly become the center of attention for everyone else."Are these the monsters from this year's rookie team? I heard they've only been Ninjas for a month and have already completed over five hundred D-rank missions!""What? Doesn't that mean completing ten to twenty missions a day? That can't be real, right? D-rank missions are low difficulty, but they're actually tedious and heavy. How could anyone do so many?""I'm not sure about that, I just know that the Village's D-rank missions have basically been wiped clean lately.""What's the deal with these rookies?""The yellow-haired one is the Nine-Tailed brat, the black-haired one is from the Uchiha family. The girl doesn't have much of a background, but their Jonininstructor is Kakashi.""Then it's not surprising, not surprising at all..."As a celebrity of the Ninja World, once Kakashi's name was mentioned, anything seemed normal.However, they didn't know that such a massive volume of D-rank missions wasn't Kakashi's requirement, but something Naruto took the initiative to do.On the second day after returning to this world, he had discovered that his constitution was extremely special, with terrifyingly strong life energy.He had only just begun training, yet his Hamonintensity had already reached the peak state he had on Earth.Naruto had also tried entering his mental space to ask the Nine-Tailed within him, but that fellow obviously wouldn't cooperate.It didn't matter that he didn't get an answer because, after realizing his special constitution, Naruto became interested.His body on Earth had long since hit its limit. After completing the Heavenly Cycle Method and awakening his Stand, his Hamon intensity could no longer grow.Although Naruto's aging process was greatly delayed under the effects of Hamon—to the point that when he went to Egypt, he looked only in his thirties compared to his old friend Joseph—As the successor of the Hamon method, especially after seeing Kars, who had evolved into the Ultimate Lifeform and used Hamon hundreds of times stronger than his own, being unable to advance his own Hamon became a minor regret in Naruto's heart.So, seeing the opportunity to break through the Hamon limit, he began a training regimen that could only be described as self-torture.In the month that followed, Naruto took on a massive number of D-rank missions every day.These missions were not dangerous or difficult; they were just very tedious, mostly chores like harvesting crops, running errands, and babysitting.For rookies full of expectations and eager to make a name for themselves, completing these missions was a form of torture.But for Naruto, it was a different kind of training.Supported by his abundant life energy, he used Shadow Clones extensively to carry out missions, and his mastery of this technique had become quite proficient.A month passed, and not only did Naruto's Hamonfar surpass his Earth self, but the title of 'Monster Rookie' also began to spread unknowingly.Of course, he wasn't the only one making progress; Sasuke was too.Initially, in Sasuke's eyes, doing so many low-level missions was a complete waste of time.However, after seeing Naruto's rapid progress, his competitive nature drove him to try it as well.Although Sasuke didn't know the Shadow CloneJutsu, he would complete as many tasks as possible during missions, sparing no physical effort.Over time, although Sasuke's combat techniques hadn't improved much, his physical strength, endurance, and even his Chakra capacity had grown significantly.This obvious progress fueled Sasuke's competitive spirit, and he began racing Naruto to complete missions.It was precisely because of this that the Village's D-rank missions were quickly cleared out.When they stood before the Third Hokage to look at the mission registry, what appeared before them was an empty book."Huh? No more missions?"Naruto's eyes widened. Sasuke stood by his side; though he didn't speak, the dissatisfaction in his eyes was unmistakable.Today, besides the mission to find Tora, he had only participated in three missions, while Naruto, relying on Shadow Clones, had already completed seven. This made him very unhappy."It's obviously because you guys completed them too fast!" Iruka, who was sitting next to the Third and responsible for helping assign missions, rolled his eyes at Naruto and then asked with a hint of concern, "By the way, with such high-intensity work, can your body handle it, Naruto?""It's a piece of cake, Iruka-sensei!"Naruto patted his chest, indicating he was perfectly fine.In fact, under the stimulation of the Hamon Breathing Technique, he didn't have any hidden injuries; instead, his body was being encouraged to absorb nutrients more efficiently.So, compared to a month ago, Naruto's height had grown from 147 cm to 155 cm, two centimeters taller than the 153 cm Sasuke!Realizing Naruto's change, a gratified smile appeared on Iruka's face. "You really have changed, Naruto.""Of course. Iruka, Naruto is my subordinate now; don't treat him like a child who still needs coddling."As Kakashi spoke, he picked up another mission book."That's C-rank..."Iruka was about to stop him when Kakashiinterrupted. "I've seen all of Naruto and the others' progress. With Team 7's current strength, they're ready to complete C-rank missions."Iruka wanted to say more, but the Third Hokagewaved him off.Then he looked at Kakashi. "Are you sure?""Positive," Kakashi nodded."In that case," the Third turned his gaze to the mission book, "there happens to be a C-rank escort mission here. I'll leave it to you.""Alright!"Hearing they finally had a C-rank mission, The Three Little Ones were instantly excited.Even Naruto couldn't hide his joy.After all, anyone would eventually get tired of pure manual labor...."Escorting the Bridge Builder Tazuna to the Land of Waves? Meeting at the Village gate at seven tomorrow morning?"Coming out of the Hokage Building, Naruto flipped through the mission briefing."Great! It's my first time leaving the Village!" Sakura's eyes were sparkling.Sasuke put his hands in his pockets and said coolly, "Kakashi, don't you dare be late tomorrow.""Don't worry."Kakashi smiled, and with a hand seal, his body vanished into a puff of white smoke."What? Another Shadow Clone!" Sakuracomplained before looking at Naruto. "You're not a Shadow Clone right now, are you?""Of course not. All the D-rank missions are gone; why would I still be using a Shadow Clone?" Naruto curled his lip."True."Sakura nodded and then gave a big stretch. "Speaking of which, we really did a lot of D-rank missions lately. Finally, we get to do a C-rank mission. I definitely need to go home and get some good rest.""Hmph."Sasuke snorted and turned to leave."Big Brother Naruto!"Just as the three were about to part ways at the intersection, the shout of a young boy suddenly came through."Eh? Konohamaru?"Naruto recognized the newcomer.Konohamaru was still wearing that long scarf; the only change was a pair of goggles on his forehead, just like the ones Naruto used to wear."Is this kid Naruto's little follower?" Sakura noted Konohamaru's address and outfit.Sasuke frowned. "This guy seems to have ill intentions.""I finally found you, Big Brother Naruto!"Konohamaru ran over and shouted excitedly."What..."Naruto was about to ask, but before he could finish, Konohamaru had already completed his hand seals.Sexy Jutsu!With a puff of smoke, Konohamaru disappeared, replaced by a black-haired beauty in a bikini."..."Sasuke and Sakura were petrified on the spot.They had both seen the Sexy Jutsu Narutodeveloped, but they never imagined he would teach this technique to his follower.And this little guy named Konohamaru was no simpleton either, actually using this technique in public.Sasuke was the most speechless of all.He had initially noticed the Chakra fluctuation on Konohamaru and thought the other was about to attack, so he had already prepared for battle. He never expected to see this kind of thing.These two super idiots..."Hahaha, mesmerized by my Sexy Jutsu, aren't you? Take this!"Konohamaru noticed the silence and thought his Ninjutsu had worked, so he released the transformation and threw a punch at Naruto's cheek.Snap!Naruto grabbed Konohamaru's wrist, twisted his body, and pinned him to the ground, leaving him unable to move.Only then did Sakura react, clenching her fists, her eyes full of rage. "You bastard, Naruto! What on earth have you been teaching a child!"Sasuke didn't speak, but his gaze said everything."That's none of my business," Naruto shrugged, standing up and pulling the subdued Konohamaruup as well.Konohamaru felt quite defeated. "I didn't expect that even though I've trained my Sexy Jutsu to such perfection, I still couldn't defeat you, Big Brother Naruto.""You did very well," Naruto patted his shoulder in consolation. "It seems you've completely understood Lesson 1."Konohamaru nodded heavily. "Of course! Big Brother Naruto said 'don't have strange expectations of me,' which means if I want to master the Sexy Jutsu, I have to figure it out step by step on my own and form a style that only suits me. That's the only way to reach the highest level of the Sexy Jutsu, right?"Naruto smiled. "Your comprehension is good. It seems it's time to teach you the next lesson.""Really?" The originally dejected Konohamaruimmediately became excited."Lesson 2: Don't let the muscles notice."Naruto held up two fingers."Don't let the muscles notice?"Just like last time, Konohamaru fell into confusion once again.