Chapter 5: Chapter 5 The Shackles of Fate
"Uchiha Sasuke, perfect score!"
With Iruka's approving voice, the students crowded at the door, trying to see the scene inside.
"As expected of Sasuke!"
"That's the Uchiha Clan's genius, a perfect score!"
"Amazing!"
Praise kept coming, and all eyes focused on the boy with a cold expression, sharp eyebrows, and a high nose bridge, giving his face clean lines.
His sideburns were sharp, and his eyes are carrying a habitual aloofness.
Naruto was also looking at Sasuke, leisurely observing this future teammate of his.
"Next, Uzumaki Naruto!"
When his name was called, everyone started whispering. They discussed quietly while occasionally glancing at Naruto.
"The dead last guy, is he going to use his Sexy Technique again?"
"Hahaha!"
"That's how he was kicked out by Iruka-sensei last time."
"How obscene! People who use that kind of Ninjutsu are so disgusting!"
The discussion even made Sasuke, who was leaving, to turn around and glance in the door's direction. Naruto happened to enter the classroom at this time, noticing Sasuke's gaze as he turned around.
The assessment was brief, typically not exceeding a minute, so Sasuke didn't leave, and chose to stand there.
After a moment of silence in the classroom, Iruka's voice, tinged with hesitation, announced, "Uzumaki Naruto, perfect score!"
'A perfect score? He got a perfect score too!'
The students outside the door showed surprised expressions, and the surroundings fell silent, 'That guy who was always the dead last had scored perfectly in the exam.'
Even though the Three Basic Techniques didn't represent the final overall score, it was a crucial part of the Ninjutsu assessment. If someone got a perfect score in the Three Basic Techniques, it meant that they were sure to graduate.
At this moment, the door opened, and Naruto walked out of the classroom. His gaze swept over everyone, finally stopping on Sasuke in the distance.
Sasuke's expression remained unchanged. He just glanced at Naruto and then turned to leave.
Naruto smiled and didn't take it to heart, 'As expected, he was very tsundere.'
After resolving his Chakra disorder problem, Naruto didn't spend much time mastering the Three Basic Techniques. It might also have something to do with the natural talent of this body, after all, he has the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan.
Mastering the Three Basic Techniques meant he no longer needed to worry about the Graduation Exam.
After the mock exam, they could leave directly. Naruto also didn't linger and walked straight out.
When passing by Hinata, Naruto remembered how she had helped him out yesterday, so he stopped to say thank you.
"I left in a hurry yesterday, so... I'm sorry I'm only thanking you now."
"Thank you for helping me out, Hinata-chan."
Hearing Naruto call her 'Hinata-chan' again, Hinata's cheeks immediately flushed a noticeable red. She seemed a bit embarrassed but also happy.
"I didn't really help much... You don't have to specifically thank me, Naruto-kun."
Hinata looked exceptionally cute when she spoke like this. She was wearing a long-sleeved training outfit that covered her fair arms, with short hair reaching her shoulders, and her skin was as plump and shiny as if it had been filled with milk.
No matter how one described her, just standing there, Hinata easily evoked the dignified aura of a Noble Clan's eldest daughter.
It was precisely this dignified yet slightly shy demeanor that made her even more stunning, probably the so-called 'noble lady' persona.
"Not at all, it's all thanks to you, Hinata-chan." Naruto said, noticing that Hinata was becoming more and more embarrassed.
Only then did he realized there seemed to be more eyes on them. Naruto immediately recalled that his relationship with Hinata wasn't close enough yet.
If he kept talking to her, it might lead to rumors about Hinata, so he knew it was time to retreat.
"I'll be going now, Hinata-chan. Anyway, thank you."
Naruto waved as he turned back and slowly left the Academy's hallway.
He thought to himself to prepare a gift next time he met Hinata, so it wouldn't seem too abrupt.
[Capturing Hinata, Kyubi's approval 2.2%]
The sudden mechanical voice in his mind startled Naruto.
Kyubi has always been a source of worry for him, and in the short term, it is indeed beneficial for him to gain Kyubi's power. However, Kyubi is just a stronger Chakra mass, essentially a temporary power.
Since it is a power, it is easy for others to covet it. Whether it is Konoha who wants to use him as a weapon, or various forces that want to capture Kyubi in the future.
Naruto is like a piece of meat on the chopping block. As long as a powerful person appears, they will target the Kyubi inside him.
To be honest, Naruto would rather Kyubi be far away from him, ideally finding a new home and never having anything to do with him again.
However, once Kyubi leaves his body, he, the Jinchuriki, couldn't survive. Such a heaven-defying setting made Naruto a bit frustrated. Since he now had the system, even if Kyubi is not in his body, Naruto can still use Kyubi's power.
So, wouldn't it be best if Kyubi didn't cling to him?
Naruto was very aware that having Kyubi was like Eren gaining the power of the Attack Titan. At the moment Eren gained that power, the things binding him were no longer the walls of Maria or the towering Titans, but the future that he saw, which symbolized his destiny.
His fate was determined the moment he gained the Attack Titan, and he was destined to be unable to break free of the shackles that forced him to make the choice to destroy the world.
The same is true for Naruto. Starting from obtaining Kyubi, to becoming the Child of Prophecy, and obtaining Sage Body. Step by step, it was not Naruto who chose to save the world, nor was it Naruto who chose to become a Hokage.
It was fate's doing. Everything seemed like an unbreakable shackle, forged by Jiraiya's death and Neji's blood, sacrificed for fate.
He wanted to take it easy, take it easy against that destined, unchangeable fate… to live for himself.
Nightfall.
By the river in the forest, a bonfire was burning slowly, and several fish were being slowly roasted over the fire.
A blond boy was fishing with a fishing rod. The moonlight in the forest was clear and still. Occasionally, the scales of fish could be seen glimmering on the rippling water.
The silent forest and the cold white crescent moon are reflected on the water.
With a rustling sound, a figure suddenly appeared beside Naruto, as if appearing out of thin air.
'Body Flicker Technique.'
Naruto had already sensed someone beside him and quickly turned to look. He then saw a Shinobi with long white hair standing in front of him.
"Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto exclaimed, pretending to be surprised, "Why are you here?"
The person who came was none other than Iruka's good friend, Konoha's top schemer, Mizuki.
At this moment, Mizuki didn't know that he was already under the surveillance of Sandaime Hokage's crystal ball, and smiled at Naruto with a gentle face.
"Naruto, do you want to become stronger?"
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