Naruto's performance in the final assessment was ridiculously high-profile.
He crushed every opponent that stepped onto the field.
Same-year students.
Upperclassmen.
Didn't matter.
All of them went down cleanly.
In the end, he easily took first place.
No suspense. No struggle. No miracles.
Just pure domination.
If this were gambling, the odds on him would've been 1:1000.
To the Third Hokage, however, this result wasn't surprising at all.
Naruto's current strength was already comparable to Kakashi and Minato at the same age.
Even some Tokubetsu Jōnin who specialized in combat might not beat him.
After all—
A jinchūriki was practically born for fighting.
A walking weapon shaped like a kid.
In the future, he would become one of the village's sharpest blades.
But compared to strength…
What Hiruzen cared about more was something else.
Did Naruto care about the village?
Did he care about the companions around him?
Because if Naruto had bonds, he wouldn't lose control.
And if he didn't lose control…
The Nine-Tails wouldn't either.
From the current situation, Naruto had already built relationships at the Academy.
Even that Uchiha boy—Sasuke—was included.
Still, that wasn't a bad thing.
Bonds were chains.
Chains kept people from going crazy.
Which was also why Hiruzen hadn't told Naruto about his true identity yet.
On one hand, revealing it too early might burden his growth.
On the other…
Compared to the cold stares of the villagers, the friendships at school would feel even more precious.
And Naruto would cling to them tighter.
Old man psychology tactics.
Not very pretty.
But effective.
After confirming Naruto had taken first place, the Third Hokage closed the crystal ball.
He leaned back in his chair and muttered,
"Now… what gift should I bring on the next home visit… and what excuse should I use this time…"
Every time Naruto asked about his parents, he had to lie with a straight face.
It was honestly more tiring than fighting a war.
But that was a problem for later.
Right now—
The Uchiha were the real headache.
Their preparations for a coup were barely even hidden anymore.
If the Uchiha really rebelled, the village would suffer massive losses.
And his Hokage seat?
Gone.
Losing the position didn't matter much.
But if Danzō took over…
That was a disaster waiting to happen.
The office door creaked open.
Danzō walked in, leaning on his cane.
The moment he smelled the smoke, he frowned.
He hated Hiruzen's smoking.
On missions, bad habits meant weaknesses.
But in his eyes, Hiruzen himself was already the biggest weakness.
If it weren't for the severe rejection from Hashirama cells and Sharingan implants…
He might've replaced this old fool long ago.
Hiruzen sighed and stubbed out his pipe.
"You're here about the Uchiha again?"
Danzō nodded and sat down.
"All the spies I planted inside the Uchiha are dead."
Hiruzen frowned. "You planted spies without informing me?"
Danzō ignored him.
"That's not important. What matters is this—those people handled logistics for the Police Force. Now we've completely lost control. They can launch a coup anytime."
Silence filled the room.
Then Danzō said coldly,
"It's time to act first. Strike before they rebel."
He paused.
"I'll mobilize Root. We eliminate them all. Leave no survivors. Then announce they attempted rebellion."
Simple.
Clean.
Bloody.
Very Danzō.
Hiruzen sighed deeply.
"The risks are too great. I believe Itachi can persuade Fugaku. There's no need for war between the village and the Uchiha."
Danzō's plan was efficient.
But too ruthless.
And once blood was spilled, other clans would panic.
The other great villages might attack.
Worse—
Even with Root and ANBU combined, they might not overpower the Uchiha Police Force easily.
If their strength was damaged, the remaining clans would start eyeing the Hokage seat too.
Politics was messier than any battlefield.
Danzō spoke quietly,
"I'll convince Itachi. Between the clan and the village… he'll choose correctly."
Hiruzen waved his hand tiredly.
"We'll talk later. Leave me alone for now."
For the first time in a long while—
The Hokage felt powerless.
As Danzō left, he glanced back at the office.
Disappointment flashed in his eyes.
Hiruzen… you're old.
The young you would never hesitate.
Someone like you shouldn't still be sitting in that chair.
With both Senju and Uchiha power… the final winner can only be me.
Meanwhile, at the Academy—
Naruto, who had just demolished everyone in combat assessment, became the center of attention.
Students whispered nonstop.
Some admired him.
Some envied him.
Some were just jealous.
And a few muttered bitterly,
"Damn fox… how is that fair?"
Letting a jinchūriki take the same test as normal kids was basically cheating.
Like putting a tiger into a rabbit race.
But complaints changed nothing.
First place was still first place.
In the teachers' office, Iruka was grading papers with a proud smile.
Other teachers kept teasing him.
"Treat us to dinner!"
"Your student took first place!"
Iruka scratched his head awkwardly.
He was happy.
But also worried.
Naruto had changed too much over the past six months.
Too fast.
The boy who used to be gloomy and isolated had suddenly become sunny and cheerful.
It felt… strange.
Still, it was a good change.
He couldn't exactly tell the kid to go back to being depressed.
That would be insane.
Mizuki walked over with a smile.
"Iruka, why the long face? Teaching a problem child like Naruto and still getting first place—your teaching skills must've improved. Maybe you'll be promoted to senior teacher."
Iruka shook his head.
"It's not my credit. Naruto's just too talented. He even applied for early graduation half a year ago, but the Hokage rejected it."
Mizuki laughed.
"You're too honest. Don't overthink everything."
Then he lowered his voice.
"By the way… I'm taking a vacation soon. Got a pretty lucrative mission. Interested in coming along?"
Iruka blinked. "What mission?"
"Just escorting goods to the Land of Rice Fields. Easy money. Won't take many days."
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