[Konoha] Chapter 316: Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!

Time flows like water, and years pass in the blink of an eye.

It was now the 59th year of Konohagakure.

At the Konoha Ninja Academy, the fifth-year students were undergoing their periodic evaluations.

“Nara Shikamaru!”

Iruka called out the name.

The ever-lazy Shikamaru got up, sauntering to the podium. Under the watchful gaze of all the students in the classroom, he formed hand seals.

Poof!  

Two puffs of smoke rose on either side of him, revealing two clones.

Then, all three Shikamarus—including the original—transformed into Iruka’s likeness.

Iruka inspected them and nodded with satisfaction. “Nara Shikamaru, you pass!”

“Next, Akimichi Chƍji
”

One by one, students came up to demonstrate their proficiency in the Transformation and Clone Techniques, which were part of the Three Basic Jutsu.

The Substitution and Body Flicker Techniques, however, had already been assessed the previous day.

In truth, since the reforms by Minato Namikaze, the curriculum had expanded significantly. What was once called the Three Basic Jutsu was now the Four Basic Jutsu, but the old terminology persisted among veteran shinobi.

While the students performed, Naruto Uzumaki sat in the back, staring at Sasuke Uchiha’s back with barely concealed excitement. “That arrogant Sasuke—I’ll definitely shock him this time!”

Then his gaze shifted to Sakura Haruno, and his mind wandered into a daydream. “This kind of jutsu will totally blow Sakura away!”

“It’s an A-rank forbidden jutsu! Even most real shinobi can’t master it!”

The more he thought about it, the more thrilled Naruto became, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Iruka’s voice snapped him out of his fantasy. “Sasuke Uchiha!”

Sasuke rose, exuding his usual cool demeanor, hands casually stuffed into his pockets as he strode to the podium.

“That guy
 always so full of himself!”

Seeing girls like Sakura and others swooning over Sasuke’s every move made Naruto burn with jealousy. “Damn it
 I’m the son of the Hokage! How can I lose to this guy?”

“Hmph, aside from Sakura, the rest of them are just shallow fools.”

At the podium, Sasuke still had his hands in his pockets. Then, in an instant, with three bursts of smoke, he simultaneously performed the Clone and Transformation Techniques, producing three perfect Irukas.

Iruka nodded in approval. “Excellent. Perfect execution!”

Such a seamless combination of hand seals, clones, and transformations—his skill level was already on par with most genin.

As expected of an Uchiha
 Iruka thought to himself.

Over the years, the Uchiha clan’s reputation had soared past that of the HyĆ«ga clan, solidifying their position as Konoha’s, and arguably the ninja world’s, foremost family.

Starting with the prodigy Itachi Uchiha, more and more members of the Uchiha clan had awakened their Sharingan through their own efforts, breaking free from their supposed curse.

Additionally, under the enlightened policies of the Fourth Hokage, many Uchiha had integrated into Konoha and even taken key roles in the Ninja Alliance’s various institutions, such as the ANBU and Interrogation Department.

However, they no longer exclusively controlled the Konoha Police Force.

In short, both Konoha and the ninja world had undergone drastic changes in recent years.

“And it’s all thanks to Lord ShĆ«ichi
”

Iruka sighed inwardly before refocusing on the assessments.

Soon, it was Naruto Uzumaki’s turn.

“Finally, my time to shine!” Naruto stood up, laughing loudly.

“Good luck, Naruto!” Akimichi Chƍji cheered.

Inuzuka Kiba and other boys joined in, shouting their encouragement.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Hey, don’t get too carried away and mess up!”

Naruto grinned confidently. “Relax, Shikamaru. This time, I’m totally prepared. No way am I losing to that guy.”

As he spoke, he shot a glance at Sasuke.

Sasuke snorted lightly, ignoring Naruto’s antics.

Yamanaka Ino huffed. “That Naruto! Always picking on Sasuke—it’s so annoying!”

Sakura clenched her fist. “He needs to be taught a lesson!”

Naruto, oblivious, swaggered up to the podium. Raising his hands, he thought, It’s time to show them the power of an A-rank forbidden jutsu!

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Smoke filled the room, and four figures emerged amidst the haze.

The classroom fell into stunned silence as everyone stared at the four shadowy silhouettes.

Iruka’s face twitched.

Then, a seductive voice broke the silence. “Iruka-sensei
”

Iruka couldn’t hold it in any longer—his nose erupted with blood, and he collapsed on the spot.

“Hahaha!”

“Awesome, right? This is an A-rank forbidden jutsu passed down by the Pervy Sage!”

As Naruto dispelled the jutsu, he stood there laughing triumphantly over Iruka’s prone form.

Shikamaru slapped his forehead. “This guy
 always making a scene.”

Sakura and Ino both had black lines on their faces, utterly speechless.

Sasuke’s eye twitched before he turned away. “What a pointless jutsu.”

...

Hokage's Office

In the Hokage's office, Kushina Uzumaki was already brimming with excitement as she urged Minato Namikaze to use the Water Mirror Jutsu he had learned from ShĆ«ichi to observe Naruto's evaluation.

After witnessing Sasuke Uchiha's performance, Kushina couldn’t help but praise, “Mikoto's son is truly remarkable!”

Minato nodded with a smile. “Although his talent might be slightly below that of his brother Itachi, considering his identity as Indra’s reincarnation, his future achievements might surpass even Itachi's.”

Kushina remarked, “I heard that Itachi has already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan on his own!”

Minato sighed with admiration, “To rely on one’s own positive emotions to awaken the Sharingan requires immense inner strength and time. For Itachi to achieve this at his age is extraordinary.”

Though Itachi's achievements might pale slightly compared to Shisui Uchiha at the same age, Minato noted that their paths were different and thus not directly comparable. Even so, Itachi’s pace of awakening the Sharingan wasn’t considered slow within the Uchiha clan.

From the current trends, Minato surmised that Itachi achieving the Mangekyƍ Sharingan was only a matter of time. Once that happened and coupled with transplanted cells from the First Hokage, the ninja world would gain another pair of Eternal Mangekyƍ Sharingan, bolstering their defense against the ƌtsutsuki clan.

Looking even further ahead, Minato's thoughts shifted to his disciples’ children.

Among them, the eldest, Nawaki, was just three years younger than Naruto but already displayed astonishing power. Not only did he possess an impressive chakra reserve, but he had also awakened a formidable Wood Release ability.

From all appearances, Nawaki seemed destined to become another “Hashirama Senju.”

However, considering his disciples’ capabilities, Minato believed Nawaki's potential achievements would far exceed those of Hashirama.

Still, when Minato thought about how Nawaki often hung around Naruto, he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

“Both Naruto and Nawaki are so mischievous. Their personalities are nothing like mine or ShĆ«ichi’s!”

“But thankfully, they are both kind-hearted and get along well with everyone.”

Minato didn’t have high expectations for Naruto. Overall, he was quite satisfied with his son, especially for his kindness and the way he could connect with anyone—well, anyone except Sasuke Uchiha.

As for Naruto’s charm with women...

Minato secretly worried about his son’s lack of romantic prospects.

At that moment, Kushina’s voice broke his train of thought, “Minato, Naruto’s turn is starting!”

Focusing his attention, Minato watched as Naruto raised his hands.

The next second, the couple’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Boom!

Suddenly, Minato’s desk collapsed with a loud crash—crushed under Kushina’s fist.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Three Anbu appeared immediately, only to find their Hokage with an awkward smile on his face.

The three exchanged glances before swiftly disappearing.

“Jiraiya-sensei
”

Kushina’s red hair floated ominously as her fists clenched audibly.

Not wanting to be caught in the crossfire, Minato quickly offered, “If Nawaki and Naruto have been spending time together, it’s likely that he also learned this jutsu from Jiraiya-sensei.”

Hearing this, Kushina vanished in a flash. “I’m going to find Lady Tsunade!”

As Kushina stormed off, Minato exhaled in relief but couldn’t help worrying internally. “If Nawaki has also learned this, will Jiraiya-sensei survive Tsunade’s wrath?”

But recalling ShĆ«ichi’s abilities, Minato quickly shifted gears and called for a replacement desk.

---

Elsewhere

Kushina stormed into the research base to complain to Tsunade about Jiraiya’s actions.

Tsunade’s response was immediate and furious. “That idiot Jiraiya!”

---

Hot Springs District

On a rooftop in the hot springs area, Jiraiya was “gathering inspiration” when he suddenly sneezed. Below, shrieks and shouts erupted.

Jiraiya quickly fled, using transformation and clone techniques to evade capture. Just as he emerged from an alley, however, he found Tsunade and Kushina blocking his path.

“Tsunade, Kushina! What a coincidence to see you here!” Jiraiya greeted them with a forced smile, his guard already up.

He sensed danger radiating from the two women—especially Tsunade, who stood with her cursed mark activated and her hands on her hips. This wasn’t a friendly meeting.

“Could it be they caught wind of my earlier... activities?”

Jiraiya speculated nervously, preparing to flee at any moment.

“Jiraiya-sensei, did you teach Naruto and Nawaki a new technique?” Kushina demanded.

Before Jiraiya could respond, Tsunade barked, “Enough questions—catch him first, talk later!”

With that, she lunged forward.

“Just as I thought
”

Jiraiya bolted.

Boom!

Tsunade’s punch obliterated the ground but missed its target.

Seeing this, Kushina joined in, unleashing her chains to ensnare the fleeing Jiraiya.

Each time they caught him, however, it turned out to be a clone or substitution.

“There, he’s over there!”

Tsunade roared, leaping after him, and Kushina followed close behind, leaving chaos in their wake.

Jiraiya, dodging frantically, muttered to himself, “One of them, I could handle. But both Tsunade and Kushina? This is bad.”

As they closed in, Jiraiya gave a resigned smile. “Looks like I have no choice but to use that jutsu!”

He formed hand seals. “Reverse Summoning Technique!”

In an instant, Jiraiya vanished and reappeared beside Gamabunta in Mount Myƍboku.

“Ha! Tsunade and Kushina must be so shocked right now!”

Gamabunta looked at the suddenly appearing Jiraiya with confusion. “What are you doing here all of a sudden?”

“Did you finally perfect that space-time ninjutsu you were working on?”

Jiraiya grinned proudly. “What do you think? Not bad, right? This jutsu lets me travel here on my own without you having to summon me!”

This technique, developed after studying ShĆ«ichi’s notes on space-time ninjutsu, was based on the Reverse Summoning Technique. It allowed Jiraiya to transport himself to any location with which he shared a summoning contract.

Though it resembled the Flying Thunder God Technique, it had far more limitations.

It required a summoning contract and couldn’t redirect attacks like the Flying Thunder God could.

Still, for escaping, it was incredibly effective.

---

In Konoha Village, Tsunade and Kushina stood at the spot where Jiraiya had disappeared, both wearing puzzled expressions.

"Was that a clone?" Kushina asked uncertainly.

Tsunade frowned and shook her head. "No."

"It looked like a Reverse Summoning Technique, but it seems more complicated than that."

Kushina was startled. "Could it be that Jiraiya-sensei has developed a new space-time ninjutsu?"

"I recall Jiraiya-sensei borrowing the space-time ninjutsu notes compiled by Shƫichi from Minato not long ago," Kushina added.

Tsunade snorted coldly. "It seems he really has created a new space-time ninjutsu. That guy... He clearly has talent for ninjutsu but insists on wasting it on frivolous techniques."

With Jiraiya having escaped, the two women decided to head back and wait to discipline Naruto and Nawaki after school.

---

Konoha Ninja Academy

Order had been restored in the classroom. Iruka had wiped away his nosebleed, and all the student evaluations were completed.

Iruka announced, "Next, all students who passed the evaluation must write down the chakra nature they want to study next. Submit it tomorrow."

A triumphant Naruto immediately shouted, "Iruka-sensei, I want to learn Wind Release nature transformation!"

Iruka became exasperated and yelled, "Write it down on paper and submit it tomorrow!"

"And you must consult your parents for their advice!"

"Especially you, Naruto. I will personally confirm with the Fourth Hokage. You are absolutely not allowed to make the decision on your own!"

Naruto pouted upon hearing this and muttered, "Uncle Shƫichi would definitely support me!"

"He even said I'll become the strongest Wind Release ninja someday!"

Shikamaru Nara couldn’t help but roll his eyes. "Lord ShĆ«ichi was probably just messing with you."

"After all, he once told me that I’d become the greatest Shadow Imitation Technique ninja."

Chƍji Akimichi quickly added, "And me too!"

At that moment, Iruka tapped the podium to regain their attention. "Now, I will go over the theory of chakra nature transformation again."

"Everyone must pay close attention. I will test you on this tomorrow."

The classroom quieted down as Iruka began explaining the principles of chakra nature transformation.

However, Naruto’s thoughts had already drifted far away. He didn’t catch a single word of Iruka’s lecture.

Meanwhile, Sasuke Uchiha was also distracted.

He had already memorized the theory of nature transformation backward and forward. There was no need for him to listen.

Instead, he was eagerly anticipating learning Fire Release nature transformation from his father and surprising his brother Itachi when he returned.

(End of Chapter)