"Naruto, you had to perform the Substitution, Clone, and Transformation Techniques consecutively in order to pass the test," Iruka said with a fake smile, which Naruto easily recognized.
He has already seen this kind of fake smile so many times from the villagers who are less brave and choose to act like they tolerate his existence as to not risk the ire of the Fourth Hokage that he can easily spot it a mile away.
Little did the villagers know that he was the one who tolerated their existence, not the other way around. If it wasn't for the fact that there's still something interesting in the village, he might already erase it in the face of the world.
Naruto started to perform the Substitution Technique by substituting himself with the chair in the corner. He quickly follows by performing the normal Clone Technique and creates an identical copy next to him.
He didn't see the need to use advanced cloning techniques—not like he will gain by showing it to everyone at this moment anyway.
Finally, Naruto performs the Transformation Technique and, in a puff of smoke, transforms into Iruka without a flaw.
"Congratulations, Naruto. You pass!" Iruka said with a fake smile, yet inwardly surprised to see Naruto pass the test.
"Well done," Mizuki said with the same smile, but Naruto easily saw that he was hiding his anger, which intrigued Naruto further.
As opposed to many smiles and exclamations of joy, the other students show Naruto simply bow and say thank you with a blank look in their faces.
Naruto grabs one of the forehead protectors on the table, and before he could leave, Iruka and Mizuki tell him to report to the academy in exactly a week from now to meet his assigned three-man squad.
Naruto just gives a single nod before making his way outside, putting the forehead protector in his pocket as opposed to wearing it around his head so proudly like most of the students who just become ninja.
While walking towards the exit of the academy, Naruto wears an annoyed expression on his face for a few moments before turning back to an indifferent expression.
Naruto knows that there's no running away like he wanted to because his 'family' is currently standing in front of the entrance. While he could teleport away, he was sure that Minato would definitely sense him.
It was still too early to show his capabilities, and he had to endure interacting with his so-called 'family.'
Minato sees Naruto, who is slowly making his way towards the entrance of the academy, and doesn't know whether to smile or frown. His eldest son and the child he and his wife have severely neglected for years now.
Minato was happy to see his son, especially the new attire he wears, but at the same time felt a sharp pang of guilt at how he didn't see Naruto grow up and mature into this.
He and Kushina didn't intend for this situation to turn into this.
Kushina, who also saw Naruto, had a small smile formed on her face, though her eyes reflected her true feelings. The realization of the amount of damage she has done to her eldest son has brought a deep feeling of self-loathing within her.
On many nights Minato had to comfort her to sleep. But she is determined to right the wrong she committed no matter how long it takes. She will rebuild her family.
Minato and Kushina try everything to rebuild their relationship with their eldest son throughout these past 7 years, but nothing changes.
Even though the progress of rebuilding their family hasn't been accomplished yet, both Minato and Kushina will never give up until they rebuild their family and make up for the mistake they committed.
Yayoi, who had also been waiting for Naruto, and upon seeing the latter, a bright smile immediately appeared on her face. She has been desperately trying to connect with her older brother for the past 7 years.
When she was younger, she used to make fun of him and convince all the kids at the academy not to play with him. She would even pull pranks and place blame on Naruto.
She was younger and foolish, and she acknowledges her mistake. Right now she just wants to be his sister and rebuild their family and be happy together.
While watching Naruto, who is slowly approaching, she notices that Naruto didn't wear the forehead protector on his head.
'Oh no! Did he fail?! 'Yayoi,' she thought to herself in worry.
Menma resists the urge to scoff after seeing Naruto. He honestly makes him sick seeing Naruto.
Naruto has always been and will be good at ruining everything in Menma's eyes. The family was planning on going out to celebrate the fact that he, Mito, and Yayoi managed to graduate from the academy with flying colors when out of nowhere their parents demanded they wait for Naruto.
Menma didn't understand why they had to make Naruto part of everything they do. They have never done it before. Naruto was always left out of everything, so what is so different now?
'I knew it,' Menma smirked after noticing the lack of forehead protector in Naruto.
Mito simply looked at Naruto indifferently. Unlike the rest of her family, she is impartial about Naruto. She knows that his parents feel guilty about neglecting Naruto, but they tried to reconnect with him only for him to shut them out.
She knows that he is dead last in their generation, but he only has himself to blame for that. Naruto turned down the opportunity to train with them. He also cultivated a reputation for troublemaking for himself.
What can you do for someone like that? All in all, she cares little for him, or at least that is what she tells herself.
Naruto, who just happened to take his first step in the gate when Yayoi was running towards him. At first he thinks about sidestepping and letting her fall but decides against it.
The reason is simple: he still didn't want to show his capabilities, especially in front of Kushina and Minato. Even though he is considered an official ninja of the leaf now that he has the forehead protector and he can finally stop suppressing himself, Naruto has a feeling that the test to become a leaf ninja hasn't stopped yet, or more like hasn't truly begun.
"Big brother!" Yayoi said while hugging Naruto tightly.
"Did you pass?" Yayoi added while looking straight into her brother's indifferent eyes.
Naruto is thinking about how to handle the situation while making sure he wouldn't prolong his interaction with the rest of his 'family' when suddenly someone speaks, snapping Naruto back to reality.
"No, he didn't. Are you even surprised?" Menma suddenly said while smirking.
Minato, Kushina, Mito, and Yayoi ignored Menma's comment and stared at Naruto, waiting for his response. Seeing the situation, he takes the forehead protector from his pocket and shows it to everyone.
"Congratulations, Naruto. I'm proud of you," Minato said with a big smile on his face.
Naruto just gave a small nod and said calmly, "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
Minato flinched at how Naruto called him. Minato couldn't remember the last time Naruto called him father.
Naruto then breaks himself from Yayoi's hug, and before the conversation continues, he knows he has to end it.
"I'll be seeing you all later," Naruto calmly said before turning around and slowly walking far away from them.
Kushina looks down in sadness, unable to stare at the back of her eldest son, who is slowly getting away. She suddenly feels Minato's arm wrap around her, which makes her turn her head to face Minato.
"Give him some time, Kushina. He'll come around eventually," Minato said softly.
"Right, guys, what do you say we go out and celebrate your graduation?" Minato said while looking at his children.
"What about big brother Naruto?" Yayoi asks sadly.
"Your brother wants to be left alone right now," Kushina responds.
In the forest
It's already night, but Naruto is still currently traversing the forest as he is currently looking for a cursed spirit to exorcise.
The Village Hidden in the Leaf rarely experiences the attacks of the cursed spirit thanks to Naruto's constant exorcism, which made the jujutsu sorcerers who had been tasked to eliminate the cursed spirit in the Leaf relocate to another nation, be it another ninja village or civilian town; it doesn't matter, really.
Still, the processes are incredibly painful due to the fact that, unlike in the Celestia Continent, where the higher-ups know the existence of jujutsu sorcerers, in the Elemental Continent the existence of jujutsu sorcerers wasn't known.
This made the movements of the jujutsu sorcerers in the Elemental Continent slow to act and made Naruto have to work twice as hard with minimal results.
The only reasons why the Elemental Continent isn't infested with cursed spirits are due to the barriers that were placed by Tengen, who made the birth of the cursed spirit in the Elemental Continent lower, but in return, the Celestia Continent constantly gave birth to cursed spirits at a faster rate.