Second by second passed, and the time now showed 8 PM.
Naruto let out a sigh. He slowly stood up from his seat, tidied the books he had been reading, and made his way out of the infirmary.
As he walked, he looked down the hallway of the classrooms. As far as the eye could see, the corridor stretched out wide, with wooden floors adding a sense of simplicity to the place.
Honestly, Naruto found it a bit strange. In this world, things like TVs and refrigerators already existed, but the buildings in Konoha still looked rather old-fashioned. Even though they used concrete, the interior design felt outdated. Not that Naruto disliked it—he was just thinking about it.
As he approached the academy's gate, he noticed someone waiting for him.
The figure looked straight at him. It was Mizuki.
"Mizuki-sensei? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked flatly, without much emotion.
Mizuki turned toward him, raising an eyebrow. Finally, you show up, brat... he muttered internally.
He stepped forward, putting on a warm smile.
"Naruto, I want to tell you a secret..." he said suddenly.
Naruto's face showed skepticism. "What do you mean, sensei?"
His gaze was doubtful, which irritated Mizuki a little.
"Hey, I'm serious..." he insisted. "You know, I once heard that Lord Hokage is keeping a scroll filled with powerful jutsu in a certain room," his voice dramatic and overly expressive.
But while Mizuki was trying to lure him, a voice echoed from within.
"Indra… you're being watched again," Kurama warned, flatly and briefly.
Hearing this, Naruto expanded his sensory perception, and sure enough, he sensed chakra threads scattered around.
So, the old man still wants to keep an eye on me. But good… at least with this, I can join the game… he thought to himself.
In front of him, Mizuki kept rambling enthusiastically. He tried every trick to persuade Naruto into 'stealing' or borrowing the scroll.
"And later, we'll read it together in the eastern forest," he finished, then looked at Naruto's face.
Naruto's face remained blank. He pretended to think, pinching his chin repeatedly. After closing his eyes for a moment, he exclaimed,
"Alright! I'll do it!"
Naruto flashed a bright smile. He acted like he had fallen for the trap, which thrilled Mizuki.
Looking around cautiously and ensuring no one was nearby, Mizuki leaned in and whispered into Naruto's ear.
"Come to the Hokage's office at 9. The guards will be on break at that time. Then look for a room with 'Storage' written above it."
"Inside, find the scroll that looks the most mysterious," he whispered slowly, making sure Naruto understood.
Naruto quickly nodded. He looked back at Mizuki's face. "Alright then, wait for me. I'll come to the forest later..."
Without saying goodbye, Naruto walked away. He left Mizuki without another word.
Mizuki, watching from behind, didn't like the attitude—but with something more important in mind, he quickly brushed it off.
Before heading to the eastern forest, Mizuki made sure to wrap up all his business first so as not to raise any suspicion. He didn't want to leave any trace, especially since he planned to leave the village for good.
Meanwhile, Naruto walked casually.
His hands were folded behind his head—a rather strange pose, but it felt comfortable.
"It's not 9 yet. I wonder what I should do in the meantime..." he murmured.
Then, he suddenly remembered a certain short woman he hadn't visited in a while. "Ah, how about some ramen..." he thought briefly.
"Yeah. I haven't been there in a while," he said softly, picking up his pace to find the Ichiraku stand.
Once he found it, he entered, pulling aside the hanging curtain with his right hand.
"Welcome. What would you like to order?" Ayame greeted without even looking up. She was busy wiping a dirty table.
Naruto didn't answer. He just watched Ayame's smooth movements as she worked, her face glistening with sweat.
Ayame stopped suddenly. Since there was no reply, she turned to see who had entered.
And so, their eyes met.
They stared at each other for three seconds, then Ayame quickly looked away.
She didn't want to look at Naruto's face. Even when he wasn't around, that annoying face still echoed in her mind.
"Hey, I'm here... aren't you going to say something?" Naruto's voice broke the silence.
Ayame glanced sideways. "Surprised you showed up... did you finally remember the way here?" she said coldly.
"No, I didn't forget. I've just been a bit busy lately," Naruto quickly offered an excuse.
"Busy? What kind of busy stops you from dropping by even once?" she asked again, her tone sharp and her eyes staring straight ahead, clearly annoyed.
"Ahem," Naruto cleared his throat and tried to look at her gently.
In truth, he was confused. Was Ayame really angry because he hadn't visited? Or was there something else he didn't know?
"You know, Ayame-chan?" he called her by name.
Ayame's body instantly straightened at the sound of her name. "Yeah... what?" she replied softly.
Naruto sighed. "You know? I just passed the graduation exam. I'm finally a genin now..."
His tone was calm but loud enough for her to hear clearly.
Naruto pulled out a small scroll from his pocket and opened it. A small puff of smoke appeared, revealing a forehead protector with Konoha's symbol at the center.
Ayame's eyes widened. She had heard rumors about the graduation exam, but seeing Naruto pass and officially become a ninja made her genuinely happy.
A smile formed on her lips. She suddenly left for the kitchen without saying a word.
Naruto watched her small back but said nothing. He glanced around. Other villagers were also eating, and while their eyes occasionally met his, there was no longer the same hatred.
They still didn't like Naruto, but now that his behavior was improving, and he no longer disturbed anyone—along with the Hokage's guidance—they could at least tolerate him.
"Not bad at all," Naruto mumbled.
Until—
"What! Naruto passed and became a genin!??" a loud voice echoed from the kitchen.
Naruto simply smiled. Now he understood why Ayame had left. That little shorty... she really does care, he thought warmly.
"Naruto! Ayame said you passed and became a genin?" Teuchi appeared hurriedly, carrying three bowls of ramen.
He placed them in front of Naruto and stared at him intensely.
"Yeah, it's true... but what's all this? I haven't even ordered anything," Naruto said.
Teuchi smiled awkwardly. Next to him, Ayame was trying not to laugh.
"Ahem, just consider it a gift from me... and Naruto, congratulations on graduating..." his words were full of sincerity. Then, Teuchi quickly returned to the back, leaving the two of them alone.
"Uncle?" Naruto was confused. He looked at Ayame, but she just shook her head.
Soon, the sound of soft sobbing could be heard.
Ayame and Naruto looked at each other—and they laughed.
That voice—they both knew exactly who it belonged to. They weren't laughing for any deep reason, just because the moment was funny.
And with that, Naruto spent his time at Ichiraku. Chatting with Ayame and occasionally teasing her.
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"Haha, I thought I was going to die. Damn, I survived."
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