Konoha Ninja Academy, Graduation Class
The classroom was empty save for three unlucky souls waiting in boredom.
"Hssss—! Hssss—!"
The sharp, serpent-like exhales echoed through the room. Kakashi lounged lazily in his seat, flipping through the latest Icha Icha Paradise with his lone visible eye, though his gaze kept drifting toward the other two boys.
The source of the hissing was a blond, blue-eyed teenager with whisker-like marks on his cheeks—none other than Uzumaki Naruto, now grown.
Dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and loose orange pants, his physique was noticeably more muscular after five years of training under Might Guy. Instead of a forehead protector, he wore a dark sweatband, his hands wrapped tightly in bandages as he relentlessly punched the air with silver knuckle dusters.
Each strike was precise, his movements sharp and powerful, weighted cuffs on his arms and legs adding to the intensity.
"Hssss—!"
Air hissed through his teeth as the Konoha headband tied around his right shoulder fluttered with each punch—as if he were literally carrying the weight of the village.
And in a way, he was.
When Kakashi had asked why Naruto didn't wear his forehead protector on his head, the answer had been… unexpected.
"Hikari said the Hokage is someone who carries Konoha forward. So I put my headband on my shoulder—because one day, I'll carry the whole village on my back."
Carry the whole village.
Kakashi thought of the Fourth Hokage, of the Nine-Tails that had nearly destroyed Konoha. Naruto had been burdened with the village's fate since birth.
And with his monstrous chakra reserves and terrifying taijutsu talent, he just might pull it off.
That single statement had been enough to earn Kakashi's respect.
"Shing—!"
A blade sliced through the air with a shrill whistle. Kakashi's eye flicked to the other boy.
Uchiha Sasuke, clad in a white kimono emblazoned with his clan's crest, stood with perfect posture, a straight sword held in a middle guard. His crimson eyes were sharp, his movements fluid as he executed basic suburi strikes.
His swordsmanship had improved drastically.
Kakashi observed the precision of each cut—the blade's path flawless, the power controlled yet effortless. If this were the old era, Sasuke would already be called a master.
Over the years, Sasuke had sought Kakashi's guidance, and out of respect for his late friend, Kakashi had taught him the White Fang's techniques. The Uchiha had merged it with his clan's kenjutsu, forging his own style.
Still rough, but undeniably his own.
Watching Sasuke casually activate his two-tomoe Sharingan without a care for chakra drain, Kakashi sighed.
The Uchiha really are blessed.
He returned to his book.
But for once, even Icha Icha felt dull.
His students were too talented.
Hikari was a monster disguised as a human, so she didn't count. But if Naruto and Sasuke surpassed him too soon…
The thought of becoming the weakest on the team—of being trained by his own students—sent a cold sweat down his back.
…I'll double my training starting tomorrow.
For now, he indulged in his book.
Tomorrow's problem.
---
CLICK.
The door handle turned.
Three heads snapped up as Hikari finally strolled in.
Meeting their unamused stares, she delivered the classic line:
"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life—"
"LAME!" Naruto and Sasuke shouted in unison.
"SHING—!"
Sasuke's blade ignited with flames, slashing toward Hikari's shoulder in a kisagari strike.
Naruto, already lunging, drove a wind-charged fist straight at her face.
WHOOSH!
The attacks were sudden—enough to fluster most jōnin.
But Hikari's hands, wreathed in lightning, intercepted them effortlessly, as if the boys had aimed for her palms.
CLANG! CRACK!
Fist, blade, and lightning clashed. Wind, fire, and thunder collided in a storm of chakra, their clothes whipping violently in the shockwave.
Kakashi's Icha Icha pages flapped wildly as he calmly tucked the book—and the two bells on his waist—into his vest.
Yeah, no.
No way was he testing these three with bell training.
He valued his life.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were already struggling.
Sweat beaded on their brows as they poured every drop of chakra into their attacks—only for Hikari to stand there, unfazed, her grip unyielding.
Their weapons trembled in their hands.
But neither felt frustration.
Years of sparring, of challenges, of failure, had burned one truth into their minds:
Hikari was unbeatable.
The stronger they grew, the more they realized how far ahead she was. These days, they couldn't even understand her training.
She didn't even seem to try, yet she kept getting stronger.
Like steel compared to flesh—it wasn't a fair fight.
CRUNCH.
Metal groaned.
Their eyes widened as their weapons bent in Hikari's grip.
Naruto's knuckle dusters cracked. Sasuke's prized blade warped, the edge crimped with five distinct finger marks.
"We surrender!"
Hikari released them immediately.
Naruto and Sasuke stared at their ruined gear in dismay.
Naruto's cheap knuckle dusters were shattered. Sasuke's expensive sword looked like crumpled paper.
…Somehow, seeing Sasuke's pained expression made Naruto feel slightly better.
"This is why you shouldn't pick fights," Hikari said innocently, examining her flawless hands.
Metal was just too fragile compared to her body.
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance.
Rule 1: Hikari cannot be defeated.
Rule 2: Do not argue with her. Ever.
Rule 3: She does not operate on human logic.
These were the three laws of surviving Hikari.
Sure, she looked gentle—kind, even. The whole village adored her.
But they knew better.
Beneath that smile was pure, unrelenting tyranny.
"Now that you've settled your… disagreement," Kakashi drawled, reappearing, "let's skip introductions. Meet me at Training Ground 3 for your final graduation exam."
"Final exam?"
Naruto and Sasuke blinked.
They'd never heard of this. Once you got your headband, you were a genin, right?
Kakashi didn't explain, vanishing in a puff of smoke.
Hikari followed, frowning.
The timeline was shifting.
Her mere presence had altered everything.
Naruto and Sasuke, influenced by her, had both pursued taijutsu and ninjutsu fusion—a path never taken in the original story.
Sakura, unwilling to be left behind, had become a medic-nin.
Key events had been erased.
Even the bell test had changed.
She hadn't meant to disrupt the plot. But like a boulder dropped onto paper, everything had warped around her.
The stronger she grew, the more the future blurred.
Her foresight was fading.
But it didn't matter.
Her Sage Body was nearing its third stage. Her Byakugan's evolution was months away—she could feel it.
The One-Tail, Magnet Release, even an improved Edo Tensei… all would come to her soon.
The moon's passage eluded her, her sheer weight grounding her. She needed the Light-Weight Rock Technique.
The Land of Earth awaited.
The Monkey Sage Tribe. The Hyūga. The Akatsuki. Obito.
Once her eyes evolved, she'd deal with them all.
For now, this brief genin life was her final respite.
---
Training Ground 3
Kakashi led them deep into the forest, the sound of rushing water growing louder.
Naruto, impatient, pressed about the exam.
Kakashi's answer chilled them.
"Oh, the final test? It's brutal. Fail, and you're back to the Academy for another year."
A pause.
"My pass rate? Zero."
Naruto and Sasuke paled.
Hikari smirked.
This would be fun.