Chapter 265 — Graduation Examination
Ōnoki's decision seemed to make him exhale a long breath of stale air, leaving him noticeably more relaxed.
"Yes!" Kitsuchi accepted happily. As long as the order came from his father, he had no complaints.
The fleet docked soon after. Kitsuchi led a squad ashore and swept through the island.
Just as expected—
Not a single person remained.
The entire Hidden Mist Village was deserted. Still, traces of activity showed they had evacuated only the day before.
Kitsuchi returned to report this to Ōnoki. Without hesitation, Ōnoki ordered him to burn the island down.
Before long, pillars of black smoke rose from every corner. Fueled by Fire Release, the flames spread rapidly, devouring buildings and forests alike.
---
Offshore — Hidden Mist Anbu Lookouts
A few Mist-nin stationed at sea watched grimly.
They had been placed there by Yagura to monitor Iwagakure's movements.
Soon, they saw the island engulfed in flames.
Their expressions darkened.
To burn an entire homeland—
Even for hardened shinobi, it was a cruel sight.
Anger burned in their chests, but strength dictated reality. They could only watch silently.
They stayed for hours, waiting until Iwagakure's fleet finally retreated beyond the horizon. Only then did they dare approach the island.
But the temperature was still far too intense.
The fire had raged from noon till late afternoon without stopping. The surrounding seawater boiled, and countless white-bellied fish floated to the surface—cooked alive.
Unable to get closer, the Mist-nin circled the island from afar before returning to sea.
---
Hours Later — A Hidden Island
The group reached a much smaller, heavily forested island—about half the size of their original home. But it was enough to house their current population.
They pushed through dense vegetation until rows of newly constructed wooden houses came into view.
Inside one of them, the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, was writing at a low desk.
The scouts reported everything they had seen.
Upon hearing that Iwagakure failed to find them and burned the island in frustration, Yagura merely scoffed.
It was only an island.
In a vast ocean full of them, they could build anew anywhere.
He had already learned a bitter truth:
As long as the people survive, the village survives.
"Good work. Go rest."
After dismissing them, Yagura continued writing, unfazed.
---
A Year Later — Konoha Village
Konoha had changed dramatically.
The village was bustling, modernized, almost indistinguishable from a small rural town from the year 2018. Buildings looked newer, cleaner, and more organized.
Walking down the street, Uchiha Fugaku sometimes felt transported straight back to that distant summer of 2018.
Nearly everyone was staring at their smartphones—true "head-downers."
The sight always made him chuckle.
Just then, his phone rang.
He answered—and immediately got hit by a loud voice.
"Uncle! Where are you?! Sasuke and I are about to start our exam!"
Fugaku smiled. "I'm coming, I'm coming. I'll be there right away."
"Hurry!!"
Naruto hung up without waiting.
Fugaku quickened his pace toward the Ninja Academy.
Today was Naruto and Sasuke's early graduation exam.
According to Uchiha Itachi, the two boys had already surpassed the Academy curriculum. Staying longer would simply waste their time—they should graduate early and gain field experience through missions.
Under Itachi's guidance, both had developed solid fundamentals and learned far more Ninjutsu than regular students.
In fact, they had been eligible to graduate six months earlier, taking first and second place in every evaluation. But Itachi deliberately held them back so they would graduate alongside this year's class.
Excited, Naruto and Sasuke had invited their families to watch them pass the exam.
Uchiha Mikoto and Itachi had already arrived. Fugaku had only been delayed by paperwork at the Hokage Building.
And Naruto, of course, had invited Shizune and Hoshigaki Kisame. Kisame had formally requested leave just for today.
Fugaku had approved it instantly.
As he neared the Academy gate, Naruto called again—more impatient this time.
Sighing, Fugaku answered first. "I'm already here. I'm at the gate. I'm coming in now."
Naruto coughed, swallowed his complaints, and shouted, "Okay!" before hanging up again.
At the gate, Naruto and Sasuke came running.
"Uncle!!"
Naruto waved wildly, face glowing with excitement.
Sasuke, shy but happy, waved as well.
"You're finally here! You're so slow! We waited until the flowers wilted!"
Naruto grabbed Fugaku's hand and continued chattering.
Sasuke quietly took Fugaku's other hand.
The three walked toward the playground, where the graduation test would be conducted under homeroom teacher Iruka Umino and two other chunin examiners.
Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi, Shizune (holding Tonton), and Kisame were already there.
Standing beside Mikoto were Yakushi Nono and Kabuto—they had come as well.
"All right, all right. I'll go join your mother. You two go take your exam."
"Okay!"
Naruto grinned at Sasuke, then jogged toward Iruka.
Iruka and the two chunin bowed quickly when they noticed Fugaku.
"Hokage-sama!"
Fugaku waved them off. "No need to go easy on them. Use the standard early-graduation criteria."
Iruka nodded. He knew their strength well—upping the difficulty wouldn't trouble Naruto or Sasuke at all.
---