Of course, Naruto wasn't the only one who had changed. Under his influence, the entire dynamic of the class had shifted.
Hinata, naturally, was the first and most profoundly affected. As she grew closer to Naruto, her strength increased rapidly, and her personality underwent a subtle but powerful transformation. She let her hair grow long, and while she remained gentle and mild-mannered, she gradually became more outgoing. The shy, reserved girl who used to hide in the background was slowly replaced by a more confident young woman.
Her skills had evolved as well. After her conversations with Naruto, Hinata finally found her own understanding of the Gentle Fist. She began to focus more on its defensive applications, transforming it into a fighting style that suited her protective nature. She had even started to create her own unique techniques, centered around the concept of a "Guardian Eight Trigrams Palm." The essence of this style was protection—of herself and, more importantly, of those she cared about. While not an absolute defense, once Hinata entered this stance, it became incredibly difficult for an opponent to break through and land a damaging blow. She could then use that defense as a platform for offense, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
It wasn't just Hinata. Ino, Sakura, Kiba, and even Shino were all caught in the whirlwind of Naruto's progress. For Ino, the year had been one of rebuilding. Losing her friendship with Sakura had left her depressed for a long time, but seeing Hinata work so hard for Naruto inspired her to find her own strength. Sakura, too, was driven by a new desperation. She remembered Iruka's words about needing matching strength to stand beside Sasuke, and she couldn't stand the thought of being left behind by Hinata.
Kiba, who had always believed that academics were useless for a strong ninja, was incensed to see the former "dead-last" excelling in every category. He also dreamed of becoming Hokage and refused to lose to Naruto. Shino, ever the quiet observer, envied Naruto's ability to be the center of attention. Whether as a loser or a prodigy, Naruto was always seen. To break out of his own shell of invisibility, Shino also began to train with a desperate intensity. The only two who remained largely unchanged were, of course, Choji and Shikamaru. Shikamaru, in particular, held fast to his motto of living a simple, untroubled life, sleeping through any and all disruptions to the status quo.
Iruka saw all of this, and his feelings about Naruto's performance went beyond mere pride. It was breathtaking. A year ago, Naruto had been a carefree troublemaker whom no one liked or recognized. Now, he had been completely reborn—strong, accomplished, and confident. It felt as if Iruka had witnessed the birth of a miracle.
The year passed in the blink of an eye. Under the system's guidance and through his own relentless effort, Naruto had undergone a complete transformation. Finally, the graduation assessment season arrived. The exam covered academics, ninjutsu, and sparring, and Naruto faced it all with absolute confidence. He aced his academic subjects, earned a perfect score on the Transformation Jutsu, and easily defeated his opponent in the sparring match. Unfortunately, he wasn't paired against Sasuke.
On graduation day, the day the teams would be assigned, Iruka stepped onto the podium, his heart filled with emotion as he looked out at the children who were about to become true ninja.
He coughed, clearing his throat. "Now, let's announce the final results. The student who has earned first place is..."
The entire class leaned forward, their curiosity piqued. Naruto, however, simply crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and allowed a small, knowing smile to grace his lips.
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Even though they had seen it coming, hearing the name spoken aloud still sent a shockwave through the room.
"It really is him!"
"The dead-last student actually became number one in the graduation exam?!"
"What do you mean 'dead-last'? He's been a top student for ages!"
"I know, but it still feels like a dream..."
Hinata's tightly clenched hands trembled. A sweet, happy smile spread across her face. "Naruto-kun... that's wonderful. Congratulations."
Ino's eyes were wide with disbelief. "He actually did it?"
Sakura found it even more unbelievable. *That Naruto... the useless loser who used to follow me around every day... he actually became number one? Not only above me, but he even surpassed Sasuke-kun... How could this be? Did I really misjudge him so badly?*
Of course, the most intense reaction came from Sasuke. Though he was mentally prepared, he couldn't stop his fists from clenching when he heard Naruto's name. *Naruto, you really did it. Hmph. But this is just an academy assessment. The most important thing for a ninja is strength. It's a pity we didn't get to fight. But once we're real ninja, I'll have my chance to truly challenge you. I will never lose to anyone again until I kill that man.*
As for Naruto himself, he wasn't as excited as one might expect. For him, this was simply the natural outcome. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional, though. *More than a year ago, I could never have imagined this day would come. Graduating first in class... Back then, I would have been happy just to graduate at all.* He sighed quietly. *Thank you, system. Thank you, Iruka-sensei. And thank you, Hinata. And of course... I have to thank myself for never giving up.*
He chuckled softly, accepting the shock and admiration from his classmates with an easy grace. He knew he deserved it. No one could erase the incredible effort he had put in, the countless hours spent sweating, practicing with shadow clones until he was on the verge of death, spurred on by the system's painful discipline. This result was worthy of all the hardships he had endured.
From the podium, Iruka looked down at the student he cared for most and smiled.
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