"Be... prepared for any eventuality?"
The shop owner wiped his sweat, thinking to himself: Is the Graduation Exam so competitive nowadays? Do they really need five boxes of Kemuridama for self-defense?
Seeing the owner dazed and motionless, Naruto brow furrowed slightly.
"What, are you not selling?"
"Selling! Of course I'm selling!"
Only a fool would refuse to make money. The ninja tool shop owner snapped out of it and immediately turned to the warehouse to move the goods. Just then, the door curtain was lifted, and a vibrant young girl with hair in buns walked in.
"Uncle, I need to restock some Kunai... Eh?" Tenten-chan entered the room and was stunned by the mountain of supplies piled up before her.
Kemuridama, Senkodama, and bundles of Kibaku Fuda... Had he moved all the stock out of the warehouse?
"This is..." Tenten-chan looked at the refined junior student beside her, hesitating to speak.
"Just a little bit of pre-exam preparation." Naruto explained politely.
"A little bit of... preparation?"
"Tenten-chan pointed at the pile of munitions and supplies, enough to arm a whole platoon, and couldn't help but complain: "
"Are you going to participate in a Ninja World War? Why buy so many Kibaku Fuda? There must be several hundred of them. Can you really use them all?"
"This is just the basic configuration."
"Naruto pushed up his glasses and solemnly raised a finger to begin his explanation: "
"If you encounter an enemy when you have no Chakra, first throw one Kibaku Fuda to test the waters, then throw two to block their movement, and then throw three as a feint."
"What if the enemy isn't dead?" Tenten-chan was dazed by his elaborate theories and asked subconsciously.
"Then it's no ordinary enemy; heavy blows will be required."
"Naruto gaze became sharp. "
"I will send out twenty Kage Bunshin, each carrying twenty Kibaku Fuda for a saturation suicide bombing, ensuring not even ashes remain. If the enemy still isn't dead..."
"Wait..."
"Tenten-chan's mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but interrupt: "
"Didn't you say you'd use Kibaku Fuda when you have no Chakra? Then why can you still use Kage Bunshin?"
Naruto looked at her strangely. "No matter how low on Chakra I am, I should still have enough for a few Kage Bunshin, right?"
Tenten-chan was speechless. This junior seemed a bit...
"By the way, boss, I can't carry all this. Do you have any storage scrolls?" Naruto looked at the owner.
"I do, but they aren't cheap..."
"Give me two, large capacity. Don't try to fool me with inferior products."
...Half an hour later, Naruto walked out of the ninja tool shop. On the surface, he was still that refreshing boy dressed in deep blue clothes.
But in reality, his clothing lining, cuffs, inner pant legs, and even the layers of his shoe soles were stuffed with charms and hidden weapons ready to be triggered at any time.
And at his waist was an inconspicuous ninja tool pouch, containing two small storage scrolls packed to the brim. The scrolls contained enough supplies to start a small-scale war.
[Ding!]
[Mission Progress Update: Purchase and stockpile an excessive amount of ninja tools and medicine (1/1)]
"Phew... I feel much more at ease now." Naruto touched the bulging pouch and let out a long sigh of relief. "Next is the Graduation Exam. Although Mizuki has been dealt with, there's no guarantee other accidents won't happen. After all, the mastermind behind him is still unknown. Or perhaps... the exam questions suddenly get harder? The examiner is swapped? Or foreign village spies invade?"
Naruto, who was somewhat brainwashed by the Cautious Hero, now saw everyone as malicious.
"I must be prepared, with plans from A to Z. Plan A: Everything goes as expected, pass the exam using conventional Ninjutsu. Plan B: If targeted by the examiner, report to the Sandaime Hokage immediately. Plan C: If the Sandaime Hokage is an impostor, immediately release all Kemuridama and blow up the Hokage Building to create chaos..."
Meow—
A cat's meow came from the bushes by the roadside. Naruto turned his head sharply, three Shuriken instantly sliding into his hand, his sharp killing intent locking onto the bushes. The stray cat was so scared its fur stood on end and bolted up a tree. Only after confirming there were no Chakra fluctuations did Naruto breathe a sigh of relief.
"It seems I am indeed a bit too tense... but in this dangerous world, it's never wrong to be cautious." Naruto laughed self-deprecatingly and continued toward the school.
...At the Ninja Academy, the crowd was buzzing. Today was the day of the Graduation Exam.
In the crowd, Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, coldly watching the gate. "That guy... why isn't he here yet? Being late doesn't seem like his style."
Just then, Naruto walked over. He looked slightly more bloated than usual, his clothes appearing thick.
"Why are you wearing so much? Aren't you hot?" Sasuke looked at him with disdain.
Naruto smiled slightly, not explaining that he was wearing three layers of chainmail. "Sasuke, be absolutely careful during today's exam."
"Huh? What do you mean? Is someone going to attack the school?" Sasuke was stunned.
"If and I mean if foreign ninja suddenly invade, remember to stay close to me."
"..." Sasuke looked at Naruto as if he were an idiot. "You guy, you've gone crazy, haven't you?"
He felt Naruto was messing with him and walked into the school. Naruto looked at Sasuke defenseless back and sighed: "Sasuke-kun, you know nothing of the cruelty of this world."
...In the morning, the theory exam. Naruto finished the paper in ten minutes but spent fifty minutes checking it twenty times. Only after the paper was perfect did he hand it in.
In the afternoon, the basic Ninjutsu assessment.
"Naruto, Shuriken throwing, perfect score!" Iruka-sensei's eyelid twitched.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, perfect score. Henge no Jutsu, perfect score." Looking at the ten Narutos, Iruka-sensei suspected he was under Genjutsu.
Finally, the practical combat assessment. On the playground, everyone surrounded Naruto and Sasuke in the center. This was the battle for the top spot.
"Remember, the assessment is to be conducted with restraint! Especially you, Sasuke!" Iruka-sensei warned.
Sasuke looked at Naruto with fighting spirit. "As expected, in the end, only you are my opponent. For today, I've been training with my life on the line. Even you shouldn't think you can win easily!"
Sasuke formed the Seal of Confrontation. Naruto stood opposite him, also forming the seal. "Yeah, I'm also looking forward to your progress."
With Iruka-sensei's command, the battle was triggered instantly. Sasuke rushed out, his speed faster than before. However, what no one noticed was, at the very back of the watching crowd, an inconspicuous student wearing black-rimmed glasses stood silently watching. He pushed up his glasses and thought:
"Although everything is normal at the moment, to prevent anyone from launching a sneak attack during the duel... dangerous things like showing one's face in public should be left to a Kage Bunshin to handle. After all, true caution means not putting oneself in any possible danger."