The Ninja Academy's graduation rate was already high. After all, the Three Basic Techniques Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Technique were fundamentals every student was expected to master. In the original timeline, Naruto only barely passed because of his poor chakra control caused by the Nine-Tails' interference, and Mizuki later exploited him into stealing the Forbidden Scroll.
But that version of events never fully unfolded the same way anymore.
Mizuki was still Mizuki.
Naruto, however, was no longer the same.
So Mizuki never got his chance.
"Hahaha! Tomorrow we get our genin headbands! We're officially genin starting tomorrow!"
Naruto laughed loudly, wrapping an arm around Sasuke's neck.
Sasuke's face twisted in disgust as he shoved him away.
"Genin? Why are you so excited? With our strength, we're already basically Chunin level."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Both of them had already surpassed the standard genin tier. Their combat ability, chakra control, and real battle experience were all far beyond rookie ninjas.
Sasuke's Sharingan had also evolved into two tomoe. The growth wasn't from training alone it was tied to emotional stress. Another nightmare about the Uchiha clan massacre had pushed his eyes further.
Naruto, on the other hand, still avoided touching the Nine-Tails' seal directly with Chinatsu around. In his mind, his future development path was something he could "leave to Jiraiya later."
That was enough for now.
Naruto grinned. "Sasuke, do you think sister prepared a feast for us?"
Sasuke scoffed. "Feast? Be realistic. A hamburger is already lucky. Knowing her cooking…"
Naruto immediately nodded. "Even black pepper steak is fine!"
Sasuke paused. "…That's already dangerous food."
"Still eating it!"
"…You're hopeless."
The two continued arguing while walking casually back to the Uchiha residence.
Just as Sasuke predicted, Chinatsu had prepared food for their graduation celebration.
Two oversized hamburgers. Double beef. Excessively stacked.
Naruto and Sasuke stared at them.
Then at each other.
Same thought.
"I knew it."
"Of course it's this again."
Chinatsu tilted her head. "What? Not satisfied?"
Naruto immediately shook his head. "No! Sister's food is the best!"
Both of them grabbed the burgers and started eating without hesitation.
It wasn't gourmet. It wasn't refined.
But it was Chinatsu's cooking.
That alone made it enough.
Meanwhile, other students returned home in excitement, announcing their genin status.
Among them, Hinata Hyuga was especially happy.
She had successfully passed the Transformation test by turning into Chinatsu.
"Dad! Dad! I became a genin!"
Hiashi Hyuga froze for a moment, then quietly pulled her into a hug.
Since Hinata's past kidnapping incident, the emotional distance between father and daughter had slowly changed. Hiashi's strictness hadn't disappeared completely, but warmth had begun to replace it.
"Congratulations, sister!"
Hyuga Hanabi, her younger sister, shyly congratulated her before quickly running off again.
Hiashi lifted Hinata up and spun her around several times before placing her down gently.
"Hinata. Keep improving. You are the future of the Hyuga clan."
Hinata smiled brightly. "Yes! I'll become strong like Chinatsu-neechan!"
Hiashi paused.
"… Chinatsu?"
That Uchiha girl.
Why was Hinata so attached to her?
But seeing Hinata's smile, he didn't interrupt. At least for now, that influence didn't seem harmful.
Probably.
Chinatsu, meanwhile, if she had heard this, would've responded very differently.
"If I really wanted, I could turn her into a mini powerhouse with starter Chunin-level combat ability and still smiling through it."
Hiashi: "Mini… what?"
Over the past four years, Chinatsu had also unintentionally influenced Konoha culture.
Figurines of her appearance had quietly started circulating in shops.
She didn't fully understand why.
But she didn't hate it either.
The next day arrived.
Graduation day.
Genin headbands were distributed, and students were assigned their teams under jōnin instructors.
This part followed the original timeline closely.
Team assignments:
Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno… and Kakashi Hatake.
But things didn't go smoothly.
Sakura arrived early. No Naruto. No Sasuke. No Kakashi.
"…Where are they?"
She blinked in confusion.
At the Uchiha residence, Naruto and Sasuke were still sitting inside.
They had been stopped.
Chinatsu had told them not to rush.
"It's fine. Your instructor probably won't arrive on time anyway. Why stand outside and suffer under the sun?"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a glance.
Then nodded.
"…That makes sense."
Sasuke asked, "Sister, do you know our teacher?"
Chinatsu crossed her arms.
"Know him? No."
Her cheeks puffed slightly.
"Kakashi? I've tried extracting something useful from him for four years. Nothing worked."
Naruto and Sasuke didn't ask further.
Instead, they sat down and began meditating.
About thirty minutes later, Chinatsu finally waved them off.
"Alright. You can go now."
Then she added casually:
"Oh, and your teacher will probably test you with bells. Don't hold back. He's a jōnin. He won't die."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
Naruto and Sasuke immediately became alert.
"A jōnin?"
Their eyes sharpened.
Blood started pumping.
"Let's go, Sasuke!"
"Yeah."
The two left full of fighting spirit.
At the same time, somewhere else in Konoha…
Kakashi slowly closed his book, Icha Icha Paradise.
"…Time to meet those three brats."
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