Chapter 375: Graduation Season!

The news of the stolen Sealed Book being recovered caused little stir in the village. The main reason was that the theft occurred in the Hokage's office, and such incidents were rarely publicized. Another factor was consideration for Kurama Yakumo.

After all, he was just a 12-year-old child who had been manipulated. At the Kurama clan's request, Minato Namikaze decided to let the matter slide. This incident also brought Kurama Yakumo's exceptional talent for illusions to Minato's attention. Tsunade was invited to help condition Kurama Yakumo's body.

Several months later, Naruto Uzumaki's class finally faced their long-awaited graduation exam.

Ninja Academy

Unlike usual, even though it was Wednesday, the entire academy was unusually quiet. The playground was empty, and there were no teachers giving lectures in the classrooms.

However, a tense atmosphere loomed over the school.

The first part of the graduation exam was a written test. The exam paper covered knowledge from all grades of the academy, making it a comprehensive assessment. To pass, students needed a solid foundation.

To prevent cheating, all students except for the exam candidates were given a day off. The vacant classrooms were used as exam halls. Since the number of candidates was relatively small and the school had many classrooms, each room housed only a few students, ensuring a considerable distance between them.

Each exam room had two invigilators—one stationed at the front and the other at the back—to monitor the candidates.

At a window seat in one of the classrooms, Naruto Uzumaki sat biting the tip of his pen, a frustrated expression on his face. Despite being the son of Hokage Minato and Konoha Hospital's vice president, Kushina, who were both top students in their time, Naruto himself was far from academically gifted.

If the exam had been a test of physical prowess or combat ability, he would have been confident in his success. However, when it came to written exams, Naruto struggled immensely.

"Damn it!" Naruto grumbled, staring at the exam paper in frustration. The page was filled with densely packed questions, yet his answer section was nearly blank, with only a few scattered, hesitant scribbles.

Nearly ten minutes had passed since the exam began, yet Naruto could count his completed answers on one hand.

"Ugh!"

After racking his brain fruitlessly, Naruto leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. He knew there was no way he would pass.

"That examinee—what's going on with you?" The invigilator, noticing Naruto's movement, frowned and walked over. He suspected Naruto was attempting to cheat and thus spoke in a firm tone.

"I'm done! Handing in my paper!" Naruto quickly scrawled his name at the top of the test sheet, covered it with a draft paper, and, ignoring the stunned gazes of his classmates, stood up, put his hands behind his head, and strolled out of the exam room.

The invigilator was taken aback. As he picked up Naruto's exam paper, he muttered, "Finished already? That was fast!"

But when he flipped it over, he was speechless.

"..."

"This is basically a blank sheet."

With a sigh, the invigilator placed the paper aside. Seeing the other students looking curiously in his direction, he rapped the table and barked, "What are you all staring at? Focus on your own exams!"

After a brief discussion with another teacher, he left the classroom, taking Naruto's paper with him. Arriving at the principal's office, he knocked on the door.

A voice answered from inside.

"Come in!"

Uzumaki Raiden, the academy principal, was reading a book when he looked up to see who had entered.

"Kimura, what brings you here?" Raiden recognized the man—an unassuming Chunin in his 30s who was known for his serious, traditional approach to teaching. He was highly dedicated to his students and respected among the faculty.

"Principal, I'd like you to take a look at this exam paper."

Kimura placed Naruto Uzumaki's test paper on Raiden's desk.

"An exam paper? The test just started not long ago. Someone finished already?"

"Let me guess—must be some prodigy. Is it Senju Karin? I heard she consistently scores top marks, unlike that rookie, Nawaki."

Kimura remained silent, an awkward expression on his face.

Raiden picked up the paper, initially glancing at the back. "Oh? A blank sheet? Which idiot handed this in? What a waste of years of study."

As he flipped the paper over and saw the name, his smile disappeared, and the office fell into a strange silence.

Kimura noticed the veins pulsing on the back of Raiden's hand as he gripped the paper, signaling his rising anger. Without saying another word, Kimura discreetly stepped out and closed the door behind him.

Before he had walked far, Raiden's furious roar echoed through the hall.

"You little brat, Naruto, you're dead meat!"

Kimura chuckled to himself. "Hard to imagine that a warrior like Uzumaki Raiden, who crawled out of the battlefield, could lose his temper like this."

Shaking his head, he sighed and returned to the exam hall to continue invigilating.

The Playground

Since the academy was in lockdown during the exams, even students who had finished early weren't allowed to leave.

Naruto, having submitted his test early, was wandering aimlessly around the empty playground. After a while, feeling tired, he plopped onto a swing and stretched, enjoying the morning sunlight.

"That's weird... why do I feel so cold all of a sudden?"

There was no wind blowing, yet a chill crept up his spine. Turning around, Naruto's eyes widened in shock.

"Uncle?"

Behind him stood Uzumaki Raiden, wearing a grim expression and holding a rolled-up exam paper in his hand. The sight sent a shiver down Naruto's back.

Naruto gulped, sensing danger. "Uh, Uncle Raiden…?"

"You little brat! You embarrassed me!"

Raiden grabbed Naruto by the collar, hoisted him up, and proceeded to give him a noogie, drilling his knuckles into Naruto's head.

Naruto let out muffled cries, struggling helplessly, slapping the ground frantically in surrender.

After a while, Raiden finally let go, sighing as he tossed the test paper at Naruto. Rubbing his head, Naruto picked up the paper and gawked at the score—4 out of 150.

Feeling indignant, he muttered, "I really tried, but I just don't get these questions!"

Raiden's voice softened. "Naruto, have you really tried? Be honest with yourself."

Naruto wanted to argue, but Raiden pointed at the swing beside him.

"Most of these questions were basic. You could have answered at least some of them. I'm not angry just because you scored poorly—I'm angry because you gave up before even trying."

"You didn't even read all the questions, did you?"

Naruto turned the test over and scanned the questions properly. Sure enough, some were simple ones he could have attempted. His expression changed.

Raiden sighed. "It's fine to struggle in an exam. Not everyone is naturally gifted in academics. But no matter your skill, you need the right attitude—whether it's in class or in battle."

"You can't just give up and rely on combat skills alone."

Naruto clenched his fists. "I'd never back down in a fight!"

Raiden studied Naruto's determined gaze and chose not to argue further. "We'll see in time."

"Your score is recorded. There's no way you'll pass the written test, so prepare for the combat assessment. Don't mess that up too."

"Take the test paper home and have Minato and Kushina sign it. I'll collect it tomorrow."

As he left, Raiden added, "Think about what I said."

Naruto stared at the bold red "4" on his test paper, deep in thought.

At noon, the written test officially ended, and the students who had finished gathered in the school playground, discussing their answers.

"It's over, it's over! This exam was way too hard—I left so many questions blank," Choji Akimichi groaned.

Walking beside him, Shikamaru sighed. "Don't stress over it. Even if you fail, there's still the practical test. With your strength, you'll definitely pass."

Choji had always struggled with written exams, usually ranking near the bottom of the class. Hearing Shikamaru's reassurance, he felt slightly better.

As they walked, they spotted Naruto sitting on a swing, staring off into the distance. Shikamaru frowned, then patted Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" he asked with concern.

Naruto, hearing his name, turned his head. There was a rare seriousness in his eyes.

"Oh, Shikamaru, Choji... You guys finished the exam?" His voice lacked its usual energy.

Shikamaru and Choji exchanged glances. "Yeah, it's over. Why are you still here? How'd your test go?" Shikamaru asked.

At his question, Naruto lowered his head.

After a pause, he hesitantly asked, "Hey, Choji... did you answer all the questions? I mean, did you at least read through the entire exam?"

Naruto and Choji typically scored about the same—both ranking at the bottom of the class.

"Of course!" Choji responded. "Even if I didn't know the answers, I still filled them in!"

"If I get them right, great! If I get them wrong, well... there's nothing I can do," he added, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.

Choji was aware of his poor academic performance, and while he was usually embarrassed to talk about his grades, he had no reservations in front of Naruto and Shikamaru. After all, they were his closest friends.

"...I see."

After a moment of silence, Naruto stood up and walked toward the school gate. No matter how much Shikamaru and Choji called after him, he didn't respond.

By the time Naruto returned home, evening had already fallen.

Kushina was in the kitchen preparing dinner, while Minato sat on the sofa reading a newspaper. Beside him, Yoriichi was engrossed in a book titled Strong Perseverance and Tolerance, creating a peaceful, harmonious scene.

"I'm home," Naruto mumbled, changing his shoes at the entrance. Without another word, he walked straight to his room and shut the door.

"Naruto, don't go back to your room yet! Dinner's ready!" Kushina called out, unaware that anything was wrong.

Minato, however, noticed his son's unusual behavior. Setting down the newspaper, he walked to Naruto's door and knocked gently.

"Naruto? What's wrong?" His voice was calm, yet firm. "Come on, it's time to eat."

Silence.

Minato sighed. "Naruto, if you don't open the door, I'm coming in."

Still no response.

Frowning slightly, Minato pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Naruto was sitting at his desk, staring blankly ahead as if lost in thought.

Minato walked over and waved a hand in front of his son's face. "Naruto? You're completely out of it. What's going on?"

Naruto blinked, then slowly sat up. "Dad... I need you to sign something."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled exam paper and handed it over.

Minato took the paper, scanned it, and immediately understood the reason behind Naruto's mood.

He hesitated, considering whether to offer words of encouragement. In the end, he decided against it and instead said gently, "It's okay to struggle sometimes. Just make sure you don't make the same mistakes next time."

"Naruto, if you want to be a great ninja, you don't need perfect test scores."

"Exams are just a tool, not the goal. Some learning methods won't suit you, and that's fine—you'll find your own way to grow."

"I believe in you."

Minato didn't know exactly what had happened, but given the situation, it wasn't hard to piece it together. The fact that Naruto's graded exam had ended up in his hands, with a signature requirement no less, had Uzumaki Raiden's fingerprints all over it.

Understanding Raiden's intent, Minato played along, his calm support balancing out Raiden's stricter approach.

After speaking, Minato quietly left the room, allowing Naruto time to reflect.

That night, as hunger gnawed at his stomach, Naruto finally emerged from his room. Scanning the living room, he spotted a neatly wrapped meal waiting for him on the table.

Looking at the food, a small smile crept onto his face.

Meanwhile, at the academy, the classrooms and offices remained brightly lit. Teachers worked late into the night, grading test papers and compiling rankings in preparation for the upcoming practical assessment.

(End of Chapter)