Chapter 66 My wife’s encouragement!

"I wonder what the exam questions will be this year?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm sure I'll pass."

"Tch, so confident, huh? Do you think you're Sasuke-kun?!"

"As the top student, Sasuke will definitely pass the graduation exam with the highest score again."

"Handsome, cool, and good grades. Sasuke is too perfect, isn't he?"

Before the teacher arrived, the tiered classroom was noisy.

The students were discussing animatedly.

Among them, the most discussed person was naturally Uchiha Sasuke, followed by Ino Yamanaka and others.

Naruto sat in the corner by the window in the back row, not playing pranks, nor interested in being a show-off. He even kept a certain distance from the original protagonist group members, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke.

"During the exams and team assignments, I need to stay away from Sakura and Sasuke. I don't want to have any 'kiss of the century' moment."

Naruto's peripheral vision glanced at the playground outside the window. His slightly childish round face seemed calm, but his heart was quite active.

No doubt.

Naruto's accidental kiss with Sasuke while squatting on the desk was definitely one of the most famous scenes in the entire Hokage series.

The class bell rang, and Iruka Umino, wearing a green standardized Ninja vest, walked into the classroom as scheduled. He stood at the podium, holding a clipboard in one hand and his other hand behind his back, and loudly announced, "Everyone quiet, listen up... The graduation exam topic is the Clone Jutsu—!!"

His voice paused for a moment.

Iruka Umino's gaze swept across the tiered classroom, finding the bored Naruto in the "King's Seat" at the back by the window.

"Naruto, that kid. I already leaked the exam question to him a few days ago. I wonder how well he's practiced the Three Body Technique. Don't mess up at the crucial moment."

With a thought, Iruka Umino continued, "Students whose names are called, please go to the classroom next door in order for the Clone Jutsu exam..."

"Cough, cough."

An old cough came from outside the classroom, interrupting Iruka Umino.

A white-haired old man, wearing a white Hokage robe, a red Ninja uniform underneath, a Hokage hat, with a face full of wrinkles, and still holding a pipe in his mouth, walked into the classroom.

"Ho... Hokage-sama!"

Iruka Umino was extremely surprised why Hiruzen Sarutobi would come.

"It's Lord Third Hokage."

"Incredible, why is he here?"

"Co... Could it be that Hokage-sama is personally supervising the exam?!"

"I'm so nervous. If I perform well, will I be praised by Hokage-sama?"

The students in the classroom suddenly burst into an uproar, each incredibly excited, as if they had seen an idol.

In fact, Hiruzen Sarutobi's status in the hearts of Konoha villagers and ordinary Ninja was still very high.

Naruto was also a little surprised.

According to the original plot, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not appear at the examination site.

"Cough."

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand to his mouth and let out a dry cough, and the noisy classroom immediately quieted down.

"I believe this batch of students is exceptionally talented. If we only test them on the Clone Jutsu, it would be difficult to showcase their abilities, which would be a bit of a pity and prevent us from better assigning them based on their potential."

"Hokage-sama, do you mean...?"

Iruka Umino seemed to guess something.

"That's right."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Naruto and Sasuke. A kind smile appeared on his aged face: "I suggest that the graduation exam topic be changed to... actual combat!"

Immediately, the classroom erupted in an uproar.

"It's actual combat!"

"Great, I'm not very confident with the Clone Jutsu, but actual combat can truly show a person's potential."

"Oh, whoever gets paired with Sasuke is the unluckiest."

"I hope to be paired with the dead last, Uzumaki Naruto, hehe~"

"Ninja God bless me, let me have actual combat with Uzumaki Naruto."

For a moment, Naruto became the hot favorite among many classmates.

The surroundings were filled with "wolf-like" gazes.

Naruto couldn't help but be stunned, smiling and shaking his head, not caring in his heart.

One can only say "ignorance is bliss."

With Naruto's current strength, let alone the little rookies who haven't graduated from the Ninja Academy, even Kakashi Hatake, who was hailed as a genius since childhood, became a Jonin at only 12 years old, and was known as the "Copy Ninja," could not have defeated Naruto at the same age of 12.

Currently, Naruto's aptitude and potential are uniquely "Phantom God" level!

Even pure Ōtsutsuki bloodline can only bow their heads and rank T0.

The reason is simple... The System!!

Right now, his talent and aptitude might not have accumulated to the height of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, but Naruto has infinite possibilities and infinite room for growth.

"Alright, everyone, hurry up and follow me. We're going to the training ground for the actual combat exam."

Iruka Umino picked up the clipboard with the roster in one hand, and patted it with the other, leading the way and guiding the students to the training ground together.

In the classroom next door, Mizuki-sensei was still waiting alone.

Because the classroom was well soundproofed, he had no idea that the exam topic had changed. He was even plotting in his heart how to instigate Naruto to steal the Scroll of Seals, and then he would happily play the role of a "mantis stalking the cicada."

At the training ground, Iruka Umino proactively handed the clipboard with the roster to Hiruzen Sarutobi, allowing Hiruzen Sarutobi to arrange the actual combat matchups.

Hiruzen Sarutobi flipped through the roster, randomly picking a few students for actual combat as a warm-up, and then moved on to his objective—

"Next actual combat... Uchiha Sasuke..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi finally called out the name that everyone was reluctant to hear.

The students who had already completed their actual combat looked calm, even a little smug, because they hadn't encountered Uchiha Sasuke.

However, the students who had not yet undergone actual combat were extremely nervous, each silently praying in their hearts that they wouldn't be paired with Uchiha Sasuke.

"Versus... Uzumaki Naruto!!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi put down the clipboard.

"What?!"

Iruka Umino, standing nearby, suddenly widened his eyes.

"Ho... Hokage-sama... Is there a mistake? Naruto's grades aren't outstanding in class. He's just a... a..."

Iruka Umino didn't want to belittle Naruto as a dead last, but grades spoke louder than words. Naruto was indeed a dead last. How could he fight Uchiha Sasuke, who was the top student of the Ninja Academy?

Moreover, the actual combat matchups were not randomly selected but arranged by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself. He could have easily separated Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.

But why...

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't explain, smiling as he said, "Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, please come onto the training ground."

Uchiha Sasuke walked onto the training ground expressionlessly.

Naruto stood opposite him.

The surrounding classmates either cheered, jeered, or breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good thing it's not me."

"Heh heh, the school's number one versus the school's last place. This will be interesting to watch."

"What's there to see? Sasuke will definitely instantly defeat Uzumaki Naruto."

"Naruto is so pitiful."

"Go, Sasuke~! You're the best~~~"

"Dead last, you're leaking oil, dead last, you're leaking oil, you're not worthy of being Sasuke's opponent~!"

A group of infatuated female classmates cheered for Sasuke and booed Naruto.

Hinata, seeing this, clenched her small fists, a little angry.

She couldn't stand so many girls looking down on the person she liked.

Hinata, who was timid and loved peace, finally got angry.

Finally, mustering immense courage, she bent forward, cupped her small hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and as if using all her strength, shouted, "Naruto-kun! Go for it!!!