The sun rose over Konoha, painting the rooftops in golden hues. It was a calm morning, yet inside the Ninja Academy the air was thick with tension. The young candidates for the title of Genin waited in the halls—some practicing eagerly, others whispering nervously. None of them knew that this day would mark a turning point… not just for them, but for the entire village.
High in the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi was rolling up a scroll when he heard a soft knock against the window.
"Mmm… I knew you'd come," he said without turning.
A figure with blond hair, dark clothing, and eyes as blue as the sky slipped silently into the room, leaving behind a faint trace of energy. It was Naruto Namikaze… though he no longer looked like the clumsy child who had left the village five years earlier.
"Hello, old man," Naruto said, his voice calm and far too mature for his age. "I'm back."
The Hokage turned slowly. His eyes widened—not just at the sight of the boy he had thought lost, but at the overwhelming aura that surrounded him.
"Naruto… is it really you?"
"I've changed," Naruto replied simply. "I'm here to take the Genin exam."
Hiruzen studied him in silence. There was no detectable chakra in him, and yet… there was power. He could feel it in the air, like the silence before a storm.
"Your name was removed from the list years ago, my boy. We have no record of your training, no sensei to vouch for you. If I allow this, the clans will protest…"
"I don't care what they say. I want in. I'll show them I didn't break. And if they want proof…" He raised his hand, summoning a small sphere of radiant energy that pulsed with pure power. "…I can give it to them."
Sarutobi rubbed his forehead, sighing with a mix of worry and pride.
"You're just like your mother when she was angry… and as stubborn as your father when he made up his mind. Very well. You'll have your chance."
Naruto nodded, almost in disgust. He didn't smile. He was no longer that child who longed for approval. He didn't need to be seen. He was the truth the village had denied.
At the Academy, students were being called one by one for the final test. Arashi and Hikari Namikaze sat together, chatting with other classmates. Their demeanor was arrogant, self-assured. They were the Hokage's beloved children. Prodigies, as everyone said.
"I don't think anyone our age can compare to us," Hikari boasted, twirling a kunai. "Did you see that new guy in the reserve group? Who does he think he is?"
"Bah, I didn't even notice him," Arashi said with a dismissive laugh. "If he's not in the records, he's nobody."
At that moment, the classroom door opened. All eyes turned. Naruto stepped inside.
Silence.
Some students recognized him from rumors. Others didn't know who he was, but they felt a chill. His eyes—calm yet piercing—swept across the room without hesitation… until they briefly settled on Arashi and Hikari. They looked back at him… without recognition.
From the back row, Satsuki Uchiha frowned, her posture regal, her gaze sharp.
"Who's that?" she whispered to a classmate.
"I don't know. But the air… changed when he walked in."
Iruka Umino, the instructor in charge of the exam, raised an eyebrow.
"Naruto Namikaze?" he read from the list. "But you're not… how did you get in here?"
"The Hokage authorized it," Naruto answered, holding out an official seal. Iruka inspected it, swallowing nervously.
"Very well… if that's true, you may take the exam."
Naruto walked to an empty desk. As he sat down, he felt eyes on him—some curious, others irritated. He ignored them all.
The written test began. Twenty minutes later, Naruto was done. The knowledge he had gained through years of study with Shinkō far surpassed the Academy's basics. But he knew the real challenge was still to come.
And it did.
"All right, students," Iruka announced. "Now we move on to the practical exam: Clone Technique. Anyone who fails to produce at least one functional clone will not graduate."
One by one, the students were called forward. Arashi and Hikari passed effortlessly, creating multiple clones that even impressed Mizuki.
"Now… Naruto Namikaze," Iruka called.
Naruto stepped forward. His pace was slow but steady.
"You need to create at least one clone," Iruka reminded him.
Naruto nodded. He closed his eyes. He didn't make a single hand sign.
The others looked at each other, confused.
"What's he doing?" Arashi muttered.
Suddenly, a circle of golden light flared around Naruto. The energy hummed in the air. It wasn't chakra. It was something purer, wilder. Three identical figures emerged from his body—clones, not made of chakra, but of pure energy.
Solid. Real. With wills of their own.
Iruka's jaw dropped.
"This… this isn't a village technique… it isn't even ninjutsu…"
Naruto opened his eyes again. His clones dissolved into glowing dust, like stardust fading away.
"Is that enough?"
Still stunned, Iruka could only nod.
That night, in the Hokage Tower, an emergency council was convened.
"That boy has no chakra, and yet he passed the exam with an unknown technique!" Homura exclaimed.
"We cannot allow someone wielding… that kind of energy… unsupervised, to become a Genin," Koharu said coldly.
Hiruzen smoked in silence before speaking.
"The world is changing. And so has Naruto. We cannot control what we don't understand… but we can learn from it. He is a shinobi of Konoha, and he has the same right as any other. He will participate. And I will watch him closely."
Outside, under the night sky, Naruto stood before the Hokage Monument. His gaze lingered on the stone face of his father.
"Even though you all forgot me… I don't hate you. But this time… you will see me."
Inside, a deep voice echoed.
"And if they don't see you… we'll make them hear your roar."
"Draegor," Naruto whispered, a calm smile crossing his face.