"The winner: Naruto Uzumaki."
Kitazawa announced the result calmly.
Class 1-A erupted in shock.
Naruto had always shown good potential, but his opponent was Sasuke Uchiha, the prodigy everyone recognized. And from start to finish, Sasuke had held the advantage on the battlefield.
Naruto's last-second burst of speed and chakra shocked everyone.
"Seriously… Naruto won?"
Choji's jaw dropped, the potato chip in his hand forgotten.
"I didn't expect this at all," Ino murmured, equally stunned.
Compared to Naruto, Sasuke fit the "genius" label perfectly.
Ever since enrollment, Sasuke's performance in every field had been flawless.
Naruto, meanwhile, had been a disaster when he first entered the Academy.
"This is insane!"
Kiba groaned. "Who learns a B-rank jutsu like the Shadow Clone Technique at age six!?"
Even as an Inuzuka clan prodigy, he suddenly felt painfully average.
"Don't forget, Sasuke pulled off a B-rank Fire Style: Great Dragon Flame Jutsu," Shikamaru added.
"But Naruto's win wasn't because of Shadow Clones. It was his speed."
"My kikaichū can't move that fast yet," Shino said quietly.
"Is that from Guy-sensei's training?"
Choji remembered Naruto mentioning some "special regimen."
"Naruto deserved that win," Ino shivered.
Might Guy's training wasn't something normal humans were supposed to survive.
"Sasuke-kun… how…?"
Sakura took a step back, pale.
Ino glanced at her, obviously, Ino had won their bet. Sasuke lost first place in the combat exam, and Shikamaru likely topped the written exam.
Then the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, laughed warmly.
"Excellent work, Naruto!"
This was the happiest he'd felt since the Nine-Tails incident. Naruto was both the son of the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. The stronger Naruto grew, the safer Konoha would be.
A jinchūriki's power usually came from the tailed beast, but Naruto himself clearly had talent.
The Yellow Flash + Nine-Tails Jinchūriki…
Minato Namikaze + Kushina Uzumaki…
Just thinking about it made Hiruzen want to break into undignified laughter. Konoha's future looked bright.
And it wasn't only Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Shino, and others had also performed well. This truly was a golden generation.
System Prompt Appears
[Current Mission: Help Naruto defeat Sasuke at least once.]
[Reward: +0.1 card of max chakra capacity]
[Mission complete. Reward delivered.]
He now possessed elite jōnin-level strength, solid even among upper jōnin.
But this world revolved around bloodlines. A mere elite jōnin without a powerful lineage became a background character by the end.
Bloodline was everything.
Hard to get…
But "hard" was better than impossible.
And thanks to his system, he already surpassed most shinobi.
"Don't touch me!"
Sasuke's frustrated voice broke his thoughts.
Naruto had tried to help him up, but Sasuke slapped his hand away.
Kitazawa understood. Sasuke had always been called a prodigy, always crushed his peers. Seeing Naruto rapidly catch up, no, surpass him, was hard to swallow. If Naruto had always been strong, Sasuke might've accepted it. But watching him grow step by step and then lose… that stung.
"Iruka, tally the scores," Kitazawa said, handing over his sheet.
Sasuke's current mental state made this the perfect moment for a new mission.
Kitazawa approached.
Sasuke stayed silent, he couldn't snap at someone who helped him so much. But today shook his entire worldview.
Almost losing to Shikamaru…
Seeing Hinata and Shino's strength…
And now losing to Naruto.
Why couldn't he become number one as effortlessly as Itachi?
"Failure means nothing, you're an Uchiha," Kitazawa said.
"I don't deserve to be one," Sasuke muttered stiffly.
He pictured his father's disappointment… his brother's quiet, unreachable brilliance…
"Did you forget the Uchiha's true power?" Kitazawa asked.
"The Sharingan."
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Hinata has her Byakugan. Shikamaru has his clan's Shadow Jutsu. Shino has his kikaichū. Naruto has taijutsu and insane chakra volume."
Kitazawa continued:
"And you? You've only shown half of what makes an Uchiha."
Sasuke froze.
If he awakened the Sharingan…
Then,
"I can beat all of them once I awaken it!"
But he deflated almost immediately.
How does he awaken it?
"Kitazawa-sensei… can you help me awaken my Sharingan?"
Logically, he shouldn't ask an outsider for help. But everything, Shikamaru's growth, Hinata's progress, Naruto's transformation, had Kitazawa at the center.
Naruto, especially…
He used to fail even basic Clone Jutsu. Now he defeated him.
This man was abnormal.
System Prompt
[A genius needs rivals. Help your destined rival Sasuke escape confusion.]
[Mission: Help Sasuke awaken the Sharingan.]
[Reward: Proficient-level Yin Release chakra nature transformation.]
Kitazawa's eyebrow twitched.
A GREAT reward.
He already had proficient-level Yang Release.
Adding Yin Release meant mastery over genjutsu, the Nara and Yamanaka clans' abilities, and even dojutsu fundamentals.
Perfect for Uchiha-related missions.
"I can give it a try," Kitazawa smiled.
"We'll start special training this summer break."
"Thank you, Sensei!"
Sasuke looked relieved.
Kitazawa dismissed everyone and set a meeting time.
Sasuke felt lighter, his frustration fading.
Naruto puffed his chest.
"As expected of Kitazawa-sensei!"
Sasuke huffed.
"Next term, first place is mine!
With the Sharingan, your speed won't matter!"
Naruto gave a sparkling thumbs-up.
"Competition is the essence of youth!"
"…He doesn't get it at all," Sasuke thought.
Guy's "youth" training was traumatizing.
"Kitazawa-sensei! Isn't it our turn to spar now?" Naruto asked suddenly.
"You're challenging Kitazawa-sensei!?" Sasuke's eyes widened.
Why didn't he think of that first!?
Hiruzen overheard and approached.
Kitazawa quickly explained: Naruto wanted to learn a jutsu similar to Shadow Clone. Kitazawa wanted to check if Naruto's body could handle it before teaching him anything new.
"But I haven't decided which jutsu to teach him yet," he added thoughtfully.
"You can teach him the Rasengan," Hiruzen said gently.
Kitazawa had expected this. He already knew Rasengan.
System Prompt
[Hiruzen hopes you will guide your classmates.
Mission: Help Naruto learn the Rasengan.]
[Reward: 20% Senju bloodline.]
Kitazawa almost choked.
That was a huge boost. He immediately accepted.
Soon, Class 1-A fell silent.
Kitazawa and Naruto stood in the training field, performing the Seal of Confrontation.
"He's challenging Kitazawa-sensei!?" Ino gasped.
Even Shikamaru couldn't figure out why.
"Did Naruto's win go to his head?" Kiba muttered.
"...Naruto isn't like that," Shino said.
Sasuke returned just in time.
"Naruto wants to challenge him. No idea why."
"Legendary stuff!" Kiba whispered.
Kitazawa wasn't a normal Academy teacher. His strength exceeded expectations.
Naruto charged first.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Kitazawa countered with a single controlled punch, knocking him back without harm.
Naruto grinned, formed hand signs:
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Three Narutos blitzed around him with afterimages, but Kitazawa read every move. Naruto's actual combat strength was chūnin level at best.
Kitazawa dodged, struck both clones, and maintained full control.
Students murmured in awe.
"Double Leaf Hurricane!"
Two clones attacked in perfect sync.
Kitazawa stepped back, weaving signs:
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"
A violent gust swallowed one clone instantly. Naruto staggered as the clone's memories hit him.
Kitazawa decided to finish it.
A flicker, he appeared behind a clone.
"Rasengan."
The clone exploded into smoke. The leftover force carved a crater into the ground, earth rippling like water from the impact.
The students were stunned into silence.