The reality of a ninja's life was completely different from the controlled environment of a sparring match. Naruto knew this, and the thought gnawed at him. The person he was most determined to defeat, Hyuga Neji, was already out in the world, becoming a real ninja and undertaking real missions with Might Guy. As Neji's strength and combat experience grew, the gap between them would only widen.
*I have to catch up,* Naruto thought as he stood before the familiar gates of the Ninja Academy. *In this last year, I'll do more than just improve my grades, increase my chakra, and perfect my jutsu. I need to find a way to get into a real fight.* He made a silent vow to himself.
***
School had started again. This was Naruto's final year. It was the cusp of late summer and early autumn; the air still held some warmth, but Naruto could already feel the change. A few dry leaves drifted down, carried by the crisp autumn wind.
"Naruto-kun, good morning..." A familiar, gentle voice called out.
Naruto grinned, waving excitedly. "Hinata, good morning!"
Hinata smiled shyly, her heart filled with a quiet joy. Just seeing Naruto each day was enough to fill her with strength.
Ino, walking beside her, stuck out her tongue playfully. "Well, well, Hinata. Seeing you two so friendly, it seems you spent a lot of time 'studying' together over the summer vacation, right?"
Hinata's face went red. "N-no, don't be silly, Ino... I just helped Naruto-kun with his lessons occasionally."
"You can't fool me! Using tutoring as an excuse for a date!"
Hinata waved her hands frantically in denial.
Ino laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. But Naruto does seem much more confident now, and I bet a lot of that is thanks to you, Hinata."
Hinata shook her head. "Naruto-kun has become much stronger, but it's not because of me. It's the result of his own hard work."
"Tsk, tsk. Are you being modest, or just completely smitten with him?"
"I..."
"Just teasing," Ino said, smiling as she gently ruffled Hinata's hair. "Your hair has gotten a lot longer, by the way. It looks good on you. More feminine."
"D-don't make fun of me, Ino..."
"I'm not. I think growing your hair out is a sign of your new confidence. You used to be so reserved, always hiding in a corner. The short hair looked plain, but now... you seem more cheerful and better able to express yourself. It's great. I'm genuinely happy for you."
Hinata hadn't thought about it that way, but hearing Ino's words, she realized it made sense. "Thank you, Ino... I've been able to change a little because of your friendship, too."
Ino grinned. "Really? Then I'll accept the compliment! Unlike some people, I'm not that humble!" Hinata just smiled gently.
***
As Naruto walked toward the classroom, a familiar figure appeared before him. Uchiha Sasuke. He stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression as arrogant and indifferent as ever. However, Naruto sensed something different about him now—an inexplicable, cold aura that prickled his skin.
*Sasuke... he seems much more powerful,* Naruto thought. *And even scarier. That feeling... it's like he's ready to kill someone at any moment.*
Naruto's perception was accurate. Sasuke had spent the vacation forcing himself to relive the bloody night of his clan's massacre, immersing himself in the pain and despair to rapidly enhance his Sharingan. The training had produced remarkable results, but it had also wrapped him in an increasingly terrifying presence.
Sasuke looked at Naruto, a hint of surprise in his eyes. *That dead-last... he seems to have gotten much stronger. What's going on? I can see it in his eyes, in the way he carries himself. He has the aura of a confident, powerful person. He's completely different from the lazy idiot he used to be.*
"Naruto," Sasuke thought, his jaw tightening, "how strong have you become?"
As they met for the first time after the break, an intense energy crackled between them. Their fighting spirit surged, a silent promise of a fierce battle to come.
Just then, a familiar voice shattered the tension. "Sasuke-kun!" Haruno Sakura came running toward them. "Long time no see, Sasuke-kun!"
Sasuke completely ignored her. He shot one last glare at Naruto, snorted coldly, and turned away.
"Wait for me, Sasuke-kun! I've been training hard just so I can be by your side! I've gotten much stronger!" Sakura called after him, chasing him down the hall without a second glance at Naruto.
"Sakura..." Naruto watched her go, a strange feeling of distance settling over him. The person he once cared about so much seemed less important now, a fading memory.
"Hey, Naruto, what are you daydreaming about?" Suddenly, a heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder. He looked back to see his two old friends, Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Choji.
"Ah, it's you two! Long time no see!"
Choji stuffed a handful of potato chips into his mouth, looking Naruto up and down. "You've changed, Naruto. You're not the same guy who used to stand next to us during punishment every day."
Naruto grinned proudly. "Now I'm working to be number one in the class! How about it, Shikamaru, Choji? You wanna join me?"
Choji swallowed another mouthful of chips. "Nah, that sounds tiring..."
Shikamaru curled his lip. "Too troublesome. My dream is different from yours, Naruto. I just want to live an ordinary life."
Naruto shook his head, suddenly understanding how Iruka must have felt dealing with him. "You two are really hopeless," he said, patting both their shoulders and adopting Iruka's earnest tone. Choji just kept eating his chips, and Shikamaru yawned.
"Being a lazy bum for the rest of my life... that's my dream," Shikamaru mumbled.
Watching them amble away, Naruto could only sigh. *I guess everyone really does have their own path.* He clenched his fists, his resolve hardening. *And I want to be Hokage. In this last year, I'm going to become the strongest and make everyone recognize me!*
***
In his final year at the academy, Naruto set a blistering pace. He not only pushed himself to the limit but also dragged the entire class along with him. The result was that the students who were already falling behind were left in the dust, while promising ninja like Sasuke far surpassed their original potential.
By the time he graduated, the Sasuke of this timeline was a different beast entirely. He had long since awakened his double tomoe Sharingan, and his ninjutsu arsenal included not only the Great Fireball Technique but also the Phoenix Flower and Dragon Fire techniques, and even the B-rank Great Dragon Fire Technique. He was a true, absolute genius. And yet, even with all his power, he still had no confidence he could defeat the current Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto had long since shed the title of "dead-last" and become the academy's strongest prodigy. Over the year, his chakra had surged past three thousand points. He had even advanced his signature jutsu to the forbidden Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. His taijutsu and wind-style techniques had all been honed to a level of near-perfection. With his massive chakra reserves and a pinnacle of skill in both ninjutsu and taijutsu, Naruto had become a monster of pure ability, a powerhouse with almost no shortcomings. His presence was so overwhelming that the entire ninja school now looked at him not just with surprise, but with a palpable sense of awe and fear.