Naruto: In Konoha Village, I awakened Wood Release at the start.

Leaf.

Ninja Academy, training ground.

The seventh round.

The eighth round.

The actual combat exercises proceeded in an orderly manner.

With Hinata and Sasuke as shining examples, there are already plenty of successes to be had.

The ensuing battle was rather uneventful.

All the students who came on stage gave it their best.

Although most students were in a sorry state, they managed to hold out for five minutes.

A small number of students were eliminated by their genin examiners.

The world of ninjas is very realistic.

Geniuses are only a tiny minority; most people are destined to be mediocre.

"Round Nine"

Shui Mu put a checkmark on the report card and looked up.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Splash!

A commotion erupted around the playground.

Naruto's name is known throughout Konoha.

He used to be a fox spirit boy that everyone in the village hated.

Later, Chiba came to power and thoroughly cleansed the darkness within the upper echelons.

Naruto's identity is reversed.

Son of the Fourth Hokage, and adopted younger brother of the Fifth Hokage.

These two titles alone are enough to make everyone pay attention to this blond kid.

Naruto, with his hands in his pockets, swaggered to the center of the field.

The person in charge of evaluating Naruto was a senior genin.

This genin's arms were wrapped in bandages, and his lower body was extremely stable.

He looked Naruto up and down, his expression very serious.

The Hokage's adopted brother should never be underestimated.

But we can't let them off easy either, that would be disrespectful to the Fifth Generation.

"Naruto."

"Are you ready?"

The examiner assumed a defensive stance, his chakra gathering beneath his feet.

Naruto grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth.

"Big brother, you'd better use your full strength."

"Otherwise you'll get hurt."

The voice just fell.

Naruto slammed his right leg into the ground.

boom!

The hard ground was blasted open, creating a small crater.

An orange blur tore through the air and instantly appeared in front of the examiner.

So fast!

The examiner's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his heart pounded wildly.

This level of explosive power shouldn't exist in a twelve-year-old kid.

He instinctively raised his arms and crossed them in front of his chest.

Naruto didn't use any fancy moves.

There was no probing.

There was no detour.

A simple right straight punch, delivered head-on.

His fist was enveloped in a layer of visible, violent airflow.

Boom!

A dull, loud bang exploded in the center of the playground.

The examiner felt an overwhelming force coming from his arms.

He was lifted off the ground by both feet and flew backward like a kite with a broken string, finally crashing to the ground some distance away.

"I...I lost."

A moment later.

The examiner got up from the ground and uttered a few words with difficulty.

The entire room fell silent.

After a while, a thunderous cheer erupted from the stands.

"Holy crap! One punch!"

"Naruto didn't even use ninjutsu just now, did he?"

"He sent a veteran genin flying with just his physical strength?"

The ordinary parents stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

"This kid's physical abilities are becoming more and more monstrous."

Kakashi leaned against a large tree outside the court, his one eye curving into a crescent moon.

He knew very well how much Naruto had grown in the past few years.

Naruto now is a young, ferocious beast in human skin.

Even with mediocre skills, a single powerful strike is enough to overwhelm ninjas of the same level.

Sasuke stood in the crowd, his hands gripping the hem of his clothes tightly.

This last guy, his strength has actually increased again.

We absolutely cannot lose to him!

The actual combat exercises continue.

Some are happy, some are sad.

As time went on, the fourteenth round of assessments came to a complete end.

Shui Mu, holding the thick report card, walked to the edge of the platform.

"The live-fire exercise has ended."

"Unfortunately, a total of 127 students failed the assessment."

The cold numbers echoed in the air above the playground.

One hundred and twenty-seven people.

This accounts for almost one-fifth of the total number of graduates.

The eliminated students stood at the edge of the playground, many with tears in their eyes.

Sighs could be heard from the parents' seats.

But no one dared to cause trouble.

Chiba sat upright on the high platform, his gaze calmly sweeping across the area below.

This attrition rate was a standard he personally set.

In the past, graduating from ninja academies was like child's play.

Knowing the Three Body Technique makes you a ninja, but on the battlefield you're just cannon fodder.

Chiba changed everything.

He doesn't need quantity, he needs quality.

Failing the assessment means that you haven't had enough talent and effort.

Staying in school to repeat a year, or going to a working-class neighborhood to live an ordinary life, is better than dying out there.

After a brief period of disappointment, the parents of those rejected students actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Because they all understood the Hokage's good intentions.

"Next."

"Let's move on to the third item: a ninjutsu test!"

Shui Mu's voice rose again.

The atmosphere on the playground was instantly ignited.

Ninjutsu is the foundation for a ninja's livelihood and the most direct way to showcase their talent.

In the past, graduation exams only tested the basics of the Three Body Techniques.

Now, Chiba requires all graduates to master at least one C-rank ninjutsu!

This was unimaginable before.

"First place, Koji Fujiwara!"

An ordinary student, somewhat nervously, stepped out of the line.

His hands were covered in sweat, which he frantically wiped on his trouser legs.

After standing still.

Koji Fujiwara took a deep breath and quickly formed hand seals.

Si-Wei-Shen-Hai-Wu-Yin!

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A ball of crimson fire, more than half a meter tall, spewed from his mouth and slammed into the target in front of him.

The high temperature causes the air to distort slightly.

The target was charred black.

Although the fireball is not large, it is indeed a genuine C-rank ninjutsu.

"qualified!"

Shuimu announced loudly.

In the stands.

Koji Fujiwara's father burst into tears.

He was just an ordinary person who sold ramen.

Six years ago, his son would never have had the chance to learn this kind of ninjutsu.

It was Chiba-sama's ninjutsu reform that allowed students to obtain C-rank ninjutsu for free.

The following tests were incredibly diverse and varied.

The ordinary students all displayed their best ninjutsu techniques.

Water Release: Water Chaos Waves.

Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

Earth Release: Heart-Slaying Technique.

Although the skill is still lacking, some people have even failed.

But this vibrant energy made all the teachers' scalps tingle.

The foundation of Konoha is expanding exponentially.

After the commoners finished their presentations, it was the turn of the family members to take the stage.

These young masters and ladies, born with silver spoons in their mouths, naturally refused to be outdone.

Nara Shikamaru slowly walked forward.

"This is such a hassle."

He muttered something under his breath, but his hands moved rapidly, forming hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Technique!"

The dark shadows on the ground darted out like venomous snakes.

It instantly split into three strands, precisely entangled the three moving targets.

Not only that.

The shadow's tip transformed into sharp black thorns, piercing right through the wooden target.

"You brat."

"Well done!"

Nara Shikaku's lips curled up slightly.

My own brat, though he doesn't have much drive.

But he has mastered the family's skills quite well!

Choji Akimichi followed closely behind.

"Multiply Technique!"

His right arm instantly swelled to the size of a water vat, and he smashed the stone tablet to pieces with a single punch.

Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame...

The heirs of various families began to perform.

They used only family secret techniques, whose power far exceeded that of ordinary C-rank ninjutsu.

The heads of various families congratulated each other, their faces beaming with joy.

Chiba changed the landscape of Konoha.

These families, who were dependent on Chiba, received a massive influx of resources.

The younger generation of their family are far more powerful than they were back then.

"Next."

"Uchiha Sasuke!"