Konoha Drunkard

Those who didn't know were completely captivated by Naruto's heroic figure beating people up. For example, the little girl who was secretly watching from afar with her Byakugan now sees everyone except Naruto as a pixelated mess.

"Naruto is so... amazing!"

The little girl looked at Naruto, her face began to burn, and wisps of blue smoke began to rise from the top of her head.

The two bodyguards in the shadows exchanged a glance. "...What made you so sure that the young lady is that the Hokage's son is strong? He's clearly just a fighting newbie!"

"Naruto, attack his vital points! This is completely ineffective against him!"

Shikamaru watched as the smug Naruto seemed to be getting addicted to beating him up, throwing a left punch at his face and a right punch at his stomach. Shikamaru, while trying to control the big man, was getting a little annoyed.

"The vital point?...Where is the vital point?"

Naruto suddenly stopped, looking on with a head full of question marks, seeking guidance. This was Naruto's only redeeming quality: he would ask questions if he didn't understand, and he never felt ashamed.

"...When you fight Sasuke one-on-one, where does it hurt the most when he hits you?"

Shikamaru was already in despair. This guy didn't even know where the vital points were. He really shouldn't have agreed to help this guy find a way to graduate. If he died later, wouldn't that be a disaster for him? After all, they were cousins.

"......I understand, you bastard! Die!"

Naruto pondered for a while, recalling the time when he fought Sasuke one-on-one, and how that bastard once grazed him on the side and it hurt terribly.

Take a running start, lift your foot, and aim at the target.

"Super groin kick!!!"

"Snapped!"

"what!!!!!"

The burly man's screams echoed through the grove...

............

A hush fell over the surroundings. Even the battlefield on the other side paused, turning to look in their direction. The scream from earlier had been utterly agonizing. Meanwhile, the Anbu members, Minato, and Hyuga's two Byakugan bodyguards instinctively tightened their legs, a chill running down their spines. They vaguely remembered hearing something shatter.

"...Now you know how powerful I am, right? Get lost!"

Naruto arrogantly pointed at the burly man on the ground, who was clutching his groin, foaming at the mouth and convulsing, and shouted. At this moment, he was surrounded by an aura of glory, as if he were the male protagonist of the world!

"It's...it's so scary, no...I won't fight anymore, I'll go back with you!"

Another hardened criminal's legs went weak. This kid was terrifying! His companion was known for his thick skin and tough flesh; he'd withstood countless beatings in prison without a scratch. Yet this kid had kicked him like this with a single, ruthless kick! It was terrifying…! And his balls were even shattered…

"Naruto is so cool! He's the best! Naruto is so awesome!"

The little girl with the rolled-up eyes was trembling with excitement and almost couldn't help but shout out.

The two bodyguards rolled their eyes. "...Where is he handsome? He's clearly a jerk! What makes you think this kid is handsome, Miss?"

"hiss!"

It took Minato a long time to come to his senses. Seeing the horrific state of the large man on the ground, he gasped. Was this... really his son? Where had his innocent and kind son gone? How could he have become like this...? It hurts so much...

"Naruto, does Sasuke often attack you here too?"

Shikamaru could barely stand. Because he was closest, he heard it most clearly. It was definitely the sound of balls breaking. It was so damn loud!

"How could that be! I only got grazed by his foot once, it hurt quite a bit, I never expected it to be so powerful."

Naruto stared at his feet in shock. Luckily, he had instinctively dodged the attack. He hadn't expected that Sasuke's move to be so powerful.

622. The Water Gate of the Pit

"Kids, can you tell me how you got here? Kenji isn't the type to get drunk."

After the fight was over, Minato naturally had to clean up the mess. Minato appeared in front of them with a smile. Minato had made up his mind to find a good teacher for his son and teach him two signature ninjutsu. Otherwise, it wouldn't be good if he kept getting beaten up. It would be fine if he encountered weaklings, as the fox inside his belly could protect him. But if he encountered those powerful people, the little fox might not be able to protect him.

"Haha, we originally came here to have fun, but we didn't expect to run into prisoners escaping. Luckily we arrived in time, otherwise these two would have gotten away. Dad, you don't need to thank us, just give me a ninja headband."

When Naruto saw his father arrive, he immediately tried to take credit, revealing that he had spent all his allowance trying to get that Uncle Kenju drunk... quite a loss indeed.

"Ninja headband? Where's your ninja headband? Lost it?"

Minato looked at the kids strangely. It seemed that apart from his son, the other three were wearing ninja headbands.

"...Lord Hokage...Naruto failed his graduation exam today, so he doesn't have a ninja headband."

Genma Shiranui, who had rushed over, whispered something in Minato's ear.

"What?! You failed the test?"

Minato was once again shocked by his son. If it weren't for the blond hair on his head, Minato would have really wanted to take him for a DNA test.

What's going on? This is my son, the Golden Flash, who failed even a graduation exam. Was he born to be a joke?

"Uh... Lord Hokage, it's mainly because the exam questions were rather obscure, so Naruto was careless and failed..."

Seeing Minato's shock at his son, Shikamaru felt compelled to explain. After all, the graduation exam tested the least common technique: the Three Body Technique. Even Shikamaru himself hadn't practiced it much before, only glancing at it once. This kind of basic ninjutsu was considered useless; the Three Body Technique was for commoners. What elite clan members would bother with such a technique? Take his Nara clan, for example—they had a plethora of ninjutsu of various attributes, including several forbidden techniques. If it weren't for the fact that they'd already seen too many clan secret techniques and didn't want to spend time on other ninjutsu, he could have learned them all. With those resources, who would bother practicing the Three Body Technique? They only knew the exam covered it, practicing a few days to get a feel for it. But for Naruto, it meant learning it all from scratch, and there wasn't enough time...

"Exactly, I don't know which bastard came up with this kind of question, making us look at a useless ninjutsu like the Three Body Technique."

Shikamaru was fine until he mentioned Naruto, which made him angry. He suspected that the person who set the test had a grudge against him. Everyone in the village knew that Naruto wasn't good at ninjutsu, but before the graduation exam, he had always fought one-on-one or in a group. Why did they have to test him on this trashy Three Body Technique? Wasn't this just blatantly trying to screw him over?

"........"

Minato's forehead creased with an enormous well, and he pointed at it, speechless for a long time. The "bastard" his son was referring to seemed to be him. He was the one who set this year's exam questions—no, he set the graduation exam questions every year. However, this year was different. In previous years, he was too busy after becoming Hokage to focus on this, so everything remained the same. But this year he had more free time, and recently, the current head of the education department, Takenaka Kamezaburo, had come to inquire about this year's exam content as usual. Minato also remembered that his son was also a graduating student, and the graduation exam content hadn't changed for decades; it really should be changed.

So, after much thought, he couldn't come up with any good exam questions. Coming from a commoner background, he understood the thoughts of those commoner children very well. Many commoners chose to become ninjas because they wanted to change their fate and didn't want to live an ordinary life in the village. Therefore, the exam content couldn't be too difficult. Just like in the past, whether it was a one-on-one duel or a team battle, as long as the proctors felt that your strength was up to graduation level, they would pass you. But if it was too easy, it wouldn't work either. If it was too easy, many children who didn't reach the level of a genin would just be giving away experience points after graduation. Wouldn't that harm them? So, after much thought, Minato finally thought of the Three Body Technique, a popular subject among commoner children. It was also the first ninjutsu they came into contact with. Although it was disliked by many clan children, the Three Body Technique could indeed save one's life if used well. So, Minato slapped his thigh and finally decided that the exam would be about the Three Body Technique.

But he never expected that this time he would actually let his son down. He remembered that his son had already mastered the Three Body Technique, and it was Kushina who forced him to teach him every night. How could he suddenly fail the test this time?

"So, this amazing prison break chase was your idea?"

Minato looked at them with feigned appreciation; if he had a dark expression, these kids definitely wouldn't have told him the truth.

"Of course, but it was Karin who came up with the idea first. However, she has to go back to have dinner with her great-aunt tonight, so she can't come. Otherwise, we wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble to open that seal barrier."

Naruto, still oblivious to his father's schemes, immediately betrayed his teammates upon seeing how much his father appreciated them.

Shikamaru clutched his forehead in pain. A useless teammate was more damaging than a god-like opponent. How could this guy not have seen through such a simple trick? This was his father, after all.

"...Naruto, you idiot!"

Ino sighed and slapped her forehead. Why were none of her friends normal? One was a lazybones, one a glutton, and another was brainless. Only Karin was somewhat normal, but even she had joined her battle against the wide forehead.

"...Kougen, take these two back to the prison. Also, have more people stationed around the prison. Come back when Kenju sobers up. You four brats, go back too. We're being assigned shifts tomorrow, so don't be late."

After instructing Genma Shiranui, Minato turned to Naruto and the other three, saying that he would have to consider whether or not to give his son a ninja headband. Being an upright man, he couldn't bring himself to give his son preferential treatment. In his heart, his sons should be the most outstanding; it was because of his younger son, Asuma, that the Third Hokage's illustrious career was somewhat overshadowed...

623. Class assignment is a big problem.

"Dad! You still haven't said whether you're going to give me a ninja headband or not! They've all graduated, and I'm the only one who hasn't. If I go home, Mom will beat me to a pulp. You don't want your son to die young, do you?"

Naruto looked pitifully at his father and said, "This is my only chance. Otherwise, getting a beating from my mother is secondary. As the Hokage's son, if I can't even pass my graduation exam, how can I face my family and friends back home?"

"...You take mine first, I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

In the end, Minato compromised, giving Naruto his ninja headband, which he had worn for decades, hoping his son could share in his good fortune and one day marry a beautiful and wealthy woman, achieving the pinnacle of life.

Amidst the envious gazes of those around him, Naruto received the ninja headband tossed to him by his father. This was the Yellow Flash ninja headband, a headband with a completely different meaning. It even had some scratches left from the war on it, so wearing it would definitely make him look cool.

.........

"Kigenma, inform Iruka and Kakashi to come here."

After the four kids left with the Hyuga clan girl, Minato lost all interest in going home for dinner. His son's situation wasn't resolved yet. Graduation was a minor issue; while he wasn't a dictator, ensuring his son graduated normally wasn't a problem—it wasn't some high-profile early graduation. However, Iruka was his son's homeroom teacher, and he needed to speak to him. These weren't the real issues. The biggest problem was his son's genuine lack of strength. Aside from being relatively resilient, he was utterly useless. At Naruto's age, he had killed dozens of Jonin. Kakashi was preparing to become a Jonin at Naruto's age, but his son couldn't even defeat a Chunin. While the peacetime factor meant he hadn't pressured his son too much, Shikamaru, who also possessed the Uzumaki bloodline, had shown far more impressive skills than his son that evening.

This can't go on. He has such a big reputation in the ninja world, and he has many enemies. If his son continues like this and gets eliminated, it will truly be a tragedy for a parent to outlive their child. Therefore, finding a caregiver and teacher for his son is very important. After much thought, Minato finally thought of his first disciple, Kakashi. The Anbu is somewhat shady, and Kakashi's past experiences make him unsuitable for the Anbu. It's time for him to come out and teach students. Later, when he and Kurenai have a child, he'll have some experience in raising children...

"Lord Hokage!"

Before long, Iruka arrived.

"Iruka, do you think Naruto's strength has reached the graduation standard?"

Minato snapped out of his reverie and spoke to Iruka. Minato was quite satisfied with this young teacher of Konoha's new generation, mainly because he was very responsible, just like his father. Although he made more home visits, this was something that put Minato at ease.

"Lord Hokage, to be honest, Naruto's academic performance at school is not very good. Whether it's shuriken, kunai, taijutsu, or ninjutsu, some of his skills are below the passing grade. I know why you called me here, but I still hope you can consider letting Naruto study at school for another year."

Iruka knew perfectly well what Minato meant; calling him over was clearly just a notification.

"...Iruka, there's something wrong with what you're saying. Putting aside the fact that Jiraiya and Shanks didn't do well in school, Garp's performance wasn't great either, and perhaps Naruto is too."

Genma Shiranui, standing behind Minato, disagreed with Iruka's reasoning. School and life outside are completely different. In life outside, it's three parts skill and seven parts luck, and no one can say for sure whether you'll make it big in the future.

"How can that be the same? Shanks and Jiraiya were both super geniuses; their achievements were predetermined. But Naruto..."

Iruka didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: Jiraiya was undoubtedly a genius, having been taken in as a disciple by the Third Hokage; Shanks was even more so. Although he hadn't experienced that era, he wouldn't believe Shanks, who debuted at such a young age, wasn't a genius. Moreover, history textbooks stated that Shanks could spar with the First Hokage at the age of five. How could that be the same? His talent was clearly visible to the naked eye.

"Alright, actually, what Higenma said makes some sense. Maybe Naruto really isn't cut out for this. Letting him stay at school for another year might be a waste of time. It would be better to find him a good coach. Maybe he can improve a lot."

Genma Shiranui's words gave Minato some inspiration. Yes, his teacher used to be a complete underachiever, but after following the Third Hokage, he soared to great heights. And Naruto, the protagonist of his teacher's first novel, was also a poor student from a young age, but later rose to prominence. Perhaps it was already destined when he gave Naruto his name. Rather than letting him waste time at school and have to make numerous home visits, it would be better to let him go out into the world early and experience the cruelty of the ninja world. Maybe after that, he would change his mischievous ways. The more Minato thought about it, the more likely this seemed!

........

Class assignments were a headache. Normally, it wouldn't be a problem, but for Minato, it became a huge issue. As soon as he got home, his son started nagging him to put a girl named Sakura Haruno in his class. That night, Kushina whispered in his ear, trying to get him to put the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter, Hinata, in the same class as Sasuke and Naruto. Between his son and Kushina, Minato, deep down, sided with Kushina. He also liked Hinata Hyuga; from every perspective, she was his ideal daughter-in-law. Besides, he and Hiashi had grown up together, so it was better to have a family connection. Perhaps his grandchild would have Byakugan blood or be from the Uzumaki clan and the Hyuga clan—just thinking about it made him drool. He was a super genius, but because he didn't have a special bloodline, he overused the Flying Thunder God Technique on the battlefield, causing occasional weakness in his legs; otherwise, he would have ended the war.

However, if the class assignments are not made according to the son's wishes, he might still end up like he was at school, and Kakashi might not be able to keep him in check.

Minato looked at the student files of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Hinata Hyuga, and Sakura Haruno on the table and had a headache. No matter how he arranged them, one of them would always be eliminated.

624. The Savior and the Second Male Lead Sequel

"What's wrong? Are you having trouble figuring out how to assign Naruto to a team?"

The large rocket saw the four student files on Minato's desk and Minato's troubled expression.

"Ah, that's what's troubling me. Kushina wants Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga to be in the same class as Naruto, but Naruto is insisting on being in the same class as Sakura Haruno."

Minato rubbed his temples. There had been four-person teams in history, but putting all four of them together would be like making a love quadrangle epic – it was simply impossible. Minato leaned towards Kushina's opinion; the Uchiha and Hyuga bloodlines naturally needed to be protected, and he trusted Kakashi with that in mind. However, Sakura Haruno's absence was discouraging for Naruto...

"...Sakura Haruno got a perfect score on the written test, and Sasuke Uchiha got perfect scores on ninjutsu, shuriken, and kunai. I think we should put them on the same class as Naruto. Given Hinata Hyuga's personality, having her be with Sasuke and Naruto would probably mean those two would be fighting from morning till night..."

The loud shout "Skyrocket!" pulled out Hinata Hyuga's file and put it into a list that was still empty in the Red Squad.

"...Looks like I'll have to explain things to Kushina again tonight."

Minato hadn't considered the personality issue earlier. Hinata Hyuga, his and Kushina's chosen daughter-in-law, really doesn't seem to be a good match for Naruto and the others. His friend had just analyzed it from a personality perspective: Sasuke Uchiha is arrogant and has strong opinions, and his son is a troublemaker, while Hinata Hyuga is the least opinionated. If they were in the same class, they might fight from morning till night, just like his friend said. Sakura Haruno, on the other hand, aside from being a bit infatuated and weaker, seems quite suitable to be on their team.

.........