At dawn, Sasuke was woken up by Mikoto and sleepily stumbled off to wash up.
With dark circles under his eyes, it was clear he hadn't slept well. Every time he closed his eyes, the argument between his father and brother echoed in his mind.
His father wanted to use the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto to launch a coup against the village and destroy the hard-won peace.
Sasuke couldn't understand why his father would do such a thing, nor could he accept that Naruto was being used as a tool. Could it be that even his friendship with Naruto had been part of his father's calculations all along?
And what about his brother, who opposed the coup and betrayed the clan—what role was he playing in all of this?
Confused and at a loss, Sasuke realized from yesterday's events that even his own family was keeping things from him. They weren't willing to open up or share the truth.
And now, he too would begin to bury secrets deep within his heart, just like them.
After breakfast, Sasuke jogged to the Ninja Academy, stashed his backpack in the desk drawer, and waited with his classmates for the start of the final exams.
The finals were divided into written academic subjects and practical physical assessments.
The written exam included history, fieldwork theory, and math. The physical exam tested actual jutsu performance.
During the written portion, Sasuke was noticeably distracted, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Naruto's seat. Only when the bell rang did he hurriedly submit his paper—completely lacking the calm composure of a top student.
Naruto noticed Sasuke's gaze but didn't give it much thought. He remained focused on the exam.
Even if this was the final test, he still wanted to maintain a strong mindset and crush all his peers academically.
During the lunch break, Sasuke found Naruto under the shade of a tree, looking downcast.
"Hey, Naruto... do you think the village is more important, or your clan?" he asked.
Halfway through the sentence, Sasuke seemed to realize how it might sound and quickly added, "Don't get me wrong—I'm not trying to target you or anything. I just want to hear your opinion…"
Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, but didn't take offense.
In his previous life, he had lived alone just fine. Now, with that damn fox for company, he was even less bothered. His thoughts of leaving Konoha weren't rooted in pain anymore—he just wanted a change of environment.
And maybe, he wanted those who had hated him to see what happens when they lose the protection of a Jinchūriki.
Still, Sasuke coming to him for advice about clan versus village—it clearly meant he'd learned something about the tension between the Uchiha and Konoha's leadership.
Could rescuing Shisui have stopped Sasuke from awakening his Sharingan?
Naruto looked at Sasuke's cautious expression and gave a light chuckle. "If it were me, I wouldn't choose. I'd want both—my family and the village. Why should we have to pick one over the other?"
Sasuke fell silent for a moment. He understood what Naruto meant.
If he had the strength of the Hokage right now, he wouldn't need to choose either. But as things stood, he couldn't even beat Naruto. Even if he made a decision, no one would care.
Naruto seemed to sense Sasuke's thoughts and added, "It's not about whether or not you make a choice—it's about making the kind of choice you won't regret."
Sasuke remained quiet, but he was clearly taking Naruto's words to heart.
Even if he didn't have much of a voice in his family now, if he didn't even try to speak, he'd regret it no matter how strong he became in the future.
When the time was right, he had to step up and try to convince his father and brother.
With that realization, Sasuke's eyes lit up. He looked at Naruto with a hint of gratitude.
"I'll think about what you said. Oh, and one more thing—there's something off in the atmosphere back at the compound. You'd better stay away from the Uchiha district for a while."
After saying that, Sasuke turned and left to prepare for the physical exam.
Watching Sasuke walk away, Naruto sighed softly, then picked up the book "Ninja World: Customs and Culture" and continued reading, trying to decide where he might go next.
The distant Land of Water? The neutral Land of Iron? Or maybe the nearly forgotten Land of Snow?
Sensing Sasuke's departure, the Nine-Tails suddenly spoke up, "Naruto, that Uchiha brat... do you think he's learned the truth about the clan? His emotions are all over the place. His negative energy's almost as bad as yours was six months ago."
"Was I really that bad?" Naruto frowned.
The Nine-Tails nodded confidently. "Without all that dark energy protecting you, my chakra alone would've scared you senseless. I can terrify normal ninja with just my killing intent!"
Naruto didn't deny it. Before entering the academy, he'd indeed been in a very dark place.
And who could blame him? Treated like a monster, used as a scapegoat for the village's resentment—anyone would've twisted under that kind of pressure, even a natural optimist.
If someone like Asura had been treated the same way, even he might've ended up turning into Indra.
After venting that thought in his mind, Naruto smiled and said to the Nine-Tails, "That was the old me. I'm a cheerful and sunny guy now. I've got no darkness in my heart. I've totally embraced the Will of Fire—full marks!"
The Nine-Tails scoffed. "Yeah, right. When it comes to scheming and talking big, I can't beat you. Who was it that saved Shisui from suicide, then spent half a year slowly changing his mind and convincing him to return to Konoha and stir things up?"
"Killing without spilling blood—that's your specialty."
Naruto's brow twitched at the sarcasm. "Hey, it's all part of our escape plan! Besides, someone like Shisui, a genuinely good guy, shouldn't be allowed to die so easily."
Seeing that he couldn't win the argument, the Nine-Tails shut his eyes and flopped down in the cage, pretending to sleep.
Naruto ignored him, closed Ninja World: Customs and Culture, and headed off to the exam hall.
This was the physical exam—he planned to give it his all and take the top spot in the year… reluctantly, of course.
After all, ever since he'd shown Chūnin-level strength, the old Third Hokage had significantly reduced the amount of ANBU surveillance on him.
Now, they only kept close tabs when he left the village for training or when major events like this final exam occurred.
When he arrived at the exam site, Naruto noticed that students from not just his year, but also the third, fourth—even fifth and sixth years—were participating.
Judging by the faces of the teachers and students, this year's test was clearly different. A new system was in place.
No doubt it was the work of the old man again. He didn't want Naruto to graduate early, but couldn't outright say it—so he was trying to make things difficult through "creative" means.
Still, there was no way these new challenges would trip him up. If anything, it was the other students who'd be questioning their life choices by the end of the day.
Sure enough, as time passed, the practical combat exam officially began, and Naruto slowly stepped into the arena.
Back in the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage took out his crystal ball, using surveillance cameras around the academy to observe the test remotely. He locked the view on Naruto.
Then, he lit his pipe and began puffing smoke, closely watching the final exam unfold.
(End of Chapter)
If you'd like to read advancechapters,support me at https://www.patreon.com/YugiroTL