Uchiha Sasuke's assessment was over. Although he didn't display all the shuriken techniques he had mastered, his excellent combat awareness and proficiency in fire-style ninjutsu earned him recognition from Hyuga Hiashi and Nara Shikaku.
Although Fugaku's attitude remained cold, it didn't stop him from giving his son high marks.
Feeling that his performance wasn't bad, Sasuke walked toward the sidelines and glanced at Naruto Uzumaki, who was about to take his turn. This was his longtime rival. From the moment they met, the two had been competing against each other. Although Senju Karin had performed well earlier and Naruto had been under pressure in the shuriken assessment, in Sasuke's eyes, Naruto had always been his only true opponent.
"Naruto, did you see that? This is me now. Can you match up to this with your skills?"
The young Sasuke felt a surge of pride, expecting to see some nervousness on Naruto's face. However, to his disappointment, Naruto walked out from the crowd with a calm expression and stepped into the field.
The order of the combat assessment was based on the results of the shuriken test, ranked from best to worst. Naruto had placed third in the first round.
Without needing Iruka's reminder, Naruto consciously stepped into the arena.
"The next candidate for the assessment is Uzumaki Naruto."
Even though Naruto had entered the field on his own, Iruka still formally announced the participants' names as a procedural requirement. This exam was a public assessment, and maintaining procedural fairness was essential.
Naruto's entrance drew a lot of attention. The surname Uzumaki was too distinctive. Anyone familiar with Naruto knew that he was the Hokage's son, which naturally made people take notice.
"Look, the Fifth Hokage's son is up next!"
"Even though he did well in the first exam, he was still overshadowed by Uchiha Sasuke and Senju Karin. I wonder if he can make a comeback in this round."
"It shouldn't be a problem, right? He's the Fifth Hokage's son. Even if he doesn't perform well, the judges will still give him some favor."
In the audience, whispers spread among the spectators. Sitting in the center of the stands, Uzumaki Kushina, of course, overheard the discussions about her son. Though she was furious, she wasn't about to argue with them. Instead, she bottled up her anger.
But eventually, she couldn't hold back any longer. Standing up, she shouted toward Naruto in the arena:
"Naruto! Give it your all! Show them your strength!"
"Take down whoever's in front of you!"
Kushina, overwhelmed by frustration, ended up blurting out something that sounded like she was asking her son to beat up his own father.
Minato, standing in the field, couldn't help but rub his forehead when he heard Kushina's outburst. He was long used to his wife's personality, but under so many watchful eyes, he still couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
"Don't worry, Mom! I'll do my best!" Naruto responded.
As expected of Kushina's son, Naruto didn't seem to mind at all. Giving his mother a thumbs-up, he then turned to face Minato.
"Dad, sorry about this—Mom told me to hit you, so I have to give it my all."
Naruto clenched his fists, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Haha, alright then."
"Come at me. I'd like to see how far you've come."
Namikaze Minato had been busy with work, leaving Kushina as the primary figure in Naruto's upbringing. As a result, while Naruto inherited Minato's hair color, his personality and behavior were entirely Kushina's—enthusiastic, energetic, and, at times, impulsive and reckless.
"Begin!" Iruka announced from the sidelines, signaling the start of the assessment.
The moment Iruka spoke, Naruto shot forward impatiently. He wielded no weapons and didn't use any ninjutsu. As soon as the match began, he charged at Minato head-on.
"What is this guy doing? Shouldn't he be making a probing attack first?" Off to the side, Choji frowned in confusion.
In his understanding, ninja battles always started with testing the opponent's abilities. Intelligence gathering was crucial, after all.
"Because he already knows enough."
Nara Shikamaru yawned lazily. Now that the novelty of the exam had worn off, he was starting to feel bored, though he still kept an eye on the match.
"Ahhhhh!" Naruto roared as he dashed toward Minato. He moved swiftly, closing the distance within seconds before leaping into the air and aiming a punch at Minato's face.
Minato, smiling, raised his left hand and effortlessly caught Naruto's fist. He tightened his grip, intending to toss Naruto aside.
After all, he was his son. Minato would feel bad if he injured someone else's child, but if his own son got hurt—well, so be it. Kushina was a medical ninja anyway; she could heal him.
With that thought in mind, Minato prepared to throw Naruto, but suddenly, he felt something odd in his hand. Looking down, he saw that his right hand was encased in a layer of light yellow earth.
"Earth Release?"
"When did Naruto learn Earth Release? And this technique… I've never seen it before!"
Minato's eyes widened in surprise. Taking advantage of that moment, Naruto grinned, swiftly breaking free and forming a hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof!
With a soft sound, an identical figure appeared beside Naruto. The clone immediately lunged at Minato while Naruto himself shifted directions, coordinating the attack.
Their attack patterns were well-planned—one aimed low, the other high—cutting off all of Minato's possible escape routes.
"Using Earth Release to seal my hand signs, then following up with close-combat taijutsu."
"When did Naruto develop this level of ability and strategy?"
Minato glanced at his trapped right hand and smiled. His son was growing strong, and as a father, that filled him with pride.
In the audience, Mikoto also looked surprised and asked in confusion, "Why is Naruto using Earth Release? Is his chakra nature earth?"
"But shouldn't he be wind and water? Minato doesn't have an earth affinity, and even if it was inherited through another bloodline, it should be lightning, right?"
Mikoto turned to Kushina, hoping for an answer, but also wondering if Kushina had some unknown connection to Earth Release.
"Heh, this isn't Naruto's natural chakra affinity, but it's still part of his strength."
"It might not be strong now, but it has great potential for growth!"
Uzumaki Kushina didn't answer Mikoto directly. Instead, she watched her son intently, convinced that his abilities would soon shock everyone.
(End of Chapter)