Winds of Reform (Part 3)

Sasuke shot forward like an arrow, racing toward the finish line.

"Catch up! Don't let that guy steal all the glory!" 

Realizing the situation, the other students summoned all their strength and sprinted forward, determined to catch up with Sasuke.

Normally, no one would compete with Sasuke, giving him his due respect. But today, with the Sixth Hokage, the principal, the Uchiha clan leader, and the ANBU captain all watching, it was the perfect chance to shine.

Anyone who reached the finish line first would leave a lasting impression on the prominent figures of Konoha.

Even someone as lazy and non-competitive as Shikamaru had to give it his all. He didn't want to come in last and embarrass his father.

After all, Shikamaru knew that if he became the class's lowest performer, people would question his father's capability—

"You, Nara Shikaku, the esteemed principal of the Ninja Academy, can't even properly educate your own son. How can you be trusted to train so many students?"

Shikamaru didn't want his father to lose his job and face.

Swish.

A black-haired, white-clothed boy was the first to react and catch up with Sasuke.

Hyuga Neji.

As a genius of the Hyuga clan, Neji had trained diligently and silently since childhood. He was far ahead of his peers with talent and hard work.

Neji also knew the Body Flicker Technique.

While running at high speed, he activated his Byakugan, using its 360-degree vision to keep an eye on Sasuke and the others.

Running alongside Neji was Kiba Inuzuka.

Although Kiba didn't know the Body Flicker Technique, he used the Inuzuka clan's unique Four Legs Technique, channeling chakra into his hands and feet, moving like a beast on all fours.

"Heh heh, don't underestimate me. I'm definitely getting first place!"

Confident, Kiba ran like a cheetah, leaving others behind.

"Hey, that's cheating! It's not fair," Suigetsu Hozuki complained, seeing he couldn't catch up. He quickly came up with a plan.

Suigetsu formed his hand into the shape of a gun and discreetly aimed at the three in front, shooting liquid bullets from his fingertips.

Water Gun Technique.

This secret technique of the Hozuki clan from Kirigakure, which required no hand signs, could shoot high-speed water bullets as powerful as metal bullets.

Though Suigetsu was still mastering it and couldn't kill with it, it was enough to disrupt the race.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Three liquid bullets shot through the air, targeting the three leading runners.

"Ugh..."

Kiba grunted as a water bullet hit his thigh, causing him to lose balance and roll several times on the track, falling behind.

Sasuke, who hadn't activated his Sharingan yet, also failed to notice the attack and got hit. However, unlike Kiba, he only stumbled, not losing his balance.

Thanks to his regular workouts, Sasuke's physical strength far exceeded that of his peers, allowing him to withstand Suigetsu's ambush.

But his slowed pace allowed the others to catch up quickly.

It was Neji.

Using his Byakugan, Neji had precisely dodged the water bullets, overtaking Sasuke to take the lead.

Damn it!

Cursing inwardly, Sasuke burned with anger but couldn't afford to figure out who had targeted him. He focused on chasing Neji.

What Sasuke didn't know was that Suigetsu wasn't the only one trying to sabotage him.

In the crowd.

Yamanaka Ino, gritting her teeth and running, fixed her eyes on Sasuke's back. She formed a hand seal, aiming at Sasuke.

She despised the Uchiha clan.

The Sixth Hokage had killed her father, and as his nephew, Sasuke shared in her hatred.

Ino wanted to prevent Sasuke from winning and embarrass the Uchiha clan in front of everyone, making the Sixth Hokage look bad.

She planned to use her clan's newly learned technique—Mind Body Switch Technique. This Jutsu, when focused on an enemy, projected the user's spirit straight into the target, taking control of their body. It was a stealthy and dangerous technique.

Sasuke Uchiha, watch how I humiliate you.

Determined, Ino prepared to unleash her jutsu.

But at that moment,

Whoosh.

A sudden strong wind, carrying sand, swept across the track, making it hard for the students to see and knocking them off balance.

Wind Release: Sand Dust.

Temari from Sunagakure used her jutsu to interfere with the race.

Ino struggled to maintain her stance and released her jutsu, only to be bumped by someone nearby.

Her jutsu was missed.

Whoosh.

Ino's spirit left her body but missed Sasuke, and she was unable to return to her own body for a short time.

And then.

Thud.

Ino's vision went dark as she fell face-first onto the track, unconscious.

"Ino!"

Seeing her collapse, Shikamaru and Choji shouted in unison.

After a quick mental calculation, Shikamaru shouted to Choji, "Go, take first place for Ino-Shika-Cho! I'll stay with her!"

Choosing between personal glory and helping a friend, Shikamaru chose the latter.

"These guys are going too far!"

Neji was also furious.

No one seemed to care about ninja ethics, so he decided not to hold back either.

"Human Boulder!"

Choji shouted, his face turning red as he clapped his hands together. His hair grew longer and harder, covering his entire body, and turning him into a rolling ball.

Rumble.

The Human Boulder rolled down the track, knocking everyone aside and rapidly overtaking Sasuke and Neji.

The commotion naturally caught the attention of Konoha's high-ranking officials.

"These kids are full of energy. It looks like they all want to impress the adults." Samui smiled.

"Who do you think will reach the finish line first? Want to place a bet?"

"Do you even need to ask? It's obviously Sasuke. I've heard he's unmatched in the academy, always ahead of his classmates."

The group chatted, mostly favoring Sasuke due to his influential family connections. But deep down, they all rooted for their own children.

"What is going on?"

Might Guy was surprised, not understanding why the students were so serious today, even using combat jutsu in a race.

Many students were injured.

Guy frowned, ready to intervene and stop the race, but Kakashi appeared beside him, stopping him.

"Don't interfere. Let the kids finish. It's the Hokage's orders."

As they spoke, the competition on the track reached its climax.

Sasuke, Neji, and Choji were in the lead.

Temari, Kankuro, Chojuro, Haku, and Suigetsu were close behind.

The finish line was just a hundred meters away, and everyone was giving it their all.

Now's the time.

Sasuke's eyes sharpened as he formed hand seals. With two "poofs," two identical Sasuke clones appeared.

Shadow Clone Technique.

A B-rank jutsu is typically mastered by jōnin, yet a student, not even a genin was using it.

But considering it was Sasuke Uchiha, it wasn't surprising.

Whoosh.

The clones lunged at Neji and Choji, blocking their paths.

At the same time,

"Hah!"

Sasuke formed more seals, and blue chakra burst from his legs, turning him into a silver streak of lightning, speeding to the finish line.

Lightning Body Flicker.

A high-level Body Flicker Technique learned from Kakashi, usually with a low success rate. But Sasuke bet on it and broke through.

He crossed the finish line first.

"Huff...huff..."

Exhausted, Sasuke collapsed to his knees, supporting himself on his hands, sweat dripping onto the track.

The consecutive use of Shadow Clone and Lightning Body Flicker had drained his chakra, leaving him exhausted.

But knowing he had won first place, Sasuke felt thrilled.

Catching his breath, he looked up, waiting for praise from his uncle and father.

But to his surprise, Dan seemed disinterested, yawning before turning away without a word, not even glancing at Sasuke.

The Konoha officials followed the Hokage's lead and left.

Sasuke's face fell, filled with disappointment.

Am I...not good enough?

He felt dejected, realizing his efforts hadn't impressed his uncle. His earlier pride now seemed foolish and pathetic.

"Sasuke, you're amazing!"

A pink-haired girl ran up, out of breath but with stars in her eyes, admiring Sasuke.

Blushing, she handed him a handkerchief, "Here, use this to wipe your sweat."

The girl was Sakura Haruno, one of the top students among civilians, allowing her to join the elite class with the likes of Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji.

Sasuke, in a foul mood, coldly glanced at Sakura, ignored her handkerchief, and stood up without a word, leaving the shocked girl behind.

One, two, three...

Sasuke started doing single-leg squats, not wasting a second, focused on improving himself.

Neji, seeing this, refused to be outdone and silently began his own training.

The competition was on.

"Hokage-sama, please take care."

Nara Shikaku respectfully saw off Dan and his entourage as they left the academy.

The inspection team then visited the Police Force, Agriculture Department, Tourism Department, and

 Cultural Department, each showing various achievements.

The Police Force implemented a series of reforms and established a direct recruitment system from the academy for future officers.

The Agriculture Department developed chakra-powered farming tools and improved crop seeds, ensuring Konoha's food security.

The Tourism Department integrated Konoha's tourism resources, opening clan lands like Uchiha Naka River and Nara Forest as attractions, and training a group of professional ninja guides.

Lastly, the Housing Department.

Though Konoha was not a small village, transforming it into an international city required more expansion.

For example, Ichiraku Avenue, running through Konoha's center, was less than two kilometers long, making the core residential area too small.

With the influx of tourists, students, merchants, and patients over the past six months, housing in Konoha has become scarce.

Many people wanted to settle in Konoha but couldn't find housing, resorting to staying in inns.

The housing shortage was a major constraint on Konoha's economic growth.

The Housing Department, led by the young Wood Release genius Yamato, with thirty Uchiha ninjas skilled in Wood Release and numerous craftsmen, addressed this issue.

Now,

Led by Dan, Konoha's top officials visited a newly constructed residential area.

Located southeast of the village, near the Konoha River and forest, this area offers fresh air and pleasant surroundings.

Walking along the stone paths, they saw hundreds of wooden villas, each beautifully arranged with gardens and fences.

The area included thoughtfully planned green spaces, fitness facilities, children's playgrounds, and leisure plazas.

This was the sixth new residential area in Konoha.

To improve the villagers' quality of life, the Housing Department also built extensive infrastructure, including power grids, gas pipelines, and sewage systems.

The hills behind Konoha were developed, with several tall buildings rising in the forest.

In just six months, Konoha's urban area expanded more than fivefold, with a population increase of nearly 100,000, growing at an astonishing rate.

After hearing Yamato's report, Dan nodded.

Infrastructure was crucial.

Konoha's rapid development into a modern city was unprecedented. It evolved from a small village into an electrified urban center.

Dan recalled that in the original story, Konoha became a modern metropolis during the Seventh Hokage Naruto Uzumaki's tenure, after over a decade of development post-Fourth Great Ninja War.

Skyscrapers, railways, neon lights.

Under Uchiha's leadership, this era seemed to be arriving sooner.

In the future,

Konoha, as a permanently neutral village, would become the commercial, economic, and cultural hub of the ninja world, a place many would aspire to.

And it all started with these winds of reform.

The inspection concluded.

Konoha's development didn't slow but continued to accelerate, entering a period of rapid growth.

Konoha was sprinting toward the future.