Time Skip

More than four years have passed since that fateful attack on the Hokage Mansion.

Time, relentless as always, has flown by in the blink of an eye, and the graduation season has finally arrived.

After the incident, Sakumo led the ANBU in a thorough investigation throughout Konoha, but not even the slightest trace of Ryō was found.

This, however, was not surprising. As a member of Root, Danzo's organization, Ryō had been erased from all records.

In Root, there is no past or future; Danzo personally ensures that all information about his members is eliminated.

The Uchiha clan, for their part, had no knowledge of Ryō. If any record of him existed, it probably listed him as deceased. This mysterious attack only served to increase Hiruzen's already existing resentment towards the Uchiha clan.

Curiously, after these events, Danzo seemed to calm down and stopped bothering Chen, allowing him to enjoy his life without major concerns.

In these four years, Chen has become a true celebrity in Konoha. At 1.75 meters (5.74 feet) tall, with his silver hair that reaches down to his waist and his peculiar lavender eyes with golden patterns, he is considered the living image of celestial perfection, despite his young age.

But his beauty is just the tip of the iceberg. His strength has reached unimaginable levels. Only the Otsutsuki of the Universe could be capable of measuring up to him. Even Hagoromo would be no match for Chen, who could dispose of him with a simple thought.

His chakra level is so absurd that it escapes any known measurement, and his physical condition could be compared to that of Saitama, though not in such an exaggerated way.

And all this without even activating his Tenseigan Chakra Mode, in which case his power resembled that of LN Naruto.

This monstrous strength has made Chen become arrogant, fearing no one and nothing.

Luck has also smiled upon Chen in these years. He has won four lottery prizes, including a coveted Mangekyō Sharingan Evolutionary Liquid, which will allow Mikoto to evolve her Mangekyo Sharingan to the eternal one.

This prize, valued at 300,000 coins in the system store, would have required Chen to wait more than a decade to have it by his own means.

Mikoto and Kushina have also not been left behind. Mikoto has unlocked the Three Tomoe of her Sharingan and has reached the strength of a Jōnin. Kushina, for her part, also possesses Jōnin strength and is even superior to Mikoto.

Without a doubt, both are the most powerful students in the Shinobi world, despite still being in the Ninja Academy.

And today, finally, the day of the graduation exam has arrived.

The students who pass it will become true ninjas, reaching the rank of Genin.

Those who do not succeed will have to repeat a year or choose another path in life.

—---

The Class A classroom was immersed in tense silence when Chen, Mikoto and Kushina entered.

Professor Kuri was already at the podium, his expression serious and somewhat gloomy. The three students bowed their heads in respect before taking their seats.

The atmosphere was heavy. Kuri maintained an unpleasant expression, which contributed to the deathly silence that reigned in the class.

Finally, he cleared his throat and began his farewell speech. "It's been five years together," he said in a hoarse voice. "And although most of the time I felt like you gave me headaches, now that you're leaving... well, I'm really sad."

Kuri's eyes glistened with a reddish tinge as he spoke, betraying the emotion he was trying to contain.

Suddenly, Nawaki's mocking voice broke the moment. "Wow, professor! Don't tell me you're so old that you still want to cry."

Kuri, embarrassed, hastened to respond. "What nonsense you're saying, Nawaki! It's just that the wind is very strong today and sand has gotten into my eyes. I hope you leave quickly so I can go wash my face."

Minato, always kind, gave Kuri a warm smile. "Don't worry, sensei. We'll keep seeing each other around the village."

After Minato's words, an uncomfortable silence took over the classroom. Kuri seemed lost in thought, which made Minato worry, thinking that maybe he had said something inappropriate.

Finally, Kuri spoke, his voice laden with concern. "To be honest, I don't think any of you will pass the exam."

A collective gasp went through the classroom.

What the students didn't know, what Kuri couldn't tell them, was that the shadow of war was looming over them.

The Land of Fire and the Land of Rain had entered into conflict, and other nations were quickly joining in. The battlefield was set, and he feared his students would be thrown into it too soon.

Memories of his own childhood, of seeing ninjas return from the First Ninja War with missing limbs and broken spirits, weighed heavily on him. He didn't want his students to experience that horror.

With his head down, Kuri murmured, "I don't want you to experience those kinds of things...."

Nawaki, however, interpreted Kuri's words very differently.

With a snort of indignation, he snapped, "We already know you can't stand us, sensei, but you don't have to curse us to fail the exam."

Kuri, surprised by Nawaki's reaction, let out a nervous laugh. "You're right, Nawaki. I was wrong to say that." Looking at the whole class, he added with a forced smile: "Just do the best you can, okay?"

________

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