### Chapter 26
The atmosphere in Konoha Village buzzed with excitement—the graduation exam was underway. Inside the examination area, students whispered and gathered as a familiar figure strolled in.
"Wait… isn't that Satoru-kun?" a pink-haired girl asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.
"Yeah, it is!" her friend chimed in, equally puzzled. "But what's he doing in the graduation examination room?"
More students joined the conversation, craning their necks to get a better look. Before long, the exam hall was surrounded by a growing crowd, all drawn by the presence of the boy who had become the talk of the academy.
Satoru Uchiha was no ordinary student. His exceptional performance over the past month had made him a near-legend among his peers. Even those who hadn't interacted with him knew of his feats.
"Do you think he's actually taking the graduation exam?" one student speculated.
"That's impossible," another replied. "He's only been in the academy for a little over a month! No way he's ready for this."
"I mean, the youngest ninja to graduate was seven years old, right?" someone added. "And Satoru-kun is only five!"
"Yeah, Uchiha Itachi graduated at seven. And isn't he Satoru-kun's older brother?"
"He is! Itachi completed all his courses in just one year and graduated as the top prodigy. But if Satoru graduates now, at five years old, wouldn't that make him even more impressive?"
"Don't be ridiculous. There's no way he's ready for that. Maybe he's just here to help the examiners with something."
The students' chatter was interrupted when an unfamiliar examiner stepped forward into the room.
"Wait… who's that? I don't recognize him," a student murmured.
"Yeah, graduation examiners are usually academy teachers. Why haven't we seen this guy before?"
In the crowd, Kurenai Yuhi, standing next to Orochimaru, raised an eyebrow. "Hey, isn't that Asuma? What's he doing as the examiner?"
She had accompanied her teacher, Orochimaru, who—much to her confusion—had taken a sudden interest in this year's graduation exam. Orochimaru, however, paid her no attention, his golden eyes locked on Satoru as though the rest of the room didn't exist.
---
**Inside the Exam Hall**
Asuma Sarutobi stepped forward, his demeanor exuding impatience. He addressed the students with a smirk, his voice loud and commanding. "Alright, listen up! The rules for the exam are simple: if you can touch even the corner of my clothes before this stick of incense burns out, you pass."
He gestured to the incense stick burning nearby. "That's your time limit. Let's see what you've got."
Asuma's irritation was palpable. Today was supposed to be the day he left Konoha to join the Fire Daimyo's Guardian Shinobi Twelve. Instead, his father, the Third Hokage, had roped him into this.
*"Enjoy the memories of the academy one last time,"* his father had said. Memories? Asuma had already graduated years ago. What was there to enjoy?
*This is just his excuse to stall me,* Asuma thought bitterly, deepening the scowl on his face.
Fine. If he had to waste his day on this, he wouldn't make it easy for these kids. *No handouts today,* he decided. If they wanted to graduate, they'd have to prove they were ready for the battlefield.
"Alright, brats! Let's get started!" Asuma called out, arrogance dripping from his tone.
---
The students bristled at his words, their indignation rising.
"Who's he calling brats?" one muttered angrily.
"We'll show him!" another snapped, preparing their technique.
One by one, the students began attacking, each displaying their best ninjutsu.
"**Wind Style: Whirlwind Fist!**"
"**Ninja Art: Shadow Imitation Jutsu!**"
"**Take this!**"
"**Try to dodge my hidden weapons!**"
The room erupted into chaos as students called out their moves, charging at Asuma with everything they had.
From his spot on the sidelines, Satoru watched with mild amusement, his chin resting in his hand. *Why are they yelling their techniques out loud?* he wondered. *Is this some unwritten rule? Or are they just making it easier for the opponent?*
Asuma, effortlessly dodging attacks left and right, noticed Satoru's stillness. "Hey, kid!" he called out. "What's the matter? Planning to let them do all the work and swoop in at the last second?"
Satoru raised an eyebrow, unsure if Asuma was really calling him out.
"Yes, you, the giggling little brat standing there doing nothing," Asuma clarified, smirking. "Why don't you come over and show me what you've got?"
---
Satoru's lips curled into a confident smile. He slowly rose to his feet, his movements calm and deliberate.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice steady.
Asuma chuckled, twirling the toothpick in his mouth. "Don't worry, kid. I'll go easy on you. Let's see your ninjutsu."
The students hushed, their attention now fully on Satoru. Many of them were curious, some skeptical. Could he really do it?
Satoru walked forward, his gaze steady as he sized up Asuma. The air in the room shifted as he stepped into the center of the examination area.
"Alright then," Satoru said, a sly grin forming. "Let's begin."
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 50 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
Gimme power stonesssss
Also, leave a review FFS