Chapter 255: Winds of Reform III

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

"Quick, catch up! Don't let that guy hog all the glory!"

The other students snapped out of it, putting in all their effort to sprint forward, aiming to overtake Sasuke.

Normally, no one would compete with Sasuke; they'd give him the respect he deserved.

But today was different. The Sixth Hokage, the principal, the Uchiha clan leader, and other big shots were all watching from the sidelines!

This was a golden opportunity to make an impression.

Anyone who reached the finish line first would leave a lasting impression in the eyes of Konoha's elite.

Even Shikamaru, who was generally laid-back and not competitive, had to give it his all. He didn't want to finish last and embarrass his father.

After all, Shikamaru knew that if he became the class's underachiever, people would question his father's capabilities—how could Nara Shikaku, the esteemed principal of the Ninja Academy, not even educate his own son properly? How could anyone trust him to train so many students?

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

Whoosh.

The first to react and catch up to Sasuke was a young man with long black hair and dressed in white.

Hyūga Neji.

As a prodigy of the Hyūga clan, he had been rigorously training in solitude from a young age. Gifted and hardworking, his abilities far surpassed those of his peers.

He, too, knew the Body Flicker Technique.

Moreover, he activated his Byakugan during his rapid sprint, using its 360-degree field of vision to keep tabs on Sasuke and the others.

Running neck and neck with Neji was Kiba Inuzuka.

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

"Heh heh, don't underestimate me. I've got this first place in the bag!"

Kiba was full of confidence, running like a cheetah and leaving everyone else in the dust.

"Hey, isn't that guy cheating? That's totally unfair."

Suigetsu Hōzuki was getting anxious. Seeing that he couldn't catch up to the front-runners, he got a devious idea.

Suigetsu subtly formed a gun shape with his hand at his waist, aimed at the three ahead, and fired liquid bullets from his fingertips.

Water Gun Technique.

A secret jutsu passed down through the Hōzuki clan of Kirigakure, it could be activated without hand seals and was even more powerful than high-speed metal bullets.

Of course, Suigetsu had just mastered this technique and was far from lethal, but it was more than enough to cause a disturbance.

Zing, zing, zing.

The liquid bullets whizzed through the air, each targeting one of the three ahead.

"Ugh..."

Kiba's thigh was hit by the Water Gun, causing him to grunt and lose his balance. He tumbled several times on the track and fell behind.

Sasuke, who hadn't activated his Sharingan, also failed to notice the Water Gun attack and was hit. However, he merely stumbled and didn't lose his balance, thanks to his superior physical conditioning.

But his speed decreased, and his lead quickly diminished. He was soon caught up by the person behind him.

It was Neji.

His Byakugan had accurately captured the Water Gun attack, allowing him to dodge it effortlessly and overtake Sasuke.

He was now in first place.

Damn it!

Sasuke cursed inwardly, fuming, but had no time to find out who had sabotaged him. He was hot on Neji's heels.

What Sasuke didn't know was that more than one person wanted to sabotage him.

In the crowd...

Ino Yamanaka was running with gritted teeth, her eyes fixed on Sasuke's back. She then raised both hands to form a frame, aiming at Sasuke.

She despised the Uchiha clan.

The Sixth Hokage had killed her father, and Sasuke was the Sixth's nephew, making him equally detestable to her.

Not only did she want to prevent Sasuke from taking first place, but she also wanted to humiliate him in public, tarnishing the Uchiha name and thereby embarrassing the Sixth Hokage.

She would use her newly learned family secret technique—Mind Body Switch Technique.

This jutsu allowed the user to focus their mental energy and shoot it straight at the enemy. If the mental attack hit its target, the user could seize and control the victim's body. It was an insidious Yin Release technique that was hard to defend against.

Uchiha Sasuke, just you wait and see how I humiliate you.

Ino was about to unleash her Mind Body Switch Technique without hesitation.

But just then...

Whoosh.

A sudden gust of wind, carrying a flurry of sand, swept across the track. The students couldn't keep their eyes open and were blown about in disarray.

Fūton: Wind Dust Storm.

It was Temari from the Hidden Sand Village who had interfered, using this technique to disrupt everyone.

In the midst of this, Ino struggled to maintain her balance and was about to release her Mind Transfer Jutsu when she was suddenly bumped by someone nearby.

Her jutsu went astray.

Whoosh.

Ino's consciousness left her body, missing Sasuke, and couldn't return in a short time.

As a result—

Thud.

Ino's vision went dark, and she fell flat on her face on the track.

"Ino!"

Seeing her collapse, Shikamaru and Chōji both cried out in alarm.

In a split second, after some rapid thinking, Shikamaru yelled at Chōji, "Go, win this for the Ino–Shika–Chō trio! I'll stay and take care of her!"

Between showing off and helping a comrade, Shikamaru ultimately chose the latter.

"These guys have gone too far!"

Neji was also furious.

If they're all going to disregard the code of the shinobi, then they can't blame me.

"Human Boulder!"

He shouted, his face turning red. His hair rapidly grew and hardened, covering his entire body, turning Chōji into a rolling sphere.

Rumble, rumble.

The Human Boulder rolled down the track, knocking everyone out of the way and quickly overtaking Sasuke and Neji.

This commotion naturally caught the attention of the higher-ups in Konoha.

"These kids are full of energy. It seems they all want to show off in front of the adults," said Tsunade with a smile.

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

"Do we even need to ask? It's definitely Sasuke. I heard he's the star of the academy, leaving all his classmates far behind."

"..."

The crowd discussed, verbally favoring Sasuke, given that his father and uncle were the two most powerful men in Konoha.

However, in their hearts, they were definitely rooting for their own children.

"What's going on here?"

Guy was puzzled, not expecting the students to be so serious about a mere race, even using lethal jutsu.

Many students were already injured.

Guy frowned, about to intervene in this out-of-control race, but Kakashi appeared in a flash, stopping him:

"Don't interfere; let the kids sort it out. That's the Hokage's wish."

As they spoke, the competition on the track had reached a fever pitch.

Sasuke, Neji, and Chōji were in the leading group.

Temari, Kankurō, Chōjūrō, Haku, and Suigetsu were in the second group, closely following.

The finish line was just ahead, only a hundred meters away in a straight line. Everyone was giving it their all, sprinting with all their might.

Now was the time.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, his hands quickly forming seals. With two "pops," two identical Sasukes appeared out of thin air.

Shadow Clone Jutsu.

As a B-rank jutsu usually only mastered by jōnin, it was surprising to see it used by a student who wasn't even a genin yet.

But considering he was Uchiha Sasuke, it didn't seem surprising at all.

Whoosh, whoosh.

After Sasuke's clones appeared, they immediately flanked Neji and Chōji, blocking their paths.

At the same time—

"Ha!"

Sasuke formed another seal, and his legs suddenly erupted in blue chakra. He turned into a silver bolt of lightning, instantly accelerating.

He was the first to cross the finish line.

Lightning Body Flicker Technique.

This was a high-level Body Flicker Technique Sasuke had learned from his teacher Kakashi. He had gambled on it, and it paid off as he broke his own limits.

"Heh... heh..."

Victorious, Sasuke was so exhausted he knelt down, his hands supporting him on the ground, his head hanging low as he panted heavily, sweat dripping onto the track.

Using both the Shadow Clone and Lightning Body Flicker had nearly depleted his chakra, and a wave of fatigue washed over him.

But thinking about his public victory, Sasuke was ecstatic.

After catching his breath, he quickly looked up, waiting for praise from his uncle and father.

But the next second, Sasuke was stunned.

Dan seemed utterly disinterested. He yawned, didn't say a word, and turned to leave, not even sparing Sasuke a glance.

The higher-ups of Konoha also followed the Hokage, leaving one after another.

A profound sense of loss washed over Sasuke's face.

Am I... not good enough?

His expression turned somber, realizing that his skills were far from impressing his uncle. He had been so smug just moments ago; it was both laughable and pitiable.

"Sasuke, you're amazing!"

A pink-haired girl named Sakura, panting heavily, ran over to him. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at Sasuke in admiration.

Then, blushing, she hesitantly handed him a handkerchief, "Here... wipe your sweat."

Sakura was among the top-performing civilian students, which allowed her to study in the elite class alongside Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji—scions of great clans.

Sasuke was in a foul mood.

He gave Sakura a cold look, didn't take her handkerchief, and silently stood up, leaving the bewildered girl behind.

One, two, three...

Sasuke began doing one-legged squats, not wanting to waste a single second, seizing every opportunity to improve himself.

Seeing this, Neji also refused to be outdone and silently assumed a horse stance.

"Lord Hokage, please take your leave."

With Shikaku's respectful send-off, Dan and his entourage left the academy.

Next, the inspection team visited various departments like the Police Force, Agriculture, Tourism, and Culture, all of which had made some progress.

For instance, the Police Force underwent several reforms and even collaborated with the ninja academy to recruit graduates directly.

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

The Tourism Department integrated Konoha's tourist resources, opening up Uchiha Naka River and Nara Forest as attractions, and trained a group of professional ninja tour guides.

Lastly, the Housing Department.

Konoha, as a village, was not small, but it was far from being an international metropolis.

For example, the main road that ran through the heart of Konoha was less than two miles long, making the core residential area too small.

In the past six months, with a constant influx of tourists, students, businessmen, and patients, housing in Konoha became scarce.

Many people wanted to settle in Konoha but couldn't find properties, forcing them to stay in hotels temporarily.

Konoha's housing resources were in severe shortage, hindering the village's economic development.

That's when the Housing Department stepped in.

Led by the young Wood Release prodigy, Tenzō, the department employed thirty Uchiha ninjas proficient in Wood Release and a large number of craftsmen.

At this moment.

Dan and the Konoha higher-ups, led by Tenzō, were touring a newly built residential area.

Located in the southeast corner of the village, adjacent to the Konoha River and close to the Konoha Forest, the area boasted fresh air and a pleasant environment.

Walking on the cobblestone paths, they looked around.

Hundreds of wooden villas were built in the area, each with its garden and fence, aesthetically pleasing.

Moreover, green belts, fitness facilities, children's playgrounds, and leisure squares were all in place, distributed quite reasonably.

This was Konoha's sixth new residential area.

To make the lives of Konoha's residents better, the Housing Department also built a lot of infrastructure, including power grids, gas pipelines, and sewers.

Several multi-story buildings were also erected in the forest behind Konoha.

As a result, in just six months, Konoha's urban area expanded more than fivefold, and the population increased by nearly 100,000, growing at an astonishing rate.

After listening to Tenzō's work report, Dan nodded.

Infrastructure is crucial.

Today's Konoha was continuously engaging in massive construction projects, transforming from a small village into a modern city at an electrifying pace.

Dan remembered.

In the original story, Konoha became a modern metropolis only after the Fourth Great Ninja War, during the era of the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki.

Skyscrapers, electric railroads, neon lights flashing.

Now, under the Uchiha clan's leadership, that era seemed to be arriving ahead of schedule.

One day in the future.

Konoha, as a permanently neutral village, would become the commercial, economic, and cultural center of the entire ninja world, a place where countless people aspire to be.

And all of that began with these winds of reform.

The inspection was over.

After that, Konoha's development did not slow down but continued to accelerate, entering a period of rapid growth.

Racing towards the future at breakneck speed.