Saruhi Hizashi didn’t knock on the door again. He stood outside for a while, listening to the sounds from the corner—knives chopping on the cutting board, the bubbling of soup, and the aroma of meat wafting through the air. Compared to Naruto starting to have his own ideas, what was happening right now made him feel that the threshold for acceptance was higher. The “nest” that once sheltered the Jinchuriki was now beginning to feel like a “home.” Saruhi comforted himself. There was nothing wrong with this. Wasn’t this what he had been hoping for? He wished Naruto would be okay; the Fourth Hokage would surely be pleased if he saw this scene... But why did he feel a bit uneasy? Perhaps it was still because he didn’t know Naruto well enough. He turned and left, deciding to observe carefully during this time. The Jinchuriki... must not go down the wrong path.

Naruto Uzumaki had changed significantly. His classmates at the ninja school noticed it first. The boy who had been disliked just a few days ago suddenly became less annoying. The most noticeable change was in his appearance. Previously, Naruto always wore a dirty, high-neck orange tracksuit that looked earthy and scruffy. But now he had finally taken off that tracksuit and changed into a plain white hoodie without any patterns, which complemented his blonde hair, paired with gray capri pants. He exuded a refreshing, sunny vibe.

“That guy Uzumaki has become much more pleasant to the eye,” Yamanka Ino suddenly remarked during lunch while pulling Haruno Sakura along. Sakura followed her gaze. Naruto seemed no different from usual—at least in her eyes, as he still sat alone at his desk, eating lunch by himself. “Can he make his own bento?” She quickly noticed something unusual; Naruto had a bento box in his hand! Though the side dishes and rice weren’t as exquisite as what her parents made, it looked like it might taste decent.

Ino hesitated. “It seems he can’t? He used to eat bread, right?” She wasn’t sure. Before this period, who would pay attention to a guy like Naruto Uzumaki? “Even if he’s slightly more pleasing to the eye, so what? He’s still far behind Sasuke,” Sakura crossed her arms, her gaze drifting over Naruto to Uchiha Sasuke, who sat not far away. “A loser is still a loser; maybe this is a new gimmick he came up with to attract attention.” She didn’t like Naruto.

Ino shook her head, not speaking, but she didn’t quite agree with this view. Compared to the students, the teachers at the ninja school could notice some internal changes in Naruto more acutely. He had started studying seriously! No more skipping classes, no more sleeping, and he was excelling in his homework... He transformed almost instantly from a “loser” into an “excellent student.” However, most teachers still didn’t like him, and some even hated him more—news about Naruto “beating” the convenience store owner had spread; he hadn’t faced any punishment, and the Third Hokage was “biased” toward Naruto, requiring nearby shops to do business with him.

They shared almost the same thoughts as Sakura. They believed this annoying brat couldn’t study seriously and would only have a momentary burst of enthusiasm. Moreover, with graduation approaching, what’s the point of pretending? Naruto was genuinely interested in the knowledge of ninjas. Previously, he found these things boring, and with no encouragement from teachers and no warm welcome from classmates, he had less motivation to study. But after returning from the Zhen'ao Spiritual Arts Institute, looking at the textbooks felt refreshing. His understanding and definition of “chakra,” basic physics knowledge, and the application of body techniques...

Although, in essence, chakra and spiritual energy are two entirely different forces—one stemming from the body, the other from the soul—the techniques for using them were the same. “Spirit Thread”—a sensing and identifying technique for spiritual energy taught at the Zhen'ao Spiritual Arts Institute—could also be performed using “chakra,” allowing him to discern who was around him based on the aura of chakra without needing to see with his eyes. After grasping the basics of the technique through a few training sessions, he could successfully execute it. Of course, the sections of the book discussing “the will of the village” remained tedious and unnutritional.

In the last lesson of the new week, Iruka knocked heavily on the podium: “There’s only one week left until the graduation assessment, and you will become real ninjas.” “So today... is a practical combat lesson.” “Everyone, gather at the playground.” A wave of complaints arose in the classroom. Compared to training and practical lessons, they preferred theoretical classes. The latter might be a bit boring, but they could slack off, and the teacher wouldn’t say anything. As for the former...

They called it practical combat, but after it ended, there would definitely be physical training. They really didn’t want to run three kilometers! However, the students obediently left their seats, either climbing out the window or using the door, heading to the playground. They lined up correctly, and the students sat around a designated area. “Is there anyone who wants to volunteer...” Iruka raised his hand. Naruto immediately stood up: “Iruka-sensei, I want to practice combat with Uchiha Sasuke.” His tone was firm. In these days, the teachers and classmates hadn’t changed their views about him. He knew very well that he lacked an opportunity, a chance for the teacher and classmates to understand his changes. And now... was the time.

Iruka was about to refuse. Although Naruto was improving, it was evident that he was not on the same level as Uchiha Sasuke. However, the words of refusal hadn’t fully come out yet. The order from the Third Hokage floated in his mind. He quickly changed his words: “Alright, since you’re so persistent, Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, come and practice combat with Naruto.” The students were surprised. Iruka-sensei wouldn’t have easily agreed to Naruto’s unreasonable demands before. Uchiha Sasuke stood up coldly and walked to the central area with Naruto.

“First round of practical combat.” “Uzumaki Naruto versus Uchiha Sasuke.” “Begin!” Iruka-sensei picked up his notebook, stepped back to the edge of the area, and announced the start. The battle did not erupt immediately. Uchiha Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets, coldly watching the person in front of him: “Uzumaki Naruto, you will never be my opponent.” “We bear different burdens.” “Someone with your caliber is not qualified to be compared to me.” “Iruka-sensei should arrange a more valuable opponent for me.” Cheers erupted from the girls.

Naruto said nothing. Chakra gathered at his feet, suddenly bursting forth, elongating his figure like a line just as Uchiha Sasuke’s words fell. A golden flash—those cheers sounded like a celebration for this moment. Uchiha Sasuke’s pupils dilated. How fast! He barely raised his hand, crossing it in front of him. But Naruto's hand had already grabbed his face, smashing it downward with force. “Caliber?” “Does such a thing need to be spoken aloud?”

The sound of a heavy landing echoed as dust swirled up, mingled with Naruto’s calm voice. He raised one fist while reaching to his waist with the other, hooking two shurikens with his index and middle fingers. The fist struck the dust. With a crack—the hard wood was knocked out. It was a substitution technique. A presence moved quickly within the smoke. Naruto wasn’t surprised at all; in his eyes, ribbons danced. Those were the ribbons that symbolized the aura of chakra, visible only to him.

Representing Uchiha Sasuke, there were two. One snaked through the crowd to circle behind, while the other boldly charged to the left. He waved his hand. The shurikens flew toward those two directions. “You have indeed made some progress, but you are still far from me,” Sasuke's voice came from the left side. Naruto ignored it, not even glancing to the left. That was a shadow clone. The real Sasuke was—he reached out and seized the thicker aura, turning around. Sure enough, behind him, Uchiha Sasuke, covered in dust and bleeding from his forehead, who had not dodged the first attack and looked utterly miserable, was raising a shuriken to fire.

Clang! But in that case, the shuriken he fired collided with the one Naruto had shot earlier, falling to the ground. The left-side shadow clone was turned into a puff of smoke by another shuriken. Sasuke was shocked. How did he notice? After being hit for the first time and using the substitution technique to escape, he had executed the shadow clone technique while letting the clone interfere with words. He didn’t even look? Did he trust so much that he was behind him?

As his thoughts swirled, another burst of golden light appeared. Naruto stepped closer, one hand slicing down while the other reached to his waist. This time, Sasuke was prepared; his hands weren’t in his pockets, and he could barely keep up with such speed as he raised his hands to defend. But... the attack came suddenly from below, hooking around his calf, causing his center of gravity to shift abruptly. Naruto easily flipped Sasuke over.

Bang! Sasuke still wanted to move. A slight sting in his neck—a worn and no longer sharp shuriken pressed against his throat. “You lost, Uchiha Sasuke,” Naruto softly announced the result. Uchiha Sasuke felt unwilling but did not refute it. He looked at Naruto, his expression shocked and confused. It was hard to understand how, in just a few days, this loser had changed so much. Iruka and the other students were also incredulous. Uchiha Sasuke actually... lost.

Naruto straightened up, calmly looking at Sasuke: “You carry heavy burdens. But that’s not a reason to underestimate your opponents. You’re still not strong. You don't have the qualifications to look down on others from a high position.” Sasuke gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. He lowered his head. He... couldn’t even compare to a loser now?

Naruto paused slightly, raising his voice, not just speaking for Sasuke to hear, but also for Iruka-sensei and his classmates. “The result is clear. I am not a loser. I am also a genius.”