Sasuke, standing in the back row, sneered.
For the past three years, he had watched Naruto go from training his body to practicing shuriken techniques almost obsessively.
Although Uchiha Itachi rarely explained things directly, Sasuke often saw Naruto discussing theories with his brother about how to simplify hand seals. Naruto's sealing speed was so fast that Sasuke didn't even feel like trying to catch up.
At this moment, Sasuke didn't know that hand seals were simply gestures used to guide chakra through fixed pathways in the body.
This system didn't exist in the earliest era of ninjas.
It was originally created by Indra to make chakra easier for ordinary people to use.
For Naruto, who possessed two layers of spiritual energy, controlling chakra was on a completely different level compared to Sasuke.
Although Naruto couldn't perfectly control both hands yet, he had already mastered the first six chakra flow exercises without using hand seals.
That was why some people needed more than forty hand seals to perform Water Style techniques, while masters like Terumi Mei or Senju Tobirama could do the same with only a few.
At the highest level—
fighters like Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama could control chakra transformation and shape it freely.
For people at that level, hand seals were completely unnecessary.
Right now, Naruto hadn't reached that level yet.
But dealing with a genin was already easy for him.
Just when Sasuke thought Naruto was about to punch the genin in the face—
Naruto smirked and showed him the middle finger.
"Idiot."
Then he turned around calmly and walked straight out of the exam hall.
For a moment, all the candidates were stunned.
Did that mean… he passed?
Nearby, Anbu member Ando, who had been secretly watching, almost coughed up blood.
Over the years Naruto had done similar things many times. If someone provoked him, he usually retaliated immediately.
Especially after gaining the support of the Hyuga clan, Naruto had become even more fearless. To many villagers, he now felt like a walking disaster.
Ando had lost count of how many times he had to clean up Naruto's mess.
Before, they worried Naruto might be attacked by enemy villages or accidentally release the Nine-Tails.
Now they were worried he might get attacked by his own villagers.
This kind of person could not be provoked carelessly.
More importantly, Naruto had to attend the Ninja Academy. That was a direct order from the Third Hokage.
Although a jinchūriki was a strategic weapon, that role wasn't meant to be temporary.
If they treated him like a one-time weapon—like what happened with Rin, who had a tailed beast sealed in her body—it would be extremely cruel.
A jinchūriki needed to gradually learn to control their chakra and grow stronger.
Only then could they truly become a strategic weapon for the village.
If a tailed beast simply exploded inside enemy territory once and disappeared, it would become the village's greatest shame.
Unless the sealing technique was unstable—like in Sunagakure, where Gaara sometimes lost control.
Therefore, as Konoha's jinchūriki, Naruto had to inherit the Will of Fire, master ninjutsu, and become a powerful ninja.
Right now, however, Naruto had only raised his middle finger—making Ando almost spit blood.
Naruto was about to walk out of the academy gates.
Finally, Ando stepped in front of him with a dissatisfied grunt.
Naruto smirked.
"What's wrong? Because you lack ability, you won't even let people withdraw from the exam?"
Ando's mouth twitched.
"Stop causing trouble. Didn't you say you wanted to become Hokage?"
Naruto smiled.
"My dream changed. I'm planning to become the son-in-law of the Hyuga clan."
Ando: ....
Son-in-law?! If Naruto really entered the Hyuga family, the Third Hokage would explode with anger.
"The cheating problem with the examiner has already been handled," Ando said coldly. "You'll get a fair result."
Because of his mask, Naruto couldn't see his expression.
"Hurry up and finish it," Naruto complained. "You made me run all the way here. Honestly, being a ninja is dangerous and the salary is low. Wouldn't opening a ramen shop be better?"
Naruto glanced at Ando with disdain and walked back toward the exam hall.
Ando clenched his fists behind him, barely holding back his anger.
When Naruto returned, he heard the shocked voice of the genin examiner.
"Why?!"
Ando spoke calmly.
"As a ninja on duty, you failed the moral standards required for ninja missions. You will be sent back to the Ninja Academy for retraining. If this happens again, forget about becoming a ninja."
After saying that, Ando directly took away the genin's forehead protector and ninja pouch.
The adult genin stared in disbelief at the group of six-year-old children.
"I refuse! I want to see Lord Hokage! I—"
"Disqualified. Get out."
Genin: "....?"
As Naruto walked past him, he said again:
"Tsk, idiot…"
"You!!"
Then Naruto calmly walked to the examiners responsible for the Strength, Wisdom, and Speed tests and said:
"I withdraw."
The three genin exchanged glances—
and quietly gave Naruto full marks on their evaluation sheets.
Nearby, Shikamaru and the others looked at Naruto in confusion.
How could this guy be even more arrogant than the heirs of the great clans?
Meanwhile, Ino, Sakura, and Hinata watched Naruto's bold figure with curiosity.