Chapter 7: A New Beginning
Once they were outside the classroom, Iruka turned to face Naruto. His expression was caught somewhere between relief and genuine surprise. A small, warm smile crossed his face before he grew serious again.
"Naruto," he began, keeping his voice low. "Those clones you just made… what was that? That wasn't a normal Clone Technique."
Naruto had anticipated this question. The Third Hokage hadn't informed Iruka of the decoy scroll scheme, after all. He kept his expression innocent and open.
"Oh, that? That was the Shadow Clone Technique," Naruto replied casually. "I learned it from the Scroll of Seals."
"What?! Shadow Clone?!"
Iruka's eyes flew wide. He had assumed it was just an exceptionally large number of ordinary clones. But the Shadow Clone Technique was a Forbidden Jutsu, recorded in the legendary scroll. It was dangerous, chakra-taxing, and beyond the reach of most shinobi.
Iruka himself could perform the Shadow Clone, but even he could only maintain a handful at a time. Yet moments ago, Naruto had produced what looked like hundreds—thousands—of solid, perfect copies.
Then, a new and even more staggering thought struck Iruka. His jaw went slack, and his eyes widened impossibly further.
"Wait," he said slowly, his voice almost a whisper. "You said you learned the Shadow Clone from the Scroll of Seals… last night?"
Naruto shook his head with a feigned, innocent confusion. "Not all night. I learned it right when I opened it. It seemed to fit me pretty well."
For a long moment, Iruka simply stared at him as if he were looking at a monster from the old tales.
A Forbidden Technique that even seasoned Chūnin struggled to master… and Naruto had learned it in less than an hour. The same Naruto who couldn't perform a basic Clone Technique. The dead-last of the academy.
Is this truly the boy I've been teaching all these years?
Iruka took several deep, steadying breaths, forcing his hammering heart to calm down. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Naruto watched Iruka's stunned expression and had to suppress a genuine smile. If only you knew the truth, he thought. I learned the Shadow Clone seven years ago. This was just a small demonstration.
If Iruka knew that, his expression would be ten thousand times more dramatic.
Finally, Iruka managed to compose himself. He exhaled slowly and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
"Alright, Naruto. I understand. Go on back inside. I'll announce the team assignments shortly. And… work hard from now on. You have real potential."
Naruto simply nodded and turned to walk back into the classroom.
The moment he stepped through the door, the atmosphere shifted completely.
In the past, when he entered a room, no one noticed him. He was invisible, a ghost that drifted through the halls without acknowledgement. But this time, Naruto might as well have been the sun breaking through storm clouds.
Every head turned. Every pair of eyes locked onto him. The low buzz of conversation died instantly, leaving a heavy, expectant silence.
Everyone was looking at him as if they had just discovered a hidden treasure, their gazes hungry to uncover his secrets. Some students shifted in their seats, clearly wanting to approach him, but they held back—unsure how to bridge a gap they had spent years creating.
It wasn't surprising, really. For years, Naruto had been the class joke, the bottom-ranked failure, the boy no one wanted to be near. Many had even taken pleasure in mocking him. And now, that same boy had performed a feat that left even their teachers stunned.
When they finally realized that the "dead-last" had hidden depths they had never bothered to see… it was already too late. An invisible wall had formed between them and Naruto, built from years of neglect and scorn. They couldn't just tear it down with a few awkward smiles.
Naruto saw their uncharacteristic hesitation and understood exactly why. He simply didn't care. He walked past them all without a glance, his expression utterly indifferent, and returned to his seat in the corner.
An awkward, weighted silence filled the room.
Then, gradually, hushed whispers began to ripple through the students. The topic, inevitably, was Naruto.
"I think… this year's top genius might be changing hands…"
"I don't know about that. A single technique doesn't prove everything. Sasuke is still a prodigy in every area."
"Tch. A single technique? Let's see you make one clone, let alone hundreds. You could barely manage two during the exam."
"…"
The murmuring continued until Iruka returned, carrying the official team assignments from the Third Hokage. He didn't waste time with preamble.
"Alright, settle down. I'll now announce the three-man cells."
As Naruto had already suspected, he was placed on Team 7 alongside Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno.
Sasuke's expression, already sour from his earlier humiliation, curdled further when he heard he would be stuck with the boy who had shown him up. His jaw tightened, and his dark eyes smoldered with quiet resentment. The golden boy, accustomed to being unrivaled, was now sharing a team with someone who had made him look ordinary.
Sakura, on the other hand, put on a practiced show of mild disappointment—Oh, what a drag—but inside, she was practically soaring with joy at being on the same team as Sasuke.
After assigning the remaining teams, Iruka clapped his hands for attention.
"These teams have been formed based on your daily academic performance and overall grades. Next, your Jōnin instructors will arrive to collect each of you. Wait here patiently."
He paused, his eyes finding Naruto once more.
"Naruto. Come with me one more time."
Surprised murmurs followed Naruto as he rose and walked out with Iruka. The students watched him go with a mix of envy and curiosity.
Once outside, Naruto assumed Iruka had more questions. But instead of stopping in the hallway, Iruka led him down the street, past several intersections, until they stood before a familiar, imposing building.
The Hokage Administration Building.
Naruto blinked, then quickly understood. It wasn't Iruka who wanted to see him.
It was the Third Hokage.
Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of caution passing through his calm exterior. He had expected this. The reveal of the Shadow Clone would inevitably draw the old man's attention. He had prepared for it.
Iruka gave Naruto's shoulder a gentle, encouraging pat.
"Go on in, Naruto," he said softly. "Lord Third wants to see you."