Perhaps because Raizen hadn't actively interfered with the main plot, today's Academy graduation exam followed the original script almost to the letter.
If there was one difference, it was that the "Second Pillar" (Sasuke), upon seeing the "Crown Prince" (Naruto), actually gave him a look of encouragement and told him to do his best. This left Naruto thrilled and deeply moved, believing that Sasuke had been acknowledging his hard work all along. With newfound confidence, Naruto boasted that the exam would be a piece of cake and he'd pass it easily.
But when his turn actually came, the "Crown Prince" faltered.
Under Iruka's disappointed gaze, Naruto failed the exam, becoming the only student in the class who didn't receive a headband. While his classmates celebrated, Naruto sat alone on the lonely swing set outside the school, his expression desolate as cold glares and mocking whispers swirled around him.
Raizen, having picked up Sasuke, looked at the solitary figure of Naruto Uzumaki. This time, he didn't hesitate; he walked straight toward the boy.
Hokage Building
Hiruzen Sarutobi, watching through his crystal ball, felt his brow furrow instantly.
"Naruto Uzumaki, do you still remember me?" Raizen asked with a warm smile.
"You're... Sasuke's uncle, big brother Raizen," Naruto said in a small, dejected voice.
"Hey, Naruto! You should call him Uncle Raizen!" Sasuke corrected him sternly. If Naruto called his uncle "big brother," wouldn't that make Sasuke a generation lower than Naruto? Absolutely not.
"Let him call me what he wants, we'll each have our own titles," Raizen laughed. "Naruto, I heard you didn't pass the exam?"
"Yeah," Naruto's eyes welled with tears. "I try so hard every day, but I just can't do it. I guess I'm just stupid."
"Naruto, you're not stupid. You just haven't found the right jutsu or the right method yet."
Raizen knew Naruto's chakra reserves were a hundred times that of Kakashi's—even more than his own current reserves. If Naruto could harness that power, he'd soar. In the original story, the moment Jiraiya taught him proper control, Naruto's progress became meteoric.
"A method?" Naruto looked up, confused.
"Do you want to graduate, Naruto?" Raizen smiled.
"Yes!" Naruto nodded, a flicker of light returning to his eyes. "Big brother Raizen, can you help me graduate?"
Raizen patted the boy's head. "I'll teach you a technique. I guarantee that once you learn it, you'll definitely pass."
"Really!?" Naruto's face transformed with excitement.
"Let's go. To the school training field. I'll show you," Raizen said confidently.
In the original timeline, Naruto learned the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu just by looking at the forbidden scroll once. He was always a genius of intuition; it was just the Nine-Tails' chakra interference that muddled his fine chakra control, causing him to fail the standard, low-output Clone Jutsu every time.
As they walked, a figure narrowed his eyes at Naruto from a distance, plotting in the shadows. Raizen noticed him and allowed a faint smile to cross his lips. Mizuki. A minor character not even worthy of being called Orochimaru's pawn, currently scheming to have Naruto steal the Scroll of Seals. Mizuki nodded at Raizen with a "friendly" smile, and Raizen returned the gesture.
In a way, Mizuki was a temporary ally. Mizuki targeted Konoha as a whole, whereas Raizen only targeted the high-level leadership. Raizen lived in Konoha; he wouldn't destroy the village just because he hated a few elders.
The Training Field
Naruto watched Raizen with breathless anticipation. In the Hokage building, Hiruzen watched just as intensely, unable to fathom why Raizen—who had been a quiet "baby-making machine" for years—was suddenly approaching the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
The fear of the Uchiha controlling the Nine-Tails was exactly why Danzō had been so hell-bent on exterminating the clan. Hiruzen remained wary but didn't send the ANBU to intervene yet; Raizen was in a public school field, comforting a failing student after his own nephew's exam. It was plausible.
"Raizen... what are you up to?" Hiruzen muttered, eyes glued to the crystal ball.
"Sasuke, Karin, you two can try to learn this as well," Raizen said, checking the surroundings. "I'm going to teach you a super powerful jutsu called the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu. It's a forbidden technique, far superior to the basic Clone Jutsu."
"Wow, sounds amazing!" Karin's eyes sparkled. Sasuke looked on with equal interest. Naruto, however, stared so hard he seemed afraid to blink. This was his lifeline.
"Alright, listen closely to the chakra flow. Channel it through these specific pathways, coordinate with the hand sign, and release."
Raizen demonstrated the cross-shaped hand seal slowly. "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Poof! Two perfect copies of Raizen appeared.
Sasuke and Karin immediately began trying to replicate the flow. Naruto felt a strange sensation—this jutsu felt... right. It felt like it was made for someone with his massive energy. Naruto focused, channeled his vast chakra, and shouted: "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF!
A cloud of smoke cleared to reveal a perfect copy of Naruto standing right next to him.
Karin's jaw dropped. Sasuke was speechless. The class "dead last" who couldn't even make a translucent illusion had just summoned a solid shadow clone on his first try? How?
"I... I did it?" Naruto looked at his clone, trembling with disbelief. He had just tried it on a whim, never expecting instant success.
In the Hokage office, Hiruzen's pipe nearly fell from his mouth.
Raizen, the only one who wasn't surprised, smiled with satisfaction. "Naruto, you can go graduate now."
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