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Naruto nodded respectfully. He glanced around the office and noticed his godfather, Jiraiya, giving him a strange look. Still, Naruto ignored it. This wasn't about him. The truth was, Naruto had never shared a strong bond with his godfather. His relationship with Jiraiya had always been... distant.
He turned to face his father. "Father, I've decided I want to graduate early. Iruka-sensei gave me this form, but it needs your signature."
Minato was taken aback, blinking in surprise, while Jiraiya let out a short chuckle.
"Kid," Jiraiya said, "you've definitely got confidence. Or maybe I should say arrogance. You seriously think you're ready to graduate already? How long have you been at the Academy—one day?"
Naruto looked at him calmly. "I'm confident that at my current level, I can pass the graduation exam easily."
Jiraiya scoffed, while Minato frowned. "Naruto," he said seriously, "you've only been to the Academy for one day. Are you really sure you're ready to graduate?"
Naruto met his gaze and repeated with steady determination, "Yes, Father. I believe I'm ready to take the graduation exam."
Minato was about to decline when Jiraiya interrupted.
"Minato, I think you should let the kid take the exam. Let him see where he really stands. He thinks beating Manma once means he's ready to graduate? This test might teach him a little humility."
Minato shot his sensei a sharp look, but before he could respond, Hiruzen stepped in.
"Well, Minato-kun," Hiruzen said thoughtfully, "I don't fully agree with Jiraiya, but it could be a valuable experience for Naruto. Let him face the exam. It'll help him understand what it means to become a genin—and what lies ahead."
Minato looked between the two men, then turned back to Naruto. "Naruto... are you absolutely sure about this?"
Naruto nodded firmly.
Minato sighed and took the form. "Alright. I hope you're truly ready. The exam is at 5 PM today. You'll be taking it in front of most of your class."
Naruto nodded once more, took the signed paper, and left the room without another word.
Jiraiya crossed his arms with a smirk. "Well, that'll knock some humility into him."
Minato gave him a stern look. "What's gotten into you, Sensei? Why are you acting like this?"
Jiraiya shrugged. "Trust me. I'm doing him a favor. He thinks he's some kind of prodigy. This will bring him back down to earth. He'll see that he's not as special as he thinks—and when he does, he'll come back and apologize to Menma and Mito."
Minato shook his head slightly while Hiruzen quietly watched. Deep down, Hiruzen had a feeling—a powerful instinct in his gut—that he was witnessing a legend in the making. But the old Hokage sighed to himself. The future is always uncertain, he thought.
Minato finally said, "Alright then. I guess we're paying the Academy a visit—to see how well he actually performs."
"Don't forget the popcorn," Hiruzen chuckled. "I might bring Konohamaru with me. Right, Minato?"
Minato nodded, though still visibly unsure. Jiraiya grinned.
"In that case, I'll bring Tsunade and Kushina too—so they can see the boy fail gloriously," he joked before walking off.
Minato gave him a strange look but let it go. At least they'll be there, he thought. It would help soften the blow if things didn't go as Naruto expected. But something inside Hiruzen told him… this was going to be something special.
Timeskip — Academy Grounds
Iruka stood at the front, visibly surprised. Not only had the Hokage signed Naruto's graduation request, but he had also personally stamped it—an official endorsement. Most of the students were shocked. Even Mizuki, who stood off to the side, raised an eyebrow.
The class was abuzz with whispers and glances, curious about what was about to unfold. Even Menma and Mito, standing toward the back, were visibly stunned that their father had signed Naruto's form.
A quiet anger bubbled inside both of them.
That same familiar feeling was returning again.
Our parents… they think Naruto is the strong one, Mito thought bitterly.
That's why they're always training him. Giving him special attention, Menma added inwardly.
It only solidified their growing belief that their parents saw them as weak. As disappointments. As embarrassments compared to their older brother.
Both clenched their fists tightly, resentment simmering beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, Naruto stood calmly at the edge of the training field, scanning the 13-year-old graduates lined up for their exam. Mizuki and another proctor stood nearby as Iruka stepped forward.
"Alright, everyone," Iruka said loudly. "Today is your graduation exam. We also have a special participant joining us—someone who wishes to try his luck."
All eyes turned to Naruto.
Some stared in disbelief. Others with annoyance or curiosity. Most of them already knew he was the Hokage's son.
One of the boys sneered and called out, "Heh. Just because you're the Hokage's kid, you think you can graduate early? Hah! Guess what? You're not ready to be a genin. Go home before you embarrass yourself."
Naruto looked at him with a bored expression. His gaze was cold—like someone staring at an insect on the ground, deciding whether it was worth stepping on. That unsettling look gave the boy a strange chill, but he forced himself to glare back.
Naruto sighed. "Alright. Enough of this. Mizuki, hand out the written exams."
Mizuki, still slightly uneasy from Naruto's presence, nodded and began distributing the test papers. Naruto glanced down at his sheet—and to him, it was almost laughably easy.
After all, he thought, when you have dozens of shadow clones studying in the library every day, tearing through books like they're nothing… this is nothing.
He quickly finished the entire test in a matter of minutes.
Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office, Minato, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kushina, Hiruzen, and even little Konohamaru—just three years old—were watching the event unfold through the crystal ball.
Ten minutes passed.
Naruto calmly folded his completed paper and placed it on the table.
Jiraiya scoffed. "Looks like the kid's realized he's not ready yet. He gave up early."
Hiruzen gave Jiraiya a strange glance, and Minato shot him a mild glare. Jiraiya simply shrugged. "Hey, I told him he wasn't ready to be a genin."
Back in the classroom, after about an hour, Iruka stood and called out, "Alright, time's up! Pencils down!"
He began collecting the papers and then turned back to the class. "Now, we'll test your accuracy with shuriken and kunai. Everyone, outside!"
The students lined up and began taking turns throwing their weapons at the wooden dummies. Naruto observed silently. He had assigned several of his clones to train specifically in throwing weapons. And thanks to memory synchronization, muscle memory transferred as well.
He stepped up to the line, grabbing multiple kunai and shuriken in both hands. He had seen a Jonin once do something similar—and he mimicked it.
With a single, smooth motion, Naruto hurled all his weapons simultaneously.
Thud!
The entire class went silent.
The kunai and shuriken didn't just hit the wooden dummy—they pierced straight through it. Then slammed into the large boulder behind, creating deep cracks that webbed across its surface.
Iruka and the other teachers stood frozen. The dummy had been struck in all its vital points. Clean, precise hits. Powerful.
Mizuki stepped forward and inspected the damage. "Did… did he use chakra enhancement?"
Iruka frowned in thought. No… it wasn't visible. It must've been raw strength and perfect form.
He exchanged glances with the other teacher, who just gave a silent nod while still staring at the cracked boulder.
They all realized something at that moment.
They had a prodigy in front of them.
Jiraiya, watching from the crystal ball,let out a small laugh and shrugged. "Well, it seems the kid has some talent—at least when it comes to kunai and shuriken. Good for him. Maybe his life won't be so ordinary after all."
Tsunade, clearly irritated by Jiraiya's dismissiveness, turned to him. "Say one more word, Jiraiya, and I'll personally send you flying to the hospital."
Jiraiya backed off quickly, raising his hands in mock surrender.
Minato, meanwhile, kept his eyes glued to the crystal ball, watching with growing interest as Iruka called out, "Alright, next up—taijutsu assessment!"
The sparring portion was about to begin, and Mizuki was selected to face Naruto.
"Well then," Mizuki said with a smirk, stepping into the ring. "I'll try to go easy on you, kid."
Naruto simply met his gaze. "Let's begin."
Mizuki lunged at Naruto with a series of punches and kicks, but Naruto moved effortlessly between them—dodging fluidly like he'd done it a thousand times. At the right moment, Naruto grabbed Mizuki's wrist, twisted it exactly how Guy-sensei had demonstrated in his scrolls, and planted his foot against Mizuki's chest.
With one fluid motion, Naruto flipped Mizuki overhead and slammed him into the ground, hard—forcing him outside the ring.
The spectators were speechless.
Nothing like this had ever happened before in a genin exam.
Mizuki quickly scrambled back to his feet, putting some distance between himself and the boy. He glanced down at his wrist. Red marks had already formed—deep lines etched into his skin from the sheer strength of Naruto's grip.
What kind of monster is this kid? Mizuki thought, stunned.
Iruka cleared his throat. "According to the rules, whoever forces their opponent to the ground outside the ring first is declared the winner. Though most don't know this since it's usually Chūnin sparring with genin candidates."
He turned to Mizuki. "And Naruto clearly won."
Everyone, including the observers, was still amazed. The speed and technique Naruto had shown were far beyond that of a normal academy student.
Hiruzen spoke from the office. "That's some solid taijutsu. The kid's speed… it's remarkable."
Minato remained quiet, only nodding slightly.
"I didn't know you were personally training him," Hiruzen added.
Minato simply shook his head, keeping his silence.
Iruka then stepped forward once more. "Alright, the final part of the exam is ninjutsu. After this, I'll announce the results. Naruto, step forward."
Naruto gave a single nod as Jiraiya, Tsunade, Minato, Kushina, and the others continued watching from the Hokage's office.
Kushina narrowed her eyes, wondering, How is he going to pull this off? We never trained him in ninjutsu, and the academy hasn't either. He only joined for one day before requesting to take the final exam early…
Iruka began. "Naruto, please perform the following: a basic substitution jutsu, then transformation, and finally the clone technique."
Naruto executed the substitution with ease, replacing himself with a nearby chair. The transformation followed—he transformed into Menma, but Iruka raised a hand.
"Not quite right, Naruto. You only changed the hair and some facial features. Try again."
Naruto gave a small nod and closed his eyes. A moment later, he transformed into the Third Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi—down to the last wrinkle.
Iruka blinked in surprise, then smiled and marked the score sheet. "Perfect transformation."
Then came the final test—the clone technique.
"Alright, Naruto. Last part. Clone Jutsu."
Naruto nodded calmly—and didn't make a single hand sign.
Minato's eyes widened slightly.
So that's what it is… his speed isn't just in movement…. It wasn't just physical speed—Naruto's chakra control was incredible as well.
The rest of the observers, including the academy staff and elite shinobi in the shadows, leaned forward.
Without a word, Naruto created a cloud of smoke—and from it, five perfectly solid shadow clones emerged. Not mere illusions, but exact, tangible copies. Iruka could sense each clone had a shadow and weight—they were fully formed physical clones.
Iruka stared in shock, his voice faltering. "Th-these are solid clones… Shadow Clones. A forbidden jutsu…"
He looked at Naruto, stunned. "Naruto, this… you've passed. You've graduated. But if you want, you can perform an additional jutsu for extra credit."
Naruto nodded silently and stepped outside for the extra demonstration. The rest of the class watched, wide-eyed.
Without weaving any hand signs, Naruto calmly placed a single one—just for appearance's sake. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled.
A gigantic fireball erupted from his mouth, flying toward a line of trees. It exploded on impact, incinerating several trees instantly.
He hadn't even used that much chakra, yet the technique rivaled the Great Fireball Jutsu often performed by elite Uchiha Jōnin—who specialized in fire-style techniques.
Iruka, Mizuki, and the other instructors turned to one another in disbelief.
"This kid… he's going to be something else," Iruka whispered.
Iruka cleared his throat. "Alright… Naruto, you can return to the classroom. I'll announce the results shortly."
Naruto nodded once more and walked inside.
Everyone in the classroom turned to him, awe written all over their faces.
Iruka returned to the room and quickly finalized the grading sheet.
He spoke up, "I have completed the marks. The exam is now over. I'll now announce the results."
A hush fell over the room.
"For first place…" Iruka paused for effect, "…Naruto Namikaze."
Gasps filled the classroom.
One of the students stood up abruptly. "But—but Iruka-sensei! That's not possible! He's only eight years old! He wasn't even in the academy properly!"
Iruka shook his head firmly. "He answered every written question perfectly. He is the only student who scored 100% on the written test. His taijutsu, transformation, substitution, and clone techniques were flawless. He even performed an A-rank Shadow Clone Jutsu and executed a Fireball Jutsu at a level most Jōnin would struggle to match."
He looked over the class, expression serious. "Due to those accomplishments, he has earned full bonus credit. Though he did not complete the full academic year, his extra credit demonstration has more than compensated for it. Therefore, I officially declare Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze as the Rookie of the Year."
The room was silent. Shocked.
Even Jōya looked like a gaping fish. "B-but how? That's not possible! He only attended for ten minutes!"
From the Hokage's office, Hiruzen let out a small chuckle. "Well, Minato… it seems we have another prodigy on our hands. One who might even surpass you."
Minato said nothing. He simply looked at his son—his expression unreadable.
He had never expected this when he had signed the approval form.