As Sarutobi continued to ponder about Makoto's potential, Iruka grew increasingly anxious. He was worried that both Makoto and Naruto might face punishnt for stealing the Scroll of Seals, even though they had been manipulated.
Gathering his courage, he spoke up hesitantly, "Lord Third, these two kids were fooled by Mizuki—"
Before he could finish, Sarutobi raised a hand, cutting him off. "Alright, I already understand the situation. This was all Mizuki's sche, and these two were simply deceived by him. More importantly, they protected the Scroll of Seals and even managed to defeat Mizuki. That is a significant contribution to the village."
His gaze swept over both Makoto and Naruto before he firmly declared, "The matter ends here. Their rits and derits cancel each other out. There will be no punishnt."
Then, turning to Naruto, he added with a small smile, "And Naruto, now that you've learned the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, I'll make an exception and allow you to graduate from the academy."
"From now on, you're a real ninja!"
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief before he erupted into sheer joy. He leapt off the ground, punching the air.
"YAHHH! I finally graduated! I'm a real ninja now! Hahahaha!" He turned to Makoto, practically bouncing on his feet.
"Did you hear that, Makoto? Grandpa Hokage just said he's making an exception for ! I'm a real ninja! A ninja!"
Watching Naruto bounce around like an overexcited monkey, Makoto chuckled and shook his head. With a smile, he said, "I know, I know. I just heard it. Anyway, congratulations, Naruto."
Iruka, still smiling, removed his own headband and carefully tied it around Naruto's forehead, officially marking his graduation.
Naruto touched the headband, his eyes shining with pure joy. He grinned from ear to ear, the symbol of hidden leaf now resting proudly on his forehead.
—
[Uchiha Madara: Tch! I thought these two brats could stir up so real trouble.]
[Senju Tobirama: Although everything ended smoothly, I still feel like there's sothing strange about all of this… as if it was planned from the start.]
[Namikaze Minato: Lord Second, you feel the sa way? I had a weird feeling when Makoto and Naruto first went to the Hokage's office. Now, looking at how everything played out, it seems like this was arranged from the beginning.]
[Senju Hashirama: Huh? What are you two talking about? I don't understand. What's been arranged? What's strange about this? Isn't this a good ending? They weren't punished, and Naruto finally graduated. Isn't that great?]
[Uchiha Madara: Shut up, Hashirama! Are you really this dumb? Even a fool can see through this, but you still don't get it? This was all a big drama directed and perford by that Monkey Bastard! Mizuki was nothing but a pawn from the very beginning!]
[Senju Hashirama: Wait… Even a fool can understand it? Well, I didn't understand it! So does that an I'm not a fool? And since the three of you did understand it, doesn't that make you the fools? After all, fools are supposed to get what Madara just said!]
[Uchiha Madara: Shut up, Hashirama! You're worse than a fool!]
[Senju Tobirama: Sotis, I really don't know how to deal with my older brother's IQ]
[Uchiha Izuna: It's been tough on you all these years, Tobirama.]
[Senju Tobirama: Well, I'm kind of used to it by now.]
[Senju Hashirama: Huh? Since when did you two beco so close? Weren't you always at odds?]
[Senju Tobirama: Who cares if our relationship was bad before? Do you think we're stupid enough to keep fighting even after death?]
[Uchiha Izuna: Exactly! What's the point of holding grudges in the afterlife?]
[Uchiha Madara: Izuna, he's the enemy of the Uchiha Clan! He killed you with his own hands!]
[Uchiha Izuna: Brother, it's been so many years. You should let go of that hatred. Besides, we're both dead now. What's the point of dwelling on it?]
[And let's be real, don't you and Hashirama eat and drink together all the ti? Compared to my relationship with Tobirama, yours with Hashirama is way more closer. You're in no position to lecture .]
[Uchiha Madara: Shut up, Izuna! I'm not on good terms with him! I'm not doing this out of friendship.
I'm studying Hashirama's habits so I can defeat him one day!]
[Uchiha Izuna: Sure, whatever you say, brother.]
[Uchiha Madara: IZUNA!!]
______
As Naruto finally cald down, Sarutobi waved him over. Seeing his gesture, Naruto walked up with his usual goofy grin.
"Grandpa Hokage, what's up?"
Sarutobi smiled and nodded, clearly pleased. "Naruto, you've been improving a lot lately."
Hearing the complint, Naruto puffed out his chest proudly. "Hahaha, it's no big deal!"
However, before he could bask in his own glory, a loud thud echoed as Sarutobi knocked him on the head.
"Did you really think I was praising you, you little brat? You actually dared to use that technique on ! Now, be honest, who did you learn it from?"
Naruto rubbed his head with a pout. "Geez, Grandpa! I didn't learn it from anyone else. I ca up with it myself! I just didn't expect you to be so weak." He then stuck his tongue out playfully, making a silly face.
Sarutobi chuckled, shaking his head at Naruto's antics. Then, his gaze shifted toward Makoto.
Earlier, when Makoto had opened the Scroll of Seals, Sarutobi had been watching through his telescope technique. He had seen how Makoto quickly skimd through the various ninjutsu contained within.
If Makoto had mastered Rasengan after just glancing at it once, who knew what other techniques he had learned?
"Tell , kid, how many techniques did you manage to learn from the Scroll of Seals?" Sarutobi asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Makoto flashed a mischievous grin, scratching the back of his head in a manner oddly similar to Naruto. "Haha, not many, not many. I wanted to keep studying, but Mr. Iruka caught before I could."
Sarutobi shook his head with a knowing smile. It was obvious that Makoto was hiding the number of techniques he had actually learned. From the way he spoke, it was clear he had absorbed more than just Rasengan.
"Now that you've learned these techniques, be sure to practice them diligently and use them wisely. If you do, you'll grow into an exceptional ninja who can contribute greatly to the village."
He then clasped his hands behind his back and continued, his voice carrying a warm tone.
"Rember, where the leaves flutter, the fire will always grow…"
As Sarutobi began to talk about the Will of Fire, both Makoto and Naruto struggled to keep their eyes open, their heads drooping slightly from drowsiness.
On the other hand, Iruka appeared captivated by Sarutobi's words, nodding along with interest.
_________________________
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