Bang!
Mizuki finally found an opening and drove his fist into Naruto's stomach.
A sharp, tearing pain exploded in Naruto's abdomen. His breath hitched as his body was sent flying backward, tumbling across the ground before slamming into a massive tree.
His body slumped against the trunk before sliding down, leaving a faint trail of blood.
He lay motionless on the ground, head drooping as if he had completely lost consciousness.
The tree behind him bore a deep indentation where he had struck, a clear testament to the sheer force behind Mizuki's punch.
"Heh… Naruto, you stupid demon fox."
Mizuki sneered as he stomped forward. His towering, beast-like frame made the ground tremble with every step, leaving shallow craters in the dirt.
His shadow loomed over Naruto as he bent down, his massive hand grabbing the boy's collar.
This was it. The moment to finish things.
Bang!
Just as Mizuki lifted Naruto's limp body—poof!—white smoke erupted, and the figure in his grasp disappeared.
"What?! When—?!"
Mizuki's arrogant smirk twisted into an expression of horror.
"Fire Release—Fireball Jutsu!"
Naruto's voice rang out from the treetops behind him.
Before Mizuki could even turn around, a roaring wave of flames surged toward him.
"Tch! You think something like this can hurt me?!"
Realizing he had no time to dodge, Mizuki raised his arms to shield his head—the most vulnerable part of his body.
The Curse Mark Potion had not only boosted his strength and speed but also toughened his body.
A mere Fire Release jutsu wouldn't be enough to take him down.
"Wind Release—Great Breakthrough!"
Just as the blazing fireball crashed into Mizuki, a violent gust of wind followed.
The swirling wind fanned the flames, amplifying them several times over.
The temperature soared as the fireball transformed into a fiery tornado, roaring like a raging inferno.
The monstrous blaze engulfed Mizuki entirely.
BOOM!
Mizuki's agonized screams were lost in the deafening roar of the flames as he was sent hurtling backward, his body spiraling through the air.
His once-massive, muscular form rapidly withered. The Curse Mark's effects were burning away under the extreme heat.
The raging firestorm only died down after shattering five or six thick trees in its path.
When the smoke finally cleared, Mizuki lay on the ground—his skin burned black, his body reduced to a twitching, charred mess.
He was completely defenseless.
Naruto pulled out a kunai and walked toward him, his face dark and emotionless.
His abdomen still throbbed from Mizuki's punch. Even with his naturally high resilience, the pain lingered.
But it didn't matter.
He had planned this from the start.
Back when he was knocked down, he had taken advantage of the chaos to substitute himself with a clone, luring Mizuki into his trap.
Pfft!
Naruto didn't hesitate. He slit Mizuki's throat in one swift motion.
A spray of blood erupted from the wound. Mizuki's body convulsed weakly before falling completely still.
Dead.
Naruto clutched his aching stomach, took a deep breath, and disappeared into the darkness, using the Body Flicker Technique to rush home.
Anbu's Observation
Just a short distance away, eight Anbu members remained hidden in the trees, watching the scene unfold.
Their gazes were blank, filled with disbelief.
"…Is this kid really a recent Academy graduate?"
"He just combined two different nature transformations into a single technique…"
"That's impossible. The Academy doesn't teach anything like that."
"We need to report this to the Hokage immediately."
But there was no need.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had been watching everything unfold through his crystal ball.
He had long suspected that Naruto was hiding something. That's why he had orchestrated this entire event—to test him.
And what he had seen… shocked even him.
Naruto had gone from being dismissed as a 'deadlast' to displaying battle instincts and techniques far beyond his level.
But more than that, he had proven himself.
This wasn't a child consumed by vengeance.
This was a true shinobi of Konoha.
A small smile formed on the Hokage's lips.
(The Will of Fire must be passed on. Young people are the hope of the future, and it is the duty of the older generation to protect and nurture them.)
(The sacrifices of the past are not meaningless. They pave the way for the new generation to become the pillars of tomorrow.)
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, his gaze thoughtful.
Naruto was part of that new generation.
And he would watch over him closely.
The Next Morning
Riiing!
The sharp sound of an alarm clock jolted Naruto awake. He groggily sat up, stretching his arms. Normally, this was the time he'd rush to the Academy, but today was different. Today was the day when all graduates would be assigned to their teams and meet their Jonin instructors.
And if Naruto remembered correctly…
Kakashi was the type of guy who loved being late.
No need to rush.
He yawned and flopped back onto his bed.
"Whatever, I'll sleep a little longer."
Two hours later, the alarm rang again.
Naruto finally got up, walked into the bathroom, and started washing up.
He hummed a tune to himself as he got dressed, leisurely making his way toward the Academy.
His injuries from last night?
Completely healed.
It was all thanks to the Nine-Tails' chakra.
Every time Naruto got hurt, he just needed a good night's sleep, and his body would recover completely.
"Oh yeah… I still have over 500 anger points. Haven't used them yet."
He suddenly remembered the points he had earned yesterday.
Eagerly, he pulled up his Anger Point System panel and tapped the lottery button.
[Anger Points -100]
[Congratulations! You have won a bowl of snail noodles. Enjoy your meal.]
"…Huh? Snail noodles?"
Before Naruto could react, a bright flash lit up his system panel.
A steaming bowl of snail noodles materialized in his hands, its strange, pungent aroma wafting through the air.
Naruto blinked.
"...What the hell is this?"
(End of Chapter)