Naruto's Exam

In the corner of the city, the old apartment is still the same as before, with the quilt spread out randomly, looking a little messy...

After a moment of heartache, he thought to himself that Naruto had spent the past ten years in this way.

Returning to the empty home, no one greeted the familiar footsteps.

His clothes were stained and no one washed them for him.

When he suffered a setback, no one would listen to his troubles.

On my birthday, I didn’t have my parents by my side, let alone being spoiled…

['I'm really sorry, Naruto...' Minato Namikaze felt guilty for not being able to take care of his family. As the leader of a city enterprise, he shouldered great responsibilities and neglected the care he should have as a husband and father.]

I watched my son deal with the household garbage, quickly wash up, and anxiously wait for the instant noodles to be cooked in just three minutes.

After filling his stomach, he happily packed his work backpack, looking forward to a restaurant party with his colleagues tonight.

It is sad that the child who had nearly escaped the accident has now grown up.

Minato Namikaze stared at every detail of Naruto's life in the city, letting time pass by, and he could never get enough of seeing everything about him.

Uzumaki Naruto was alone in the apartment, feeling relaxed and was about to go to the gym to practice new skills when there was a knock on the door.

Bang bang bang! !

"Naruto!~!" Bang bang bang!

"Xiao Yue?"

Naruto was stunned for a moment, but the hurried voice coming from outside the door was obviously Xiao Yue.

He hurried to open the door, and when he saw Xiaoyue, who was panting, he couldn't help but feel nervous: "What happened? Xiaoyue."

"Zhang Rui...he beat up someone from the company!" Xiao Yue almost cried, "Naruto, what should I do..."

Naruto's eyes widened and he cursed angrily, "That bastard!"

The first clause in every employee handbook explicitly prohibits the use of violence against company insiders.

Even a new employee like him keeps this common sense in mind!

He immediately followed Xiao Yue and ran towards where Zhang Rui was.

Naruto chased Xiaoyue while asking: "Xiaoyue, why did this happen? How could Zhang Rui attack our company's employees?!"

When Xiao Yue mentioned this, her eyes were red: "Because recently there was news in the company that the family Zhang Rui came from wanted to usurp control..."

“Although most people think that this is not entirely the Zhang family’s fault, at least the Zhang family’s own attitude and the company’s top management’s decision led to this dispute, there are still some people… but this has nothing to do with Zhang Rui!”

Naruto lowered his eyes. This situation...

He himself had experienced more than a decade of ridicule and sarcasm, so he knew the pain and frustration...

"In addition..." Xiao Yue said in a trembling voice, "The chairman mentioned in the meeting just now that Zhang Rui is the reincarnation of the boss of the legendary Zhang family..." At this point, Xiao Yue was so excited that she could hardly control herself, "Everyone said that it was because the boss of the Zhang family planned the attack on the company headquarters that year,..."

Xiaoyue couldn't say the rest of the words.

However, this is exactly the feeling that Naruto can understand best!

He spent twelve whole years in this city, and the fear of others bound him tightly like shackles...

Whether it was the Nine-Tailed Fox incident or the fact that he was considered the indirect murderer of the company's leader, all the blame was shifted to him out of fear!

Naruto clenched his fists as he ran.

He would never let Zhang Rui experience again the feeling of being feared and rejected that he had endured before.

For Zhang Rui, who lost his family, this pain was already deep enough! Therefore, Naruto was determined not to let Zhang Rui suffer the feeling of isolation and fear he had suffered again!

Otherwise, Zhang Rui might end up betraying the company, their team, him, Xiaoyue and their mentor Manager Liu, just as described in the rumors!

To him, Zhang Rui was a brother with whom he had finally established a deep friendship...

After all, this is the family-like existence that he worked so hard to get back!

……

The two of them sped all the way and arrived at the company's commercial district a few minutes later.

Fortunately, Zhang Rui only had a verbal conflict with the employees and did not actually use violence to attack them.

"Zhang Rui! What the hell are you doing?!"

Naruto ran up to Zhang Rui, quite dissatisfied with his impulsive behavior: "What's wrong with you?!"

"Naruto, Xiaoyue, stay out of my way!"

Despite having experienced a family tragedy and living alone for many years, Zhang Rui is completely different from Naruto, who lost his relatives at a young age. He still retains some of the arrogance of a young master of the family.

Naruto's stubborn character was instantly aroused. He grabbed Zhang Rui's arm and pulled him behind him: "Aunt Yue, the uncle in the video and I have already treated you as our own family. How can I ignore you?!"

"and……"

In the past, Naruto might have been ashamed to mention his experiences among the company's employees, but now, after watching the video footage, Naruto felt it necessary to let everyone know his true situation and feelings.

"Besides, I've had enough of those looks!"

He turned to face the company's crowd and shouted angrily: "We didn't do those things at all! Why do you look at us like that?!"

"Why do you look at us as criminals and monsters? Treat us the same way you would treat a monster like the Nine-Tailed Fox..."

"Is it Zhang Rui who caused the trouble?! Or did I kill the company leader?!" Naruto said this with a hint of desolation in his voice: "Actually... I have always admired our chairman very much..."

[“!!!!” Chairman Namikaze Minato looked at Uzumaki Naruto in surprise.]

There is no father who would not feel proud and gratified when he knows that his son respects him, but at this moment, Naruto's respect brings two intertwined emotions to Minato Namikaze -

Naturally there is joy and pride.

But there is also a heavy, sad sense of loss.

Even as the leader of the company, he couldn't change people's hearts. In his heart, he blamed and complained about the company's employees for treating Naruto like this, but he knew in his heart that it was him, the chairman of the board and Naruto's biological father, who caused all this...

……

For a long time, Naruto has always relied on some nonsensical jokes to attract other people's attention.

It's not often that one gets to express one's inner feelings out loud like today.

When he was a child, he might have been confused by these questions and tried to ask loudly in the crowd, but after getting no answers and responses again and again, he gradually gave up this ineffective effort...

Xiaoyue and Zhang Rui had never seen this side of Naruto before, and neither of them had ever thought about it carefully before.

Now, when Naruto loudly revealed the grievances and pains that had been suppressed for many years, they deeply realized that these pains and grievances were the burdens that Naruto had silently endured for more than ten years!

In the bustling city, Naruto's name still echoed in the streets and alleys, attracting the attention of Sasuke and Sakura, but they didn't know how to start a conversation.

Previously, due to rumors that Sasuke was the heir of a legendary family, many Konoha citizens had mixed feelings towards him, especially when they saw Naruto. After all, Naruto's attitude towards Sasuke was not friendly before, until the secret of the high-level meeting was leaked, and everyone learned that Naruto was actually the reincarnation of the first great leader, Hashirama Senju...

For a long time, the citizens of Konoha have admired the great image of the first generation leader. Now facing this young man who seems ordinary but actually carries a heavy responsibility, they are unable to adjust their mentality for a moment.

"Naruto, why did you get into trouble again?" Senju Tobirama, the second leader, teleported to the front of the crowd and found that the villagers gathered around Naruto again.

"It's all because of you, Nidaime! You suddenly disappeared during the exam and said some weird things! What? Sasuke is the reincarnation of some big guy, and I am the reincarnation of some big guy?! I don't understand what you are talking about at all!" Naruto asked excitedly.

Sasuke tried to defend himself, but his words were drowned out by Naruto's emotional flood.

The Second Hokage calmly watched Naruto finish venting his anger, then sighed deeply. "Neither of you is the reincarnation of that legendary figure! The so-called inheritance of chakra only means that you have greater potential, and it does not determine the direction of your practice and your future destiny. All of this depends on your own choice, and has nothing to do with us who carry historical memory!" He turned to Sasuke, "Besides, are you really going to remove the tailed beast from Naruto's body because of some legendary 'Moon Eye Project'?"

When Sasuke heard this, he was shocked. He remembered a terrible thought that had flashed through his mind: depriving Naruto of the tailed beast in his body. He knew that would mean the end of Naruto's life!

"You know, once the tailed beast is separated from the Jinchūriki, that Jinchūriki will die!" The Second Hokage mentioned the dangerous situation that Naruto had encountered. If Uchiha Obito had not betrayed the enemy at the critical moment, Naruto would have died long ago!

"!" Sasuke was shocked by the warning from the Second Hokage, and the horrific scene of himself hurting Naruto with his own hands emerged in his mind, which made his heartbeat accelerate instantly.

……

The Second Hokage knew that Sasuke had to think about the next question by himself, so he didn't say anything more. "Well, I still have official business to deal with," he thought of the more difficult situation with Sister Mito and Itama, "Sasuke, even if you are just a novice now, you are also a ninja. Naruto has experienced hardships since he was a child, and now that he has just gained some experience, are you going to use the Sharingan? What exactly happened?"

Sasuke turned his head away. The pride of the Uchiha family did not allow him to explain too much. Tobirama Senju, who knew the Uchiha family best, was furious.

"Hey! Sasuke!"

"Sasuke-kun..."

However, considering Naruto and Sakura's feelings, Sasuke did not respond after all.

Naruto was so angry that he almost wanted to make excuses for Sasuke, while Sakura looked worried, clenched her chest, and seemed to be in pain as well.

"Tsk..."

Sasuke was in a dilemma. How should he say this?

That morning, Sasuke returned home from a mission in the Forest of Death, only to find that two crows led by the Nidaime appeared at his doorstep for some reason and begged for food. His mother, Uchiha Mikoto, actually cooked red bean soup and glutinous rice balls to entertain them with a smile on her face!

Will crows eat red bean soup and glutinous rice balls?

Although he was confused, Sasuke didn't think much about it and went straight to take a shower and change clothes. While he was taking a bath, he couldn't help but recall the absurd things he had experienced in the past few days. He inexplicably flashed back to the scene of him killing Naruto and the words he blurted out in anger: "How can you, who grew up lonely, understand my feelings?!"

"mom."

After washing up, Sasuke poked half of his head out from behind the bathroom door, only to see his mother Uchiha Mikoto and the two crows looking at him, which made him feel embarrassed.

Uchiha Mikoto asked him with a smile: "Sasuke, what's wrong? ~"

The unique stubbornness of the Uchiha family was fully displayed in Sasuke. He hesitated for a long time before walking up to his mother and shyly told her all the trivial things that had happened recently.

Uchiha Mikoto and the caring "crow" knew immediately that his main point was to apologize, but he was hesitant to act.

There is no need for much explanation about the tacit understanding between mother and son. Uchiha Mikoto brought a bowl of red bean soup and asked Sasuke to send it to Naruto's house in her name.

Sasuke complained about the trouble, but went anyway with conflicted feelings.

On the way from Sasuke's house to Naruto's house, he happened to pass through Konoha Commercial Street. He did not deliberately take a detour and walked through it as usual. The curious looks and whispers of passers-by were more obvious than usual, making Sasuke feel more uncomfortable.

At this moment, a staggering old man suddenly appeared, and the name he called out was "Uchiha Madara"!

Sasuke never expected to meet such an old man with cloudy eyes and unclear mind on the street, holding a stone in his hand as a weapon and attacking him. Sasuke naturally didn't care about such an attack, and even dodging seemed unnecessary. However, the name "Madara" made him feel disgusted instinctively.

He is who he is, Uchiha Sasuke, a unique existence, and will never be a substitute for anyone, especially Uchiha Madara who was defeated by the first leader and regarded as a traitor!

He vaguely remembered that the old man must have experienced the incident when Madara led the Nine-Tails to attack Konoha when he was a child. Coupled with his old age and frailty, he might have some dementia. Despite this, Sasuke still felt that those speculations, suspicions and fears were out of malice.

When the old man accidentally fell down while throwing the stone for the second time, the pedestrians who came nearby mistakenly thought that Sasuke had hurt someone, and they spoke badly to him and glared at him with dirty eyes. Finally, Sasuke was enraged and opened his Sharingan.

The Second Hokage just waved his hand slightly in the face of this situation, and immediately three ANBU members knelt down beside him. They were the ANBU members specially assigned by the Second Hokage to protect Naruto, Sasuke and Mikoto after the last incident. They had seen everything that happened...