Naruto: Adopted By Tsunade

Ninja Academy Training Ground.

All the students of First Year, Class A, formed a large circle.

Naoto Yamanaka stood inside, holding a class roster, rallying the group.

"This test is both for Lord Orochimaru to select a disciple and a school evaluation. I hope everyone gives it their all. Understood?"

"Understood!"

 Natsume and the others responded in unison.

"Good, I like your spirit."

Naoto Yamanaka flipped open the roster. "If I call your name, step forward for a match. The winner advances to the next round."

Natsume sat cross-legged.

The graduation standard at the Ninja Academy was mastering the Three Basic Jutsu.

So, you can imagine how weak first-years were.

Natsume had already learned five jutsu. Besides the Three Basic Jutsu, he'd mastered the Body Flicker Technique and Water Style: Wild Water Wave.

He could totally point at the others and say: "Itachi Uchiha, stand up. The rest of you are trash."

Natsume watched for a while and noticed a pattern.

The winners were mostly from ninja clans.

Not surprising—civilian students lacked the background to access advanced ninja knowledge early.

Take Sakura Haruno, for example. Early on, she didn't stand out, always calling for Sasuke or Naruto, basically a burden.

But even so, she was top among civilian students—a real model student.

The others were even worse.

"Natsume versus Kenji Kutoryu."

Naoto Yamanaka glanced at the roster and called out.

Hearing his name, Natsume got up and casually walked into the ring.

"Go, Natsume!"

 A group of girls cheered him on.

"Tch! So what if you're good-looking?"

 Kenji Kutoryu scowled. "I'll defeat you for sure!"

"Do you play shogi?" Natsume asked.

"Wha…what?" Kenji froze.

Come on, be serious!

I'm trash-talking you, and you ask if I play shogi?

Show some respect, will you?

"Do you play shogi?"

 Natsume repeated. "I have a friend with the same last name—Kutoryu—who's great at shogi, called the Dragon King."

"I don't!"

 Kenji said stiffly. "Trying to name-drop won't help you."

Alright then.

Natsume stopped talking.

Body Flicker!

Chakra surged around his legs. Suddenly, he appeared in front of Kenji and delivered a kick. Kenji had no time to react and crashed to the ground.

"Natsume wins."

Seeing Kenji unable to get up, Naoto Yamanaka declared the result.

Not far off, Itachi Uchiha nodded.

The Body Flicker was decent.

But nowhere near Shisui's level.

"Itachi Uchiha versus Nekoma Uchiyama."

Natsume sat down and looked at Itachi.

He watched Itachi step up and, almost instantly, finish the match, leaving Nekoma unconscious on the field.

So fast that most couldn't even see what happened.

Natsume figured Itachi was already at near-chunin level.

The battles went on, one after another.

In the end, only two students remained in Class A: Natsume and Itachi Uchiha.

Naoto Yamanaka wasn't surprised.

The former was Tsunade's apprentice, the latter, Fugaku Uchiha's son.

Both had clear advantages.

While their peers were still playing in the dirt, they were already learning ninjutsu.

"You two will face off. The winner will represent our class against the other classes. The final ten will have a chance to become Lord Orochimaru's disciples, so do your best."

With those words, Naoto stepped aside, giving them the stage.

On the viewing platform:

"Lord Orochimaru, the one on the left is Itachi Uchiha," said Vice-Principal Yoshiyuki Nara respectfully. "He's top of his class—perfect scores in both theory and practice."

Orochimaru licked his lips.

He wasn't sure he believed Natsume's claim that Itachi could awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.

But whether true or not, he wanted to test Itachi himself—so he had to recruit him.

"What about the other one?" Orochimaru asked offhandedly.

"Natsume, Lady Tsunade's apprentice," replied Nara.

Orochimaru's interest was piqued, "Does he have a kekkei genkai?"

"No, but he's talented with Water Style."

Hearing this, Orochimaru lost interest.

No kekkei genkai, nothing useful to him.

 And since Natsume was Tsunade's disciple, Orochimaru couldn't be bothered.

While they spoke, the match started.

Itachi stood still and flung six shuriken.

Natsume immediately retaliated.

Clang, clang.

Shuriken collided in midair.

But next, Itachi lifted his hands slightly—the six shuriken, which should have fallen, spun back and rained down.

Natsume's eyes narrowed.

He just noticed Itachi had thin wires tied to his fingers.

This was theManipulated Shuriken Technique.

Most genin couldn't do this.

Body Flicker!

 Natsume accelerated, dodging the attack.

But Itachi anticipated this. As Natsume sped up, so did the shuriken, homing in like tracking missiles.

Water Style: Wild Water Wave!

 Natsume emerged, hands forming seals, chakra gathering in his mouth. Instantly, a jet of water shot out.

The onlooking students gasped.

Anyone who could use an elemental jutsu at the Academy was the coolest around.

But Itachi remained calm, breaking the wire connection and forming seals of his own.

Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

 A massive fireball rushed towards the water.

Normally, Water Style beats Fire.

But Itachi's chakra far outclassed Natsume's, evaporating the water instead.

"I forfeit."

Natsume used Body Flicker again, appearing at the edge of the ring.

He couldn't beat Itachi right now—totally normal.

Plus, he couldn't use Wood Style here.

"Natsume did very well,"

 Naoto Yamanaka said cheerfully. "Let's congratulate Itachi Uchiha, who will proceed to the next round."

As Class A's winner was decided, other classes finished too.

Since Orochimaru was recruiting, all grades 1–6 participated.

Normally, lower grades can't beat upper grades.

But with a monster like Itachi around, he kept winning all the way.

By evening, ten students were selected.

They stood on the platform, all eyes excitedly on Orochimaru—except Itachi, who stayed calm.

Shisui hadn't told him about Orochimaru's attack, so Itachi still respected him.

He thought being Orochimaru's disciple was fine—a chance to further learn the Will of Fire.

As the Third Hokage's apprentice, Orochimaru's Will of Fire should be powerful, right?

Orochimaru glanced over the ten and casually pointed, "You two."

At the same time, Natsume got a prompt from the Sacred Ring of Fate:

[Because of your actions, Itachi Uchiha's destiny has changed. You gain 18 Fate Points.]

[Because of your actions, Yugao Uzuki's destiny has changed. You gain 49 Fate Points.]