NARUTO: GOD LEVEL FORGING SYSTEM

"Very good, pass!" Iruka said with a smile.

"Next, Hinata Hyuga!"

Hinata Hyuga glanced in the direction of Kazuki at this moment.

Kazuki gave her a gentle smile and said softly,

"Don't be nervous. Just do your best—I believe in your strength."

"Th-Thank you..." Hinata's voice was as soft as a whisper, and her face turned crimson. She immediately looked away shyly, lowering her head while pressing her index fingers together as she walked into the examination room.

What a cute girl, Kazuki couldn't help but think.

After a short while, Hinata emerged from the classroom.

"Kazuki-kun, I... I passed the exam... Thank you..." Hinata whispered, glancing up at him.

"That's amazing, Hinata." Kazuki smiled and gently patted her head.

Hinata's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She hesitated for a moment, as if she wanted to say something, but she couldn't seem to find the courage.

Just then, a figure dashed toward Kazuki.

It was Naruto Uzumaki, covered in bruises, looking as if he had been roughed up.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he wailed,

"Big Bro Kazuki, what should I do?! I—I'm so nervous!!"

"What are you afraid of?" Kazuki chuckled. "Didn't I teach you the Clone Jutsu? You've been practicing it, right?"

Naruto nodded vigorously.

"I hope so. Next, Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka called out.

Naruto took a deep breath, mustering his courage before stepping into the examination room.

Moments later…

A loud voice echoed from inside the classroom:

"Uzumaki Naruto, unqualified!"

"Huh?"

Kazuki's eyes flashed with surprise. That shouldn't be possible… Under my guidance, Naruto has already learned to control his chakra pretty well. The Clone Jutsu shouldn't be that difficult for him…

Just then, the classroom door burst open.

Naruto rushed out—but something was off.

"Naru—" Kazuki started to ask, but Naruto didn't stop. He bolted past him at full speed.

Almost there...

Just a little more...

Only two meters away...

But then—

"Pfft—!"

Naruto's body suddenly stiffened mid-air. He came to an abrupt halt, just half a meter away from the bathroom. His face twisted into an expression worse than crying.

"Big Bro Kazuki... I... I couldn't hold it in..."

Kazuki sighed, pressing a hand against his forehead. He had already figured out what had happened.

"I see."

Half an hour later—

Kazuki handed a clean set of clothes to Naruto, who was hiding inside the bathroom.

Two hours later, after showering and changing, Naruto sat on a bench outside the academy, looking utterly defeated.

Regret was written all over his face.

"I'm sorry, Big Bro Kazuki... I messed everything up..." Naruto murmured, his head lowered.

Failing the graduation exam wasn't what hurt him the most. What pained him was the thought of letting down Kazuki—the strong and reliable big brother figure he admired.

"So the real reason you failed the exam was..." Kazuki asked, though he already had a hunch.

"I... I had diarrhea..." Naruto admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto hesitated, his face full of grievance.

Then, finally unable to hold back, he burst into tears in front of Kazuki.

"Waaahh!! I knew I shouldn't have eaten instant ramen for breakfast! It must have been that stupid cup of ramen—otherwise, why would I suddenly have diarrhea today?!

I was sweating like crazy in the exam room, and I couldn't even mold a tiny bit of chakra!

Damn instant ramen! I swear I'm never eating it again!"

Kazuki: "…"

Only then did he realize his mistake.

Even though, with his guidance, Naruto's strength was far greater than in the original timeline, he had assumed Naruto would breeze through the Ninja Academy graduation exam on his own.

But he had overlooked one crucial fact—

Naruto Uzumaki, the No.1 Most Unpredictable Ninja, was still Naruto Uzumaki.

Even something as simple as an exam could go wrong because of his chaotic personality and unpredictable thought process.

And so, just like in the original story…

He had failed the graduation exam.

"It looks like some things… are just destined to happen," Kazuki thought.

He leaned in and whispered something to Naruto before heading off.

Later that day, Kazuki received an Anbu summons, instructing him to report to the Hokage's office.

After returning home to change into his Anbu uniform, he disappeared into the night, moving like a shadow toward the Third Hokage's office beneath Hokage Rock.

Meanwhile, Naruto sat alone on the swing outside the Academy, kicking at the dirt absentmindedly.

He looked deep in thought.

Just then—

"Naruto!"

A voice called out.

Naruto glanced up and saw a familiar figure standing before him—his Academy instructor, Mizuki.

Mizuki smiled down at him.

"Sensei Mizuki?"

Naruto blinked in surprise.

But he wasn't shocked that Mizuki had approached him. No, he was surprised because…

Big Brother Kazuki had predicted this would happen.

Just like Kazuki had said—

This moment meant…

He still had a chance to graduate.

After leaving the Hokage's office, Kazuki headed home.

As soon as he stepped inside, he was met with the sounds of a heated argument.

"Stop sneaking sips! That tea is for my brother! If you drink it all, there won't be any left for him!"

Tenten stood with her hands on her hips, holding the teapot protectively behind her back.

"What's the big deal?" Tsunade scoffed. "Kazuki never drinks tea anyway, so what does it matter if I have a little?"

She folded her arms and gave Tenten an exasperated look.

"Besides, kid, I'm your teacher, remember? Ever heard of respecting your elders? Shouldn't you be giving the best stuff to me first?"

"No way!" Tenten huffed. "You don't even know how to appreciate tea properly! The leaves I roasted for hours would be wasted on you!"

"Tch. If your tea wasn't actually pretty good, I wouldn't even bother with this weak leaf water," Tsunade grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Then she muttered under her breath, "If it weren't for your brother threatening to kick me out if I got drunk again… I'd already be at a bar. Who cares about sencha?"

At the mention of alcohol, Tsunade absentmindedly licked her lips, her expression taking on a rare, sultry look.

She hadn't had a drink in days.

Her craving was unbearable.

And then—

She caught a scent.

A heavenly aroma filled the air.

She sniffed the air greedily, her nose twitching as she focused entirely on tracking down the source of the scent.

Then, as if in a trance, she began following it, completely lost in her senses.

BAM!

Her chest collided with something—no, someone.

Tsunade blinked.

And then she found herself staring directly into Kazuki's handsome face.

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