Naruto : Konoha Light

The celebration had gradually shifted to Shimizu House.

"Cheers!"

"For Konoha!"

Excited voices filled the air as glasses clinked, the sweet scent of fruit juice splashing into the atmosphere.

Before today, each of them had been students—individuals with uncertain futures. But now, they stood at the threshold of their destinies, ready to charge forward. This was a moment to celebrate, to let go, and to embrace the unknown.

In the middle of the room, Asuma and Ebisu hugged each other enthusiastically.

"Haha! Ebisu, you know, if it weren't for your bad breath, you'd actually be pretty lovable!" Asuma teased, grinning.

Ebisu chuckled. "I admire your honesty, but at least I'm aware of my flaws. You, on the other hand, are completely unaware of how cheap your words can be!"

Asuma scoffed. "What? Since when is telling the truth a crime?"

"The truth isn't the problem—it's the way you say it!" Ebisu shot back.

On the other side of the room, Kurenai and Shizune spoke in hushed voices.

"Kurenai, I'll be leaving Konoha with Sensei tomorrow," Shizune admitted softly.

Kurenai nodded, though her expression was somber. "I knew this day would come, but it still feels so sudden..."

Shizune smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine. Just make sure to look after Shimizu, okay?"

"Of course," Kurenai said firmly. "You don't even have to ask."

Meanwhile, Shimizu and Mizuki were engaged in their own conversation.

"Mizuki, I heard that Lord Orochimaru took you as his disciple?" Shimizu asked.

"Yeah, he said he wants me to train in Sage Mode," Mizuki confirmed.

"But... isn't your chakra reserve kind of low for that?"

"Orochimaru-sama said he has ways to work around that," Mizuki replied, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Shimizu's expression darkened slightly as his mind raced. A seal technique? No... given the timeline, he must have already begun his early research on Hashirama's cells…

Seeing his serious expression, Shimizu spoke in a more cautious tone. "I know it might not be my place to say this, but I feel like Orochimaru-sama has been acting differently lately. Just… be careful."

Mizuki was taken aback. Most people in the village believed Orochimaru was the strongest candidate for the Fourth Hokage position, yet Shimizu—someone who never cared for titles—was warning him about him?

Warmth spread through Mizuki's chest. In this world, Shimizu is one of the few people who truly cares about me.

Still, he couldn't afford to falter. "I know there's a risk," Mizuki admitted, forcing a small smile. "But the greater the risk, the greater the reward. I can't afford to stay ordinary forever. If I want to be useful to you, I have to get stronger."

Shimizu studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I see. In that case, congratulations on becoming Orochimaru-sama's disciple."

"Thanks," Mizuki said, his grip tightening around his drink.

At that moment, the door slammed open, and a ninja wearing goggles rushed in excitedly.

"You guys won't believe who I got teamed up with!"

"Obito? You graduated already?" Asuma raised an eyebrow.

Obito grinned. "Not just me! As a graduation gift for passing a year early, I got placed in an amazing team! Guess who my teammates are!"

Kurenai smirked. "Judging by your excitement, one of them has to be Rin, right?"

Obito blushed slightly but quickly shook his head. "Well… yeah, but that's not the crazy part!"

Everyone exchanged glances, waiting for him to continue.

"It's Kakashi!" Obito finally revealed.

The room fell silent for a moment before Asuma spoke up. "Wait… Kakashi? Didn't he graduate years ago? And wasn't he already promoted to Chūnin last year?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Obito nodded. "His old squad was wiped out during a mission, and since he wasn't assigned to a new one in time, they put him with us!"

Shimizu raised an eyebrow. That guy again… the fate surrounding him really is interesting.

Obito continued, practically bouncing with excitement. "And guess who our sensei is? The Yellow Flash himself—Minato-senpai!"

Everyone's eyes widened at that.

"Wow," Asuma whistled. "With your current skill level, they probably figured you needed an elite sensei to balance things out."

Obito's face darkened. "Oh, come on! Says the guy who was dead last in school's leadership training!"

Asuma blinked, then suddenly realized something. "Wait a second… how do you know about our team assignments?"

Obito waved a hand dismissively. "The results are posted on the school bulletin!"

At that, the entire room erupted into chaos as everyone scrambled for the door.

Only Obito remained standing there, dumbfounded. "Wait… I haven't even started celebrating yet!"

That night, Shimizu stood outside, staring at his sensei with an unusual reluctance.

"Do you really have to leave so soon, Sensei?"

Tsunade smirked. "What? You miss me already?"

Shimizu chuckled. "Sensei, if people saw you leaving during the day, half the village would cry, and the other half would riot."

Shimizu continued. "Sensei, there's still a lot I need to learn from you."

Tsunade's expression softened slightly. "You don't need me anymore, kid. What you lack isn't technique—it's experience. And time is the best teacher for that."

Her expression then grew more serious. "But before I leave, I have one final lesson for you. I'm officially allowing you to start training in Sage Mode."

Shimizu's eyes widened. "Really?"

Tsunade nodded. "With your chakra reserves, you should be able to handle the natural energy without turning to stone."

"Understood," Shimizu said firmly.

"You've already signed a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest," Tsunade continued. "So you'll need to consult the Slug Sage when the time comes."

Jiraiya, who had been silently observing, finally spoke. "Sage Mode is powerful, but don't rely on it too much. Before you enter Sage Mode, there's a moment where you have to stop and gather natural energy. That brief stillness can be dangerous in battle."

Shimizu nodded. He understood that unless he could either summon clones to gather energy like Naruto would in the future or enter Sage Mode instantly like the First Hokage, this ability would remain a trump card rather than something he could use freely.

At that moment, Shizune stepped forward, holding out a scroll.

"Shimizu, this is from my uncle. It contains everything he knows about the Spirit Transformation Technique. I thought it might be useful to you."

Shimizu accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, Shizune."

Then, in a completely unexpected move, Shizune leaned forward and quickly pecked him on the cheek before dashing away with a giggle.

"Shimizu, I know you'll become Konoha's greatest ninja one day!"

As he stood there, stunned, Asuma let out a low whistle.

"Well… that happened."