I'M NARUTO UZUMAKI

The Involution Trend

Ninja Academy

During the lunch break, Iruka Umino called Naruto Uzumaki to his office.

He opened a drawer, pulled out a neatly folded document, and placed it on the desk with an apologetic expression. "Naruto, your application for early graduation was rejected by Lord Hokage. The reason given is that there's no available jōnin instructor to lead an early graduate. You'll have to wait until next year to apply again."

"I understand, Iruka-sensei."

Naruto glanced at the returned application and nodded mechanically.

Even before submitting it, he knew the result. There was no way the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would approve his early graduation. On the surface, the reason seemed bureaucratic—an issue of instructor availability—but Naruto understood the real motive. The old man wanted to keep him in the Academy longer, ensuring he formed bonds with his classmates. More importantly, he feared Naruto gaining too much independence too soon.

After all, unlike Academy students, a genin—even in peacetime—had more freedom to take on missions and move outside the village.

Still, pushing for early graduation wasn't a complete loss. Just yesterday, the Third Hokage visited his apartment and, as if to console him, gifted him one of Konoha's forbidden techniques—the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu (Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu)—along with some additional training scrolls.

A subtle trade-off. A silent acknowledgment of Naruto's persistence.

Iruka, watching the boy's dull expression, sighed inwardly.

Naruto didn't always pay attention in class, but his determination never escaped Iruka's notice. Despite the villagers' resentment—despite being shunned as the Kyūbi's jinchūriki—Naruto had still managed to rank among the top students, grasping even the Academy's advanced lessons.

His only true weaknesses? Solitude and the burden of his identity.

If Naruto weren't a jinchūriki, if his parents were still alive, perhaps he wouldn't be so withdrawn. But this wasn't his fault. If anything, he had already proven himself more than capable.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Iruka said, "Go back to class for now. Life at the Academy isn't all bad. You don't need to rush—sometimes, steady progress is just as important as pressure."

Naruto gave a small nod before leaving the office.

Once he was gone, the usual noise of the teacher's lounge resumed.

A voice chimed in with a teasing tone. "Iruka-sensei, you sure worry about that kid a lot. But with his personality, no matter how much you care, it probably won't change much."

Iruka turned toward the source—his colleague, Mizuki—and frowned slightly. "A teacher shouldn't expect something in return when guiding a student."

Mizuki chuckled dismissively. "Still, don't you have any ambition? You're stuck as an Academy chūnin while your students move up in rank. There are plenty of clan heirs in your class—have you never considered using this opportunity to advance? Maybe become a department head? Even the Academy's principal?"

Iruka shook his head. "I don't have that kind of ambition. Teaching is enough for me."

Mizuki clicked his tongue in disappointment. "You wasted the chance to oversee the elite class. If it were me, I wouldn't let an opportunity to climb slip away."

---

A Spark in the Classroom

After the lunch break, Naruto returned to his seat at the back of the classroom, deep in thought about the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu.

The technique wasn't fundamentally different from the standard Shadow Clone Jutsu (Kage Bunshin no Jutsu)—the key difference was sheer scale. While regular shadow clones were limited in number, the multiple variant allowed for hundreds or even thousands at once. It was classified as forbidden not just due to chakra strain but because misuse could easily lead to death.

In the ninja world, the only people who could use it freely were those with massive chakra reserves—like a jinchūriki. Even the Five Kage rarely relied on it.

However, Naruto didn't intend to use it recklessly like in some cheap numbers game. He wasn't the naive kid from the "original story." He valued clones more for espionage, deception, and strategy rather than brute force. Numbers were just a tool.

At that moment, Sasuke Uchiha returned to his seat beside him. He leaned in slightly and asked, "Naruto, did they approve your graduation application?"

Naruto glanced at him before shaking his head. "Rejected by the old man. He said there weren't any available jōnin to lead a team and told me to wait until next year."

Sasuke exhaled softly, almost in relief. But Naruto caught the shift in his expression and frowned.

"You applied too?"

Sasuke hesitated before nodding. "Yeah. I wanted to test myself. But my request got denied too. At least it wasn't because I wasn't strong enough."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Why did you apply in the first place?"

Sasuke smirked. "You made such a big deal about it that everyone in class started paying attention. As the second-best student, I couldn't just ignore it. If nothing else, I needed to show where I stood."

Naruto sighed, rubbing his forehead. He hadn't realized his actions stirred such a reaction among their peers.

From the front row, Chōji Akimichi turned around and grinned. "Yeah, I thought about it too! If I pass the graduation exam and start taking missions, I can earn money—and eat delicious food every day!"

Beside him, Shikamaru Nara yawned lazily. "Tch… too much effort. It's peacetime. There's no rush to become a ninja. Besides, missions are a drag. School life is more relaxed."

As the conversation spread, Hinata Hyūga quietly glanced toward Naruto. Her fingers twitched slightly, as if debating whether to speak. But the moment she saw him at the center of attention, she hesitated.

She wasn't confident enough to approach him—not yet. Not until she could prove herself. Not until she was strong enough to defeat Neji, her cousin, in a real match.

And so, without meaning to, Naruto's early graduation attempt sparked a quiet involution—a ripple effect in the class where students, consciously or not, began reconsidering their own growth.

---

The Hidden Base

Months passed.

One weekend afternoon, Naruto used a shadow clone to distract Kakashi Hatake, ensuring his real body could slip away unnoticed.

Deep within the Forest of Death, an underground base had undergone careful modifications. Once dark and damp, it was now brighter—reinforced with traps, including explosive tags hidden beneath the soil, ready to incinerate the entire structure at a moment's notice.

Inside the cage at the heart of the base, Shisui Uchiha lifted his gaze at Naruto's approach.

Though he remained a prisoner, their relationship had shifted. With his chakra sealed, he had no means to escape, yet Naruto treated him with a surprising degree of respect. Unlike most captors, Naruto even went so far as to give Shisui a new pair of eyes—not Sharingan, but functional replacements harvested from a spy foolish enough to target him.

Over time, Naruto had frequently sought Shisui's guidance on chakra control, genjutsu, and battle tactics.

And Shisui—perhaps out of necessity, perhaps out of curiosity—obliged.

Yet something still nagged at him.

After finishing a chakra theory lesson, Shisui took a deep breath and asked the question that had been bothering him for months.

"…How is the Uchiha clan doing now?"

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