This Naruto Is a Player!

Even Sasuke couldn't sit still this time: "Handstands?"

"What else?" 'Kakashi' swept a cold gaze over Sasuke.

'That look.'

With just one glance, Sasuke felt a pressure that made it hard to breathe. Is this the power of a Jonin?

"Starting the timer now!"

'Kakashi' pulled a stopwatch from seemingly nowhere. It was only then that both of them realized 'Kakashi-sensei' wasn't joking.

"Hey, wait, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura protested, saying she wasn't ready.

But 'Kakashi' had already begun a chilling countdown.

"3... 2... 1. Alright, start now."

"Damn it!" Sasuke growled, immediately going into a handstand.

Three hours, handstands, 500 laps! It was incredibly challenging. Sasuke had never done anything as bizarre as walking on his hands. At first, he wobbled, unaccustomed to it, but after a few steps, he found his rhythm and slowly began to pick up speed.

Sakura, however, was much slower.

"Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto? Isn't he coming?" After a few steps, Sakura lowered her head and, while still in a handstand, asked Kakashi.

Naruto quickly glanced at the tree where Kakashi was. "Once he's back, I'll have him catch up to you two. Don't slack off, I'll be watching you constantly."

"Alright." Sakura let go of her last sliver of hope and could only resolutely continue her handstand run.

Watching the two disappear into the distance, Naruto finally relaxed. He glanced at his panel again.

The mission was: Experience Fiery Youth: Run 500 laps around the outskirts of Konoha Village in a handstand within 3 hours. Reward: 5 attribute points, 4000 experience.

This mission had been available for years. It was so bizarre that even with good rewards, Naruto never wanted to do it. Now, it was perfect; he had company for the mission, and someone else to take the blame. Perfect.

Naruto transformed back into himself, ready to catch up to the two ahead. This was an assessment mission personally assigned by 'Kakashi-sensei,' so of course, he, Naruto, had to participate. Before leaving, Naruto cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at the large tree.

"Kakashi-sensei, since you personally assigned this mission, we will definitely complete it resolutely! I'm off!"

Naruto exposed his sensory abilities for the first time. Now that he had graduated, he, Naruto, should finally start showing his true colors instead of constantly being a dead-last. If you, Kakashi, don't let us graduate, then I, Uzumaki Naruto, wouldn't mind becoming a Hokage-level squad leader myself.

"Sasuke, Sakura, here I come!" Naruto roared, causing the two distant figures to turn their heads. Then, Naruto leaped, placed his hands on the ground, and began to run rapidly in a handstand. In no time, he overtook Sakura, caught up to Sasuke, and soon surpassed him.

"Can you keep up, Sasuke? I'll wait for you ahead."

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Sasuke immediately sped up his hand movements. But he still couldn't match Naruto's speed. Sasuke was momentarily confused about Naruto's true strength.

In his daze, a youthful shout came from behind him.

"Lee, did you see that?"

"I saw it, Guy-sensei! Two people have joined our training! This proves we are truly on the great path of youth!"

"I can feel my youth burning!"

"Faster! Faster! Lee, youth does not allow us to slack off!"

"Yes! Guy-sensei!"

Whoosh!

Sasuke felt two figures in green jumpsuits flash past him. What was bizarre was that these two were also walking on their hands, just like him. Were they also participating in the assessment? Sasuke looked bewildered, but being overtaken by three people in a row, he, Sasuke, also had a temper.

Before he could even speed up, another voice sounded beside him. "You must be the genius Uchiha Sasuke who just graduated this year?"

Sasuke turned his head to the speaker. What met his eyes were a pair of Byakugan. But it wasn't his classmate, Hinata. Sasuke recognized the person as Neji, the genius from the year above. He, too, was walking on his hands.

"Tch~ Genius?" With that, Neji sped up and overtook him.

Watching Neji disappear into the distance, Sasuke felt an unprecedented sense of mockery and humiliation. He didn't care about the title of "genius" at all, even resenting it, as those simple words erased all his efforts. But at this moment, he felt the humiliation these two words brought.

Naruto, who was dead last for years, passed him. Unknown green jumpsuits passed him. Neji, who mocked him, passed him?

Sasuke suddenly gritted his teeth and accelerated, bursting forth with his maximum strength. In no time, he caught up to Neji. Noticing Sasuke catching up, Neji also accelerated. The two ran side-by-side in handstands, their hands moving furiously, their faces contorted in grimaces as they pushed out their Sharingan and Byakugan. For a moment, they were evenly matched.

On the other hand.

Naruto was 'running' with comparative ease.

However.

"Guy-sensei, look!"

"I see it, Lee! Our youth team has gained another member!"

"I can feel my youth burning again!"

"Faster! Faster! Lee, overtake him! If we can't overtake him, we'll run another 500 laps!"

"Yes! For youth!"

The two instantly sped up again!

Huh? Overtake me?

Turning his head, Naruto saw a large and small figure, with watermelon haircuts, bushy eyebrows, and green jumpsuits—two people seemingly carved from the same mold—madly accelerating to catch up.

His competitive spirit ignited! Naruto instantly accelerated, giving the two no chance to pass him. In a moment, a man actually caught up beside him. Turning his head, he saw a 'youthful old man'. The old man noticed Naruto's gaze, a smile on his face, then his mouth spread wide, teeth seemingly sparkling, his right thumb extended as if praising Naruto's youth.

Is that you, San Duo?

However.

Where did he get that extra hand from?

Seeing him mock him so openly, Naruto thought: I shall attack in my Gundam form! Naruto gritted his teeth, desperately accelerating, accelerating, and accelerating again.

"I can already feel the burning passion of youth!" The old man also roared, beginning to accelerate madly.

The two desperately vied for first place, their faces gradually distorting with effort. For a moment, they ran neck and neck, inseparable.

At the same time, at the very back of the group.

Sakura also encountered her opponent, but the atmosphere between them was completely different from those in front; here, it was exceptionally harmonious.

After hearing Sakura's detailed account of the situation, Tenten found it incredible. She had thought her own squad leader was strange enough, but she never expected someone even more eccentric, who would use such a bizarre training method for an assessment. This kind of mission seemed more like something Guy-sensei would come up with.

"Is there really such an assessment mission?" she asked.

Sakura's eyes were clear yet foolish. "I don't know, but our squad leader demanded it."

"Is that so?" Tenten was a bit unsure for a moment. The assessments she had taken weren't like this either. "I've only experienced this kind of thing once. Maybe every teacher is different."

"My youth is about to explode!" A sudden booming sound reached their ears.

Then whoosh!

Naruto and Might Guy raced past them side by side, leaving only a cloud of dust.

After quite a while.

"Guy-sensei, my youth is about to explode too!" Rock Lee caught up, passing them to complete another lap.

And after even longer.

Sasuke and Neji, heads pressed together, with their Sharingan and Byakugan activated, were still fiercely competing as they passed them.

"Men, huh~" Tenten sighed, accustomed to such sights.

But Sakura felt a little despair. Do I still have a chance?