"Not happy with the result? No problem! Then pack your things and get the hell out of here right now! This school has never lacked, nor will it ever need, useless trash like you who only know how to run their mouths!"
The merciless scolding, practically naming names, made those long-tongued villagers—who had been gossiping and feeling smug just moments ago—flush red in embarrassment.
But they were immediately silenced by the killing intent and overwhelming power the examiner had suddenly unleashed. Words got stuck in their throats, and not a single one of them had the courage to talk back.
With their faces flushed and jaws clenched in frustration, they stood frozen in place, too scared to speak. To the likes of Fugaku and the others, however, it was deeply satisfying to watch.
"Hahaha! That's more like it! That's exactly how you deal with those self-righteous idiots! So damn satisfying!"
Having held in his frustration ever since Naruto talked him down earlier, Fugaku couldn't help but feel immensely pleased after hearing the examiner voice what he himself had been bottling up.
Clenching his fist and pumping it with restrained excitement, he leaned over and nudged the equally grinning Hiashi beside him with his elbow.
"Hey, what clan do you think this examiner is from? I don't remember anyone like him working at the Academy... Heh, but this no-nonsense attitude? Totally my kind of guy!"
Fugaku had initially been annoyed that the first name called was some no-name nobody, but since he had already decided to keep Naruto and Sasuke back to avoid drawing attention this year, he hadn't taken it too seriously.
And now, seeing how this examiner had absolutely no intention of pampering those arrogant villagers, his first impression of the man had improved significantly.
As for Hiashi, who already considered Naruto his future son-in-law—in other words, practically family—he too was thoroughly fed up with the ignorant villagers who had been bad-mouthing and judging without any clue what was going on.
Seeing them trembling under the examiner's pressure, not even daring to breathe too loudly, put a genuine smile on his face. He hadn't even noticed the way his lips were curling upward—until Fugaku's nudge finally snapped him out of it.
"No idea. He's not wearing any clan emblem either, so he probably isn't from any major clan in the village..."
Trying his best to respond with a straight face, Hiashi's body still trembled slightly, barely suppressing the glee bubbling inside him. But in the end, he couldn't hold back. Clenching both fists, he waved them excitedly in front of him.
Judging by how overjoyed he looked, if not for keeping up appearances, he might've just shouted out his approval right then and there.
"But I've gotta admit, that felt good! Well done!"
Of course, in an atmosphere so quiet you could hear a pin drop, even though Fugaku and Hiashi kept their voices low enough that no villagers could hear what they were saying, the battle-hardened examiner heard every single word loud and clear.
'Whew… judging by their expressions, they seemed satisfied with how I handled it. I guess that means I passed the first test, right?'
Surprisingly, rather than getting annoyed or shutting them up like he had the villagers, the examiner actually gave the group a gentle, approving nod.
Then, pulling up the scroll to once again conceal his face, he exhaled in relief. But just as quickly, the corner of his mouth twitched, and he began muttering in his head with an angry scowl.
'Damn it! No wonder those bastards suddenly grew a conscience and handed me this "easy job" of recruiting new students… Turns out it's not a break at all but a death trap! Idiots! They actually dared to bully that person?! Even if you've got a death wish, don't do it now of all times! Go die somewhere else, don't drag me into it, you morons!'
After venting some of the dread and panic welling up inside him, the examiner straightened up again, face stern, and swept his sharp eyes across the crowd. His gaze, however, deliberately skipped over the area where Fugaku and the others stood—like a wild beast instinctively avoiding a more dangerous predator.
"Hmph. Third time's the charm, but don't say I didn't warn you... If anyone dares interrupt my announcements again, don't wait for me to kick you out—get lost on your own! And if you're too dumb to take the hint, I'll personally throw both you and your brat out of here! Got it?!"
Noticing that some of the attendees still looked resentful and itching for trouble, the examiner felt his authority being questioned—and worse, felt like he was losing face in front of that person's gaze.
Furious, he cranked up his killing intent to the max, carefully avoiding Fugaku's group and instead focusing the full weight of it on the gossip-hungry villagers hidden in the crowd. His words now carried a crushing pressure that sent one blabbermouth after another groaning and collapsing to their knees.
"In this ninja academy, everything follows the rules. Got it?"
With that, the examiner once again fell silent, feigning a menacing air while quietly fretting over whether his actions had earned approval or condemnation from that person.
Only when he sensed a subtle look of praise from Fugaku's direction did he finally let out a sigh of relief, masked his emotions, and calmly resumed reading the names on the scroll.
'Weird… why did all those people suddenly fall to their knees? And their faces look weird too… are they feeling sick?'
Meanwhile, nestled sweetly in Naruto's arms, Hinata tilted her head in curiosity as she observed the villagers who had just crumpled under the examiner's pressure. Even though her Byakugan hadn't awakened yet, the unique bloodline of the Hyuga Clan still gave her sharper vision than most.
Because of that, she could clearly see how pained the villagers looked—and despite knowing that many of them had insulted her and accused her of being a spy watching Naruto, the kind-hearted little girl still couldn't help but feel a little worried.
After pondering for a moment and failing to understand what was going on, she gently tugged on Naruto's sleeve and asked softly:
"Um, Naruto-kun... do you know what happened to them?"
Of course, Hinata had no idea that every single one of those villagers now on their knees had taken part in insulting and slandering Naruto earlier—and were the very reason she had misunderstood him and cried.
"Don't worry, Hinata…"
Hearing her gentle voice, Naruto finally turned his gaze away from the examiner, who was trying hard to look composed but was clearly in a panic.
His warm smile deepened as he pulled her closer into his arms, wrapping her snugly in his embrace. At the same time, he silently transferred a stream of his chakra into her body.
A faint, light-blue protective barrier began to form on her skin, shielding her from any lingering effects of the examiner's overwhelming pressure.
Only then did he lower his head, replacing the cold flash in his eyes with a gentle, doting smile. He pressed a kiss to the fringe of her hair and whispered:
"They just 'stood too long' and needed to kneel for a bit to rest, that's all."
Turns out, prince or not, some things never change—
Wife-protecting maniac Uzumaki Naruto, now online √