Upon hearing that Hayate intended to give Naruto a graduation exam, Iruka froze for a moment. He glanced at the headband in Hayate's hand and, deciding not to question the Elder's authority, turned to Naruto with a stern expression.
"Naruto! You must address him as Lord Hayate!"
Naruto looked at Iruka, stuck out his tongue, and blew a loud raspberry, completely ignoring the lecture. In his eyes, calling someone "Lord" was far too distant. He liked "Old Man" because it felt familiar, and besides, the Old Man hadn't complained (or at least, Naruto hadn't heard him complain).
Iruka's face reddened with irritation, and he opened his mouth to snap again, but Hayate just chuckled. "It's alright, Iruka. He's just a kid."
Seeing that Hayate wasn't bothered, Iruka sighed and let the matter drop.
Breakfast concluded, but before they could leave the dining area, The Director approached. She stopped before Hayate and bowed respectfully. "Elder Hayate, I trust the breakfast was to your satisfaction?"
"Mm, it was quite good."
The Director's smile widened. She gestured to an attendant, who brought forward a sleek box containing six brand-new smartphones.
"Elder, the attack yesterday likely damaged your communication devices. I have prepared these new phones for you and your team."
Impressed by her foresight, Hayate took a sleek, unboxed phone for himself. "You are very thoughtful. Distribute the rest to the others."
The Director signaled her men to hand out the devices to the Adjudicators. "Elder, what are your commands for the day? If you have no immediate plans, I have organized my finest ballet troupe to perform for you."
Hayate looked at her and spoke calmly. "The ballet won't be necessary. Instead, bring ten of your most capable fighters to the main stage. I need to conduct an exam for a student."
The Director didn't skip a beat. "As you wish, Elder. I will arrange it immediately."
Hayate pulled his old, battered phone from his storage ring. The device was smashed, but the SIM card was intact. He swapped it into the new phone. As The Director left to gather her men, Hayate stood up.
"Everyone is finished? Good. We're heading to the theater stage. We're going to see if Naruto earns that headband."
As they walked, Iruka caught up to Hayate's side. "Lord Hayate, how do you plan to test him? If it's just against ordinary thugs, it might not be a true measure of his skills."
Hayate smiled. "I remember the Academy graduation usually involves the basic Three身术 (Three Basic Jutsu). I'm sure he's up to standard there. I want him to understand the baseline strength of the 'ordinary' people in this world. Besides, we'll be there to judge the nuances."
Iruka nodded. In the shinobi world, mastery of clones, transformation, and substitution was enough to pass. As for the martial prowess of commoners in this world, Iruka wasn't worried—most were weaker than a five-year-old from a hidden village. Given the types of missions they were now handling, even a student-level Naruto had the right to "graduate" into this new reality.
They arrived at the performance hall. Hayate led the group to the front row seats and turned to Naruto.
"Naruto, ten warriors will face you. Your task is to defeat them all without taking their lives. The faster you finish, the better your grade."
Naruto's eyes lit up. As long as the test wasn't just "Clone Jutsu" (his weakest point), he was golden. "Don't you worry, Old Man! I'm gonna smash through them and take that top spot!"
As they waited for the fighters, Hayate's new phone rang. He checked the ID: Ginny.
"Hey, Ginny."
"Boss! Are you alright? I just got word that the agency and the Continental were hit early this morning."
Hearing the genuine worry in her voice, Hayate chuckled. "Ginny, have a little faith in your boss. Did you really think those bottom-feeders could hurt us? The enemies are dead. The Continental took a hit, but we're fine. However, you'll have your work cut out for you when you return—the office is a ruin. I need you to start the reconstruction immediately."
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief. Even if she knew their strength, the reports of the destruction had been jarring. "Understood, Boss. I've met with Wesley; we'll head back together. I'll coordinate the initial cleanup crews now and finalize the construction plans when I land."
"Good. One more thing, Ginny—transfer $10 million to my account. I have a use for it."
"On it, Boss."
Hardly a second after he hung up, the phone buzzed again. This time, it was an old acquaintance: Wilson Fisk (Kingpin).
"Hayate, I assume you're still breathing?"
"I take it you've seen the news, Fisk."
On the other end, Fisk looked at high-resolution photos of the Shiranui Agency reduced to rubble. "My friend, you certainly know how to make an entrance—and an exit. It's not just me. Every underworld boss in New York is staring at those ruins right now. That wasn't a skirmish; it was a war zone."
Hayate shrugged. There was no hiding a battle of that scale. "Did you call just to give me a status report on my real estate, or is there something else?"
Hearing Hayate's steady, unbothered tone, Fisk relaxed slightly. "I'm glad to hear you're well. I called to tell you that I've decided to accept your offer regarding the Japanese market. I'll have a significant 'token of appreciation' sent your way once the transition is complete."