News of Early Graduation

Three days after visiting Hatake Sakumo, it was time for the Ninja Academy to begin its term.

Come to think of it, as Hatake Kakashi's former classmate, Uchiha Feiyu was actually in the same year as Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin, Asuma, and the others. However, the only ones truly in his class were Obito, Rin, and Guy.

The problem was that he was five or six years older than his classmates and had no desire to become a ninja. He was utterly out of place in the class and had very few real friends.

When he arrived at the Ninja Academy gates that day, he immediately sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.

"Feiyu, you're here? By the way, have you heard the news?"

Uchiha Obito sidled up to Uchiha Feiyu mysteriously and spoke.

They were both Uchiha, and both oddballs among the Uchiha. That made Obito closer to Feiyu than he was to the other students, and he was one of Feiyu's few acquaintances.

A hint of confusion appeared on Uchiha Feiyu's face. Being an oddball came at a price; at the very least, he was usually the last to learn about the various rumors circulating through the class.

Even the currently dim-witted Obito seemed to have heard some inside scoop, while Uchiha Feiyu knew absolutely nothing.

"What news?"

As Uchiha Feiyu pondered this, he asked aloud. Obito hurriedly leaned closer and said:

"We're about to graduate early! I heard that all fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-year ninja students can graduate directly this year!"

"Early graduation!?"

"Have things really reached this point already?"

Uchiha Feiyu spoke in surprise, frowning.

It was not graduation itself that troubled him. What Uchiha Feiyu was truly considering was the issue behind the early graduation.

Generally speaking, unless they were geniuses hoping to make a name for themselves and gain more resources and attention, ordinary Ninja Academy students would complete all six years before graduating.

After all, being a ninja always came with all kinds of dangers. The longer they developed at the academy, the better their odds of surviving missions would be.

Konoha's twelve young elites were no less talented than Kakashi's generation, yet not a single one of them graduated early. That alone explained plenty.

And if there was a large-scale early graduation... there could only be one reason: a Ninja World War was about to begin!

Of course, even after graduating early, the newly graduated students would not be sent straight to the battlefield. Bluntly speaking, even raising cannon fodder required cost-effectiveness. They could not spend years training them at the Ninja Academy just to have them waste a few of the enemy's kunai on the battlefield!

However, early graduation would allow these students to spend more time in internships. If the Frontline later came under pressure, a batch of Fresh Troops could be pulled in and sent directly into battle.

"Uh, what do you mean things have reached this point? Feiyu, what did you say? Why don't I understand?"

Uchiha Obito blinked repeatedly. Although he had heard the rumor before Feiyu, expecting Xian Er to see the issue behind early graduation was still a little difficult.

However, ninjas in the Naruto World had always matured early. Combined with the experience passed down by ninja parents and the like, most of the young ninjas understood the current situation perfectly well. That was precisely why Uchiha Feiyu had sensed something wrong with the atmosphere.

"You really are a little slow... Haven't you considered why they're making us graduate early? The last batch of ninja students to graduate early happened to be right before the Second Shinobi World War!"

"Ah!? Then... why are we graduating early this time too?"

Obito looked completely dumbfounded, and even Feiyu could not help rubbing his forehead. This guy would become a major boss of the Shinobi World in the future? It truly made one worry about the intelligence of ninjas in the Naruto World.

"What Feiyu means is that a large-scale war may break out in the Shinobi World again!"

A gentle-looking little girl with paint on her face walked over and joined their conversation.

"So that's what it means! Rin, you're so smart!"

The one who spoke was Nohara Rin, Uchiha Obito's moonlight, and the root of his descent into darkness.

Of course, Obito and Rin were only around eight years old now. Although ninjas matured early, they had not matured quite that early. Still, because of her gentle temperament and equal concern for everyone, Obito, who had few friends in class, regarded Rin as extremely important.

To some extent, Obito liked Rin because none of the other girls would pay him any attention. Only kind-hearted Rin showed goodwill toward everyone.

After Obito grinned foolishly and said that to Nohara Rin, he suddenly seemed to come back to his senses and shouted:

"What? A large-scale war is breaking out!"

"What's wrong? Are the two Uchiha dead-last students scared?"

A smug voice sounded beside them. Uchiha Feiyu glanced over, and the speaker was Sarutobi Asuma from the neighboring class.

"Asuma, did you come looking for another beating because you had nothing better to do? Fine, call Obito that guy dead last, but why drag me into it too?"

"Right, it's fine to call Obito dead last... Wait, what do you mean it's fine to call me dead last?"

Obito nodded, then suddenly realized something was wrong. He turned toward Feiyu with a stunned expression, only to see Feiyu looking at him with disdain.

Asuma was currently a strong contender for the top student of his year, and he was also known as a genius at the Ninja Academy.

Of course, this so-called genius title was rather watered down. Among students of the same age in these one or two graduating classes, the ones who would achieve the most in the future were Kakashi, Obito, and Might Guy.

Kakashi had already graduated, while Obito and Might Guy were still dead last. Of those remaining, only Kurenai and Asuma had decent talent and would eventually become Jonin.

Kurenai's strength was somewhat lacking to begin with. Genjutsu-type ninjas came into their own later, and she did not particularly like showing off. Thus, Asuma currently had something of the feeling of a monkey declaring himself king when the mountains had no tiger.

They called him the top student, a genius, but the Ninja Academy produced several geniuses every year. They competed fiercely for the top position from childhood onward. Yet where did all those geniuses and top students end up after graduation?

Some went to the graveyard, while even more simply faded into obscurity.

In Uchiha Feiyu's eyes, Asuma's future achievements would not exactly count as fading into obscurity, but they would certainly not stand out much either. He would be roughly among the more elite Jonin, yet still remain vastly inferior to a Kage.

"Damn it! If you weren't five years older than me, how could you possibly beat me?!"

After hearing Uchiha Feiyu's words, Asuma immediately lost his composure, because Uchiha Feiyu really had beaten him before.

Uchiha Feiyu merely acted like he had given up; he had never once slacked off in his training.

Even without any particularly good inheritance, the boosts to his physical attributes and Chakra from the Spirit Binding Method meant that, aside from Kakashi, every other young kid had been beaten by him in combat class.