I skip a grade, you repeat a grade, and we graduate together

"How could that be?"

"Come in, Sister Mikoto. And don't pinch my cheeks."

"Alright, I'll be sure to mind that next time."

Uchiha Mikoto mimicked Chiyue's tone, making him roll his eyes.

Walking into the living room, Uchiha Mikoto opened the lunch box, took out some snacks she had made, and set them on the table.

Chiyue picked up a snack and started eating.

Uchiha Mikoto sat beside him, propping up her chin with one hand as she watched him.

While eating, Chiyue casually asked, "How are your graduation plans coming along?"

"Not bad. I'm just wondering whether I should join the Police Force."

Uchiha Mikoto had been torn over this matter.

After graduation, members of the Uchiha Clan faced two choices.

They could accept the academy's arrangements and form a squad with their classmates.

Under the leadership of a jonin instructor, they would carry out various missions.

In other words, they would grow under their instructor's guidance.

Or they could choose to join the Police Force controlled by the Uchiha Clan.

Joining the Police Force meant receiving the best training. After all, having outsiders teach Uchiha Clan shinobi could never compare to being taught by the clan's own experts.

After all, no one understood the Sharingan better than the Uchiha Clan.

But joining the Police Force meant less freedom. Wherever they went, they would easily draw dirty looks.

If they accepted the village's squad assignment, they would have far more freedom.

But the training definitely would not be as good as what the clan could provide.

"I suggest you accept the village's arrangements first, Sister Mikoto. Join a squad and gain some experience. It won't be too late to join the Police Force afterward."

"Uchiha training may suit you better, Sister Mikoto, but Police Force work isn't friendly to newly graduated shinobi."

Uchiha Mikoto had always been gentle by nature. Having her join the Police Force to arrest people everywhere and engage in heavy-handed enforcement really did not suit her.

Rather than make things difficult for herself and upset the clan, she might as well join a village-assigned squad.

She could return to the Police Force later and take some clerical position or something.

To put it bluntly, even if the Uchiha Clan trained its own members, that was only on the premise that you were worth training.

Those who had already awakened their Sharingan would receive preferential resources and instruction from the clan's jonin.

As for those who had not even awakened the Sharingan, they should not expect the clan to keep investing in them.

"You're right. I'm really not suited for Police Force work."

The thought of handling troublesome public security cases with her clansmen every day, arresting people everywhere, receiving dirty looks wherever she went, and being rejected by the villagers made Uchiha Mikoto's little face turn rather pale.

"It's a shame you're only in your second year. It would be great if you could graduate and be on the same squad as me, Chiyue."

Uchiha Mikoto smiled and made a joke.

"Then should I graduate early?"

The graduation exam was child's play to Chiyue. He could pass it easily.

He simply did not want to graduate too early and become like Kakashi, constantly being shuffled between different squads.

But graduating early and joining the same squad as Uchiha Mikoto did not sound bad.

Would the Third Hokage arrange that?

Probably not.

"Alright, hurry up and wash up after you finish eating. Get to bed early."

Uchiha Mikoto tried to pinch his cheek again.

Chiyue was speechless. "I'm serious. I've already learned everything the teachers can teach at the academy.

"Staying in school would just be wasting time. Since Sister Mikoto doesn't have suitable teammates, I'll apply to graduate."

"Huh?!"

Were you serious?

Uchiha Mikoto's little face was full of bewilderment.

She had not expected Chiyue to take her joke seriously.

"But even if you graduate early, the village might not necessarily put us on the same squad."

Please, don't!

If Chiyue graduated early and something happened to him, how would she explain it to his deceased mother?

Uchiha Mikoto panicked.

She hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

Unfortunately, once some things began, once the seed had taken root and sprouted in one's heart, it was not so easy to change course.

"Then we can form our own squad. There are plenty of two-person squads in the village."

"No, that's too dangerous. Two children who've just graduated..."

Uchiha Mikoto hurriedly explained, but halfway through, she froze in place.

Because Chiyue, sitting across from her, had activated his Sharingan—a Two-tomoe Sharingan, at that.

"Do you think I need to waste time at the Shinobi Academy, Sister Mikoto?"

Chiyue pointed at his eyes.

For an Uchiha Clan member with a Two-tomoe Sharingan, as long as their fundamentals were not too poor, they could crush the vast majority of chunin.

Passing the Chunin Exam would not be a problem at all.

"You awakened it?"

Shock filled Uchiha Mikoto's little face. After staring blankly for a while, she eagerly leaned over the table and moved closer.

She wanted to get a better look at Chiyue's Sharingan.

"I awakened it last year. It became two tomoe today. Maybe it'll become a Three-tomoe Sharingan next year."

Chiyue shrugged.

"Stop talking nonsense."

Uchiha Mikoto rolled her eyes at him, biting her lip as she cautiously asked, "Chiyue, how about I go back and tell the elders? You can return to the clan."

So what if he had a head of glaring silver hair?

Uchiha blood still flowed through Chiyue's body. He had already awakened his Sharingan and even possessed a Two-tomoe Sharingan.

As long as one awakened it, the clan would not care what color their hair was. They would welcome them back into the Uchiha Clan.

"No."

Chiyue refused decisively. "I still clearly remember how ugly those old men's expressions were back then. I won't return to the Uchiha Clan.

"If you think I can't become a qualified teammate, Sister Mikoto, then I'll find a suitable squad myself."

This was crazy, completely crazy.

Even if Chiyue was strong enough to apply for early graduation, entering the cruel shinobi world too soon was not necessarily a good thing.

If anything really happened to him, she would feel terribly guilty.

"Chiyue, I know you've been stubborn since you were little. Once you make up your mind, it's hard to change it. But I hope you can wait another year. Just one year, alright?"

Uchiha Mikoto could only negotiate with Chiyue as best she could, hoping he would delay graduation for a year.

"Fine. I'll skip a grade, and you repeat a grade. That way, we can be in the same class and graduate together."

"If you don't agree, Sister Mikoto, I'll graduate early."

With his grades and strength, not only could he skip a grade, he could even apply to graduate and take the Chunin Exam with ease.

It would be perfect to skip ahead into Uchiha Mikoto's class.

Of course, that was on the condition that she repeated a grade first.

"No, the teachers won't agree."

Uchiha Mikoto shook her head.

Though she could not compare to Chiyue, her grades in every subject were excellent. She was a talented girl among students of the same year, so the teachers definitely would not casually approve her request to repeat a grade.

"If he doesn't agree, I'll beat up his son!"

Chiyue slapped the table and stood up.

"Pfft~~~"

Chiyue's threat made Uchiha Mikoto laugh. She knew he was only talking and would not really do such a thing.

"Are you laughing at me?"

Chiyue stood and headed toward the bedroom.

Uchiha Mikoto froze for a moment, then called after him, "Chiyue, are you looking for something?"