Graduation

Bang!

White smoke dispersed around Chiba. He let out a long breath, panted twice, and collapsed onto the ground.

"So tired! This technique is practically inhuman!"

At that moment, Chiba could not move even a finger. He had squeezed out every last bit of strength. Spreading his arms, he fell onto his back and stared at the stars filling the sky.

"Uh... I completely forgot about Monster Strength training!"

Chiba suddenly remembered. Aside from his routine practice these days, he had been training Eight Gates Mode, ninjutsu, and hand seals. Today had been devoted to practicing a new technique, completely draining his stamina.

"Sigh..."

Chiba sighed.

If only he had more time. Once he graduated, he would have more time. I really hope I can graduate soon! With that thought, Chiba's eyelids slowly closed, and he sank into a deep sleep.

Chiba did not slowly wake until the morning dew of The Next Day landed on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw the sun gradually rising. Its rays shone on him with a faint warmth.

"It's already the next day?" Chiba sat up groggily and yawned. Then he got to his feet, returned to the house to wash up, and found his stomach growling.

After washing up, Chiba bought two enormous steamed buns in the village and entered the school. Returning to the familiar classroom, he sat in his usual seat, gnawing on a bun as sleepiness washed over him.

Yet the students in the class kept unconsciously glancing at him. Their eyes still held shock, disbelief, and, in a very small number of cases, fear.

After all, Chiba had fought two geniuses yesterday. He had shattered Hyuga Yukina's Vacuum Palm with one punch, then defeated Uchiha Hirohiko with unparalleled speed. In his classmates' eyes, he was no longer the unnoticed nobody he had once been. He was now the strongest in the class!

At least when it came to actual combat.

"Morning." A voice sounded behind Chiba.

Chiba kept chewing his bun without reacting. It was not until Uchiha Hirohiko passed by him that he realized what had happened. Looking around, he saw that within three meters of the back door, he was the only one there.

Uchiha Hirohiko had been greeting him!

Having spent so long as an unnoticed nobody, Chiba had grown used to no one greeting him. He had even developed the fixed assumption that whenever someone did greet someone, they must be greeting somebody else.

"Oh... morning." Chiba blankly returned Uchiha Hirohiko's greeting.

Uchiha Hirohiko nodded, sat in the seat in front of Chiba, and said, "I ran into Teacher just now. He told the three of us to sit together."

"Hm?" Chiba paused.

Seats at the Ninja Academy were freely chosen, with no assigned positions. Why had Teacher suddenly told the three of them to sit together?

Wait, three? Who was the third person? Chiba was puzzled.

Though confused, Chiba did not ask. He simply continued propping his chin up with one hand while holding his enormous steamed bun in the other and chewing.

Uchiha Hirohiko also wore a cool expression as he sat in front of Chiba, staring out the window with no indication of what he was thinking.

"Morning." After a while, someone entered through the back door.

"Morning," Uchiha Hirohiko replied.

Chiba did not respond. He assumed the greeting was for Uchiha Hirohiko, not himself.

Still, that voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Then, a faint fragrance drifted into his nose, and someone sat down beside him.

Chiba looked over in mild surprise and saw Yukina sitting properly in the chair beside him. Sensing his gaze, she turned her head and gave him a slight nod.

Chiba chewed his bun a few more times before suddenly realizing that the "morning" had also been directed at him.

"Morning," Chiba hurriedly made up for it.

"Morning." Hyuga Yukina nodded, then added, "Teacher told the three of us to sit together today."

"Oh..." Chiba responded.

How did they both know when I didn't?

Chiba felt rather depressed.

"Hey! Look!" At that moment, the students seemed to notice something. Pointing at the three by the back door, they exclaimed.

"You've got to be kidding! Hirohiko and Yukina are sitting beside Taki Chiba? What's going on?"

"That's not right! Yukina and Hirohiko both hate sitting close to other people!"

"These three..."

The classmates looked at one another, then all turned their gazes toward Chiba, staring at him intensely.

Their eyes were tangled with jealousy and envy. Taki Chiba actually gets to sit behind Hirohiko! He's so lucky! I want to sit behind Hirohiko too! In front of him would be fine too! If I could sit beside him, I'd die without regrets!

That was what the girls thought.

That damned Taki Chiba! He actually gets to sit beside Yukina! What kind of damn luck is that? I want to sit beside Yukina too! No! Behind her would be fine too! No, no, no! I'd even be satisfied sitting in front of her! Damn it, I'm so jealous!

That was what the boys thought.

Chiba immediately felt the students' gazes. He turned his head slightly and narrowed his eyes.

What does this have to do with me? They came over here themselves. Didn't you see that? As for Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina, one was looking out the window while the other sat upright with a serious expression. Neither paid any attention to those stares.

Then the class bell rang.

Teacher entered the classroom, walked to the podium, and swept his gaze across the room. After spotting the three at the back door, he said, "Before class begins, I have an announcement!"

The students had only just returned to their seats. Hearing Teacher's words, they immediately began to stir.

"Could there be a transfer student?"

"No way, I haven't heard anything about that."

"I haven't heard anything either."

The students whispered among themselves.

Even Chiba was wondering about it.

Could there really be a transfer student? In the original story, it seemed Kushina Uzumaki was the only one who came in as a transfer student—uh... a new student. Whatever, she joined halfway through her studies. Could it be Kushina Uzumaki? However, Chiba quickly rejected the thought.

Kakashi was eight years old now and in Minato Namikaze's class. Minato Namikaze himself had to be in his late teens or early twenties by this point, and Kushina Uzumaki, who was around his age, should at least be an adult. There was no way she would transfer in.

"Quiet, quiet!" Teacher pressed his hands down a few times, signaling for everyone to calm down.

Once the students quieted, he announced, "With the approval of the Third Hokage, Taki Chiba, Uchiha Hirohiko, and Hyuga Yukina may graduate early!"

The entire classroom erupted.

"What? Hirohiko is graduating early?"

"Yukina is graduating early?"

The students were filled with disbelief. Beyond that disbelief came waves of disappointment. As the male and female idols of the Second Year, they were actually graduating?

"Taki Chiba can graduate early too?"

Amid their disappointment, the students were also greatly shocked by Chiba's graduation!

The classroom instantly became a noisy mess.

Chiba himself was somewhat dazed as well.

I was just thinking yesterday that graduating would be great, and now I'm graduating today? This... happened way too fast!

However, on second thought, Uchiha Hirohiko's Shadow Clone Jutsu and Hyuga Yukina's Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm were, strictly speaking, Jonin-level or near-Jonin-level ninjutsu and taijutsu. It was only natural for Ninja Academy students capable of performing such techniques to graduate early.

And Chiba had defeated two geniuses like them, so naturally he was qualified to graduate early too! Everything actually made sense.

As for Uchiha Hirohiko and Hyuga Yukina, they remained perfectly calm, as though they had expected this outcome.

"You three will not need to attend class today. Tomorrow, the Jonin in charge of your team will send you a notice to gather. From this day forward, you are Genin, and you will be assigned to the same team," Teacher said.

No class?

Chiba's ears perked up.

Whatever. This means I'll have more time! More time to train too! "Come here and collect your Ninja Headbands." Teacher took out three headbands.

Chiba and the other two rose in succession and walked to the podium.

"Thank you, Teacher, for taking care of us all this time!" After receiving their headbands, the three bowed together, then left the classroom one after another.

Hearing those words, Teacher looked at Chiba and felt somewhat undeserving of them. Your achievements came from your own hard work. Teacher... really didn't help you much at all... I'm sorry.

Then Teacher composed himself and began the lesson.

"Alright, now we'll begin discussing the theory of uncertain assumptions and mechanical energy."

But the students all stared wistfully at the three figures leaving outside, with no interest in listening to the lesson at all.