News of Early Graduation

The next morning.

Several students were called to the office.

They had clearly all performed well in the monthly exam.

When Jueming arrived, he spotted several familiar faces.

Kakashi Hatake, Tekka Uchiha, Senju Sayuri, and the others.

Seeing Jueming enter, Funano Daikoku nodded and said directly, "First of all, congratulations, Senju Jueming. You placed first in this grade assessment."

At that, his peers looked at him with envy.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow and looked to the side... at Jueming, who was lying on the floor.

"..."

Jueming remained perfectly composed, staring at the ceiling. He had lain down the moment he entered.

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi clenched his fists, feeling even more displeased.

He spoke with some reluctance.

"Senju Jueming was indeed impressive in the written test and Ninja Tool Throwing, but I refuse to accept the group and individual matches. There's no reason he has to be first place, is there?"

Kakashi felt that, in a one-on-one fight, he could defeat Jueming.

In a group match, they could fight as long as his teammates did not surrender.

In truth, that was only one reason he was dissatisfied.

The key was that his father, who had come home last night, had kindly mocked him again. Kakashi... felt too embarrassed to show his face.

Funano Daikoku fell silent for a moment before saying, "Senju Jueming can use ordinary blades of grass as shuriken. Are you sure you could catch one if he threw it? Could your teammates catch them?"

Shuriken cost money.

Blades of grass did not.

If one was not enough, then he could throw two.

If he scattered two handfuls of grass blades, how many of his peers could block them, catch them, or dodge them?

"Conversely, can you break through his defense? Unless you use a kunai—"

Funano Daikoku did not finish.

Jueming, still lying on the ground, raised a hand. "Among my peers, even a kunai can't cut my skin."

By now, Jueming's defense had reached great mastery through sword practice.

Perhaps genuine genin or chunin could injure him.

But Academy Students his age... could not.

"This morning when I got up, I tested it. Even I couldn't cut through my own defense."

"..."

After hearing that, Kakashi felt as though someone had stabbed him in the chest.

Tekka Uchiha's mouth began twitching as well.

"Student Kakashi, Student Tekka, I know you are both geniuses. But on the ninja path, there is always someone stronger... that is perfectly normal. I hope you can adjust your mindset and proceed step by step."

"We understand..." x2.

Kakashi and Tekka Uchiha answered glumly.

"Next, the Academy's curriculum will formally begin teaching the Three Body Technique. Five months from now, when you have been enrolled for half a year, the upperclassmen's Graduation Exam will be held."

Funano Daikoku paused.

"At that time, if you perform exceptionally, you may also be nominated to participate in the graduation assessment. If you pass, it will count as 'early graduation.'"

Early graduation at five and a half years old.

Jueming nodded to himself.

Konoha was not merely a terrorist organization. It was already killing the goose for its eggs and shaving the leek sprouts bare.

As expected, those who eat meat are shortsighted and incapable of long-term planning.

But not everyone was as clearheaded as Jueming.

Funano Daikoku seemed to see the confusion in Kakashi, Tekka Uchiha, and the others.

So he took the initiative to explain.

"You have all learned from your textbooks that, after the Second Shinobi World War, every nation recuperated. The last war was not the end. A new war will inevitably begin again."

That was dictated by the situation.

"In the last war, Konoha suffered grievous losses. The God of Shinobi's grandson died, his granddaughter Princess Tsunade left, and our ally, the Land of Whirlpools, was completely wiped out..."

As Funano Daikoku spoke.

Mito Uzumaki, who had been silently listening, fell into sorrow.

Funano Daikoku's words reminded Mito Uzumaki of the past.

Seven years ago.

When Kushina Uzumaki, that little girl from her clan, came to Konoha, she was only eight years old.

After Mito personally taught her Sealing Technique for a year.

The little girl was nine.

That same year, she transferred the Nine-Tails within her body into the girl's body.

That was the year she died.

When she awoke, six years had already passed.

After learning of all kinds of terrible news from the Ninja Academy's textbooks, Mito Uzumaki had endured it in silence.

After all, ninja died.

Her grandson Nawaki Senju had died, her granddaughter Tsunade had left, and her homeland, the Land of Whirlpools, had been destroyed...

National hatred and family enmity.

Mito Uzumaki had set it aside.

Instead, she had focused on making the Senju Clan great again.

Yet this Senju Jueming refused to listen to instruction.

"If war begins again, Konoha no longer has an allied buffer, and we have also lost many talents. The times will inevitably become difficult."

Funano Daikoku sighed.

"In recent years, the militant factions in every nation have risen one after another. According to Konoha's upper echelons, the situation may change in as little as two years, or at most three or four. That is why the graduation age has been moved forward once more."

Having heard the explanation, Kakashi and the others nodded slightly.

Their hearts immediately swelled with passionate ambition to serve the village.

"So, over the next five months, work hard and strive to earn a place for early graduation."

After they left.

Funano Daikoku sighed. "They're graduating so early. I don't know whether it will be good or bad for them."

The Three Legendary Sannin back then.

Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade had also taken their Graduation Exam after only one year at the Academy.

Even then, it had been considered very early.

Now, it had been moved forward by another half year.

Funano Daikoku did not worry that the three would fail the early graduation exam.

Rather, given their aptitude, they could accomplish it with ease.

But the question was, so what if they could? Was it reasonable for children so young to go to war?

They were too young, and their mindsets were unstable.

They could easily suffer a blow.

Once their spirits broke, they might become like Princess Tsunade and leave Konoha.

Orochimaru, one of the Three Legendary Sannin, also clearly had some mental issues.

Jiraiya was likewise obsessed with peeping, perhaps as a way to divert his immense psychological pressure.

With several children graduating after merely half a year, Funano Daikoku still could not help worrying.

"What else can we do?"

The other teachers shook their heads.

"The situation in the Ninja World is becoming increasingly unstable... They may suffer psychological blows after graduating early, but that is still better than having their nation destroyed and their people exterminated."

Funano Daikoku said, "A storm is coming..."

In the hallway of the teaching building.

Jueming, Kakashi, and Tekka Uchiha walked together.

Suddenly.

Tekka Uchiha turned around and looked at Jueming. "Senju Jueming, we'll settle this properly at the Graduation Exam five months from now!"

"What?"

Jueming looked at him coolly, his chin raised.

"Are you talking to me, the strongest freshman of this class and the first-place winner? Sorry, you're too weak. I can't hear what you're saying at all."

"..."

Tekka Uchiha's mouth twitched violently.

"Damn it! Next time... I'll definitely beat you!"

"Forget that." Jueming waved a hand. "Let's get something to eat together and celebrate you getting third place in our class. Your treat."

"You, you..."

Tekka Uchiha gritted his teeth.

In the end, unable to find the words, he simply ran off.

Kakashi: "..."

A few seconds later, Jueming turned to look at Kakashi.

The meaning in his eyes was obvious.

What, Kakashi Hatake? Were you going to throw out a few threats too?

Kakashi took a deep breath and suppressed the words that wanted to burst out. In the end, unlike Tekka Uchiha, he did not say anything harsh.