Graduated Successfully

No sooner had Teacher Kanishi Tokushi finished announcing the start of the assessment—

than Hyuga Kazuya appeared before him in an instant, trailing afterimages. Years of combat experience made him instinctively raise a guard and retreat, but he was too slow!

After hearing Teacher Kanishi Tokushi's order to begin the assessment,

Hyuga Kazuya immediately stepped back with his right foot, raised both hands before his chest, adjusted his charging stance, and silently invoked, Wind Spirit.

Wind Spirit was a name Hyuga Kazuya had made up on a whim. Put simply, it was a basic application of Wind Style Ninjutsu that reduced air resistance and provided a degree of acceleration.

Then Hyuga Kazuya felt a faint breeze whirl and accelerate around him, making his body feel slightly lighter.

Before Teacher Kanishi Tokushi could react at all, he charged before him in a blur of afterimages and shouted,

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

A phantom Taiji Eight Trigrams Diagram appeared beneath Hyuga Kazuya's feet.

Then his fists struck like raindrops, rapidly hitting the various acupoints across Teacher Kanishi Tokushi's body.

Though Hyuga Kazuya had called it Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, he had actually discovered through his Byakugan

that after merely a dozen or so strikes, he had already sealed all of Teacher Kanishi Tokushi's main chakra pathways, placing him in the silence and paralysis states of the Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palms.

This was only a spar. Temporarily sealing his main chakra pathways and leaving him briefly unable to resist was enough; there was no need to deepen the seal further.

He then kicked Teacher Kanishi Tokushi away, ending the fight.

This was how open combat between ordinary ninjas went: either I one-shot you, or you one-shot me. Of course, that only applied to ordinary ninjas.

"What? That was way too fast! Is this the top student of this class?"

"Kazuya-kun is amazing."

The younger students of the Ninja Academy began discussing it among themselves.

After all, Hyuga Kazuya's performance was worlds apart from that of the other graduating students.

"My blood is boiling! This is youth! I can do it too!"

Might Guy, who had graduated early from the neighboring class, clenched his fists and declared excitedly.

"So this is the strength of Hyuga's Number One Genius? I, Uchiha Obito, can do it too. I'm going to become Hokage!"

A boy wearing goggles said confidently to a little girl beside him with purple face paint on her cheeks.

The little girl beside him nodded with a serious, admiring expression.

"Then work hard, Obito. You can definitely do it too."

Bang!

Hyuga Kazuya looked at Teacher Kanishi Tokushi, whom he had kicked away.

He immediately stepped forward, helped the fallen teacher to his feet, and bowed deeply in apology.

"I sincerely apologize, Teacher Kanishi Tokushi. Please forgive me."

Kanishi Tokushi looked at the young man from the Hyuga Clan before him. Though annoyed, seeing the other party bowing sincerely in apology made it difficult for him, an adult Chunin, to continue criticizing a student who had not yet graduated from the Ninja Academy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Konoha's higher-ups on the platform also wore stunned expressions. After a quick thought, Kanishi Tokushi directly announced the assessment result.

Normally, to spare the students' feelings, results would not be announced on the spot. But seeing how outstanding Hyuga Kazuya was, Kanishi Tokushi felt it would be better to announce it directly. It could inspire future students and serve as encouragement for Hyuga Kazuya as well.

"Hyuga Kazuya, passed."

"Thank you very much, Teacher Kanishi Tokushi."

Hyuga Kazuya was somewhat surprised to hear the examiner announce his result directly, but he quickly understood. There was no need to wonder why—good students and ordinary students were always treated differently. He bowed solemnly to Teacher Kanishi Tokushi again in thanks, then returned to his class's formation.

The Third Hokage watched Hyuga Kazuya's performance from the platform. When he saw Hyuga Kazuya send Kanishi Tokushi flying, he merely nodded. After all, he had seen plenty of twelve-year-olds with Chunin-level strength. Talented, yes, but not unprecedented.

Not to mention the distant Konoha Sannin; closer at hand, there was Minato Namikaze, as well as this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho.

So he was not particularly shocked. However, after sending Kanishi Tokushi flying, Hyuga Kazuya had immediately rushed forward to help him up and apologize solemnly. The Third Hokage was extremely pleased by such humility and could not help smiling.

The Third Hokage's gloomy mood from the recent White Fang Incident eased somewhat when he saw such a vibrant, youthful genius at the village's Ninja Academy, especially one who possessed so much of the Will of Fire.

I will never allow the White Fang Incident to happen again.

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently swore to himself, but quickly composed himself again.

"It seems the village has produced another genius with the Will of Fire. Your Hyuga Clan cannot take such talent back into the clan after he graduates."

The Third Hokage teased Elder Yang of the Hyuga Clan, who stood beside him.

"You jest, Lord Hokage. Young people like him are precisely the ones who need experience and need to contribute to the village. How could we possibly take him back into the clan?"

The elderly man standing beside the Third Hokage, dressed in a gray robe, with graying hair and a rather sturdy build, replied ingratiatingly.

Yet judging by his expression, the old man was still quite pleased. After all, his clan had produced such a genius, one who had brought them such honor before Konoha's many higher-ups.

After returning to the formation, Hyuga Kazuya was still smug about how perfect his performance had been.

After kicking Teacher Kanishi Tokushi away, he had immediately gone forward to help him up and apologize. He gave himself ninety points for that whole display of humility, leaving the remaining ten points so he would not become arrogant.

Seeing the Third Hokage quietly speaking with Elder Yang of his clan on the platform,

Hyuga Kazuya proudly raised his head.

After the Third Hokage and Elder Yang finished speaking, Hyuga Kazuya discreetly winked at his uncle, Elder Yang, grinning.

He was signaling that he had completed the task perfectly. Don't forget my Chakra Metal and money.

Because of Hyuga Kazuya's outstanding performance, among the remaining graduation candidates, only Might Guy from the neighboring early-graduation class managed to trade blows with the Chunin teacher using pure Taijutsu. Though he still lost in the end, considering his age, he stood out among the students.

Even Hyuga Momona's graduation assessment, despite training with Hyuga Kazuya and being stronger than most of her classmates with his help,

was only average in combat due to her being a girl and her personality. However, with the added advantage of her Byakugan, she graduated smoothly as well.