Graduation Exam

In the early morning, inside Konoha's training ground, Higashino Makoto sat cross-legged on a tree trunk, quietly training in the second stage of chakra control.

Now he was nine years old, much taller than before, even taller than most of his peers. His features had matured, and though he still kept his short, messy hair, his dark brown locks had grown a shade darker.

What reassured him was that his looks still took after his mother, Higashino Megumi, with sharp, well-defined features. He was confident that in the future, he'd be the kind of handsome guy that made little girls gasp and young wives weak in the knees.

After a long while, Makoto opened his eyes and let out a small sigh. His progress wasn't satisfying him.

The second stage of chakra control involved adjusting the ratio of body energy and mental energy as they fused into chakra, pushing it toward the Yin Yang Extremes.

Over the past few years, helping out at the hospital had taught him that pushing body energy to 60% was enough for a decent Medical Ninja. Conversely, if mental energy made up 60%, one could excel at Genjutsu or certain Yin Release Secret Jutsu.

Makoto had already pushed the Yin Yang ratio to 70% when he was just over five years old.

He didn't know about the Senju or the Uchiha, but for a Regular Ninja, that might be the peak of a lifetime's training. Without bloodline support, a Commoner couldn't advance further—it wasn't something hard work alone could achieve.

Kurenai Yuhi had trained in Genjutsu for decades, and one glare from Itachi Uchiha took her down.

A Medical Ninja couldn't save a critical wound, but Karin could heal it with a single bite.

In the Shinobi World, bloodline cheats were just that unreasonable. The end of your life's training was only the starting point for a powerful bloodline.

If it weren't for the White Natural Energy constantly reshaping his body, Makoto would never have had a chance to break through that ceiling for Regular Ninja.

But now, four years later, after pushing the Yin Yang ratio to 85% each, progress had slowed to a crawl.

Just like with natural energy training, he was stuck at the second stage. Worse, he had a feeling that pushing further would put too much strain on his body.

Maybe once natural energy reached the third stage—Normalized Sage Mode—things would change. After all, aside from his daily efforts, White Natural Energy was the biggest reason for his current progress.

For now, he'd fully developed his offensive and defensive techniques. Even Medical Ninjutsu had grown quickly from helping his mother at the hospital.

But the two main paths he was pursuing couldn't be rushed no matter how much he wanted. So, it was time to graduate.

With his direction set, Makoto leaped out of the forest, his body drifting like a wisp of smoke toward home. His way of moving was already a completely different style from an ordinary ninja.

Higashino Makoto's actions were graceful and agile, his style far above the straightforward movements of regular ninja.

At the breakfast table, Higashino Megumi seemed distracted.

After finishing his meal carefully, Makoto asked, "Mom, are you worried about me?"

"What else would it be? Son, I don't know whether to praise your sharp mind or curse you for being a Crow's Mouth. That damned Kirigakure really did join in."

"Don't worry, Mom. A fully powered Kirigakure might have affected the situation, but that broken village is half-crippled now. It won't change the outcome. Didn't Duy cripple their strongest, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen?"

"Duy... I never thought he could go that far. He died on duty, but he saved his son. What a great father." Megumi sighed and continued, "You're not wrong, but no matter how useless Kirigakure is, they've dragged out the war's end. And you're about to graduate."

"The timing is just right. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"I hope so. Do you want me to go to the academy with you?"

"No need. You handle your own business." Makoto waved and headed out the door for school.

Megumi watched his back and shook her head. Her child had suddenly grown up. She was probably the most worry-free mother in Konoha's history.

Maybe having another child would let her experience the joy of raising kids, but she and Higashino Jiro had gradually lost that idea.

What if another war broke out in a few years? Children of ninja families with talent were destined to become ninja. She really didn't want to go through that worry again.

Konoha looked even more desolate than before. Foot traffic had dropped sharply, and families holding funerals changed every few days.

What were those fallen ninja thinking before they died? Did any of them wonder why they wielded transcendent power but were spent generation after generation in the meat grinder of war, while the powerless Daimyo and Nobles lived carefree, passing power down through generations, indulging in luxury and decadence?

Who knew when a ninja would rise up to trample all the Nobles?

Given the twisted education system and warped ideology of the Shinobi World, it was probably impossible.

Makoto certainly wasn't going to do it. Before his rebirth, he'd already been an adult with fixed values. At his core, aside from his family and a small circle of friends, he found it hard to have any cultural identification with this Japanese-style world.

He'd never changed. He was reborn into this world to enjoy a unique and brilliant life, not to be a Savior.

Letting his mind wander and enjoying the familiar scenery, Makoto soon met up with Uzuki Yugao and headed to the General Classroom.

Quite a few people were already there—all the remaining students from the fourth grade.

In truth, they'd only studied for three years. They'd just started fourth grade this year and were being forced to graduate early. Compared to the full six-year system in peacetime, wartime education had been cut in half.

Among the crowd were some older students—seniors who hadn't managed to graduate yet—and some very young ones, second and third graders confident in their skills, eager to become official ninja.

Makoto wondered what Hashirama Senju would think if he saw this from the Pure Land.

"Hey, Makoto, what do you think this year's graduation exam will be?" Uzuki Yugao was testing her external brain again.

"How would I know? Do I look like a fortune-teller? Besides, what difference does it make to you? Which of the Basic Three Body Techniques don't you know? I can teach you on the spot."

"Ahaha, true."

As they chatted, the exam began quickly.

After a 40-minute General Knowledge Written Exam, they rested for an hour while the teachers quickly graded the papers and recorded the scores. Then came the Ninjutsu Assessment Phase.

Surprisingly, this year's ninjutsu exam wasn't one of the Three Body Techniques. Instead, students could choose freely.

Those lacking confidence could pick their best technique. Those confident enough could show off a few.

Before the assembled teachers and the Third, the students stood like goods awaiting inspection, their faces alight with excitement as they displayed their abilities on stage.

The Three Body Techniques, as the most basic ninjutsu for entry-level ninjas, served more as a test of understanding than practical combat.

They allowed the teachers to gauge a student's grasp of Chakra and ninjutsu, their basic observational skills, instantaneous memory, and sense of timing.

Based on these, they could assign suitable Squad Leader Ninjas and plan out the students' future paths.

With the war ongoing and manpower scarce, the squad leaders weren't necessarily Jonin—they could also be Special Jonin.

As for what the students would learn from their Squad Leader Teacher afterward, that depended entirely on how responsible the teacher was and how well the two got along.

Still, ninjas chosen as Squad Leader Teachers were generally either easygoing or had a special relationship with their students, carefully selected by the High Level.