Two Years

Two years passed in the blink of an eye.

In Year 39 of Konoha, five-year-old Hatake Kakashi applied for early graduation. After passing with flying colors, he became the youngest Genin in Konoha's history.

Another genius, Yamanaka Tohru, was making a name for himself at Konoha Hospital. Yamanaka Tohru had his own unique understanding of Medical Ninjutsu and was especially skilled at surgery. Thanks to his extraordinary mental strength and understanding of the human body, he had not failed a single operation in a year. More than a hundred Konoha Ninja had been treated by Yamanaka Tohru, and his superb Ninjutsu had earned him the respect of everyone at Konoha Hospital.

Yamashiro Ginichi, the teacher who had produced two geniuses, had also been promoted. He had become the deputy director of academic affairs at the Ninja Academy.

In Year 40 of Konoha, six-year-old Kakashi became a Chunin.

In Konoha Forest, Yamanaka Tohru and Hatake Sakumo were sparring. Aside from his time at Konoha Hospital, Yamanaka Tohru spent all his remaining time in Konoha Forest. Over the past two years, he had completed his training in Chidori and could use both Chidori Blade and Chidori Spear proficiently. For that reason, he had even specially bought a short blade capable of conducting Chakra.

In terms of Nintaijutsu, Yamanaka Tohru had developed his own Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Unlike the Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Yamanaka Tohru had abandoned its original defensive power and strengthened its speed and offensive power instead.

The defensive power of Lightning Release Chakra Mode required constantly pouring a large amount of Chakra into the Lightning Release Armor. Yamanaka Tohru could not accept that alone—he did not have that much Chakra to squander. Moreover, his Ice Release possessed the trait of Elementalization, making physical attacks essentially ineffective against him. As long as he had enough Chakra, he could maintain Elementalization indefinitely.

In the forest, Yamanaka Tohru activated Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Relying on Lightning Release to stimulate his cells, his speed nearly reached the limits of dynamic vision. Hatake Sakumo, however, remained completely unhurried. No matter which direction Yamanaka Tohru attacked from, Hatake Sakumo could neutralize every strike.

"Uncle Sakumo, I'm starting!"

"Ah! Let me see how much you've improved over the past month. Don't get instantly defeated like you did last month."

"Then watch closely, Uncle Sakumo!" Yamanaka Tohru channeled Chakra into his short blade.

"So this is Chidori Blade?" Hatake Sakumo studied Yamanaka Tohru's short blade with interest.

"That's not all!" Yamanaka Tohru's Chakra began flowing through every part of his body, while the structure of his cells shifted toward the molecular structure of ice.

Pure water does not conduct electricity, but the human body naturally does. According to the physics he had learned in his previous life, ice conducted electricity less effectively than the human body. Yet after using Lightning Release once while in Ice Elementalization, Yamanaka Tohru discovered that an ice-elementalized body conducted Lightning Release Chakra more easily.

Light was the fastest thing in the universe. Its essence was electromagnetic waves, and lightning was also a form of electromagnetic wave. After Yamanaka Tohru became ice-elementalized, the ice and lightning merged, giving his body some of lightning's properties and greatly increasing his speed.

Yamanaka Tohru named this mode Ice Lightning Mode. Ice Lightning Mode consumed a tremendous amount of Chakra. At present, Yamanaka Tohru possessed only slightly more Chakra than an Elite Jonin from the original story, allowing him to maintain Ice Lightning Mode for two minutes at most.

Yamanaka Tohru's speed suddenly increased, but Hatake Sakumo did not panic in the slightest. Over the past two years, every sparring session had brought him a small surprise from Yamanaka Tohru. After being startled so many times, he had grown used to it.

Yamanaka Tohru shot toward Hatake Sakumo like a streak of blue lightning. As usual, Hatake Sakumo raised the White Fang Blade and blocked his attack. When his strike failed, Yamanaka Tohru did not retreat. With his left hand, he formed seals with one hand. "Chidori!"

"Single-handed Hand Seals?" During their monthly sparring matches over the past two years, Hatake Sakumo had, for the first time, infused Chakra into the White Fang Blade.

The short blade, radiating white Chakra, was like the Shinigami's scythe. With one strike, it severed Chidori. Unwilling to concede, Yamanaka Tohru activated his Sharingan. Two Tomoe were embedded in his scarlet pupils. "Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique."

"Yuan, you used this move half a year ago." As soon as he finished speaking, Hatake Sakumo appeared behind Yamanaka Tohru. Yamanaka Tohru's Sharingan had already caught Hatake Sakumo's movements, but his body could not keep up. Using Genjutsu and Chidori had also prevented Yamanaka Tohru from maintaining Ice Lightning Mode. Hatake Sakumo's short blade came to rest against Yamanaka Tohru's neck, ending the spar.

"Uncle Sakumo, you're a freak." Yamanaka Tohru had used every trump card he possessed without managing to injure Hatake Sakumo in the slightest. Facing such a powerful Hatake Sakumo, Yamanaka Tohru could not help complaining.

"Yuan, you're already very strong. You can even form Hand Seals with one hand, and at seven years old, you can make me infuse Chakra into the White Fang Blade. Even ordinary Jonin don't receive that kind of treatment."

In truth, Yamanaka Tohru could only form the Hand Seals for Chidori and Chidori with one hand. "Then, Uncle Sakumo, can I defeat a Jonin now?"

"Using only Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Chidori Blade, and your other abilities, you're still inferior to a Jonin. You're probably at Special Jonin level. If you use that method of increasing your speed together with the Sharingan, you should be able to deal with an ordinary Jonin."

Jonin were already considered the backbone of the Shinobi World. Aside from Konoha's four major hidden villages, each village had only around a dozen Elite Jonin, along with three or four Quasi-Kage and two or three Kage Level experts. Yamanaka Tohru already possessed the ability to protect his life.

"It's been two years. That guy Kakashi is already a Chunin. I should graduate too."

"You're Konoha Hospital's treasure now. The Third won't let you graduate so easily."

Yamanaka Tohru understood as well. Compared to a Genin, an outstanding Medical Ninja capable of saving Chunin and Jonin at Konoha Hospital seemed far too important to let go.

"Even so, I'm still going to apply for graduation." Yamanaka Tohru did not want to be a Medical Ninja for the rest of his life. He intended to become the strongest man in the Shinobi World.

"Uncle Sakumo, I'm going back to the Ninja Academy."

"Good!" Hatake Sakumo nodded. He had witnessed Yamanaka Tohru's growth over the past two years, so Yamanaka Tohru's application for graduation was well within his expectations.

Students at the Ninja Academy who wanted to graduate early had to submit a graduation application through their teacher. Only after the Hokage approved it could they begin the graduation examination. Passing the exam meant successfully graduating and becoming a Genin. The Hokage generally would not reject a graduation application unless the student was exceptionally poor, and Yamanaka Tohru had always ranked first. The Hokage had no reason to refuse.

Yamanaka Tohru returned to the Ninja Academy for two reasons: to submit his graduation application to Yamashiro Ginichi and to check on Obito and Nohara Rin. Most of his classmates were merely acquaintances, but Kakashi, Obito, and Rin were among the few friends Yamanaka Tohru had.

Yamanaka Tohru found Yamashiro Ginichi in the academic affairs office and submitted his graduation application. He then went to the classroom he had not visited in a long time.

When Yamanaka Tohru returned, class had just ended. "Stuck-up Yamanaka Tohru! What are you doing back?" Obito, who had been sprawled across his desk and nodding off, was the first to notice him.

"Yuan, you're back!" After Obito, Nohara Rin also spotted Yamanaka Tohru.

The three of them went to the training ground together.

"Obito, Rin. I'm applying for graduation."

"Stuck-up Yamanaka Tohru, I'll catch up to you soon."

"Then you'd better work hard! Rin, you should work hard too!"

"I will."

After saying goodbye to the two of them, Yamanaka Tohru left the Ninja Academy. Starting tomorrow, he would be a ninja!