Taiichi's Early Graduation (Seeking Monthly Votes, Follow-Up Reads, and Recommendation Votes)

Kakashi's early graduation greatly stirred everyone's enthusiasm for studying. From that day onward, Taiichi could clearly feel that everyone trained much harder. Even Obito, for once, stopped showing up late.

But enthusiasm always faded. Laziness was human nature. Unlike Taiichi, no one else had a panel that let them check their progress at any time and constantly kept them motivated. Naturally, after working hard for a little over a week, everyone gradually returned to their old routines. Those who were late were late, those who slept kept sleeping, and those who ate snacks kept eating snacks.

Taiichi continued training as usual, exhausting nearly all his energy every day before resting. Those dull, repetitive days continued until the end of the second-year term.

That day, Taiichi also submitted an application for early graduation. It caused another stir throughout the school, and the application was quickly placed on the Hokage's desk. Hiruzen Sarutobi merely sighed as he looked at it. "They are all Konoha's young sprouts." Then he readily signed it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi knew Taiichi's strength. Over the past year or so, Tsunade had helped Taiichi apply for a hospital internship permit during every break. After his internships, Taiichi would occasionally train with Tsunade or Jiraiya.

Moreover, Hiruzen Sarutobi often used the Telescope Technique, so he naturally saw Taiichi and Kakashi sparring quite frequently. Kakashi had already graduated early, so how could Taiichi, who was evenly matched with Kakashi, be any different?

After receiving approval, the school quickly arranged Taiichi's graduation assessment, hoping he could graduate alongside the sixth-years of this regular graduating class. That way, he would not have to be like Kakashi, who had waited an entire month after graduating before a suitable team became available.

Taiichi breathed a sigh of relief when he received notice of the assessment. Once he graduated, he could advance his ninja profession. Being stuck here every day had wasted quite a bit of profession experience.

The past year of training had greatly improved Taiichi's strength. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he could now handle an ordinary Chunin with ease.

Name: Taichi Matsushita

Profession: Genin Lv10 Max Level

Talents: Diligence Makes Up for Mediocrity, Academic Overachiever

Age: 7

Constitution: 18 (increased by 1 point through long-term training)

Strength: 19 (increased by 1 point through long-term training)

Agility: 17 (increased by 2 points through long-term training)

Spirit: 22

Chakra: 12000 (14200)

Attribute Points: 12

Skill Points: 13

Fire Nature Transformation Lv6 (823/1000)

Wind Release Nature Transformation Lv6 (363/1000)

Water Nature Transformation Lv5 (574/800)

Yang Release Nature Transformation Lv6 (454/800)

Skills: Advanced Taijutsu Lv0 (844/1000), Advanced Meditation Lv0 (867/1000), Hatake Style Kenjutsu Lv10 (634/2000), Body Flicker Technique Lv6 (536/1000)

[Fire Style: B-rank Fire Dragon Flame Bullet Lv7 (753/1200), B-rank Searing Migraine Lv3 (321/400)]

[Wind Style: C-rank Air Palm Lv8 (683/1400), B-rank Pressure Damage Lv3 (321/400)]

[Water Style: B-rank Water Formation Wall Lv8 (653/1200), C-rank Water Prison Lv5 (221/800), C-rank Water Clone Lv5 (432/800), B-rank Water Dragon Bullet Lv3 (221/400)]

[Medical Ninjutsu: Mystical Palm Technique Lv9 (323/1600), Delicate Illness Extraction Technique Lv8 (463/1400), Chakra Scalpel Lv6 (464/1000]

[Max Level: Ninja Tool Throwing, Three Body Technique, Flame Bullet, Phoenix Sage Fire, Great Breakthrough...]

Evaluation: You are about to graduate. The real Ninja World is waiting for you.

Taiichi felt quite gratified as he looked at the new panel. The only thing that troubled him was that Advanced Taijutsu and Advanced Meditation were simply too difficult to train. A whole year had passed, yet neither had reached Lv1. Thinking about his future progress gave Taiichi a headache. Fortunately, he had not used any of his previous Skill Points. If leveling became truly difficult later on, he could only use Skill Points when necessary.

In the blink of an eye, the day of the assessment arrived. Sarutobi Matsuya, the Jonin who had overseen Taiichi's previous test, was once again his examiner. The assessment officer, however, had been replaced by a Chunin named Nagashima Hikaru. The process was the same, but since it was also the school's examination day, there were no students watching. Quite a few teachers had come instead.

Taiichi and Chunin Nagashima Hikaru entered the field and formed the Seal of Confrontation. With Sarutobi Jonin's shout of "Begin," the battle started.

Taiichi did not hold back and launched the first attack. His hands flew through the seals. Just over a second later, he had completed the seals for Phoenix Sage Fire. "So fast!" That was the thought running through every ninja watching. Taiichi then spat out twenty-four Fireballs in succession, in pairs, attacking Chunin Nagashima from different directions one after another.

Nagashima had already been startled by Taiichi's hand seal speed. When he saw the twenty-four Fireballs coming at him in waves, he was instantly shocked. Is this really Phoenix Sage Fire? Why are there so many? As he thought that, he used the Body Flicker Technique to dodge to the side.

The instant he left his original position, the first pair of Fireballs struck where he had been standing. Boom! Boom!

"The power of each individual Fireball is comparable to Flame Bullet, isn't it?" quiet discussion rose from the teachers at the edge of the field.

Nagashima broke out in a cold sweat when he saw the power of those two Fireballs, but he soon had no time to worry about that. As he moved, the remaining Fireballs subtly adjusted their trajectories and chased after him. This frightened him badly, and he hurriedly continued dodging with the Body Flicker Technique.

Adjusting the direction of a ninjutsu after it had already been launched was not something just anyone could do.

In truth, this was an ability Taiichi had only recently mastered. When his Chakra Nature Transformation reached Lv6, Taiichi felt that his understanding and control over corresponding elemental ninjutsu had reached a certain level. Lv6 Nature Transformation was already at the Jonin level. Combined with spiritual power that was no weaker than a Jonin's, Taiichi was finally able to make slight adjustments after launching ninjutsu.

Of course, he could only make minor adjustments for now. It was enough to frighten Chunin Nagashima, who was seeing it for the first time. Once Taiichi grew even stronger, this technique's power and tactical value would become far greater.

As Chunin Nagashima frantically dodged, his attention gradually drifted away from Taiichi. At that moment, Taiichi drew his Short Sword and used the Body Flicker Technique as well, intercepting Nagashima along his path of retreat.

By the time Nagashima noticed Taiichi, it was already too late. He could only hurriedly block Taiichi's descending blade. Nagashima could no longer be described as merely flustered. Having underestimated his opponent and lost the initiative, he now found even defending difficult.

Sure enough, after another five slashing strikes, Taiichi successfully knocked aside the Kunai Nagashima was using to defend, leaving him completely exposed. Taiichi seized the chance to switch the sword to his left hand, stepped forward, and drove a right hook into Nagashima's abdomen. As Nagashima doubled over from the blow, the blade was already at his throat.

"Taichi Matsushita, victory!" Sarutobi Jonin announced.

It had taken so long to describe, but the entire match had lasted less than a minute. It ended too quickly. The spectators at the edge of the field only came back to their senses after Sarutobi Jonin made the announcement, and they immediately began discussing it among themselves.

"That was way too fast!"

"That kid is amazing!"

"Nagashima underestimated him too much."

"Don't you think his Phoenix Sage Fire was incredible? He released so many Fireballs at once."

"Exactly. It was not just the quantity—their power was especially great too."

"It must be an improved new technique."

The discussion at the edge of the field left Nagashima Hikaru, who was standing in the arena, utterly humiliated. Losing was embarrassing enough, but he had lost so quickly because he had underestimated his opponent. Nagashima greeted Sarutobi Jonin, then hurriedly left the field.

Watching Nagashima Hikaru leave, Sarutobi Jonin could not help shaking his head. Nagashima himself had failed to see the truth and believed he had only lost because of carelessness. But Sarutobi Matsuya had seen it clearly. At the very least, Taichi Matsushita's mastery of Fire Style had already reached the Jonin level. What he lacked now was experience and physical conditioning. Nagashima Hikaru's loss was not undeserved.

With that thought, he turned to Taiichi, who was walking over, and said kindly, "Taichi Matsushita, you have passed the assessment. All you need to do now is graduate together with the sixth-years of this class. Remember to come to school tomorrow for class assignment."

"I understand. Thank you for your trouble, Sarutobi Jonin."