You Look So Impatient Again

Hiruzen stood on the raised platform, facing the many students and teachers, and delivered a deeply moving speech.

His voice was deep and resonant, and every word seemed to contain boundless strength and wisdom.

He first looked back on the history and traditions of the Ninja Academy, recounting the deeds of those predecessors who had won great honors for Konoha.

His eyes were filled with admiration and nostalgia, as if those glorious years were right before him.

Then he turned his gaze to the new generation of students.

His eyes held great expectations and hopes, as if he saw the future of Konoha resting in the hands of these young people.

"Wherever leaves dance, the fire will burn. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and make new leaves sprout."

"I hope you'll keep striving and contribute your strength to Konoha's future.

No matter what difficulties or challenges you face, hold fast to your convictions and keep moving forward."

Every word he spoke was full of warmth and wisdom, deeply moving everyone present.

The students nodded one after another, determination shining in their eyes, as if they had already resolved to contribute their strength to Konoha.

After a while, Hiruzen's gaze fell on Hayato again, his eyes thoughtful and searching.

From the battle just now, he had clearly recognized Hayato's outstanding talent and extraordinary abilities.

Hayato had not only mastered advanced techniques like Water Surface Walking, but was even studying a profound ninjutsu like the Flying Thunder God. Clearly, that was beyond what the Ninja Academy could teach.

Would keeping Hayato at the Ninja Academy be a waste of his talent? Hiruzen wondered. He began considering whether to let Hayato graduate early, so he could encounter a broader world and more serious challenges sooner.

Meanwhile, Hayato had no idea Hiruzen was considering letting him graduate early.

If he'd known, he would have thanked him profusely.

At that moment, he was standing with his friends, receiving everyone's compliments and praise.

Izumo exclaimed excitedly, "Hayato, that final move you used to take Kakashi down was so cool!" He waved his hands, as if recreating Hayato's move, his face full of admiration.

Hayato merely smiled and responded with a few words, having noticed that Kurenai seemed a little down.

He squeezed through the crowd and went to Kurenai's side, lightly flicking her forehead as he asked with concern, "What are you thinking about? Why so glum?"

The flick startled Kurenai, bringing her out of her reverie. She rubbed her forehead and pouted, "I've told you so many times, Hayato. Don't flick me on the head. It'll make me stupid."

Hayato laughed and teased, "Don't worry. There's not much room for you to get any stupider."

"You're awful! You just called me stupid!" Kurenai pretended to kick Hayato, but he easily dodged.

"See? You're getting all worked up again."

Hayato ran ahead while Kurenai chased after him. The two of them played around for a while.

Their antics helped Kurenai temporarily forget her earlier troubles. Watching Hayato's back, she silently made up her mind: Hayato, I'll work hard to keep up with you, until the day I can fight by your side.

As the crowd dispersed, everyone returned home.

When Kurenai got home, she found her father, Shinku, reading the newspaper and said firmly, "Dad, I want to train!"

Shinku set down the newspaper, looking at his daughter in surprise.

He knew she wasn't very interested in training, so he had never pressured her.

But seeing the determination in her eyes, he understood that she had made up her mind.

"Did something happen?" Shinku asked.

Kurenai nodded, determination shining in her eyes. "I want to get stronger. Someday, I want to be able to stand beside someone important to me, not be someone he has to protect."

Moved by his daughter's mature words, Shinku wondered to himself, Did someone inspire her?

Either way, it was a good thing.

Being a ninja was a dangerous profession, and he couldn't guarantee he would always be there to protect his daughter.

"All right. I'll start coaching you tomorrow," Shinku said.

Kurenai's face lit up. She glanced toward the doorway. "Why not start today? It's not even late yet, Dad."

Shinku smiled and patted her shoulder. "No need to rush. We'll take it one step at a time."

The same scene played out in many ninja households.

"Dad, I want to learn ninjutsu."

"Mom, I want to train harder."

The children eagerly told their parents that they wanted to train,

inspired by Hayato's performance and eager to grow stronger.

None of them wanted to remain mediocre forever. They wanted to become the center of attention, just like Hayato.

Hayato's excellence had put pressure on them, but it had also motivated them.

Meanwhile, Kakashi lay in a hospital bed at Konoha Hospital, bandages wrapped around his injured body.

He stared blankly at the light on the ceiling. Today, he had tasted defeat for the first time, and he couldn't help feeling disheartened.

Just then, the hospital room door opened, and someone entered.

He wore an upper-rank shinobi's chest armor, and one half of his sleeve bore a flame pattern. It was Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo.

He went to Kakashi's bedside and sat down, then asked quietly, "I heard you lost today?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah. I lost."

Their brief exchange ended, and they both fell silent.

After a while, Sakumo rubbed Kakashi's head. "Just win next time."

Kakashi didn't reply, but after a long while, he looked at his father and said, "Dad, can you teach me swordsmanship?"

Sakumo smiled faintly. "Of course."

Hayato knew nothing about his classmates' sudden determination to improve. At that moment, he was at home devouring dinner.

"Slow down. No one's going to steal it," Misaki said.

"He must be starving, Hayato," Shota added with a laugh.

After a while, Misaki said, "By the way, Hayato, starting tomorrow, your dad and I will let you go to school by yourself."

Hayato paused halfway through a bite. "Mom, you didn't agree before."

"We heard about what happened today. We're not worried anymore," Misaki explained with a smile.

They were proud of their son's excellence and knew he was capable enough to look after himself.

So they'd heard about his practical exam. No wonder all his favorite dishes were on the table tonight. The news sure had spread fast.

Hayato nodded calmly. "All right."

"You don't seem very happy. Didn't you ask several times to go to school by yourself?" Misaki asked, looking at him in confusion.

"No, no, I'm happy," Hayato replied with a smile, waving his hand.

But in his mind, he was thinking about other things.

He had been having his Shadow Clone substitute for him for a while, so this wasn't particularly important to him.

The only difference was that, starting tomorrow, he wouldn't have to wait at home until his parents had left before sneaking out.

He wondered how his parents would react when he brought up graduating early in a little while.

I might as well test the waters first, he thought, then said, "Mom, Lord Hokage praised me today. He said my abilities are almost at the level required to graduate."

Hayato had invoked Hiruzen to make his point. His parents probably wouldn't go out of their way to confirm it with him.

Misaki and Shota exchanged a glance.

They hadn't expected their son to have come to Lord Hokage's attention already.

"So, what do you think?" Shota asked, looking at Hayato and waiting for him to continue.

Seeing their calm reactions, Hayato felt he had his answer. "I think I need a little more time to mature."

Two months would count as enough time to mature. That works, he thought.

Shota nodded. "Mm, you're right. You're still young, Hayato. There's no need to rush. Just take it one step at a time."

His parents had always respected Hayato's thoughts and decisions, and now they gave him their full support and encouragement.