Graduation and Special Treatment with Uchiha Itachi

"Alright, that concludes the class assignments for today," said a man wearing sunglasses, his face marred by a centipede-like scar, in an indifferent tone.

The aura he radiated made it impossible to guess that his profession was a teacher.

The students sitting below were all well-behaved.

That's it? I don't think I heard my name. Did he... did he mention the name Ye Yuexin?

Ye Yuexin was completely bewildered; he didn't think he had been zoning out.

The teacher with the sunglasses seemed to notice Ye Yuexin's confused expression.

The teacher on the podium paused for a moment before continuing, "Ye Yuexin and Uchiha Itachi, come to my office after class."

Hearing this, Ye Yuexin realized that Uchiha Itachi's name hadn't been called either. How could this happen? Even if it were because he was exceptionally talented, this special treatment was a bit too obvious.

The teacher with the sunglasses left after speaking, and the room turned into a self-study session.

This was likely the final class of their ninja academy career.

Yet, many people continued as if out of habit, doing whatever they usually did; overall, most were just sleeping.

These people were the ones who didn't study well and were particularly arrogant. To put it bluntly, they were cannon fodder.

Only a small number of people were looking forward to or whispering about what might happen next.

Before long, class was over, and it was quite boring.

Ye Yuexin slowly walked out of the classroom.

Suddenly, he spotted someone in the school hallway: black, choppy hair that reached his ears, large eyes that were incredibly unique—bright and lustrous like black diamonds—and a super adorable, chubby face. That's right, this was Uchiha Itachi.

To be honest, even Ye Yuexin hadn't expected Itachi to be this cute as a child; even he, a grown man, felt the urge to pinch those cheeks. In his past life, this would have been an absolute heartthrob.

"Yo! Itachi-shao, what a coincidence."

Ye Yuexin, who was also heading to the office, saw Uchiha Itachi ahead of him in the hallway and hurried to catch up. He immediately threw an arm around Uchiha Itachi's neck and started ruffling his hair.

Counting it up, he and Itachi had known each other for two years. Through Ye Yuexin's deliberate efforts, he could be considered Uchiha Itachi's only friend in this school.

Of course, all of this was predicated on their strength being on par with each other.

"We are the only two going to the office." Uchiha Itachi wore an expression that said, 'What coincidence? You're just looking for an excuse to mess with me.'

Seeing the frost gradually spreading across that chubby face, Ye Yuexin awkwardly let go of Uchiha Itachi.

Watching Uchiha Itachi act so cool at such a young age, Ye Yuexin felt quite unaccustomed to it.

"Let's go to our usual spot for red bean dumpling soup tonight, same rules as always," Ye Yuexin said, ignoring Itachi's icy little face.

The "same rules" meant Ye Yuexin treated, and Uchiha Itachi paid.

Uchiha Itachi's footsteps faltered for a split second, and he didn't even acknowledge Ye Yuexin, though his pace quickened.

Soon, they arrived at the office.

Ye Yuexin was very familiar with this place; one could say he was a frequent visitor.

As a soul with the mind of an adult and no family background, the teacher was the only "powerful" figure he could reach. How could he not build a good relationship with him?

Moreover, this teacher could be considered Ye Yuexin's mentor.

Of course, this was all under the condition that his talent had been recognized.

His name was Haino Fuji. He was originally a Special Jonin, but he had been shot through half a lung by the enemy on the battlefield. It was a miracle he had survived at all.

Ninja missions were impossible for him now; he would get winded just by moving, so he was assigned to the academy. He became the teacher for Ye Yuexin's class.

Looking at the two in front of him, especially Ye Yuexin, the sternness on Haino Fuji's face softened slightly.

"Actually, there's nothing major about calling you here; I just need to convey a notification from the school," Haino Fuji said slowly.

Hearing this, Ye Yuexin and Uchiha Itachi became serious.

This was indeed abnormal. Not to mention that there were no precedents for graduating without being assigned to a team, even if there were, it should have been for the students who were about to be given up on. For the school's top student, Uchiha Itachi, and the "pseudo-top" student, Ye Yuexin, they should have been treated with importance.

Haino Fuji continued, "It's like this: the Third Great Ninja War has reached its peak, and most of the village's manpower has already been sent to the front lines. The remaining team leaders are mostly Chunin or Special Jonin who have been injured."

"Furthermore, we are short-handed and lack a team leader. After discussing the assignments, we decided on the two of you."

"You can probably guess the reason: we don't want these teachers to hinder your growth. Your talent is obvious, and you won't let your training slide just because you lack a teacher."

"Therefore, our decision is that your team leader is TBD. After some time, when a capable Jonin or Elite Jonin becomes available, someone will be assigned to lead you."

Hearing this, Ye Yuexin said directly, "Teacher, do you mean we are currently 'freelance' Genin?"

"Yes. For the time being, you can either train on your own or take on D-rank missions suitable for Genin," Haino Fuji said, glancing at Ye Yuexin indifferently.

"Understood, Teacher. We'll get going so you can get back to work," Ye Yuexin said.

With that, he led Uchiha Itachi out.

It was still early before dusk, so Ye Yuexin figured he could combine dinner and afternoon tea.

Getting out of school early was great; no need to wait around like the others for their respective team leaders to arrive.

Ye Yuexin and Uchiha Itachi walked together on the road. Uchiha Itachi was wearing the standard Uchiha attire, which looked solemn and grand. Although it didn't quite match his chubby face, it still gave him the air of an elite Genin.

Looking at Ye Yuexin felt a bit awkward, as he was wearing a modified grey-white Japanese-style long robe. The sleeves weren't as wide as the traditional ones, but they were still far from convenient for combat. As a ninja, perhaps one would only wear such attire on rare days off, yet Ye Yuexin's wardrobe was filled with nothing but these garments.

The most peculiar detail was the cowhide belt strapped to his right hip, which held three strange hidden weapons.

They might have been considered bizarre weapons in Japan, but to Ye Yuexin's past life, they were unmistakable. Weren't these the very shape of the willow-leaf blades used in "Little Li's Flying Dagger," as cold as frost and bright as the moon?

This story had to begin from the moment Ye Yuexin first transmigrated.

In his previous life, his name was Li Huan. Although he shared the same surname and his given name differed by only one character, he had absolutely no connection to Li Xunhuan, the wielder of Little Li's Flying Dagger.

He had been an orphan.

Yet, that had never dampened his passion for Li Xunhuan, especially for his signature technique: Little Li's Flying Dagger. He had read the books and watched the television adaptations over a dozen times each. Furthermore, he had spent countless hours studying and fantasizing about that god-like, unerring skill of the hidden weapon.

[Big shots, I'm asking for your support for this new book... I suggest adding it to your library and letting it grow before you binge-read it... Thank you, everyone.]