Naruto shivered as he grinned. "Guys, have you ever thought about graduating early?"
Sasuke suddenly set down his chopsticks, his serious gaze sweeping around the table. "Graduate early?"
"Skip grades? But we're only first-years."
"According to the ninja academy's rules, if you learn the Three Basic Techniques ahead of time and pass the written exam, you really can graduate early."
"Sounds like such a pain."
"A pain? It's super cool, okay! Kakashi-sensei graduated early!"
The whole group exploded into chatter. "Sasuke, are you planning to graduate early?"
Hyuga Neji spoke up.
In those Byakugan, there was a stubborn drive that refused to lose. "Yeah."
"To be honest, what the ninja academy can teach is only so much."
"In your clans, you should have come into contact with that stuff long ago, right?"
"So, graduate early and go make our way outside the village."
"Actually fighting for real is the fastest way to improve."
As Sasuke finished speaking, a sharp surge of chakra suddenly rose around him. "I mastered the Three Basic Techniques ages ago, and Kakashi-sensei even taught me a few other ninjutsu on top of that."
"But cultural studies..."
Naruto scratched his head, his expression a little embarrassed.
If he had to train himself half to death, that was no problem.
But if he had to bury himself in books half to death... that would be the end of him. "Cultural studies aren't a big problem, but if we graduate early, the jonin instructors will be the real ** pain."
"If this many people get released all at once, the higher-ups' arrangements for jonin instructors are probably going to run into trouble."
Shikamaru slowly picked up the thread, a hint of lazy thoughtfulness in his tone. "Kakashi-sensei said that as long as I graduate, he'll take me!" Naruto lifted