Nothing particularly important happened that year. If I had to say something, it was that because I kept pushing Kakashi, he did not graduate on schedule. Naturally, he also did not become the youngest Chunin like he did in the original story.
This also meant that Might Guy, who should have graduated that year to chase after Kakashi, chose not to graduate either. Instead, he stayed in school and continued training alongside us.
The Third Shinobi World War had not yet begun. Everything was still in its dormant stage. Naturally, the village would not force students to graduate early.
But things were different behind the scenes. Different Jonin instructors and Academy teachers often came to give us psychological preparation.
Between the lines, they were all trying to get us to leave school early and start taking missions.
The reason was simple. The village was short on manpower and could not let us comfortably remain in school until we turned twelve.
That year passed quickly, and my Battle Aura grew considerably. Although there were still no signs of Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki, my Observation Haki had improved quite a bit as well.
As for swordsmanship, I was currently training in all three styles at once, and all of them were at critical points of breakthrough.
Battles between ninjas had to be fast, precise, and ruthless, so Sword God Style was absolutely my main combat method.
Powerful long-range ninjutsu also had to be guarded against. Water God Style, which excelled at parrying and counterattacking, could pull off moves that would make people's jaws drop.
There was no ruling out the possibility of running into a troublesome opponent. If Sword God Style could not break the deadlock, then North God Style—with its endless unorthodox tricks, complete disregard for fair play, and tremendous strength—would be the means to break through.
For example, using marbles to pin down the Twin Kings.
Training in all three styles at once was somewhat difficult, but with Hill's help, everything progressed fairly smoothly.
I had also tried to guide Kakashi in practicing these sword arts, but he did not seem to have much talent in that area.
After all, he was a ninja. It was perfectly normal for him not to be suited to this kind of frontal swordsmanship.
When I turned seven, it was Konoha's forty-fifth year. This was the year Hatake Sakumo, condemned by countless people, committed suicide.
At the same time, it was also the graduation year for most of our classmates.
"Kakashi Hatake, and Qingyue, both of you come to my office."
After class, the teacher called Kakashi and me into his office alone for a talk. I could figure out with my toes that he probably wanted to persuade us to graduate.
Obito and Rin's grades had not reached the passing line yet, so the teacher had not called them. From my perspective, I also hoped they could remain in school for a few more years.
"Ahem. How should I put this? Qingyue, you are first in the grade. Your overall ability has long surpassed that of ordinary Genin. Kakashi, you are a genius second only to Qingyue, and you have long possessed the strength of a Genin. You both know the village is severely short on manpower right now. It needs inheritors of the Will of Fire like you to step forward... Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns on. It is time for the young sparks to reveal themselves."
This teacher... he had really been brainwashed badly by the Third Hokage. He had quite the spiel. In my previous life, he could practically have been an "expert."
"Teacher, perhaps my learning ability is sufficient, but I am not personally prepared to graduate yet. Life outside is too cruel. I still need a few more years of experience at school."
Seeing me say that, the teacher turned to Kakashi.
"Until I defeat this guy, I will not graduate. If I cannot even defeat him, then I cannot become a good ninja."
The teacher was probably having a mental breakdown right then. The two of us were like kicking a ball back and forth. As long as I did not graduate, Kakashi had something to say, while I could come up with two thousand completely different excuses.
After all, I had been a qualified corporate drone. If I did not even have this kind of verbal skill, there would have been no way to survive in the brutal workplace of society.
"I mean, you two are first and second in the grade. If neither of you chooses to graduate, the other students will follow you and stay in school as well. The village is truly short on manpower now. Our respected and beloved Third Hokage has even started losing hair recently!"
Playing the emotional card? Interesting.
It was already good enough that the old Third Hokage was not smoking his pipe and using his crystal ball to watch Danzo bathe... No, to watch beautiful women bathe.
"As Konoha ninjas, naturally we must share the Third Hokage's burdens. He is the strongest Third Hokage, the one who created such a livable environment for us and shielded us from every danger!"
Hearing that, the teacher nodded in satisfaction. Hmph, go ahead and nod. Just wait.
"But teacher, sob... It is not that I am unwilling to graduate, sob. It is just that, as you know, both my parents are ninjas. They are always in danger, so they hope I can have a happy, carefree school life.
You know, teacher, filial piety is always the most important thing, so I cannot go against them! I also know that wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns on. But the parents who first sheltered me as I grew up hope I can grow up in a quiet and peaceful environment. As their only son, I cannot go against their wishes. That would violate filial duty.
Of all virtues, filial piety comes first. A person should place filial piety above all else before they can hold the greater good in their heart. Only with a small family can there be a nation. If I cannot even follow my parents' wishes and set their minds at ease, then I definitely cannot protect Konoha either. Don't you agree, teacher?"
The teacher narrowed his eyes and forced a smile, his lips twitching.
Good grief, you old thief. Was this really the level of the higher-ups in the ninja world? If he had been a leader from my previous life, he would have already fed me a round of PUA and empty promises to coax me into doing it.
"Qingyue... Then what about you, Kakashi?"
"I think Qingyue is right. Since he has chosen to continue building himself up at school, I will stay with him as well, until I defeat him."
In the end, the teacher still failed to persuade us to graduate and could only give up helplessly.
"Why are you so unwilling to graduate?"
"Aren't you the same?"
"Isn't it because you still have not graduated, giving me a chance to defeat you? Once you graduate, there will be no chance."
"You are that determined to defeat me? How badly do you want to be the top student?"
"It has nothing to do with something like that. I just want to see how much potential I really have."
In the original story, Kakashi had always been a proud genius. He had grown up surrounded by praise, and his father was Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's White Fang, whose fame eclipsed even that of the Legendary Sannin.
At this time, the Legendary Sannin could only measure up to Demigod Hanzō together.
Yet Hatake Sakumo possessed a title that eclipsed the Legendary Sannin.
Even saying that Hatake Sakumo could exchange blows with Hanzō would not have been hard to accept.
But now that I had been suppressing Kakashi, the pride in his heart naturally was not as great.
"So why have you always been unwilling to graduate? A genius like you could probably become a Chunin already, right?"
"Kakashi, I suspect you might be a little stupid..."
"Huh?"
"You have such comfortable days, yet you insist on graduating early. Your family is not struggling, and you do not need to graduate early to earn money and support them. Could it be that you want to become Hokage?"
"I am not brainless like Obito. How could becoming Hokage be so easy? Besides, I am not interested in that stuff."
"That does fit your personality. Then what are you so eager to graduate for?"
"I..."
After holding it in for ages, Kakashi still could not come up with anything. Ah, sure enough, he had simply felt that everyone around him could not keep up with him, and he was bored, so he had chosen to graduate.
Now that I had been keeping him down, he was no longer in such a hurry.
"Anyway, that is how I see it. It is fine to take things slowly. This world is too dangerous. It is better to honestly spend more time growing stronger."
"Growing?"
"It means maturing."
Before you continue