Graduation

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

Hyuga Satoru had become an upperclassman at the Ninja Academy. Through his daily training—and mutual competition—with Uchiha Rin, his strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

But half a year ago, he suddenly discovered that he could no longer gain experience points.

More precisely, the experience points for Electromagnetic Force were increasing as slowly as a crawling turtle, with barely any sign of growth.

Hyuga Satoru sighed. The monotonous routine day after day made it difficult for Electromagnetic Force to receive enough stimulation. If he wanted to level up, he had to change environments.

The pressure of the Third Shinobi World War was constantly bearing down on him.

Even with a powerful Golden Finger, it would be useless if he did not grow stronger quickly.

Ichiraku Ramen.

Through the white steam rising from the bowl, Uchiha Rin stared at Hyuga Satoru across from her with a trace of surprise.

"You want to graduate early?"

Hyuga Satoru nodded and said after a moment of thought.

"Yes. Although the Ninja Academy provides us with a comfortable environment for training, it's difficult to truly grow without being tempered by battle."

"It's hard to imagine those words coming from your mouth."

Uchiha Rin's expression turned suspicious as she looked Hyuga Satoru up and down.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Hyuga Satoru nervously leaned back. He had planned to invite Uchiha Rin to graduate early with him. Otherwise, even if he graduated, he could not take missions without teammates. He might as well idle away his days at the academy.

"No! Hahaha."

Uchiha Rin burst out laughing.

"I've been impatient for ages. I'm practically rusting away in this stupid school. Even if you hadn't brought it up, I would have."

"That's good." Hyuga Satoru breathed a sigh of relief.

Uchiha Rin thought for a moment. "But we're still missing one person. The two of us alone can't form a three-man squad."

"You don't need to worry about that. I also asked Anko. Her actual combat ability isn't very strong, but passing the assessment shouldn't be a problem."

"Anko? Since she's someone Wu approves of, I naturally have no objections."

Forming a team with someone familiar was naturally better than being paired with strangers.

Uchiha Rin nodded. Then she suddenly thought of Kakashi, and a rare trace of melancholy appeared on her face.

About a year ago, shocking news had suddenly spread throughout the Hidden Leaf Village: Kakashi's father, Hatake Sakumo, the respected White Fang, had abandoned a mission and caused the village enormous losses.

Not long afterward, another shocking piece of news arrived: White Fang had committed suicide.

All the previous rumors abruptly came to an end.

After that incident, Kakashi chose to graduate early, becoming the youngest Genin prodigy in Konoha's history.

But accompanying his reputation as a genius were rumors that he did not get along with his teammates.

Having graduated early, he had no teammates from the same class. He could only be repeatedly assigned to unfamiliar teams that lacked members. His poor coordination with his teammates had caused many Genin to harbor deep resentment toward him.

As her memories faded, Uchiha Rin smiled.

They said he was about to become a Chunin. Honestly, after letting him stay ahead for so long, it was finally time for me, Uchiha Rin, to put in some effort.

The news that the three of them intended to graduate early caused quite a stir, but it soon died down.

There was no need to mention Uchiha Rin. Before Kakashi graduated, she had always competed with him. Although Hyuga Satoru always seemed lazy, the title of Dual Bloodline Limit was there for all to see. As for Anko choosing to graduate early as well, many classmates mocked her for overestimating herself...

Assessment grounds.

Hyuga Satoru had just stepped outside when he saw Uchiha Rin standing at the door with her arms crossed. She said calmly, "In terms of speed in passing the assessment, I was three minutes faster than you."

Was that something worth competing over?

Hyuga Satoru's mouth twitched.

He turned back toward the examination room. Only Anko remained now. If she could pass, then they would not need to worry about forming a three-man squad.

There was no need to worry about the Three Body Technique and the basic theory examination. However, early graduation added a sparring round against a Genin. They had to hold out for a certain amount of time. It was naturally no problem for him and Uchiha Rin, but it was a great deal of pressure for Anko.

As time passed bit by bit in that atmosphere, Hyuga Satoru began to grow anxious.

He had his own reasons for insisting on teaming up with Anko. To break the Caged Bird Seal, aside from relying on his own strength, the greatest help he could seek was Orochimaru's research. In the original story, Anko was Orochimaru's disciple. Becoming teammates with her might give him a way to connect with Orochimaru.

Fortunately, Anko walked out of the examination room not long after. Sweat covered her face as she gave Hyuga Satoru a small smile.

"I did not disgrace the mission."

"Beautiful." Hyuga Satoru praised her and gave her a thumbs-up.

Since they were the only three in their class to graduate at the same time, being assigned to the same squad was inevitable. That left only one question: which Jonin would the acting Hokage assign to lead them?

Who would it be? Hyuga Satoru wondered curiously.

Arriving at a training ground at the designated time, the three of them began waiting for their mysterious Jonin instructor.

"Wu, what Jonin do you think the Hokage will assign to us?" Anko asked nervously.

"I don't know." Hyuga Satoru shook his head. "But they definitely won't be weak."

The quality of their squad was anything but low. There was no need to mention himself. Uchiha Rin was also a genius, while Anko had been chosen by Orochimaru as a disciple in the original story, so her talent could not be poor either.

If their instructor were not an outstanding Jonin, it simply would not make sense.

Just then, a man wrapped from head to toe in loose robes approached them. He wore sunglasses and radiated an aura that warned strangers to keep away.

"Hello. I am your Jonin instructor, Aburame Shibi."

His voice was brief and forceful, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"It's actually him." Uchiha Rin looked astonished.

"You know him?" Anko looked at her.

"Of course. I researched the powerful ninja in the village beforehand." Uchiha Rin's eyes lit up. "He's a rather famous ninja of the Aburame Clan. He has mastered Bug Ninjutsu to perfection. Whether in reconnaissance, combat, or support, he has no weaknesses. People call him an all-purpose ninja."

Bugs? Anko shuddered.

"It seems you have learned about me."

Aburame Shibi paused thoughtfully.

"Now, introduce yourselves. My name is Aburame Shibi. I like bugs, and I dislike creatures that eat bugs."

His entire body was full of bugs, and he seemed like the solitary sort as well. This Jonin instructor probably would not be easy to get along with, Hyuga Satoru thought to himself.

After thinking for a moment, he began his introduction.

"My name is Hyuga Satoru. There's nothing I'm particularly skilled at. If I had to say something, it would be that I know a little Taijutsu and ninjutsu. I like ramen and barbecue. As for my dream... well... world nuclear peace."

World peace? Just as expected of you, Wu.

Anko's mouth twitched slightly. I remember that when we first enrolled, you said something about reaching the grand finale!

"That is a very interesting idea."

Aburame Shibi nodded. Though it sounded like praise, his tone still carried a gloomy air.

So this was Hyuga Satoru, whom the Hokage had told me to keep an eye on?

A Dual Bloodline Limit, the first wielder of Magnet Release—neither title was simple. As a member of the Hyuga Branch Family, he actually had such lofty dreams. An interesting brat.

"My name is Uchiha Rin. There's nothing I particularly hate, nor is there anything I particularly like. If I had to say something, it would be training and fighting. Only gaining strength fills me with pleasure."

Uchiha Rin's indifferent voice rang out, leaving Hyuga Satoru and Anko beside her with awkward expressions.

Uchiha... truly a bunch of arrogant people.

The corner of Aburame Shibi's mouth twitched slightly beneath his loose robes.

Forget it. She was just a child.

"My name is Mitarashi Anko."

Anko timidly raised her hand, her voice soft and hesitant. Standing beside two geniuses from great clans put a great deal of pressure on her.

"I like sweets, especially Dango. What I hate most are people who hurt their companions. I know Healing Jutsu and Hemostasis Jutsu, and I'm also very good at bandaging wounds. When everyone gets hurt, I'll help treat you. I won't hold everyone back."

A very caring ninja, completely different from the two oddballs before her. Aburame Shibi nodded.

"Then the introductions are over. Next comes the combat test."

Aburame Shibi swept out his hand, and countless swarms of black insects flew toward them.