Zhou Cheng looked at Haku with delight. Had he awakened his kekkei genkai-Ice Release?
This was fantastic. His strength had taken a huge leap forward.
Zhou Cheng moved a little closer to Haku and asked quietly:
"How does it feel?"
Haku answered just as quietly:
"It feels like I can create ice and snow out of thin air!"
He felt that he had finally become useful and could help Zhou Cheng get things done.
For some reason, hearing Haku say that immediately brought Frozen to Zhou Cheng's mind, followed by the image of a princess singing and dancing as she created an Ice Castle.
Uh, that actually seemed possible!
With magic, the more imaginative you were, the stronger you became. Wasn't ninjutsu the same?
Zhou Cheng gently stroked Haku's head and quietly told him to keep it secret:
"Don't tell anyone. Revealing it now will only bring us more trouble!"
It wouldn't just bring trouble. It could get them killed.
An outsider had awakened a kekkei genkai.
The village might devote resources to training him, but far more people would be jealous.
Jealousy was a terrifying negative emotion. It could rob people of their reason.
When that happened, Haku would be in danger.
Haku obediently nodded. To him, Zhou Cheng's words were law.
Then they sat down together and finished their ramen.
Just as they were about to leave, someone knocked on their courtyard gate.
Then Naruto's voice rang out:
"Zhou Cheng, Haku, open up!"
"Let me introduce you to my little sidekick!"
Zhou Cheng raised an eyebrow. Naruto's sidekick?
It had to be Konohamaru!
His eyes narrowed slightly. Naruto has met Konohamaru. That means the story has begun!
While Zhou Cheng was thinking, Haku had already gone to open the gate.
Blond-haired, blue-eyed Naruto walked in first, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
A short boy followed him, wearing goggles on his head, with snot dangling from his nose.
Zhou Cheng wore an unsurprised expression. It really was Konohamaru.
Naruto walked up to Zhou Cheng and proudly pointed his thumb at Konohamaru:
"Zhou Cheng, Haku, this is my new sidekick, Konohamaru!"
"Hehe, now I've got a sidekick of my own!"
Zhou Cheng took a close look at Konohamaru, who was still just a little brat. It was hard to imagine that this snot-nosed kid would one day become a powerful shinobi.
Konohamaru looked full of himself as he shouted:
"I'm Konohamaru, the man who'll become Hokage!"
He thought the two older boys before him were both really handsome, but he didn't know whether they were strong.
Naruto immediately took issue with that and gave Konohamaru a disgruntled look:
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm the one who's going to become Hokage!"
"You've got a long way to go, Konohamaru!"
Konohamaru was about to argue, but Zhou Cheng cut him off. He didn't want to stand there watching the two of them waste time:
"Stop. No more arguing!"
"Haku and I have things to do. We're not sticking around to watch you bicker!"
Naruto naturally knew that Zhou Cheng and Haku were about to run a lap around the village. He had no desire to join them. The village was so big that a single lap could kill him.
Konohamaru, however, was very curious about what Naruto's friends were going to do so early:
"What are you going to do this early in the morning?"
Naruto jumped in to answer, his face full of distaste:
"They're going to run a lap around the village. They do it every day to work out!"
A whole lap! That really could kill someone!
Konohamaru was utterly dumbfounded. He even forgot to sniff back the snot dripping into his mouth. A lap around the village?
He wondered whether he had misheard. The village was so big that running around it could exhaust someone to death.
And they did it every day. These two were lunatics!
"Zhou Cheng... Zhou Cheng! So you're Zhou Cheng!"
"Wow, you're really amazing! You beat Neji Hyuga!"
"You're way stronger than Naruto!"
Only then did Konohamaru remember who Zhou Cheng was, and he immediately looked at him with admiration.
Hearing Konohamaru say that, Naruto instantly grew disgruntled:
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm still right here!"
He admitted that he was weaker than Zhou Cheng, but there was no need to say it right in front of him!
Then Zhou Cheng took Haku with him and left. He felt that if they stayed any longer, they could forget about running their lap today.
An hour later, they finished their run.
They went home, showered, changed clothes, and headed out toward the Ninja Academy.
The reason Zhou Cheng hadn't sent a Shadow Clone to class today was that he wanted to check on his application for early graduation!
If it had been approved, he could go ask Kakashi to take him on as a disciple!
Then he could take missions and leave the village!
He would no longer have to endure that old fox's surveillance.
Soon, they arrived at school.
Unlike the rejection he had faced before, quite a few people now took the initiative to greet him as he walked through the school!
Among them were several clan children, all rather mediocre. Perhaps they were hoping to make a connection with him!
Zhou Cheng nodded politely to all of them. Basic courtesy was still necessary. Courtesy before force, after all!
They soon reached the classroom. As soon as they entered, their classmates greeted them warmly, no longer treating him as a joke or acting as if he didn't exist!
The Konoha 12 in particular had all developed some degree of goodwill toward Zhou Cheng after last night's dinner, and they greeted him with smiles.
Only Sasuke gave him a vicious glare before returning to his cool pose, resting his chin on one hand as he looked out the window.
Sakura, beside Sasuke, stared fixedly at him!
Naruto, however, didn't seem to have arrived yet.
Finally, Zhou Cheng gave Hinata and Ino a gentle smile, making both girls blush.
Then he returned to his seat and sat down, quietly waiting for class to begin.
Ino secretly squeezed her way over and sat on Zhou Cheng's other side, propping her chin on one hand as she gazed at him with a lovestruck expression.
She screamed inwardly, Ah, he's so handsome!
I could look at him for a lifetime and never get enough!
Just then, Naruto hurried into the classroom.
Many people looked at him with disgust. Aside from Shikamaru and Choji greeting him, Zhou Cheng also gave him a smile.
As for Hinata, she didn't dare!
Faced with this reaction, Naruto looked a little dejected.
He had always worked hard to earn everyone's acknowledgment, but things had never gotten any better.
Even when he was with Zhou Cheng, people only greeted him as an afterthought.
He roared inwardly, What do I have to do to get everyone to acknowledge me?
Soon, Iruka walked in carrying a few things. He stepped up to the front of the classroom and set them on the desk.
He cleared his throat, drawing the whole class's attention.
"I have an announcement to make today!"
The moment he said that, the Konoha 12 all whipped their heads around to look at him, their eyes filled with mixed emotions.
"Yesterday, our classmate Zhou Cheng submitted an application for early graduation."
"The school has approved his application!"
A modest round of applause rose in the classroom. Many people didn't think much of it.
Students applied for early graduation every year, but it had been many years since anyone had passed the early graduation exam!
Iruka glanced at Zhou Cheng with approval in his eyes, then swept his gaze across the classroom and raised his voice:
"The school has already forwarded his application to Lord Hokage!"
"Lord Hokage has given special approval for Zhou Cheng to graduate without taking the exam!"
An uproar erupted!
The entire class burst into a commotion at those words!
He had actually been approved!
And Lord Hokage had even given him special permission to skip the graduation exam!
Still, considering the strength Zhou Cheng had displayed in yesterday's match, he would have had absolutely no trouble passing the graduation exam!
What surprised them was that Lord Hokage had granted Zhou Cheng special approval.
Could it be that, in Lord Hokage's eyes, Zhou Cheng was already a genin?