There Is a Very Special Student! [Please Bookmark and Send Flowers]

As his training intensified, it would cause quite a bit of damage to his body, requiring treatment at the hospital. That would cost even more money.

He did not want to attract too much attention, yet he did not want to seem utterly ordinary either. That was Hikaru's original intention.

If he had not wanted to hide it, there would have been no need to apply for early graduation. He could have simply walked around with his Sharingan activated.

He did not want to stand out too much, but he did not want to be too ordinary either. It was not easy to strike that balance. Applying for early graduation would definitely draw attention, but it could also bring unexpected benefits.

"Why?!"

The smile on the teacher's face instantly froze. Hikaru had changed greatly and learned to work hard, which naturally made him happy as a teacher. But this child had only just begun working hard and already wanted to soar, applying for early graduation. Like a fledgling trying to fly before its feathers had fully grown, wasn't that just courting death?!

"Because I don't have money. Only after graduating can I take missions and earn money."

"Huh?!"

The teacher was completely dumbfounded. He never would have imagined that a five-year-old brat would use him as a weapon. He immediately grew anxious, shaking his head as he firmly refused:

"No!!! I won't agree. You're only five years old—you can't apply for early graduation!!!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the teacher rejected him. He was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Hikaru shrugged and fell silent. He had indeed used his teacher as a weapon, and for that, Hikaru could only apologize to him in his heart.

Fortunately, it was only a small bit of exploitation. He was not going to frame his teacher or anything. Hikaru was not so heartless that he would stoop to something as shameless as framing a teacher who treated him well.

Perhaps to show his determination, the teacher got up and left, not giving Hikaru a chance to say more. Little did he know that Hikaru had no intention of continuing anyway.

He could not delay any longer. After school, he would immediately go to the Hokage Office Building to see the Hokage Lord.

In the teacher's eyes, as long as Hikaru worked hard, he would surely grow into an extraordinary ninja.

But applying for early graduation would not benefit Hikaru in the slightest. The teacher did not want to see a hardworking child ruined by something like this.

Most frustratingly, as a teacher, he could object but could not stop it. As long as Hikaru submitted an application, it had to be sent to the Hokage's Office. Whether it would be approved depended on the Third Hokage.

If the Third Hokage disagreed, the application would naturally be returned. If he agreed, he only needed to stamp it, and someone would then come to assess him.

"Ah!!!"

Jiraiya's cry drew everyone's attention. With a blade of grass between his lips, Hikaru lay on the lawn, a faint smile curling his mouth. He had long expected this outcome—Jiraiya had gone down.

For now, he could only pray that Tsunade would show some consideration for their teacher and go a little easier on him. It was strange—when facing Tsunade, Jiraiya had no desire to resist at all. At this point, he was still a famous dead-last, his strength always just a little below Tsunade's and Orochimaru's.

But being a little weaker and having no desire to resist were two entirely different things.

Jiraiya ran around clutching his head, with Tsunade, her hair practically standing on end in fury, chasing after him. Perhaps Jiraiya's love for Tsunade had slowly accumulated bit by bit since childhood.

At first, even he had not realized it. By the time he discovered it, it was already too late.

The falling flower yearned for the flowing water, but the flowing water had no love for the falling flower. Such things happened time and again, and not many people ultimately became a couple.

But that was the original story. Now that Hikaru had appeared, would everything still unfold as it had in the original work?

That did not seem very likely.

"Hokage Lord!!!"

After school, the teacher immediately went to the Hokage Office Building to see the Third Hokage. Teachers at the Ninja Academy had the right to report directly to the Hokage.

Aside from the principal of the Ninja Academy, no one else was allowed to meddle in the Ninja Academy's affairs.

The Ninja Academy was one of the symbols of the Hokage's authority.

No one wanted to touch it, and it was also one of the places that could not be touched. Otherwise, it would be a provocation against the Hokage.

The Ninja Academy was tied to generations of Konoha's young ninja. If someone meddled with it, could the academy still continuously provide the village with a large number of fresh recruits in the future?

"Mm."

Although the Third Hokage was not yet as old as he would be in the future, his pipe was already constantly in his mouth. He had gradually developed the habit of smoking only after becoming the Third Hokage.

Suddenly becoming the Third Hokage while facing a great war, the pressure on him was imaginable. Common ways to relieve stress were smoking or drinking.

Nodding, the Third Hokage removed his pipe. His entire body was shrouded in bluish smoke as he asked, "What brings you to the Hokage's Office today?"

The teacher knelt on one knee and respectfully said, "Hokage Lord, there is a special student in my class. I believe he can be placed under key observation."

There were not many students in this batch being closely watched: Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. Of course, such observation was only conducted in secret; it did not mean immediate action.

It would continue until graduation, when the benefits of covert observation would become apparent.