"Itō, when will you take your graduation exam?"
Standing nearby, Rin Nohara looked at Kōki curiously.
"Unless something unexpected happens, tomorrow or the day after. I already asked Teacher Inoue to report my graduation application to Lord Hokage today, so I should hear back before the day is over, Senior Rin."
"Huh? You know me, Itō?"
Rin Nohara was a little surprised. This was their first meeting, yet he already knew her name. Wasn't that strange?
Heh, can I say I knew you through a screen in my previous life?
That was what Kōki thought, but aloud, he said, "Because I heard Senior Obito call you that. Besides, that strange smile on his face when he talked about you was hard to forget."
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting? What do you mean, a strange smile?"
Hearing Kōki's infuriating words, Obito flew into a rage, flailing his arms and legs, itching to fight another three hundred rounds with him.
"Obito, Kōki was only joking."
Seeing that Obito was about to charge over and fight Kōki, Rin Nohara quickly grabbed him. "Obito, you're his senior. You need to set a good example for your junior."
Looking at Rin as she lectured him, Obito could only say helplessly, "Fine, fine. Brat, I'm generous enough to let this slide."
Meanwhile, Naoya Inoue had finished writing the graduation application and arrived at the Hokage's office. Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, he immediately said, "Lord Hokage, I have something to report."
"Naoya, has something happened at the academy?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked puzzled when he saw Naoya. Today was the Ninja Academy's first day of school. There shouldn't have been any problems.
Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, Naoya Inoue knew he had misunderstood and hurriedly said, "A student at the Ninja Academy wants to graduate early."
At Naoya Inoue's words, Sarutobi's puzzled expression turned to delight. He smiled at Inoue with gratification. "Has another genius capable of graduating early appeared at the academy? That's a good thing."
"It's just... this student is a new enrollee who only started today."
"A new enrollee who only started today?" Which family does this genius belong to? I haven't received any word of such a young genius in the village. Or has some clan been keeping the news hidden? Sarutobi felt somewhat puzzled.
"So, which clan does this talented new student belong to? The Uchiha Clan or the Hyuga Clan?"
Sarutobi knew very well that if there truly was such a gifted child, they were almost certainly either an Uchiha or a Hyūga. Only those two clans could produce such a genius; the other shinobi clans fell short.
"Neither, Lord Hokage. The student applying to graduate early this time is just a civilian."
Sarutobi was astonished to hear that it was a civilian. The last genius to emerge from among civilians had been Minato Namikaze, more than ten years ago. He hadn't expected another civilian genius to appear now.
"Who is he?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked hurriedly.
"His name is Kōki Itō."
"What?"
Naoya Inoue's answer left Sarutobi stunned. He had never expected it to be Kōki Itō. After all, Hiruzen Sarutobi had never considered Kōki an ordinary person. Could someone who had inherited the First Hokage's bloodline still count as ordinary?
That was why Sarutobi hadn't made the connection when Naoya Inoue first mentioned a civilian. He had only felt surprised. Yet it had turned out to be Kōki Itō.
Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't expected Kōki to suddenly pull something like this.
More importantly, the Shinobi World War had already broken out. Such a dangerous situation made him even more reluctant to let Kōki graduate early.
This was the only successful subject of the Wood Release experiments since Konoha's founding (PS: at this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi still didn't know that Danzo already had Yamato).
He was also someone who had fully inherited the First Hokage's power. Konoha couldn't afford to lose him. At that thought, Sarutobi's expression immediately changed, and he said sternly:
"Nonsense! How can a student who has only just entered the Ninja Academy apply to graduate? Besides, I don't believe his abilities have reached the standard required for graduation. I reject this application."
"But, Lord Hokage, Kōki Itō defeated a student who is due to graduate this year, and he is extremely determined. He also publicly announced that he would graduate early. If we refuse without a suitable reason, it will dampen his enthusiasm and might even hurt his feelings."
Inoue was in a difficult position too. He didn't want such a gifted child to step onto the battlefield so early either.
"However, I think that if Kōki Itō fails the graduation exam, he should give up on graduating early."
After hearing Naoya Inoue's analysis, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt it made sense. He had always thought Kōki was quite mature, but he had still overlooked the fact that he was a child. A child's mind could be strong, but it could also be fragile. Perhaps one small incident would stay with him for the rest of his life.
Besides, Naoya Inoue's latter suggestion was also an option.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also thought of restricting Kōki to ordinary Taijutsu and Ninjutsu during the exam. With Kōki's current strength, passing wouldn't be so easy.
At the same time, to leave Kōki with nothing to say, the person testing him couldn't be too old. That way, Kōki would have no complaints if he lost and could only stay at the academy obediently.
"Good, then that's what we'll do. I'll arrange for a ninja to test him tomorrow. I won't let him pass."
Hiruzen Sarutobi had already decided who would test Kōki tomorrow: Kakashi Hatake, the only son of Konoha's White Fang. At just eleven years old, he already had strength approaching that of a Jonin. He was also skilled in Ninjutsu and had inherited White Fang's fierce swordsmanship.
He also happened to be Kōki's senior and was just the right person to counter Kōki when he couldn't use Wood Release. That way, Kōki would have nothing to say if he lost.
Before the exam, however, he still wanted to see Kōki again and find out whether he could talk him out of it.
That evening, Hiruzen Sarutobi came to Kōki's home and looked at the boy before him. He was deeply puzzled and couldn't understand why Kōki was unwilling to stay at the Ninja Academy.
"Kōki, why do you want to graduate? The situation between Konoha and Sunagakure is bad. Graduating now means you might have to step onto the battlefield. The dangers of the battlefield aren't something a child like you can bear."
"Lord Hokage, my reason for wanting to graduate is simple. The village's Genin and Chunin are all fighting on the battlefield to protect Konoha, while I, with strength approaching that of a Jonin, hide under their protection."
"I can't bear to watch them sacrifice themselves."
"Besides, since I inherited the First Hokage's Wood Release, I should also inherit his will and fight to protect the village."
"Restoring Konoha's glory is our bounden duty."
Kōki's words struck Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart like a falling meteor. He hadn't expected someone as young as Kōki to possess such profound resolve.
It was as though he could see the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, in Kōki.
"I understand your resolve. I won't stop you anymore."
"I can arrange for someone to test you."
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath and spoke slowly. In his heart, however, he thought differently.
I'm sorry, Kōki. You're one of the village's young seedlings, the true inheritor of the Will of Fire. I won't let you pass so easily, even if you hate me for it later.
At that moment, Hi Sarutobi's mind was filled with Kōki's words, and he failed to notice Kōki secretly breathing a sigh of relief beside him.
Finally managed to bluff my way through.
For Kōki, what he had just said was partly true and partly false. On the whole, it was mostly for himself. He wasn't so noble that he would devote himself to others; he simply believed that graduating would be better for his growth.