Graduating Early?

Higashikawa Haruto stood nervously at the entrance to the Hokage's office, his heart pounding as if it were about to leap out of his throat. This was his first time stepping into the imposing Hokage building!

He tried to take deep breaths to calm himself down, but his heart pounded even harder. Finally, he took a deep breath, trying his best to soothe the turmoil in his heart, and then reached out with trembling hands to slowly push open the heavy door.

Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was solemn and dignified. Higashikawa Haruto's gaze pierced through the quiet space and immediately caught sight of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting in his chair.

Compared to three years ago, the Third Hokage hasn't changed much. He still has that kind and approachable demeanor, with a gentle smile on his face that makes people feel warm and friendly.

However, the imposing presence he exuded commanded respect and prevented anyone from taking him lightly.

Higashikawa Haruto lowered his head slightly, not daring to look the Third Hokage in the eye. He clenched his fists tightly, and sweat was seeping from his palms.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the nervous young man before him and smiled gently, "Don't be nervous."

Higashikawa Haruto nodded slightly and replied softly, "Yes!" His voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he had not yet fully recovered from the tension.

You called me here today because you need something, right?

"Yes, Lord Hokage, I have something to report to you today," Higashikawa Haruto replied, mustering his courage.

The Third Hokage nodded in understanding, then asked, "What is it?"

Higashikawa Haruto paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before continuing, "Regarding Uchiha Kōki of the Uchiha Clan..."

The Third Hokage frowned slightly upon hearing the surname Uchiha, but did not interrupt Higashikawa Haruto.

"Uchiha Kōki has already mastered the Three Basic Techniques and can even use advanced Ninjutsu. He is also excellent in other aspects. There is no point in continuing to keep him in the Ninja Academy," said Higashikawa Haruto, expressing his opinion.

Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage gently pulled down the brim of his hat. In silence, he took a puff of his cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, his eyes appeared even more unfathomable.

"Oh? He's a genius?" the Third Hokage murmured to himself.

Higashikawa Haruto nodded vigorously, his tone full of admiration. "Exactly! I have never seen such a gifted student."

He was deeply impressed by Koki's talent and believed that this student would definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future.

The Third Hokage remained silent for a long time. "So, graduating early was indeed for his future..."

Higashikawa Haruto was secretly delighted and quickly replied respectfully, "Yes."

The Third Hokage remarked with admiration, "The Uchiha Clan truly is brimming with talent!"

He couldn't help but recall the past; Shisui Uchiha's teacher had once asked him to allow Shisui to graduate early.

However, he refused the request at the time because of his doubts about the Uchiha Clan and his concerns about the potential threat Shisui might pose.

Now, another genius from the Uchiha Clan has appeared before us, and he is none other than Uchiha Fugaku's son.

After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, "I understand. I can graduate early, but I need to pass the assessment first."

"An assessment?" Higashikawa Haruto asked, looking puzzled.

The Third Hokage nodded slightly and explained, "After all, graduating early is not a simple matter. We must ensure that this child possesses sufficient strength and mental fortitude. Therefore, I will arrange a special exam, and only students who pass this exam will be eligible to graduate early."

In reality, Hiruzen Sarutobi only wanted to take this opportunity to test the true strength of the two children, but on the surface, he appeared worried, as if he was genuinely concerned that they would not pass the test.

Higashikawa Haruto, however, mistakenly believed he had grasped the Third Hokage's true intentions. He respectfully replied, "The Lord Hokage is wise; I firmly believe that Koki will pass smoothly."

The Third Hokage nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face, and said softly, "I hope so. Alright, you can go back now."

On Monday morning, the bright sunlight shone softly through the thin curtains onto Koki's face. He lazily crawled out of his warm bed and let out a long sigh.

"Sigh, another day I have to get up early for school," he muttered, rubbing his still sleepy eyes.

Shisui, watching from the side, couldn't help but laugh, "Have you forgotten that we have important things to do today?"

"That's right!" Koki suddenly remembered that she was going to apply for early graduation today, and her mood instantly became exceptionally cheerful.

Koki walked briskly through the bustling streets toward the Ninja Academy. However, as he approached the school gate, an unexpected sight appeared before him—Teacher Higashikawa was standing at the entrance.

"Wow, Professor Higashikawa isn't late! That's so rare!" Koki thought to herself in amazement.

Just as he was thinking, Mr. Higashikawa suddenly turned his gaze to him and waved to him.

"Koki, Shisui, you two come here for a moment and come to my office."

Upon entering the office, Koki noticed a joyful smile on Professor Higashikawa's face, which made him increasingly suspicious.

"Koki, Shisui, I have some good news for you two," Mr. Higashikawa said excitedly, "You two can graduate early!"

"Graduating early?" Koki asked incredulously, her eyes wide.

He hasn't even applied yet! And he can already graduate?

This unexpected surprise left him bewildered, and he even began to doubt whether he had misheard.

"That's right, I made a special trip to visit the Lord Hokage yesterday, Lord Hokage has agreed to my proposal."

"However, things aren't that simple. You need to pass an exam, and only if you pass it can you graduate early; otherwise, you must stay at school for at least this year."

Lord Hokage? Exams? Koki was stunned for a moment. What was this old geezer up to now? He remembered that when Itachi graduated early, there weren't any of these messy exams.

"You two go home and discuss this carefully before giving me an answer. After all, this is not a trivial matter," Teacher Higashikawa said seriously.

To be honest, he didn't fully understand the Lord Hokage's deeper meaning. In his eyes, Koki didn't need to undergo any "tests" at all.

However, since the Lord Hokage had already given instructions, he had no room for comment.

Koki and Shisui exchanged a glance, Shisui smiled, as if Koki in charge of everything.

"No need to discuss it, teacher, we agree!" Koki said eagerly.

Now that things have come to this, how can we back down?

Mom finally agreed! Besides, he had originally planned to apply for early graduation anyway.

More importantly, that damned curiosity started acting up again, and he was eager to find out what Hiruzen Sarutobi was up to.

An assessment? What kind of assessment could possibly stop him and Shisui from moving forward? Koki was full of confidence.

Higashikawa Haruto looked at Koki, who was practically jumping for joy, and Shisui, who remained calm, and a slight smile played on his lips as he slowly said, "Alright, I understand your decision. Now, please prepare thoroughly for the assessment in three days. We'll meet at Training Ground 8 Eight at nine o'clock in the morning. Don't be late!"

He paused briefly, then continued, "That's all. You don't need to come to school for the next few days; just focus on preparing for your exams."

"Yay!" Koki was so happy she almost jumped for joy. Finally, she didn't have to go to school anymore!

Shisui, who was standing nearby, quickly reached out and pulled him back, like a concerned parent, and said softly, "Thank you first, teacher."

Koki quickly added, "Teacher, thank you for your guidance and support! I will continue to work hard!"

Then, he and Shisui held hands, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance.

Higashikawa Haruto watched their departing figures, his heart filled with countless emotions. How enviable was the deep brotherhood between these two genius young men from the Uchiha Clan!

He wondered what a glorious future awaited Koki. He believed that with Koki's talent and ability, she would surely achieve extraordinary success.

Although he felt that his Koki Koki limited as her teacher, he was genuinely happy for Koki achievements.

He could even imagine how he would tell this story to future generations in the days to come.

"May you have a safe journey and succeed!" Higashikawa Haruto silently prayed for them in his heart.

Meanwhile, Shisui's teacher stood not far away, watching their departing figures, and had some unique thoughts in his mind.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, silently thinking, "Finally, we're getting rid of this big shot!"