Chapter 11: Time Skip

Time flows like water, and the years pass swiftly.

Year after year, the chapters of life turn quickly.

Before they knew it, 60 years had passed in Konoha's history.

This year marks the graduation season for the new generation.

Sato stood before the school gates, which hadn't changed at all. It felt like only yesterday when he had enrolled six years ago.

"Sato, good morning!"

A girl's voice came from beside him. Sato didn't turn his head, but waited in place.

After a moment, Sato felt a gentle weight pressing down on his back from behind.

Witnessing this scene, many boys and girls their age were envious.

Men envied Sato, and women envied the girl.

To a passerby, a beautiful girl with a golden ponytail and a purple midriff-baring dress had thrown herself onto the young man from behind. She didn't seem ladylike at all. Her legs were wrapped around Sato's waist, and her hands clasped his neck as she greeted him with a bright smile.

The boy who was embraced by the girl didn't shake or try to remove her. Instead, he simply walked into the school with her.

After the girl voluntarily dismounted, bystanders noticed that Sato was about half a head taller than her, approximately 10 centimeters.

The girl stood around 1.5 meters tall, meaning Sato was at least 1.6 meters tall.

Being 1.6 meters tall at the age of twelve made him stand out among his sixth-grade peers.

From his height alone, the other students recognized Sato's identity.

He was the top student for six consecutive years.

And the blonde girl was, of course, Ino.

Over the years, Sato had changed quite a bit.

He often ventured into the wilderness to hunt wild animals, causing his physical and mental energy to soar each year, making him more than ten times stronger than his peers.

With adequate sleep and nutrition, Sato started to grow taller than his classmates bit by bit since the fourth grade.

At only twelve years old, he now stood at 1.63 meters tall.

What did this mean?

Ino, at sixteen or seventeen years old during Shippuden and the Fourth Ninja World War, was only 1.62 meters tall.

In other words, Sato's current height was one centimeter taller than Shippuden's Ino.

If it weren't for the fact that his face still looked a bit young and hadn't fully matured, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Sato was already sixteen or seventeen years old.

If Sato continues to grow at this rate, he might become a towering figure like Jiraiya when he reaches adulthood.

Jiraiya's height was 1.91 meters, which was quite rare in the world of ninjas.

"Hinata, good morning."

Upon entering the classroom, Hinata was already seated.

"Good morning, Sato, Ino."

Hinata glanced up at them, then lowered her head and responded softly.

Six years later, Hinata still remained shy.

But she had grown up a bit, and at least she no longer added the honorific "kun" after Sato's name.

As they sat down and chatted, Shikamaru and Chōji entered the classroom.

"Today is the graduation assessment. I wonder how the school will divide the classes tomorrow."

As soon as he sat down, Chōji ripped open a bag of potato chips, eating and talking.

"Ugh…"

Shikamaru propped his chin with one hand, still looking as if he hadn't woken up, yawned and said, "If nothing else, Ino, you and I will be on the same team. After all, our fathers' 'Ino-Shika-Chō' is quite famous."

Hearing this, Ino asked, "Can I apply to be on the same team as Sato?"

"Unlikely. If you could, who wouldn't want to be on the same team as Sato and Sasuke?" Shikamaru replied, brutally honest.

"Ugh, so annoying!"

Ino gritted her teeth.

Sato looked at Nara Shikamaru with interest and asked, "So, Shikamaru, can you guess who will be on my team?"

"Heh… I've speculated, and I've come up with three possibilities."

Nara Shikamaru finally became interested, raising three fingers near the corner of his mouth and saying, "First, you might be on a team with Inuzuka and Shino. Second, you might be with Inuzuka and Hinata. Third, you might be with Shino and Hinata."

"Why?" Ino asked.

Hinata's eyes sparkled when she heard she might be on the same team as Sato, and she couldn't help but listen carefully.

Shikamaru explained, "In the first case, Inuzuka and Shino are both from strong clans with unique abilities. If you're on the same team, it will be a well-rounded combination. In the second case, Hinata is the heir of the Hyūga clan, and Inuzuka is a strong combatant. It will still be a balanced team. In the third case, Shino and Hinata are both considered geniuses in their respective clans, which complements your abilities."

"Then, what about the team with Sasuke?" Ino asked again.

Shikamaru thought for a moment and said, "Sasuke's team has two possibilities. The first one is with Sakura and Ino. The second one is with Sakura and Hinata."

Ino clenched her fists and said, "If I'm paired with Sasuke, I'll follow Sato's advice and drop out of the team."

Hearing this, Sato smiled, "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be with Shikamaru and Chōji."

"Really?" Ino looked at Sato with bright eyes.

Sato nodded, "Yes, I'm sure."

With Sato's affirmation, Ino's anxiety was somewhat alleviated.

As they continued to chat, the bell rang, signaling the start of the graduation assessment.

Their homeroom teacher, Iruka, walked into the classroom and began to explain the assessment rules.

The assessment was divided into three parts: a written test, a physical fitness test, and a ninjutsu test.

The written test was about the basic knowledge of ninjutsu, the physical fitness test was about endurance, and the ninjutsu test was about the mastery of basic ninjutsu techniques.

The written test was easy for everyone, especially for Sato, who had a perfect score.

The physical fitness test was a breeze for Sato as well. His strength and endurance were far beyond his peers.

Finally, the ninjutsu test came.

The basic ninjutsu techniques included the Transformation Technique, the Clone Technique, and the Body Replacement Technique.

While many students were struggling with these techniques, Sato completed them flawlessly.

In the end, Sato and Sasuke both ranked top in their class, followed by Hinata, Shino, and other talented students.

After the assessment, the students couldn't help but discuss the new teams.

However, they had to wait until the next day for the official announcement.

The following day, Iruka announced the teams.

As Sato had predicted, Ino was paired with Shikamaru and Chōji, forming the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō team.

Sasuke was paired with Sakura and Naruto.

As for Sato, he was teamed up with Hinata and Shino, just as Shikamaru had speculated.

With the teams formed, they were assigned their new senseis, and the new generation of Konoha's ninjas began their journey, facing challenges and growing stronger together.