Early Graduation

Time passes slowly, and the days turn into years in the blink of an eye.

Satoru has become a senior student at the shinobi academy, with just over a year left until graduation. The monotonous daily classes make him feel bored. If he only practices without experiencing real combat, he fears he'll be like a fragile flower in a greenhouse, unable to withstand hardships.

The weight of responsibilities and the pressure of the upcoming three battles keep chasing after him. Despite having a powerful "golden finger," he knows that he must grow stronger quickly.

At Ichiraku Ramen, Rin looks at Satoru with a hint of surprise rising through the white steam from her bowl.

"You want to graduate early?" she asks.

Satoru nods and explains, "Yes, even though the shinobi academy provides a comfortable environment for us to train, true growth is difficult without the baptism of battle."

Rin looks puzzled, remarking, "It's hard to imagine that you're saying such things."

"Why? Why are you looking at me like that?" Satoru anxiously retreats. He had planned to invite Rin to graduate early with him. Otherwise, even if he graduates, he won't be able to go on missions without teammates, so he might as well continue to hang out at the academy.

"No! Hahaha!" Rin bursts into laughter. "I've been eager for this too. I feel like I'm rusting away in this place. Even if you didn't bring it up, I would have suggested it."

"That's good." Satoru sighs with relief.

Rin pauses and says, "But we still need one more person. With just the two of us, we can't form a three-person team."

"Don't worry about that. I've already talked to Anko. Although her combat abilities aren't that strong, passing the assessment shouldn't be a problem for her."

"Mitarashi Anko? Since she's someone you approve of, then I have no objections."

Having familiar people on the team is undoubtedly better than having strangers.

Rin nods, suddenly thinking of Kakashi and showing a melancholic expression.

Ever since the incident with White Fang, Kakashi graduated early, becoming the first genius to become a genin at the age of five in Konoha's history. However, accompanying the title of a genius is occasional gossip about conflicts with his teammates.

Graduating early, Kakashi didn't have teammates from his batch to pair with, so he had to constantly join unfamiliar teams, leading to poor teamwork and resentment from many genin.

The memories fade away, and Rin smiles again.

"He's about to become a chunin. He's been catching up for so long. It's time for me, Rin, to catch up too."

...

The news of the three of them graduating early caused a stir, but it quickly settled down.

Rin and Kakashi have been competing against each other until Kakashi graduated. While Satoru often appears laid-back, his status as a dual kekkei genkai user is remarkable. As for Anko, she chose to graduate early and was ridiculed by many classmates for being overconfident.

The assessment field.

As soon as Satoru steps out of the door, he sees Rin standing outside, with her arms crossed, saying plainly, "If we're talking about who passed the assessment faster, I beat you by three minutes."

Do we really need to compare this, too?

Satoru twitches his mouth. He looks back at the assessment field; now, only Anko is left. If she passes, there won't be any worries about forming a three-person team.

He's not worried about the Transformation Jutsu and the basic theory assessment, but graduating early adds an additional combat segment against genin. They have to endure for a certain amount of time, which is not a problem for him and Rin, but it might be tough for Anko.

Time passes bit by bit, and Satoru starts to feel anxious. He has his reasons for wanting to team up with Anko. To break the cage, he needs not only his strength but also the research of Orochimaru. In the original story, Anko was Orochimaru's disciple, so being her teammate might lead to a connection with Orochimaru.

Luckily, Anko comes out of the assessment field soon, her face covered in sweat, and smiles faintly at Satoru.

"I didn't embarrass myself."

"Nicely done!" Satoru praises her, giving her a thumbs-up.

Since only the three of them graduated in their class, it's natural for them to be grouped together. The only question left is which jonin will be assigned to lead their team.

Who will it be? Satoru wonders curiously.

...

At the appointed time, Satoru and the others gather at a training ground, waiting for their mysterious jonin instructor.

"Satoru, what do you think the Hokage will assign as our jonin instructor?" Anko asks nervously.

"Not sure," Satoru shakes his head, "but their strength won't be weak, that's for sure."

Their team's potential is quite high. Satoru has his two kekkei genkai, Rin is a genius, and Anko was chosen as Orochimaru's disciple in the original story, so her talent can't be underestimated.

If they don't have an exceptional jonin instructor, it would be unacceptable.

At that moment, a man walks toward them, his body wrapped in a wide robe, wearing sunglasses, and exuding an aura of aloofness.

"Hello, I am your jonin instructor, Aburame Shibi."

His voice is concise and powerful, devoid of any emotional fluctuations.

"It's him," Rin says, looking surprised.

"Do you know him?" Anko said looking at her.

"Of course, I've learned about the powerful shinobis in the village in advance." Rin's eyes light up. "He is a renowned shinobi from the Aburame clan, a master of insect-based technique. He is versatile in both reconnaissance and combat and is hailed as an all-around shinobi."

Bugs? Anko shivered.

"It seems you know something about me. In that case, it will save us many unnecessary introductions." Shibi nods.

"Then let's get to know each other. I am Aburame Shibi, and I love bugs. I detest people who harm bugs."

His entire body is covered in bugs, and his personality seems to be that of a recluse. This jonin instructor might be difficult to get along with, Satoru thinks to himself.

After Shibi's introduction, Satoru goes next.

"I'm Hyuga Satoru. There's nothing particularly outstanding about me, but I have some skill in both taijutsu and ninjutsu. I enjoy eating ramen and grilled meat, and I dislike the chaotic shinobi world. As for my dream, it's quite simple: world peace."

"World peace? That's very interesting," Shibi remarks, with a touch of gloom in his tone.

So, this is the Satoru-sama that the Hokage wanted me to pay attention to? The dual kekkei genkai user, the first kekkei genkai user for Magnet Release, both extraordinary. As a branch member of the Hyuga clan, he still has such ambitious dreams. He's an interesting kid.

"I'm Uchiha Rin. There's nothing I particularly hate or like, but if I have to say, I enjoy training and combat. Only through improving my strength can I feel a sense of excitement. If you can achieve that, then I'll accept you as our jonin instructor."

Rin's indifferent voice echoes. Satoru and Anko look awkward beside her.

The Uchiha are a group of arrogant people.

The corners of Shibi's mouth twitch slightly, but he lets it go. After all, he's just a little kid.

"I'm Mitarashi Anko."

She raises her hand weakly, her voice soft and hesitant. Standing beside two prodigious genin, she feels immense pressure.

"I like eating sweets, especially rice dumplings. I dislike people who harm their comrades. I can perform medical ninjutsu and stop bleeding. I'm good at bandaging, too. When you get injured, I'll treat you all, so you don't need to worry about holding us back."

A very compassionate shinobi, unlike the previous two peculiar personalities. Shibi nods.

"Well, that concludes the self-introduction. Now, let's move on to the combat test."

With a sweeping motion, Shibi waves his hand, and countless dark insects swarms and fill the air.