Graduation Day

Three days later.

Konohagakure, Ninja Academy, the usual commuting time. However, today is slightly special, not because of anything else, but because it's the annual graduation ceremony at Konohagakure Ninja Academy. The students who passed the graduation exam three days ago will have their last day at the academy today. After the formal class assignments, they will officially become genin of Konohagakure.

Naruto arrived at the school at approximately the same time as usual, still sitting in the farthest corner of the classroom. He watched his fellow students in the classroom, each wearing expressions of joy and excitement on their faces. Naruto appeared unchanged on the surface, but deep inside, he couldn't help but shake his head slightly.

"It really is so peaceful..."

There was no fear of the future, no confusion about it.

Instead, there was excitement and enthusiasm filling the air.

This couldn't be considered wrong.

It's just in a world like this.

With this kind of mindset, how many of these young boys and girls can ultimately survive?

The so-called ninja.

It's not just a duty.

It's also a symbol of the boundary between life and death.

Konoha has been too peaceful for too long. While it may seem like there's no threat of war, the Ninja Academy can smoothly and safely nurture these talents. But without the special environment of wartime, how many of these so-called prodigies can truly grow?

"Perhaps one day, it's not impossible for them to die in a low-level C-rank mission..."

As Naruto looked at the exuberant classmates in front of him, a thought crossed his mind. It wasn't mockery, just a plain statement of fact. These children graduating from Konoha Ninja Academy were like hothouse flowers, perfect for describing them.

Most importantly, Naruto couldn't see any hint of nervousness in these people.

Becoming a ninja seemed like a wonderful thing to them.

They only saw the light, not the darkness.

They enjoyed the benefits of peace.

But they had never experienced the cruelty of war.

Naruto definitely didn't want to become such a person. He, who knew the plot well, was aware that his time was running out. Every minute and every second had to be fought for.

In this classroom.

Perhaps only that other pillar could somewhat understand what it means to be a ninja in the darkness.

A glimpse of Sasuke Uchiha's still cold profile in the front corner of his vision.

A faint glimmer flashed in Naruto's pupils.

Only this Uchiha orphan and himself had a bit of similarity.

A game of make-believe ninja.

Let these "naive" kids play.

"Hey, Naruto? Can you participate in the graduation ceremony? You didn't pass the graduation exam before, did you?"

As Naruto was bored, observing his classmates in the classroom, a familiar figure appeared next to him. With a slightly surprised and lazy tone, Naruto didn't need to turn his head to know who it was.

His gaze shifted, and what entered his sight was the familiar braided head.

Sure enough.

It was none other than Nara Shikamaru, known as the "brains" of Konoha's Twelve.

At this moment.

This lazy genius youth, who was said to have an IQ exceeding 200 in the original work, also had a very obvious look of curiosity.

You see, three days ago, Naruto failed the graduation exam, which surprised Shikamaru. As someone whose overall performance had been consistently in the top five, it was indeed incomprehensible for Naruto to fail the graduation exam. And now, seeing Naruto at the graduation ceremony today was out of curiosity, prompting this usually lazy Nara clan heir to take the initiative to ask.

"Oh? Shikamaru, after that, they arranged a makeup exam for me, and I passed it. So, I can participate in today's graduation ceremony."

Looking at the face of the lazy youth in front of him, Naruto gently pointed to the forehead protector on his own forehead and replied with a smile.

During Naruto's six years at the Ninja Academy, he got along relatively well with most of the students in his class. It wasn't just because of his grades but also because of his personality. The classmates from commoner families might be influenced by their parents and keep their distance from Naruto, but those from prominent clans were different. While clans like the Nara, Hyuga, Aburame, and Inuzuka families wouldn't directly tell their children about Naruto's special status, they also wouldn't go out of their way to keep their children away from him. It was all about the children's own choices.

Therefore, Naruto had good relationships with Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, and Shino, who hailed from these major clans.

"Oh? A makeup exam, huh? I see."

Shikamaru nodded thoughtfully.

Although Shikamaru's intelligence allowed him to easily see through some of the underlying reasons, since Naruto was here today with a forehead protector symbolizing a Konoha ninja, there were no significant issues. Shikamaru, being as lethargic as he was, wouldn't bother digging too deep.

"Oh? Naruto can graduate too? That's great! You're one of the top students in our class!"

Almost immediately, Inuzuka Kiba, who was almost always by Shikamaru's side, approached while munching on potato chips. He greeted Naruto with a cheerful smile.

"Do you want some? Shikamaru? Naruto?"

As he spoke, Kiba even offered the potato chips in his hand.

"No, thanks. I'm good," Naruto and Shikamaru replied one after the other.

"We'll be assigned to teams soon. I wonder how the teams will be formed. It would be great if I could be on the same team as one of the top students in our class."

Shikamaru, with his hands behind his head, spoke with a hint of anticipation.

"You can say that to others, Shikamaru. Don't you already know which team you'll be on?"

Naruto turned slightly, propped his chin with his left hand, and looked at Shikamaru, smiling.

Naruto's words caused Shikamaru's expression to change slightly, then he nodded helplessly.

"Well, that's what I meant."

The traditional Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

This was something almost everyone in Konohagakure knew.

Not just within the same age group.

If they were graduating together, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was destined to form a team. This had been a tradition in Konohagakure since the formation of the three major clans.

In this year's graduating class, there were exactly three members of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio: Nara Shikamaru from the Nara clan, Akimichi Choji from the Akimichi clan, and Yamanaka Ino from the Yamanaka clan. To put it bluntly, in this year's class, only these three were predestined to form a team on the day they entered the academy.

Shikamaru knew this himself, and it wasn't surprising that Naruto was aware of it. After all, Naruto was known for his dedication to learning. Over the six years at the Ninja Academy, Naruto spent more time in the library than the entire class combined.

Knowing this, Shikamaru wasn't surprised.

(End of this chapter)