Naruto: From Novice to Grave

The start of the school year is always busy; the newly enrolled kids need to be tested, evaluated, and assigned to classes.

Students preparing to graduate need to take exams and hold a graduation ceremony.

This only happens when everyone graduates early. If it were a normal six-year program, the ceremony would be held at the end of the previous semester, which is in mid-March. At that time, other classes would still be on spring break and the new students would not have enrolled.

So when all these things come together, there aren't enough teachers, and we even have to issue a few D-rank missions and find a few lower-ranking ninjas to help maintain order.

Although it was during wartime, nothing could be simplified; on the contrary, it had to be done more solemnly. Only with solemnity could the newly graduated Leaf members feel a greater sense of mission and ceremony, and ignite their high will of fire.

In recent years, the April start of the school year has been destined to be a stage for new students and graduates.

As for students like Makoto Higashino, who are in their second year or above and haven't applied for early graduation, they've been temporarily given free rein. Today they only have half a day of classes in the morning, which is also self-study, so they can do whatever they want.

The classroom was noisy, with some people watching the freshmen entrance exams from outside in the corridor, commenting on the energetic juniors.

Some people in the classroom were talking to each other, discussing the classmates who had applied to graduate early.

Higashino Makoto remained quietly in his seat, gazing at the scenery outside the window.

He held a leaf between his left index and middle fingers. The poor leaf was first surrounded by chakra, turning into a wildly writhing seaweed, but it was incredibly resilient and wouldn't break no matter how you tried to bend it.

Then the color deepened and it became incredibly hard, like a piece of black stone being carved into the shape of a leaf.

Finally, the stone-like leaf was split in two by chakra. The two halves continued to split as they fell until they turned into a pile of tiny powder, which was then scattered by the wind.

This is the result of Higashino Makoto's extremely high level of training in the three chakra natures of wind, water, and earth.

The flexibility of water, the heavy hardness of earth, and the cutting action of wind.

As the leaves disappeared, Higashino Makoto beckoned with his finger, and from a pile of leaves under the desk, another leaf flew out lightly and landed precisely between his two fingers, repeating the previous process.

For him, every moment is a time for training. Even when he's sitting in the classroom with his classmates, seemingly doing nothing, the nature of his chakra never stops changing.

Compared to lofty discussions, he was more engrossed in cultivation, and his ever-growing chakra reserves supported him in doing so; most people wouldn't even have the chance to learn it.

No matter what, he's an adult, and he can't connect with those bragging kids who like to look at handsome men. He did that kind of thing when he was a kid in his previous life.

Having been reborn, the only thing that keeps him happy in this world is cultivating to become stronger. Becoming a ninja is just one of the side interests on the path of cultivation.

Uzuki Yugao, standing to the side, was struggling with the leaf in her hand, but she could only split an ordinary leaf twice at the moment, unlike Higashino Makoto who could cut the leaf into a pile of powder.

Her chakra nature is wind, and she only has one, just like Naruto later on.

Moonlight Gale's innate attributes are wind and water.

Quite coincidentally, they all have wind, even Shisui. His innate attributes are also three: wind, fire, and lightning. In addition, since he is from the Uchiha clan, he also has a yin attribute.

The wind attribute is very common in Sunagakure, and it's also quite prevalent in Konoha, for example, it's present in the three friends of Makoto Higashino.

Since everyone is born with wind-attribute chakra, Higashino Makoto naturally doesn't keep his secrets and often shares his training methods and insights with them.

However, their progress was completely different. Only Uchiha Shisui was doing slightly better, but he was still a long way from reaching Higashino Makoto's current level.

This is the progress of an ordinary ninja's nature transformation training.

They couldn't use Naruto's "thousand-person cheat mode" to condense several years into a few days, nor did they have the conditions of Higashino Makoto enjoying natural energy to transform his body every day; they could only grind it out with time.

"Hey, hey, big brother, isn't there a better way? It's been two years, and we can only do this much. When will we be able to do what you do?"

Uzuki Yugao tossed the broken leaves outside and began her usual complaining.

"Not yet, but I'll let you know once I find a way." As Higashino Makoto spoke, he glanced at the empty seats next to the two of them and continued, "It's almost time. Let's go to the general classroom and see how Hayate and the others are doing."

"Yes, yes, let's go greet them."

The two left the classroom as they talked, and many classmates who shared the same idea followed behind them.

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The multi-purpose classroom is a very large lecture hall, usually used by the school for group meetings, and can accommodate hundreds of people at the same time.

At this moment, the gates are tightly closed, and graduation assessments are underway inside.

The test content is not difficult. Usually, any one of the three basic body techniques is chosen as the test question. Now that it is wartime, the requirements are higher, and all three may be tested.

Outside the classroom, many students stood in the open space, waiting for the assessment results to see who would graduate early and who would be the unfortunate failures.

After a while, the classroom door opened, and the students who were taking the exam came out in twos and threes. Unlike when they went in, they now all had a brand new Konoha headband tied to their foreheads. Of course, some of them also wore it on other parts of their bodies.

This is the mark of becoming a formal ninja.

Now, these people are no longer students at the Ninja Academy, but ninjas. Some of them occasionally touch their headbands, their faces beaming with pride. When they look at the classmates watching, they seem to have naturally aged a few years, as if they are looking at their juniors.

In fact, the age difference between them is not that great.

"Wow, so handsome! I want one too!" The students watching exclaimed in unison, filled with envy.

Those who are recommended for graduation are basically students with good grades; no one fails.

This gave many students of the same age the illusion that graduating early wasn't so difficult after all.

I can do it too.jpg

"Brother Hayate, Shisui, we're here."

Uzuki Yugao called out to the crowd.

At this time, just like Shisui, Gale simply tied his headband to his forehead, not yet covering his entire head with a headscarf as he would later.

Upon hearing the voice, both of them smiled and walked over. Graduating smoothly is indeed something to be happy about.

Higashino's gaze swept past them and fell upon the students who were graduating early this year. Apart from a few, he didn't recognize most of them.

His classmates included Uchiha Shisui, Hyuga Tokuma, and Aburame Muta, among seven or eight others. Most of the students from other classes who applied to graduate early were also members of clans, with very few commoner ninjas.

Now there are fewer people in the class, but it's not a big problem; the classes will be merged later.

Among those from the same year as Hayate, he only recognized two familiar faces, who seemed to be the future goalkeeper duo, Tetsuo Kotetsu and Izumo Kamizuki.

It turns out they were in the same year as Gekko Hayate, but they didn't seem to know each other very well, and they might not have been in the same class.

There was another girl following behind Jifeng; the two seemed to be quite close, but she was just there to greet him, not a graduate.

Higashino asked curiously, "Hayate, is this... your classmate?"

"Yes, she's my classmate, her name is Chun."

Then Hayate introduced his friends to Tsubaki, and the two of them officially got to know each other.

Higashino glanced at the girl; she didn't look familiar, as the real-world and anime characters were very different.

Judging from his name, this seems like he might be Shuimu's future girlfriend.

Looking at the time, Higashino Makoto waved his hand and said, "It's almost time for school to end. Let me treat you to dinner to celebrate your and Shisui's successful graduation."

Uchiha Shisui and Gekko Hayate smiled. They had been hanging out together for so long, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Even Shisui had long since let loose and was no longer as reserved and polite as when they first met.

Chun was a little embarrassed, but Jifeng said, "Let's go together. Zhen usually has more pocket money than us, and he doesn't spend it recklessly. He's saved up quite a bit."

Chun blushed and nodded.

Uzuki Yugao hugged Gekko Hayate tightly, extending her right pinky finger: "Hey, Hayate-nii, this wouldn't happen to be your... hehehehe."

"Cough cough cough!" Moonlight Gale coughed a few times, and as usual, punched Yugao on the head: "You bastard, don't talk nonsense."

Chun's face turned even redder, while Shisui and Higashino Makoto wore auntie smiles.

The open space outside the classroom was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.