Money problems? That was a lie, of course.
Even if Uchiha Kaien didn't take on a single mission, his family's inheritance alone could support him comfortably until adulthood.
Not to mention, he'd pulled a decent chunk of cash from the system's lottery—maybe not a full hundred million, but at least tens of millions.
Still, as always—if Minato didn't know how much money he had, and Kaien said he had no money, then that was that. No money!
And if they were going to suffer, Kaien was dragging someone else down with him.
Besides, there really wasn't much left to learn at the academy.
Minato had long since outgrown the standard curriculum, especially with one-on-one instruction from Jiraiya—a top-tier ninja. That kind of teaching far surpassed the academy's classroom-based approach.
Jiraiya had managed to condense the full two-year syllabus into lessons Minato could complete in just a short time, even while juggling missions.
So graduating early? It was only natural.
If he didn't graduate now, he'd just be hanging around to build more bonds.
But if that was the case...
Then let me, Uchiha Kaien, usher in the age of academic overachievers!
Once he and Minato graduated, there was no way the other clans wouldn't start pushing their own kids to graduate early too. If they were gonna suffer, then they could all suffer together. Misery loves company.
Minato reflected on all his expenses from the past two years—especially the herbal baths. That stuff wasn't cheap.
He'd once asked Shikaku about the cost of the ingredients. The prices had stunned him. Who knew high-end herbs could be so expensive?
He'd actually considered persuading Kaien not to buy them—but then Kaien had shut that down with a single line:
"This is an investment in my future. Why would I skimp on that?"
Minato thought about it and realized... he had a point. And at the time, Kaien's body had needed the top-grade herbs for recovery. So, in the end, Minato had dropped the issue.
Looking back now, Kaien really might be out of cash.
"In that case, let's graduate early, Kaien."
Minato didn't mind at all. In fact, he felt a little guilty about mooching off Kaien. If they could start earning mission commissions soon, that'd be ideal.
"Deal! Let's go apply tomorrow!"
Kaien sprang up from the grass, full of energy again, eyes gleaming with excitement.
Minato could only smile wryly. He was still wiped out, so... he stayed lying down.
...
The next day.
"What? You two want to graduate early?"
Their homeroom teacher, Yamakawa Taiga, looked at them in surprise. These two had been attending classes just fine—what brought this on?
"We're broke," Kaien replied bluntly, repeating the same excuse he'd used on Minato the day before.
"Is that so..."
Yamakawa's lips twitched. From what he knew, the Uchiha clan wasn't exactly strapped for cash. And with mentors like Jiraiya and Orochimaru, it was hard to believe these two were hurting for money.
Kaien seemed to read his thoughts and calmly added,
"We don't want to trouble anyone else. We want to earn our own commissions."
"Well... there's no policy for early graduation at the academy..."
Yamakawa looked conflicted. It wasn't that it couldn't be done—but during peaceful times, the rule was rarely invoked.
Then he remembered something from yesterday's jonin meeting and swallowed his next words.
The ninja world was shifting toward war. In times like these, exceptions had to be made for geniuses.
Talent needed to be cultivated early. Untapped potential stayed potential—it didn't make you strong.
"Alright then. Come with me. We'll go speak to the Hokage. If he approves, you can graduate early."
Their circumstances were unusual. Better to let the Hokage make the call. These were the students of Sannin and the Hokage's own grand-apprentices—surely Hiruzen would know what to do.
"We're meeting the Hokage?!"
Minato's eyes lit up. Other than the opening ceremony speech, he'd never seen the Hokage in person.
Despite being Jiraiya's student, the chaos of the past two years had kept the Hokage incredibly busy. He hadn't had time to keep a close eye on the pair—other than occasionally observing them through the Telescope Jutsu.
Kaien, however, wasn't quite as excited.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, huh?
In his past life, Kaien had seen the elderly Hokage and Naruto square off in some rather bizarre ninjutsu battles on TV. His impression of the man was... complicated.
Strong, yes. But also kind of a pervert. And indecisive.
That was how Kaien remembered him.
Still... he was curious what the younger Hiruzen Sarutobi would be like.
...
"Early graduation, huh? The world outside the village isn't exactly safe right now, you know," Hiruzen said, puffing on his pipe.
He knew the state of the ninja world better than anyone. Tensions were high, and all the villages were on edge. If these kids took missions beyond the village walls, there was a real risk they'd run into enemy ninja.
"We're broke," Kaien repeated the same line.
But Hiruzen wasn't buying it.
"As far as I know, the Uchiha clan's survivor benefits are more than generous. And I doubt Orochimaru or Jiraiya would be stingy with funds."
Kaien didn't flinch. "We want to earn our own money, Lord Hokage. Besides, our classmates... just aren't strong enough anymore."
His tone was sincere and honest. Hiruzen's eyes flickered with interest.
He'd seen a few of Kaien and Minato's sparring matches. Sure, to his trained eye, they were still child's play—but compared to the rest of the academy, they were already in a different league.
They could use ninjutsu, taijutsu, and ninja tools with skill. That alone was enough to meet the standards of a chunin.
"Besides... spending money you earn yourself just feels better."
"If we keep relying on handouts, we'll never grow up."
"I feel the same way, Lord Hokage," Minato added quietly.
Hiruzen looked at the two earnest boys and felt a rare warmth in his heart.
Such mature kids... They reminded him of his son, Sarutobi Shinnosuke, though that boy had been far more mischievous at their age.
...Maybe he and Biwako should've had another kid?
Ahem. No, no. Focus.
"If that's truly how you feel... then I'll allow it."
"Really? Thank you, Lord Hokage!"
"But don't get too excited yet. To make sure you're qualified, I'll assign a teacher to test your strength. If you pass, you'll be cleared for early graduation."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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