March 15, Konoha Year 39
Hoshita Shūichi formally submitted his application for early graduation.
Though he couldn't match Kakashi's record of graduating at five, his achievement still drew considerable attention. For Kimura Katsuya and Sarutobi Hiruzen, this was expected—approval came the same day.
The next morning, under the watchful eyes of Shizune and others, Shūichi entered the examination hall prepared solely for him.
The Test:
Written Exam: Completed in 10 minutes.
Three Basic Jutsu: Flawless execution.
No fanfare, no surprises—not even the Hokage made an appearance. It was all strikingly mundane.
"Congratulations, Shūichi. From today, you're a full-fledged shinobi!" Kimura Katsuya smiled, handing him the forehead protector.
Shūichi accepted it with a deep bow. "Thank you for your guidance, Sensei!"
His gratitude was genuine. Kimura had answered countless questions outside class, enabling him to master the academy's curriculum ahead of schedule. The teacher accepted the praise proudly—to him, Shūichi was his cultivated genius, unlike Kakashi, who'd always been a prodigy.
"The shinobi path is perilous. May you walk it far, Shūichi."
"I will, Sensei."
With a final pat on Shūichi's shoulder, Kimura added, "Celebrate with your classmates. And don't forget—report to the Hokage Building tomorrow to meet your team leader."
Graduation Celebrations
Shizune was the first to rush forward. "Shūichi, congratulations!"
Might Guy, Nohara Rin, Yūhi Kurenai, and Sarutobi Asuma soon surrounded him with well-wishes. For that moment, Shūichi basked in the spotlight.
From the periphery, Uchiha Obito clenched his fists. "Even Shūichi made it... Damn it! I'm an Uchiha—I will catch up to that smug Kakashi!"
Homecoming
Returning to his empty apartment felt surreal. No more academy bells, no more schedules.
"Who'll be my team leader?"
From Tsunade, he'd learned not all graduates received jōnin instructors. With limited elite shinobi available, only the most promising were assigned to them. Most teams were led by chūnin—Konoha's backbone.
"Given my record, I should warrant a jōnin... Kakashi got one from the Sarutobi clan."
Packing his tool pouch and tucking a senbon between his teeth, he headed to Ten'shō's shop.
Ten'un's Gift
"Shūichi? Oh—!" Ten'un's eyes widened, then crinkled with delight. "You graduated!"
"Of course."
She laughed, producing a wooden box. "A graduation gift! Open it."
Shūichi hesitated—she'd already gifted him an exquisite kunai for his birthday.
Ten'un crossed her arms. "You're not refusing, are you?"
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, taking the box. Inside lay a sheathed wakizashi.
"I had this specially made. Name it!"
Drawing the blade, Shūichi channeled chakra. The steel shimmered, its edge glowing—a chakra-conductive blade, rare and costly.
"Ten'un... you shouldn't have."
Grinning, he declared, "This is Ame-no-Murakumo."
Ten'un's smile softened. "As long as you like it."
The grenade profits had enriched her family immensely. Though Shūichi received a share, she felt compelled to give more.
A flicker of melancholy crossed her face. "Still too young..."
She vanished briefly, returning with a leather belt. Fastening it around Shūichi's waist, she adjusted the blade's position. "Now you can draw it smoothly. When you get a katana, you'll wear it across your back."
Testing the draw, Shūichi abandoned plans to buy more tools. "Master the senbon and Ame-no-Murakumo first."
Training Grounds
Alone at his usual spot, Shūichi drilled with senbon and blade. At noon, he ate a packed lunch, then unrolled the Shadow Clone Jutsu scroll.
With his foundation in basic cloning, the technique came easily—but his chakra reserves limited him to one faint clone. A soldier pill restored his energy, and he tentatively formed another.
Experiments:
First Attempt: 10-minute duration. Manageable fatigue.
Second Attempt: 20 minutes. Noticeable exhaustion and memory overload.
"What if..."
The clone's returning memories sparked an idea. Could he route them through his Memory Palace to reduce mental strain?
"Possible. But I'd need to modify the technique—embed it with seals or curses."
He knew this wouldn't eliminate the risks of overusing clones, especially the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. The real dangers lay in:
Chakra Division: Overextension could be fatal.
Physical Collapse: Cumulative exhaustion from multiple dispersals.
"More solutions, more problems."
Transforming the Memory Palace into a seal-based jutsu wouldn't be simple. And for endurance? Only skill-tree bonuses could accelerate his growth.
"No shortcuts. Just work."
Steeling himself, Shūichi resumed training beneath the afternoon sun.
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