Early Graduation
Hanzo of the Salamander was a shinobi whose strength was on par with the strongest Kage of his era. Excluding the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—the God of Shinobi who ended the Warring States Period—Hanzo's power could be considered at the forefront, even among the Five Kage of his time.
"Don't worry, old man!"
Jiraiya patted his chest with a confident grin.
"The war will definitely end in our hands!"
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At that moment, Uchiha Meijing had no idea that he would soon be forced to graduate early.
Not that it would have changed anything. He was just an ordinary student at the Ninja Academy—granted, a top-performing one. He carried the blood of the Uchiha Clan and had already awakened his Sharingan, but none of that would allow him to alter the decisions of the village's higher-ups.
For now, he continued studying the ninjutsu left behind by his parents.
The Uchiha clan's signature shurikenjutsu required both exceptional eyesight and dexterous fingers. The former was easily provided by his Sharingan, but the latter could only be honed through relentless practice.
Fortunately, his body possessed remarkable talent, and Uchihas, in general, had a natural aptitude for shuriken techniques. Within just a few days, Meijing had mastered several intricate throwing patterns, making his shurikens dance through the air with precision.
Satisfied with his progress, he turned his attention to ninjutsu and kenjutsu, both integral parts of the Uchiha fighting style.
In terms of kenjutsu, he lacked a proper blade, so he had no choice but to set it aside for now.
With the Sharingan—even if it was only at the single-tomoe stage—learning C-rank ninjutsu was relatively easy. However, since he had no one to demonstrate techniques for him, he couldn't test how well his Sharingan could replicate jutsu. He had to rely solely on self-study.
In the original timeline, Uchiha Itachi had learned the Great Fireball Technique simply by observing his father, Fugaku, perform it once. Even Uchiha Sasuke, though slightly less prodigious, managed to produce flames on his first attempt after witnessing it, and he successfully mastered the jutsu after only an afternoon of practice.
Meijing had no way of knowing how his talent compared to those two geniuses.
Unlike them, he had no demonstrations or formal instruction. He could only rely on trial and error, practicing diligently in the early mornings and late evenings whenever he wasn't attending classes.
Yet, despite these limitations, after a few days of intense training, he finally succeeded.
"So this… is the power of ninjutsu."
Standing before a scorched training ground, Uchiha Meijing gazed at the aftermath of his first complete Great Fireball.
The sand at the bottom of the crater had melted into glass under the intense heat.
Checking the time on the watch strapped to his wrist, he exhaled lightly.
"It's almost time. I should head to the Academy."
This watch was something he had carried over from his past life, an artifact from the reincarnation space. Though its true purpose remained unknown, it functioned as a standard timepiece—an uncommon yet not entirely suspicious item in the shinobi world.
After a quick stop at home to drop off his bento, Meijing arrived at the Academy, immediately sensing the unusual atmosphere.
The head instructor, Kurono Ohfune, wore a grave expression, and the other Chunin teachers seemed equally tense.
Was someone important visiting today?
Could it be the Hokage? Or perhaps another high-ranking official from the village?
As soon as all the students were present, Kurono Ohfune strode to the podium.
Meijing immediately noticed that, unlike usual, the instructor carried no textbooks.
"Ahem. Students, there will be no classes today."
The room buzzed with excitement, but before the students could celebrate, Ohfune raised both hands, silencing them.
"Last night, the Hokage's office issued an order. Effective immediately, all fourth- and fifth-year students will undergo early graduation exams."
Chaos erupted in the classroom.
Even though Ohfune clearly had more to say, he couldn't stop the students from breaking into animated chatter.
Teenagers often indulged in grand fantasies, oblivious to the harsh realities of the shinobi world. To them, this was an exciting development—an unexpected opportunity.
It was no different from how some civilians dreamt of attending prestigious universities like Tōtsuki or Konoha University without grasping the difficulty of admission.
"Graduating early? Last year, only students in their final year were allowed to graduate ahead of schedule. But now, they're pushing two whole years forward? That means Konoha must be under serious pressure on the battlefield… They need more shinobi—fast."
Meijing frowned, his mind piecing together the implications as he observed the frenzied reactions of his classmates.
Inuzuka Kiba's cousin, Inuzuka Claw, was excitedly speculating about the exam topics.
A brash classmate named Ita stood on his desk, striking a dramatic pose.
"Hah! Becoming a Genin is just the first step! My real goal is to become Hokage!"
Others weren't as confident. Some students murmured anxiously, worried about failing the exam.
Meijing, however, wasn't particularly concerned.
His class was an elite one—filled with students from renowned clans or those possessing exceptional potential. It was unlikely that anyone here would outright fail.
Once the excitement finally died down, Kurono Ohfune retrieved a document from his pocket.
"Since this is an unplanned graduation, the test format has been modified accordingly."
"There will be no written exam this time. The evaluation will be entirely practical, consisting of two key components."
"First, each student will randomly draw one of the Three Basic Jutsu—Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, or Substitution Jutsu—and perform it before the examiners."
"Second, and most importantly, you will engage in a combat assessment. You will be paired against a Genin who graduated last year and assigned a ranking based on your performance."
Despite the serious nature of the announcement, many students were still caught up in the thrill of the moment.
Meijing, however, analyzed the exam with a critical mind.
"So there are two tests…"
The first was standard—merely a basic requirement. As long as a student successfully demonstrated one of the Three Basic Jutsu, they would pass and be officially recognized as a Genin.
The second test, however, served an entirely different purpose.
"This is a ranking system."
It was just like academic exams. Teachers often included a mix of easy and difficult questions—not only to ensure most students passed but also to distinguish the top performers.
Here, the real challenge lay in the second test.
A freshly graduated Genin had already undergone an additional year of training, most likely under the guidance of a Jonin or Chunin. Not only would their physical development be ahead, but their practical combat experience would be leagues above that of an Academy student.
Most students would struggle to win.
And that was precisely the point.
The results of these duels would be used to determine team assignments.
The top students would be placed in teams with promising futures, possibly under Jonin sensei like Hatake Kakashi or Might Guy. Meanwhile, the lower-ranked graduates would likely be assigned to less prestigious teams, perhaps under standard Chunin instructors.
Meijing's gaze flickered.
"So that's how they're sorting us, huh?"
As the murmurs of his classmates continued, he silently clenched his fists.
He had no intention of being placed in a second-rate team.
If this was the system they were using, then there was only one option—
He had to win.