CHAPTER 50

Introversion Trend

Ninja school.

Taking advantage of the lunch break, Iruka called Naruto to the office.

Then, he took out the application for early graduation from the drawer and said with an apologetic expression, "Naruto, your application for early graduation was rejected by Hokage-sama. He said it was impossible to arrange for a Jonin to lead your team, so you'll need to wait until next year to apply."

"Understood, Iruka-sensei," Naruto replied, glancing at the rejected application and nodding mechanically.

Naruto had already known his application would be rejected long before he submitted it. He understood that the Third Hokage would never approve it. On one hand, the Hokage wanted Naruto to strengthen his bonds within the ninja school; on the other, there was concern that Naruto might get out of control once he became a ninja.

After all, compared to students in the ninja academy, fully-fledged ninjas in times of peace had the freedom to choose their missions.

Still, there was some benefit in submitting the graduation application. The Third Hokage, who had visited Naruto's home yesterday, had gifted him a new technique, one of Konoha's forbidden jutsu—the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique—along with some additional ninjutsu insights. This could be considered a form of compensation for rejecting his early graduation application.

Iruka looked at Naruto, who appeared disappointed, and sighed inwardly.

Although Naruto didn't pay much attention in class, Iruka couldn't help but appreciate his hard work. Despite his reputation as the "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," Naruto had managed to score the highest in his class and even mastered some of the curriculum meant for upper-grade students.

The only issue was his withdrawn nature and the heavy burden of being a Jinchuriki.

But none of that was Naruto's fault. If he had parents and weren't the host of the Nine-Tails, he probably wouldn't have been so withdrawn. For now, the Naruto before him was good enough.

Shaking off his concerns, Iruka spoke up. "Go back to class. Life in the ninja school isn't so bad. There's no need to put too much pressure on yourself. Learn how to apply pressure appropriately."

Naruto nodded slightly and then walked out of the office.

After Naruto left, the teacher's office became more lively.

A colleague, Mizuki, spoke up jokingly. "Iruka, you really care about Naruto. But with his personality, even showing concern won't do much good."

Iruka frowned at Mizuki and replied, "What do you mean by that? As a teacher, I don't expect something in return."

Mizuki, however, didn't seem impressed. "Are you really okay with being a Chunin-level teacher forever? Your class has a lot of students from prestigious families. Don't you want to go further in the school, maybe even become the head of the academy or the principal?"

Iruka shook his head. "I don't have that much ambition. Teaching is enough for me."

Mizuki sighed. "You're wasting the chance to teach an elite class. If it were me, I wouldn't let any opportunity to climb the ranks slip by. I'd do everything I could to advance."

…

After the lunch break, Naruto returned to his seat at the back of the classroom. He sat down and began to think about how to use the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

The main difference between the Shadow Clone Jutsu and the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu was the number. While the former was limited to five clones, the latter could create hundreds, even thousands. It was a technique designed for specific groups of people.

Aside from the Five Kage, only Jinchuriki were allowed to use the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu without restrictions in the ninja world.

However, this technique wasn't entirely useful for Naruto. Unlike the naive youth he had been in the original story, who relied on numbers to overwhelm his enemies, Naruto preferred to use shadow clones for stealth and reconnaissance, rather than focusing on sheer numbers.

Just then, Sasuke returned to his seat and leaned over to ask, "Naruto, did your early graduation application get approved?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and shook his head. "Grandpa Hokage rejected it. He said they couldn't find a Jonin to lead my team. I have to wait until next year."

Sasuke let out a quiet sigh of relief, though Naruto noticed a slight change in his expression.

Sasuke quickly explained, "I applied for early graduation too, but it got rejected as well. So, it's not because I'm weak."

"Why would you apply for early graduation?" Naruto asked, curious but not doubting Sasuke's strength. After all, Sasuke was strong enough to pass the graduation exam.

Sasuke snorted. "Your application made such a big splash that it stirred up the whole class. As the second-best in the class, of course, I had to apply for early graduation. The important thing is to show an attitude."

Naruto facepalmed, not realizing the commotion he had caused. He looked around at his classmates, only then realizing how much attention he had drawn.

Just then, Choji, who was sitting in front of him, turned around and said, "I want to join the graduation assessment too. Once I become a ninja and earn money, I can eat delicious food every day."

Shikamaru, as usual, looked bored. "I'm too lazy to apply. We're in a peaceful era, so we don't need to rush becoming ninjas. Besides, being a ninja sounds like too much trouble. It's better to just rest in school."

Hinata, who had been quietly observing, looked unsure whether to join the conversation. She was hesitant to approach Naruto, feeling unworthy of him, and unsure of her ability to graduate early.

Unless she could somehow defeat her cousin Neji, who was in a higher grade.

Thus, Naruto's application for early graduation unintentionally sparked a trend of introversion in the class, with many students contemplating the idea of graduating early.

…

Months passed.

One weekend afternoon, Naruto tricked Kakashi with a shadow clone while the real Naruto headed to the Forest of Death.

After his careful adjustments, Naruto had transformed the dark and damp underground base into a much brighter space. Several explosive tags had been buried around the perimeter, ready to detonate the base if necessary.

Upon hearing footsteps, Shisui looked up at Naruto expectantly.

Over the past few months, Naruto had developed a good relationship with Shisui. Despite being trapped in a cage and his chakra sealed, Shisui could still move freely within the confines of the base.

Naruto had even thoughtfully provided Shisui with a new set of eyes.

These weren't Sharingan, but rather the eyes of a poor spy who had infiltrated the village and tried to attack Naruto. After being taken out by a Rasengan, his eyes became available to Shisui.

With these new eyes, Naruto was able to easily seek Shisui's advice on his training.

An elite Jōnin's understanding of chakra and ninjutsu far surpassed the knowledge of the academy's Chunin teachers.

Shisui had come to realize that having eyes made him more vulnerable to illusion-based techniques, so he didn't hold back and shared everything he knew about chakra control with Naruto.

Still, Shisui was puzzled. How could a Jonin—someone who could defeat him—lack basic common sense? Didn't Jonin need to stay informed on such things?

After helping Naruto with advanced chakra techniques, Shisui ate the boxed lunch Naruto had brought. The meal had a familiar smell, one from a well-known restaurant in the village.

After hesitating, Shisui finally asked, "How is the Uchiha clan doing now?"

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