Ch 1 : Early Graduation News

Chapter 1: Early Graduation News

The early morning light shone over the Hidden Leaf Village. At Konoha's Ninja Academy, two or three students had just finished their morning exercises on the playground and were now returning to class.

These little ninjas, still catching their breath, were chattering excitedly.

"Did you hear? They say our class is going to graduate soon!"

"I heard the situation on the frontlines isn't looking good. Seems like it's our turn to head to the battlefield!"

"The battlefield?! That's way too dangerous!"

"What are you scared of? Kakashi graduated and went to the battlefield at just five years old, and now he's already a Chunin!"

As the group of excited students fantasized about war and glory, one student who looked more mature than the rest curled his lips in disdain.

Do they really think they'll accomplish great things on the battlefield? For those with connections and powerful backgrounds, sure—the battlefield might be slightly safer. But for people like us, we're just cannon fodder.

Of course, he would never say this out loud. Anyone who had watched 'Naruto' knew exactly how the ninja world worked. In a place like this, saying the wrong thing could cost you your life.

While the training system in the Naruto world seemed far more advanced than the real-world historical ninjas—who were little more than suicide soldiers—the core principles remained the same: a mix of intelligence gathering, brute force, and heavy indoctrination. Loyalty was not just expected; it was demanded.

So, watching his cheerful classmates prepare to march off to war, Ayaan Aoki could only complain silently in his heart. Naturally, he didn't say a word.

As a civilian orphan who had transmigrated into this world, Ayaan Aoki had retained his mature values from his previous life. Even though he had grown up again from infancy and spent ten years in the Hidden Leaf Village, he had never truly assimilated or been brainwashed into becoming an obedient cog in the ninja machine.

What he was worried about now was being sent to the battlefield.

The higher-ups aren't even pretending anymore, huh? Forcing us to graduate two years early… Things on the frontlines must be worse than they're letting on. I need to start making plans.

In truth, although Ayaan's talent was only average, his self-discipline and mental maturity were far beyond that of ordinary students. His dedication to training placed him among the best in the academy. He had already met the graduation standards two years ago.

He could use the Three Basic Techniques (Henge, Kawarimi, Bunshin) effectively in real combat. He could hit the target with shuriken and kunai, set traps, and use explosive tags with proficiency. His hand-to-hand combat skills were solid. That, apparently, was enough to be considered ready for the battlefield.

Clearly, the graduation standards were designed with cannon fodder in mind. Civilian students, unlike those from prestigious clans, were never given access to advanced ninjutsu or techniques. On the battlefield, they were expected to throw kunai, set traps, and maybe stall the enemy for a few seconds.

Unless you were a rare genius and happened to be picked up by someone influential—like Orochimaru, Jiraiya, or Minato Namikaze—there was no way to escape your fate. Dreaming about it was pointless.

Even geniuses like Minato and Orochimaru, who stood at the peak of ordinary humans, would have achieved nothing relying solely on the academy's curriculum without extra resources and mentorship.

This entire system was designed to keep civilian ninjas under control. To the village elites, if a civilian wanted power, they had to earn it by serving the system. And to the great clans, civilians were rarely more than minor nuisances unless they were true prodigies.

Ayaan wasn't a standard civilian ninja. His deceased father had been a medical Chunin. Though he died in service, he left behind a small inheritance, a respectable pension, some ninja training notes, and beginner medical ninjutsu scrolls.

Unfortunately, learning medical ninjutsu wasn't easy. It required incredibly refined chakra control, a strong Yang chakra nature, and real medical knowledge. So far, Ayaan had only managed to master a basic hemostasis technique to stop bleeding.

The hardest part was altering his chakra nature toward Yang release. There was no shortcut—only repeated healing practice could help.

The saddest part? Even if he dedicated his entire life to mastering Yang release, someone like Tsunade—born with nearly perfect Yang chakra—would always be leagues ahead. No amount of training could compete with a natural-born talent like that.

By now, Ayaan had just walked into the classroom and sat down, lost in thought, when he heard hurried footsteps. A Chunin instructor entered the room.

"Students, I believe you've already heard the village's decision."

The gray-haired, one-eyed Chunin scanned the room. A trace of pity flashed in his eyes as he continued, his voice solemn:

"Starting today, all fourth-year students will graduate immediately and be granted the rank of Genin."

"If any other students feel confident, they may also apply to take the graduation exam early."

"However, I must remind you—our village is at war. Even fresh Genin are being sent on highly dangerous missions. You may be deployed to the battlefield, so think carefully before making your decision."

He couldn't help but add this warning. Over the years, he had watched many of his students leave full of ambition, only to return broken—or not return at all.

This wasn't an elite class. Their instructors were average Chunins, not elite Jonin. Their missions were riskier, their chances of survival lower.

So it's confirmed, Ayaan sighed inwardly. Worst-case scenario: we're being forced to graduate.

If he'd had two more years, he was confident he could have learned more advanced healing jutsu and gotten assigned to a medical ninja unit—far safer than the frontlines.

Tsunade had once proposed placing a medical ninja in every three-man squad, but the truth was clear—Konoha simply didn't have enough trained medics to make that happen.

Even by the end of Naruto, most teams didn't include medics. Only elite squads, specially trained by Jonin, had true medical ninja—those who could fight and heal.

Ordinary medical ninjas were stationed at rear camps. If the frontlines collapsed, they were the first to retreat. Naturally, that made their jobs far less dangerous.

But Ayaan's hopes had now crumbled. With only a single basic healing technique, he wasn't qualified to be a rear-line medic. He was destined for the frontlines… as cannon fodder.

"So…" Ayaan closed his eyes and activated the system in his mind.

[Energy fully charged. You can now travel to the next world.]

"…Looks like I need to escape from Konohagakure as soon as possible."

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