Chapter 4: Can One Really Get Lost in Something Like This?

Chapter 4: Can Someone Really Be So Absorbed in This?

Konoha Ninja Academy.

“Sasuke-kun, you…”

“Where’s Iruka?”

“The teacher hasn’t arrived yet. Probably in the office.”

Sakura was stunned but instinctively replied—

Sasuke’s expression was terrifying!

It was the first time she had ever seen him look like this.

Bang!

Sasuke slammed the door and rushed toward the office.

“What’s going on? Damn it, Wide Forehead, have you been pestering Sasuke all day and making him angry?”

Ino came back carrying water from the back door.

“That’s impossible! Ino Pig, don’t slander me!”

Sakura snapped back irritably.

Shikamaru sighed silently, then said weakly, “It must be because of that senior called Chiba Yagyu. There are rumors he graduated early to join the medical class.”

“What?”

Sakura was stunned for a moment.

“No way!”

Kiba and Ino shouted simultaneously, even Choji, who usually didn’t care about these things, turned his head.

Hadn’t early graduation been stopped already?

“Ah, I heard the Hokage himself came to the school yesterday,” Shikamaru answered nonchalantly.

“...”

The whole class fell silent.

The Third Hokage personally came?

It must be true.

“Hey, hey, hey! Did you guys hear? A senior is... graduating early or something?”

Naruto rushed in excitedly.

Sakura twitched at the corner of her mouth—this guy was really something else.

“Early graduation.”

“Yeah, yeah, they’re all taking exams now! Oh, here comes Iruka-sensei!”

He hurried back to his seat to avoid being punished with standing.

A few seconds later, Iruka arrived with Sasuke, who returned to his seat.

Iruka glanced around and sighed softly: “Alright, I believe you all know the news. Yes, Chiba Yagyu has indeed graduated early. However, the exam he took was not a graduation test but an official test for genin or even chunin level.”

“Huh?”

“Now, I’ll hand out the test papers. You may begin.”

Iruka started distributing the papers.

At first, he didn’t want to bring them because it was too discouraging, but Sasuke insisted on taking the test in the office, so he decided to let everyone try it to realize the gap between them and Chiba Yagyu.

That way, perhaps they’d be more motivated and work harder.

The room fell silent, soon filled only with the soft scratching of pens. Iruka closed his eyes to rest, not caring whether they would cheat or not.

They couldn’t possibly get full marks.

Another reason for closing his eyes was that their cheating methods were so clumsy he feared he might bang the desk if he opened them.

Let them just focus on the test.

Minutes passed, and many students began sweating cold beads on their foreheads.

It was too difficult!

Sakura kept thinking; some questions she wasn’t sure about, especially battle scene analyses, which she wasn’t good at, but she finished in the end.

Ino immediately used Body Replacement Technique to turn around and copy.

After a long while, Iruka opened his eyes: “Collect your papers.”

“What? So soon...”

Many scratched their heads in frustration, even the intellectually gifted Shikamaru and his friends.

Being smart didn’t mean you were studious.

They were two different things.

Iruka collected the papers one by one, then sat down to grade them.

After some time, he smiled slightly: “The highest score is Haruno Sakura, with eighty points, followed by Uchiha Sasuke with seventy-six. As for the others, either you failed or you know how you performed.”

“...”

No one dared to argue.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who looked unwilling and seemed about to speak, so she asked first: “Teacher, is eighty points passing?”

“Heh, Yagyu scored full marks.”

Iruka smiled. “Also, I heard from the Hokage that the second round of testing forced his clone to use abilities beyond taijutsu.”

“Isn’t that guy unable to use ninjutsu?”

Sakura’s doubt slipped out.

Sasuke clenched his fists.

A clone.

Even if only a shadow clone, it was still the Hokage’s clone. Forcing it to use abilities beyond taijutsu was extremely difficult. That guy who couldn’t learn ninjutsu had actually done it.

Damn it!

What have I been doing all these years?

He realized his own foolishness. He had been proud of his achievements at school all these years, while the other had already leapt ahead, stepping beyond the ninja academy—even if they were separated by a year.

The others had nothing to say.

The same thing was happening in Neji’s class.

If before, some still thought “I could do it too,” after hearing words like chunin-level tests and full marks, there were no more illusions.

“The Hokage said that if you can achieve it, he will allow you to skip classes and go study or train,”

...

“The Hokage really is... Okay, though I don’t know the details, starting today, you can come here during the day to study with the medical class.”

Kitayama Omo finished reading the document, his expression somewhat odd.

Early graduation?

The Third Hokage had devised this special system, and the kid was truly exceptional.

“By the way, what do you want to study?”

“Medical knowledge.”

Chiba knew nothing about medical skills yet. If he rashly asked to observe surgeries, Kitayama would probably protest to the Hokage immediately.

He didn’t want to offend this teacher.

“Good. Theory is the foundation for learning all ninjutsu. You’re not like many kids who aim too high, wanting to learn ninjutsu right away.”

Kitayama nodded approvingly.

She pushed up her glasses, turned into her office, then came out holding a book.

“This is a book on basic medical theory. You can take it with you. Although you may not truly master medical ninjutsu, learning more knowledge is always beneficial.”

Chiba took it.

The author’s name on it was boldly written: Tsunade.

He bowed deeply in gratitude.

The medical class was about to end, so Chiba didn’t have to linger. Holding the book, he ran while reading, feeling the profound wisdom within.

Boring? Impossible.

Boredom comes from not understanding or not being able to learn, but thanks to the “Light Orb” effect, Chiba’s learning ability was extraordinary. Even multitasking, he could swiftly grasp the content.

Every time he read a book, he felt as if being “cleansed.”

That was why he could stay in the library for so long.

Unfortunately, the school’s collection was small; he finished quickly and now once again felt the joy of learning.

Bang!

Rounding a corner, he bumped into someone.

“Sorry, sorry! I was too absorbed and didn’t watch where I was going!”

Chiba ignored the pain and quickly apologized.

A silver-haired ninja stood before him, wearing his forehead protector askew and a mask covering his face. His eyes were half-closed, looking at Chiba, holding a book as well.

“Boy, you’re not reading some incredible book, are you?”

“No wonder it’s by one of the Legendary Sannin. It’s so well explained and easy to understand!”

“Legendary Sannin? Could it be...”

Kakashi’s one visible eye instantly widened. He turned the book over to inspect the cover from a different angle, then instinctively leaned forward, his face showing a mix of surprise and amazement.

Basic Medical Theory.

Author: Tsunade.

Wow!

Can someone really be so absorbed in this?

I thought it was part of the same series as mine. You’re quite a talent!

He wanted to tease him, but then noticed Chiba’s appearance—

He must be only twelve years old.

At that age, it wasn’t yet time to buy works by another adult.

I’m the one who’s too dirty-minded!

Kakashi reflected deeply but nodded approvingly: “Not bad. Study hard, and you’ll surely become an amazing ninja. But don’t get too absorbed in reading while running.”

“Yes!”

Chiba stood, apologized again while holding the book, then resumed running and reading.

Kakashi tilted his head watching him run away. Even behind his mask, his great curiosity was obvious.

Are there really people in the ninja world so devoted to learning?

Now I’ve seen it.

“Yo Kakashi! Didn’t expect to run into you here. How about a youthful, fiery showdown?”

“I’m studying. Next time.”

Kakashi tried his best to ignore him.

Guy glanced at Chiba running off, then looked down at the book in his hand.

“You’re carrying a romance novel and calling it studying? Waste of youthful passion. Come duel instead!”

(End of chapter)