Chapter 2 – Graduation Exam
Seeing the look on Obito's face, Yusuke could only sigh inwardly.
Is this really the same guy who's supposed to become the final boss someday? Just what kind of pain could twist someone that much...?
But he didn't dwell on it for long. With the system on his side, Yusuke was confident—his future wouldn't lose to anyone. In fact, he'd soar far above the rest.
After a moment of pouting, Obito looked up and asked, "That jerk… Kakashi's graduating early too, isn't he?"
"Yep. He is," Yusuke replied, as calm as ever.
Even though he'd already expected it, hearing it directly from Yusuke still made Obito want to crawl into a hole.
Kakashi—that smug prodigy—was graduating… while he was still stuck in school.
Yusuke glanced at his friend's defeated face and tried to cheer him up. The two were actually close, despite their usual banter. But even now, like in the original story, Rin Nohara clearly had a thing for Kakashi.
Even with his own striking features—silver hair, model-tier looks, and piercing eyes—Yusuke couldn't compete with Kakashi's unique charm.
Cold. Mysterious. A born genius. That kind of aura was a natural magnet for girls.
The day moved on, and when class finally ended, they had just stepped out when a voice called out from behind. Turning around, they saw Rin and Yūhi Kurenai hurrying over.
"Yusuke! Obito said you're graduating early?" Kurenai asked, a little flustered.
"That's right," Yusuke replied with a relaxed smile. "Kakashi and I decided to take the exams now."
"Then… we won't be able to see you as often anymore?" Kurenai looked genuinely disappointed.
Yusuke, being an adult soul in a child's body, instantly picked up on her feelings. He was mature enough to notice things like that.
Still, there was no way he'd return those feelings. Not now, at least. Maybe once we're older... he thought, casually shifting his gaze away.
"Don't worry, Kurenai. We'll still drop by now and then. It's not like we'll get flooded with missions right away," he said with a gentle smile.
"Really? You promise you'll visit?" she asked, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes sparkling.
"Of course," Yusuke nodded, reassuring her.
"And… Kakashi, you'll come see me too, right?" Rin asked, turning to Kakashi with hopeful eyes.
Kakashi stared at her with his trademark dead-fish eyes, ready to decline. But the moment he caught his older brother's sharp glance, he froze—and quickly changed his tone.
"...Yeah, sure. Of course."
"Yay! I'm so glad!" Rin beamed brightly.
Kakashi let out a silent, defeated sigh.
Yusuke, watching it all unfold, couldn't help but poke fun. "Wow, Kakashi. Sweet-talking now, are we?"
Kakashi looked away, face darkening with frustration. "I'm going home."
Yusuke finally burst out laughing.
It was the first time Rin and Kurenai had seen Kakashi like that. They couldn't help but laugh too, though not quite as loudly as Yusuke.
After chatting for a bit longer, the group parted ways and returned to their homes.
— — —
Over the next few days, Yusuke decided it was time to train seriously.
Even though he had mastered the Navy Six Styles—now modified as Ninja Taijutsu—he still lacked experience in real combat. Determined to sharpen his skills, he dedicated the entire month to intense training.
Physical conditioning, foundational Taijutsu, and most importantly—swordsmanship.
He honed the Beginner Swordmastery he received from the system and simultaneously studied the sword techniques passed down in the Hatake clan.
He even sparred regularly with Hatake Sakumo himself.
He didn't bother training with Kakashi—not just because his brother was still too weak, but also because… well, Yusuke had a few things he wanted to "teach" his genius little brother.
Smirking to himself, he thought, Better I build up strength behind the scenes for now.
Thanks to his adult soul, he had always learned faster and pushed his physical limits harder than most. As kids, he often bullied Kakashi into submission. It was how he established dominance early on.
But now that Kakashi was starting to catch up, Yusuke couldn't help but feel the itch to put his little brother back in his place.
— — —
Time flew by.
Before he knew it, the month had passed—and today was the day of the Graduation Exam.
I've been waiting for this... and for the reward from the system!
Will it be the Pika Pika no Mi from Kizaru? Or maybe Magu Magu no Mi from Akainu? Or even the legendary Gura Gura no Mi?!
As Yusuke lost himself in a whirlwind of excitement, the powerful voice of Sarutobi Hiruzen echoed from the main stage.
He began his long speech, filled with talk about the Will of Fire, as expected. Eventually, it came to an end.
"With this, I now declare the start of the Academy Graduation Exam."
"The format will be determined by random draw. One-on-one battles. Only one-third of the participants will pass."
And with that, the match drawing began.
"First match: Student A versus Student B."
The announcement continued...
— — —
"Match number X: Hatake Yusuke versus Hyūga Genichi."
"The match begins!"
"Give up now, kid. You're no match for me," Genichi scoffed, full of pride.
As a prodigy from the Hyūga Clan, he didn't even see Yusuke as a worthy opponent.
"You sure talk a lot. If your strength matched your mouth, maybe I'd actually be worried," Yusuke replied lazily.
"You arrogant brat!"
Infuriated, Genichi activated his Byakugan and lunged forward, his Gentle Fist poised to strike.
But Yusuke had been ready since the beginning. He'd already activated Observation Haki, letting him perceive his opponent's movements with pinpoint accuracy. As Genichi charged in, Yusuke didn't even flinch.
Is he frozen in fear? Genichi thought, smirking inwardly.
Then—Yusuke vanished.
"What—?!"
"Finger Gun."
Danger.
The moment Yusuke disappeared from sight, Genichi's instincts screamed. But he had already committed to his dash and couldn't stop his momentum.
There was no time to activate Rotation, and even if he could… it might not have saved him.
A devastating strike slammed into his torso, sending him flying from the ring.
Yusuke turned to the referee and asked flatly, "Well? Can we call it?"
The referee froze for a moment, then raised his hand quickly.
"Winner: Hatake Yusuke!"
The audience fell silent.
Among the crowd, several seasoned merchants and senior shinobi stared in disbelief. A four-year-old... had just used a high-level Shunshin no Jutsu?
Most civilians missed it, but the Jōnin watching definitely noticed.
On the stage, Hiruzen turned to the silver-haired man standing beside him, who wore a mask across his face.
"Congratulations, Sakumo. Your son is a true genius."
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