Chapter 312: Shocked Classmates, Naruto and Hinata Graduate Early
"Iruka-sensei, what exactly is going on?"
The silence in the room had stretched on for far too long. Unable to hold back his restless energy, Naruto finally broke the quiet, his blue eyes darting between his teacher and the floor.
Iruka's expression shifted, the usual warmth bleeding out of his features to leave behind a solemn, incredibly serious mask.
"Naruto. Hinata."
His voice dropped low, carrying a weight that made the air feel heavy.
"Hokage-sama just handed down an order." He paused, letting the words sink in. "Your time at the Ninja Academy officially ends today."
Naruto blinked, the words bouncing off him for a split second before they finally registered.
"Ends...?" he echoed, his voice cracking slightly. His brain felt as if it had been stuffed with thick paste. He couldn't quite process the sudden declaration. Just an hour ago, he had been sketching on his desk, and now he was being expelled?
"Iruka-sensei, what does this mean?"
Beside him, Hinata merely blinked. A fleeting hint of surprise flashed through her pale lavender eyes, but she quickly smoothed her expression into one of calm composure. Her posture remained perfectly straight. As a loyal subordinate, she only needed to obey her teacher's orders.
"It means..." Iruka paused, taking a slow breath before continuing. "Hokage-sama has decided to let the two of you graduate early."
"Gra... graduate early?!"
Naruto's voice cracked, echoing off the walls. He threw his hands up. "What kind of joke is this?! Don't we still have over a year until the graduation exams?"
Instead of the wild excitement a normal student might feel, a sudden, intense wave of reluctance washed over Naruto. Graduating early meant leaving the Academy behind. It meant leaving the safety of Iruka-sensei's classroom and the noisy, chaotic companions he had finally grown accustomed to seeing every day.
"This isn't a joke, Naruto." Iruka's tone remained incredibly serious, devoid of any teasing warmth. "This is a direct order personally issued by Hokage-sama. It is also an acknowledgment of your true strength."
Iruka looked at the blonde boy, the strictness in his eyes melting into unconcealed satisfaction and deep pride.
"With the level of strength you and Hinata possess right now, there is no longer any point in keeping you seated at Academy desks." Iruka stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You are like young eagles who have already learned to fly. The small nest of the Ninja Academy can no longer hold you."
He offered a small, knowing smile. "Hokage-sama said there is no need to keep you in a cage anymore."
Iruka repeated Uchiha Akira's exact words, delivering them with absolute precision.
Naruto fell silent. He stared at the wooden floorboards, his fists clenching at his sides. He always knew that one day he would have to leave these halls and step onto the bloodstained, true path of a shinobi. He just hadn't expected the day to arrive so quickly, sweeping the rug out from under his feet.
But... this was his teacher's arrangement.
This was the decision of the man who had pulled him from the dark abyss of the village's hatred, the man who had given him a new life, a purpose, and everything he held dear.
Naruto's head snapped up, his blue eyes burning with sudden resolve. He nodded vigorously.
"I understand, Iruka-sensei!" he declared, his signature grin breaking across his face. "Since it's my teacher's decision, then I, Uzumaki Naruto, will absolutely obey! It's just graduating early! No big deal!"
Seeing the boy adjust his mindset with such fierce loyalty, Iruka nodded in satisfaction. He then shifted his gaze to the quiet girl standing nearby.
"Hinata, what about you?"
Hinata had not shown a single ounce of hesitation from beginning to end. She stepped forward and bowed deeply to Iruka, her movements graceful and precise.
"I will follow my teacher's arrangements in all things," she said softly, yet with unbending conviction.
Iruka smiled. "In that case, you two should head back to the classroom and pack your things. Make sure to say your goodbyes to your classmates properly."
"Yes, sensei!" Naruto and Hinata responded in unison.
The two turned and walked out the door, their footsteps echoing down the quiet hallway. Watching their retreating figures, Iruka leaned his back against the wall and let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Naruto, Hinata..." he murmured to the empty room. "Starting today, you step onto the true path of a ninja. Your teacher believes that your names will surely resound throughout the entire Ninja World in the future."
...
When Naruto and Hinata returned to the classroom and announced the news of their early graduation, the entire room instantly erupted into chaos.
"What?! Graduate early?!"
Inuzuka Kiba was the first to practically launch himself out of his seat. He pointed a trembling finger at Naruto, his face twisted in absolute disbelief. "Hey! Naruto! You have got to be kidding me!"
Perched on his shoulder, Akamaru let out two sharp, frantic barks in perfect cooperation, expressing the exact same level of shock.
"It's true." Naruto scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face as he felt the heavy weight of two dozen stares boring into him. "This is a direct order from Hokage-sama."
Two rows back, Nara Shikamaru was sprawled flat across his desk. He lazily cracked one eyelid open, letting out a long, drawn-out yawn. "What a drag..." he muttered, though his dark eyes tracked Naruto with sharp, calculating interest.
Across the aisle, Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno were completely frozen. The two girls sat with their mouths slightly agape, feeling as though their entire worldview had just been shattered into pieces.
Sakura, in particular, gripped the edges of her desk until her knuckles turned white. That dead last. The boy who, in her eyes, was once completely useless. That annoying, loudmouthed guy who only knew how to play stupid pranks... he had unknowingly left everyone in the dust.
Unable to help herself, Sakura subconsciously shifted her gaze toward Sasuke.
Sasuke sat perfectly still. His face was a mask of cold indifference, showing absolutely no emotion on the surface. But beneath the wooden desk, his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned bone-white. His fingernails dug into his palms, betraying the violent storm of turmoil raging inside him.
'Damn it!'Sasuke gritted his teeth, his jaw locking tight.'Naruto... that idiot... he is ahead of me again!'
Uchiha Sasuke was a genius. He was an elite of the proud Uchiha Clan. He absolutely could not afford to lose to anyone. Especially not to Naruto, the former failure of the class!
While the entire class remained trapped in an uproar of shock and jealousy, one figure sat completely isolated from the noise.
He sat quietly in the back corner, the massive sand gourd strapped to his back emitting a heavy, suffocating aura that instinctively kept everyone at a distance.
Ignoring the varied, staring eyes of his classmates, Naruto walked straight down the aisle, heading directly toward Gaara.
Naruto stopped in front of the redhead's desk.
"Gaara."
Gaara slowly raised his head. The dark, heavy rings around his pale green eyes gave him an intense, almost predatory look as he stared up at the blonde.
"I'm... graduating early," Naruto said, his voice suddenly feeling a little dry.
Gaara did not speak. He just sat there, his unblinking gaze locked onto Naruto.
The sheer intensity of the stare made Naruto feel a little unnerved. He quickly waved his hands in the air, his words tumbling out in a rush of explanation.
"No! I'm not abandoning you!" Naruto insisted, leaning over the desk. "We are still friends! We can meet up anytime in the village later! We can even go eat Ichiraku Ramen together!"
Naruto tried hard to force a wide, reassuring smile, hoping to break the heavy tension.
Gaara remained silent. The surrounding air seemed to thicken, solidifying into an oppressive weight.
After what felt like an eternity, the redhead finally gave a slow, barely perceptible nod.
Naruto let out a massive sigh of relief. The tension drained from his shoulders, and he reached out, patting Gaara vigorously on the shoulder.
"Then it's settled!"
With that, Naruto turned and strode confidently up to the podium at the front of the room.
He looked out at all the companions seated below him. He waved his hand vigorously in the air, a bright, sunny smile returning to his face, illuminating his features.
"Everyone!" Naruto shouted, his voice ringing clear over the lingering murmurs. "Hinata and I are taking the lead! Everyone, keep up the good work in the future!"
After delivering his parting words, he reached out and took Hinata's hand. Under the stunned, complex gazes of all their classmates, the two of them walked out of the classroom with swift, determined strides.
Outside the classroom door, the hallway was quiet.
Iruka was already waiting for them. He looked at the two young shinobi walking out side by side, a gentle, proud smile resting on his face.
"Are you ready?"
Naruto nodded heavily, his blue eyes shining with fierce anticipation for the future.
"Hokage-sama has already made arrangements for you," Iruka said, his tone shifting back to that of an instructor.
"Tomorrow, there will be an assessment that belongs only to the two of you..."
Iruka's smile widened slightly.
"A graduation exam!"
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