Chapter 23: Early Graduation
Who would've thought—his most powerful Fire Release jutsu had now been overtaken.
And the Illusion Techniques, once his weakest area, had become one of his strongest cards—second only to the Mangekyō Sharingan itself.
Even more unexpected was that taijutsu had surpassed his Fire Release and taken the number two spot. Of course, that was largely due to the lightning-based enhancements of his Nintaijutsu—if it were just raw taijutsu alone, it would still rank last.
"You've really been hiding your skills, haven't you, Nan?"
Guy suddenly said, grinning now that both of them had recovered enough to speak comfortably.
"You're no slouch yourself, Guy. I'd say you're already at jōnin level," Nan replied with a smile. This spar had been quite the fruitful experience for him.
Guy humbly shook his head. "Not really. I only had that kind of power because I used the Eight Gates… that's a forbidden technique."
"But you—your strength is real. You've got that kind of power all the time. At just six years old… you really are a genius."
He meant it. When Guy was six, he had just barely gotten into the Ninja Academy—he almost didn't make it in.
But Nan, at six, already had strength on par with an elite jōnin. It was surreal.
Guy's own father had trained for twenty years and was still just a genin. For Guy, the dream of reaching jōnin level using only taijutsu had always seemed like a distant, lofty goal.
But now, seeing Nan, who had already reached that milestone at the very beginning of his own journey—it was both awe-inspiring and humbling.
He used to think Kakashi was the pinnacle of genius. But Nan… Nan was on another level entirely.
From that day on, Guy had one more person to chase after.
Nan, too, found himself lost in thought.
Even without relying on my Mangekyō Sharingan, he mused, I've probably already surpassed most jōnin.
And that power—his Nintaijutsu—was something he had created himself. It wasn't some lucky inheritance like the Mangekyō. That made it all the more satisfying.
But then a strange thought crept in:
What now?
He had originally planned to lay low for a year before applying for graduation.
But now only half that time had passed.
So what was the point of waiting another six months?
Sure, he could spend that time polishing his ninjutsu and rounding out his skillset, but… was it really necessary?
His current strength was more than enough to take on anyone below Kage level. And if he ever did run into a Kage-level opponent, he could just quietly rely on his Mangekyō. Its illusions were subtle enough that most wouldn't even notice it was used.
Unless he ran into someone else with an Eternal Mangekyō… which, as far as he knew, didn't currently exist.
He had nothing to fear.
His growth had reached a plateau—his next limiting factor was chakra capacity. And that wasn't something he could dramatically improve in just a few months.
There was no more progress to be made by training in isolation.
So if chakra couldn't be improved quickly, then real combat experience—missions, battlefield encounters—that was the next logical path forward.
Which meant it was time to graduate.
After all, he'd been in the Academy for a full year now. Kakashi had graduated after one year too.
And the talent Nan had shown was at least on par with Kakashi's in the eyes of others. It would be perfectly reasonable to follow suit.
Decision made, Nan rested until he felt fully recovered, then said goodbye to Guy and headed straight to the Ninja Academy.
There was no reason to delay. Since he'd made up his mind, it was time to put things in motion.
Upon arriving at the Academy, he went straight to his homeroom teacher, Itō.
"I've decided," Nan said calmly.
"I want to apply for early graduation."
When Nan voiced his request, Teacher Itō couldn't help but sigh.
So the day has finally come.
He had long expected this. A genius like Nan was never going to stay in the Academy for the full three years like an average student.
Not long ago, Shisui—another talented child from the same clan—had graduated after only two years. So for someone as gifted as Nan, graduating after just one year made perfect sense.
Over the past six months, Nan had changed drastically. While he had always been recognized as a prodigy, he had never paid much attention to his actual studies at the Academy.
Though he consistently topped the class in physical training and combat drills, his performance in academic and theoretical courses had always been just average.
But recently, that changed.
Even though he seemed just as inattentive during lectures as before, his grades had skyrocketed—so much so that he now held the top academic position in the entire class.
Itō had no idea how Nan managed it, but one thing was certain: with his theoretical knowledge now solid, Nan undoubtedly had what it took to pass the graduation exam and become a full-fledged genin.
However, times were tense. The war effort had escalated, and virtually all shinobi—including newly graduated genin—were being sent to the front lines.
If Nan graduated now, it wouldn't be long before he was deployed to the battlefield.
And he was still just six years old.
Could a child truly handle the brutality of war?
So Itō looked Nan in the eye and asked carefully,
"Are you sure about this? Graduating now means becoming an active ninja. You'll be stepping into a world of fire and blood."
Nan responded with unwavering determination.
"Yes. The Academy no longer has anything left to teach me. The village is in need of shinobi, and I need a broader platform where I can grow stronger. Graduating now is the best decision for both sides."
Hearing that, Itō nodded solemnly. He had no choice but to agree.
"I'll submit your application to the higher-ups. Go home and prepare for your graduation exam."
Coincidentally, the senior class was just about to graduate as well. If all went well, Nan could graduate alongside them.
With the matter settled, Nan left the Academy feeling both excited and curious.
I'll be graduating with the upperclassmen… I wonder what they're like?
He didn't even know much about his own classmates, let alone those a year or two ahead.
Hopefully some of them are named characters from the original story, he thought. Random nobodies don't tend to live very long…
Even though he had confidence in his abilities, the battlefield was unpredictable. If he got stuck on a squad full of disposable extras, his odds of survival could drop sharply.
When Nan got home, he released all the Shadow Clones he'd stationed at school—there was no point keeping them now.
He also stopped his personal training routines. All of his clones used for practice and chakra control were dispelled.
The senior students were set to graduate in less than a week, which meant he would likely be heading to the battlefield shortly after.
He needed to rest up while he still could.
---
Meanwhile, Itō had submitted Nan's early graduation request to the higher-ups.
It wasn't long before the application landed on the desk of the Hokage himself.
In Konoha, almost all decisions regarding shinobi personnel had to go through the Hokage, especially unusual cases like early graduation. It had to be personally reviewed to ensure the candidate was truly qualified.
The Third Hokage wasn't as old and worn as he appeared at the start of the original series, but the burden of war still weighed heavily on him. He looked exhausted—no doubt a product of the constant stress and bloodshed.
At that moment, he was in a meeting with his student, Orochimaru. From the look on Orochimaru's face, it was clear he hadn't gotten what he wanted and wasn't particularly happy about it.
When an urgent report was handed to the Hokage requesting approval for an early graduation, he raised an eyebrow.
A prodigy requesting early graduation? Who could it be this time?
As his eyes scanned the application and he saw the name "Nan, Age: 6," the Hokage's expression grew even more surprised.
Only one person had ever successfully graduated at such a young age before—Kakashi.
He had heard of Nan before: a young genius known for his talents in medical ninjutsu.
But the question was—did this child actually have the strength to back up his reputation?
The front lines were in desperate need of medical personnel. If Nan really could perform under pressure, his graduation would be a blessing for the village.
But what if he didn't have the strength to protect himself? Sending a child into battle could easily result in a meaningless death.
Unsure of how to proceed, the Hokage turned toward his most trusted student.
Orochimaru is here. I'll ask his opinion.
P