Chapter no.4 The Early Graduate

Mornings were always the same for Naruto Uzumaki. Quiet. Too quiet.

He woke up to the sound of nothing. No birds chirping, no calls from someone telling him to get up before he missed breakfast. Just the faint hum of the pipes in the walls of his apartment.

His place? It was huge. Way too big for one kid, but that's what you got when they stuck you in an old complex built for families and forgot to check how much space you actually needed. The walls were bare, the floors creaked in weird places, and cobwebs clung to corners he hadn't bothered to clean yet. It didn't feel like home—it was just where he slept.

Naruto kicked the blanket off and sat up, rubbing the back of his head. His hair stuck out in all directions, and he had to squint against the sunlight sneaking through the blinds.

"Alright, time to start the day! Believe it!" he said aloud, trying to pump himself up. But his voice only echoed back at him, reminding him how empty the place was.

He got up and shuffled to the kitchen. Breakfast wasn't much—instant ramen again. He had a whole cabinet stuffed with it. Chicken flavor today. Fancy, right? While the water boiled, Naruto leaned against the counter, staring at the scuffed tile floor.

Some mornings, he told himself the quiet didn't bother him. But most days? Yeah, it kind of did.


---

The streets of Konoha were already busy when Naruto left his apartment. Shopkeepers were opening their doors, ninjas darted across rooftops, and civilians bustled around carrying baskets of groceries or kids in their arms.

Naruto walked with his hands stuffed in his pockets, keeping his head down as he passed people. He could feel their eyes on him. He didn't need to look to know some of them were whispering.

"That's him, right?"

"Yeah. That kid."

"It's always him."

He pretended not to hear them. It wasn't like he hadn't gotten used to it. But even if he told himself it didn't matter, there was this tight feeling in his chest every time it happened. Like he was carrying something heavy he couldn't put down.

The Academy wasn't far. By the time he got there, most of the other kids were already inside. He hesitated at the entrance, staring up at the building. The place looked huge—like it was daring him to try again after yesterday's disaster.


---

The classroom was loud, as always. Kids shouted over each other, their voices bouncing off the walls as they laughed, bragged, and showed off little tricks they'd learned. Naruto walked in, head held high, pretending not to notice the looks some of them threw his way. He knew what was coming—same as always. Still, he made his way to his seat near the back, sliding into it like he didn't have a care in the world.

It didn't take long.

"Oi, Naruto!" Kiba's voice cut through the noise, and Naruto groaned, slouching lower in his chair. Kiba was already leaning back in his seat, that smirk plastered on his face, Akamaru perched comfortably on his head like a little white hat. "Heard you tried to graduate early. What, you think you're some kinda prodigy now?"

"Tch. What's it to you, dog breath? At least I've got the guts to try!" Naruto shot back, crossing his arms.

Kiba barked out a laugh, and Akamaru let out a soft yip as if agreeing with him. "Yeah, try and fail. You can't even pass a normal exam! What made you think you could skip ahead?"

The words hit hard, but Naruto wasn't about to let him see it. He jabbed a finger in Kiba's direction. "Oh, like you're some kind of genius, huh? You only passed because Akamaru probably helped you cheat!"

"Say that again!" Kiba growled, half-standing from his seat. Akamaru barked in protest as he nearly fell off.

"Oh, I'll say it as many times as I want!" Naruto shot back, slamming his hands on the desk and standing up. "At least I'm not sitting around waiting for handouts like you!"

That got the attention of the whole room. Chōji stopped mid-chew, his hand hovering over his bag of chips. Ino turned away from whatever she and Sakura had been arguing about. Even Shikamaru lifted his head from his folded arms, glancing at Naruto with that bored, half-lidded look of his.

The classroom fell into a tense silence as the door slid open. Iruka-sensei walked in, flanked by the principal and a few other shinobi. The sudden presence of authority was enough to make everyone settle into their seats without a word.

Iruka moved to the front of the class, clearing his throat. His face was set in that serious yet patient expression he always wore when something important was about to happen.

"Yesterday," Iruka began, "one of your classmates took the early graduation exam."

Whispers broke out instantly, most of them paired with quick glances at Naruto. Iruka held up a hand, silencing the chatter.

"While we initially determined that Naruto Uzumaki had failed," he continued, looking directly at Naruto now, "upon further investigation, we discovered errors in the grading. After carefully reviewing his performance, the results have changed."

The room went dead silent.

"Congratulations, Naruto Uzumaki," the principal said, "you are now a genin."

She opened a small box, revealing the unmistakable glint of a Konoha forehead protector.

Naruto sat there, frozen, his mind completely blank. This had to be some kind of mistake. Or a dream. Yeah, that made sense—a dream. He pinched his arm, hard, just to make sure.

It hurt.

"This isn't a dream," he whispered, his voice shaky. Tears welled up in his eyes, blurring everything except the headband in the principal's hands.

"Come to the front, Naruto," Iruka said, motioning toward him with a warm smile.

Naruto pushed himself out of his seat, his legs moving on their own. The entire class was staring, but for once, he didn't care. He walked to the front, every step feeling heavier than the last, until he was standing in front of the principal.

She cleared her throat. "Naruto Uzumaki, as a genin of Konohagakure, you carry the responsibility of representing this village. This is not an easy path. You will face challenges that require strength, discipline, and courage. But I believe that you have the potential to uphold the honor of the Hidden Leaf with the will of fire in your heart."

Naruto barely heard her words. His eyes were locked on the headband. The iron plate gleamed in the light, and the leaf symbol etched into it seemed larger than life. His hands shook as he reached out, fingers brushing against the cloth band.

"A forehead protector," Iruka said softly. "It's more than just a piece of gear, Naruto. It's a symbol of who you are and what you stand for as a shinobi of this village."

Naruto nodded, swallowing hard as he took it. His hands felt clumsy as he tied it around his forehead.

He did it. He actually did it.

"If I may," a new voice said.

Naruto turned to see a man stepping forward. He carried himself with a rigid, almost formal air, and his expression was unreadable behind those dark lenses.

"I am Ebisu," the man introduced himself. "Naruto Uzumaki, as of today, you are under my direct supervision."

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Normally," Ebisu continued, "genin are placed in three-man teams under the guidance of a jōnin. However, since you have graduated early and there are currently no team placements available, the Hokage has assigned me as your personal instructor."

"Wait, wait—so, are you super strong?"

Ebisu paused, visibly taken aback by the question. "I am a shinobi specializing in training the elites of Konoha," he said after a moment. "And I have heard that your dream is to become Hokage."

"You bet it is!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Then I will make sure you become a shinobi capable of achieving that goal," Ebisu said firmly.

A grin stretched across Naruto's face, the biggest one he'd ever worn. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Let's go," Ebisu said, turning on his heel and heading toward the door.

Naruto followed him, pausing just long enough to look back at the classroom. Everyone was still staring, their expressions a mix of shock, confusion, and—yeah, a little jealousy.

Naruto couldn't help himself. "See you around, academy students," he said, putting extra emphasis on the last two words. Then, just because he could, he flipped them the bird and turned to leave.

He didn't even get two steps before he bumped into Ebisu, who had stopped just outside the door.

"Is something wrong, Ebisu-sensei?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

Ebisu stood still for a moment before turning to face him, his expression as unreadable as ever. "Do you expect to become Hokage behaving like that?"

Naruto opened his mouth to argue but stopped when Ebisu raised a hand. "Naruto," he said in a calm, even tone, gesturing back toward the classroom, "becoming Hokage means earning the respect of every single shinobi in this village. That includes your classmates. Would they follow a Hokage who mocks them?"

Naruto blinked, his grin fading as he looked down. Ebisu was right, wasn't he?

Taking a deep breath, Naruto turned back to the class, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh… sorry about that," he said awkwardly. "It was… something to study alongside you all. I hope you all become awesome ninja too. So… yeah, bye."

Iruka couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride at Naruto’s words. In that moment, all of his fears and doubts seemed to fade. The Hokage had chosen well—Ebisu would be a good teacher for Naruto, perhaps even the one he needed most.

Still, a pang of sadness lingered in Iruka’s chest. Guilt gnawed at him for not being able to protect Naruto better, especially when someone like Mizuki had been so close to hurting him. But as he watched the boy wave at him, a bright grin on his face, and then dart off after Ebisu with all the energy in the world, Iruka let himself smile.

“Go on, Naruto,” he murmured softly, his voice carrying a warmth that only grew as the boy disappeared from sight. “Become a shinobi worthy of being Hokage.”