Ino didn't say a word. She wouldn't tell anyone that she had a condition called "headache when seeing a Uchiha"!
Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Obito, Uchiha Madara—just thinking about them was troublesome. These guys were each more problematic than the last, and their abilities were buggy. It wasn't without reason that the Second Hokage was hostile towards them.
She highly suspected that Uchiha Sasuke had already awakened his Sharingan.
Sasuke's genjutsu mastery was far inferior to his brother's, but relying solely on the Sharingan's observation, hypnosis, and copying functions, his strength could receive a massive boost.
If he were to copy a few taijutsu techniques, Ino really wouldn't be able to defeat him if they couldn't maintain distance in a fight.
Ino uttered Shikamaru's catchphrase: "What a drag."
Shikamaru pretended not to hear and continued to bury his head in sleep.
Sasuke's return didn't cause much of a stir. The pressure of the graduation exam weighed on everyone's minds. Originally, the members of the Ninja clans didn't care about school grades, but Ino was so competitive that they had no choice but to push themselves to study and train.
Their surge in effort, in turn, made Ino feel immense pressure.
There was Water Release Ninjutsu training, hand sign training, Earth Release Chakra nature transformation training, Shuriken throwing training, family Secret Technique training, plus the courses at the Academy.
Yamanaka Inoichi, as a strict father, had made it very clear that he hoped she could achieve first place in the entire grade. This wasn't a hope, but a demand.
Ino's main body and two Shadow Clones studied at full throttle. In the last few days, even the Earth Release Chakra nature transformation training stopped, and she focused solely on studying.
She knew how to throw Shuriken and perform the Three Body Technique, and so did the children from Ninja clans. The only way to create a gap was in the theoretical exam. Shino, Shikamaru, and Hinata all had good grades, but hers were even better.
In the manga, passing the exam seemed easy, but in reality, a large number of students failed to pass and couldn't graduate. Ino's stats were Nin 8, Tai 3, Gen 3, Int 6, Str 2, Spd 5, Sta 6, Hand Seals 5, while many students' stats were like 1, 1, 2, 2. They were both playful and untalented, so achieving ten out of ten hits with Shuriken was like reaching for the sky for them, and the Three Body Technique was the same.
Naruto, who could skillfully use Transformation Technique and Substitution Jutsu but wasn't good at Clone Technique, was actually a good student. Calling him a dead last was a bit unfair; he was the dead last of the elite class, not the dead last among poor students.
To be fair, Naruto's Transformation Technique level was genuinely not low; he must have put in a lot of effort practicing it.
For Ino, the theoretical exam, physical fitness exam, Kunai throwing exam, and the most crucial Ninjutsu exam were all without difficulty; she passed all of them with full marks.
Sasuke, Hinata, and the others were generally a little weaker in theory.
Ino passed the graduation exam with full marks in all subjects, and then she and Shikamaru and the others watched Naruto's exam.
This year, they didn't test Transformation Technique or Substitution Jutsu; they tested Clone Technique.
The exam required successfully creating two clones. The Seventh Hokage, who would later conquer the world with Multiple Shadow Clone, was currently unable to control the massive amount of Chakra within him. To everyone's strange gazes, he created a grotesque-looking thing.
"Failed!" Iruka shouted in anger.
The exam concluded smoothly, and everyone officially graduated.
The Third Hokage personally came to the Ninja Academy to encourage the graduating students, urging them to follow the will of fire, blah blah blah. He also set new requirements for the non-graduating students, telling them to continue working hard, strive to catch up in the future, and not be discouraged.
As the top student of her grade, Ino also spoke on behalf of all graduates, saying something along the lines of "Today I am proud of the Konoha Ninja Academy, tomorrow the Konoha Ninja Academy will be proud of me," which made the Third Hokage nod repeatedly.
Naruto, utterly dejected, went to draw circles by himself, while Ino and the others lined up to receive their forehead protectors, which signified their official status as Ninja.
It must be said that the Genin of Konoha Village were all incredibly undisciplined. There were all sorts of clothes, all sorts of ways to wear forehead protectors, a chaotic mess that looked like a motley crew.
Temari and Kankuro from Hidden Sand Village also wore clothes haphazardly, but they wore their forehead protectors properly. Konoha, on the other hand, was a complete mess.
Ino often felt that she was too orderly, making her seem out of place among these guys.
To avoid being excluded by the small group, she used her forehead protector as a waist guard, hanging it on her waist and calling it a day.
After receiving the forehead protectors, it was time for photos and the input of Ninja information.
Once the entire process was completed, Ino officially graduated.
She picked up the Ninja registration card given to her and looked at it. Her Ninja ID number was 012604, and her rank was Genin.
This meant Ino was the 12604th Ninja to graduate from the Konoha Village Ninja Academy. She tucked the ID into her pouch. Theoretically, there would be two more opportunities to use this ID: when she passed the Chunin Exams to be promoted to Chunin, and when she received a recommendation from a Ninja clan and was ultimately approved by the Village elders for promotion to Jonin. However, most Ninja never get promoted, so the next time this item is brought out for registration is usually at a memorial service.
Ino, Shikamaru, and the others were about to head home after getting their forehead protectors. At the corner of the school building, they happened to run into the white-haired Teacher Mizuki.
Shikamaru and Choji walked past with blank expressions, as if they hadn't seen him.
Ino hesitated. Although she had just graduated five minutes ago, it felt a bit inappropriate to pretend not to recognize her teacher right after graduation.
Knowing that the person in front of her wasn't a good person, she still greeted him: "Hello, Teacher Mizuki."
Mizuki seemed no different from usual, maintaining the demeanor of a teacher.
"Ah, Yamanaka. I heard you got first place in the entire grade. That's truly impressive. I estimate even last year's Hyuga Neji couldn't compare to you."
Why is this guy telling me this? Is he going to...?
It was false to say Ino had no thoughts about the scroll of seals, but she also knew that she couldn't possibly access it under the Third Hokage's strict surveillance.
She didn't want to get involved in this matter, and her tone cooled by two degrees.
"It's because the teachers taught well. I can't compare to Neji-senpai. Goodbye, Teacher."
She nodded slightly, preparing to leave.
Mizuki appeared gentle on the surface but was cursing inwardly. What's so great about it? I, a dignified Chunin, am talking to you, and these guys from Ninja clans are all incredibly arrogant.
Mizuki said without changing his expression: "Since today is a happy occasion, how about this: Teacher Tsubaki and I will treat you all tonight. Let's get together and eat—"
Before he finished speaking, Choji, who had walked over twenty meters ahead and was about to exit the school gate, instantly "flew" back. His eyes blazed: "Treat us? Teacher Mizuki! What are we eating? Are we going for barbecue?!"
You mother! You pretended not to know me before, and now you're like this when I mention treating you? Mizuki's expression stiffened, and he gave a dry laugh, nodding.
Choji couldn't have been happier. He loudly exclaimed: "Teacher Mizuki is treating us! Shikamaru, Ino, let's go for barbecue tonight, okay?"
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