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"Hard Fist Essence!? Another skill-based reward, not bad at all. Still, this technique probably only reaches the level of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms at best."
"It seems that the lottery for beginner reputation points only offers items up to the level of a Jōnin. If I want a significant boost in power, I'll have to save up for the intermediate reputation lottery. A hundredfold difference in cost? This system is really a scam. Anyway, let's see what this Hard Fist technique can actually do!"
Kai stood up and walked to the backyard training ground. He approached a massive tree with a trunk as thick as two people's arms wrapped around it. Holding his breath, his eyes suddenly flashed with determination.
He clenched his right fist and struck the tree with a powerful punch. At first glance, the tree seemed completely unaffected—its leaves didn't even rustle, as though Kai's punch had done absolutely nothing.
But upon closer inspection, his fist was deeply embedded into the trunk.
Hard Fist: Mountain Crumble!
Power concentrated without dispersing, capable of shattering mountains with sheer force!
This was the essence of Hard Fist, a stark contrast to the Gentle Fist style.
Seeing the result, Kai couldn't help but be amazed.
"Just with physical strength alone and the Hard Fist's technique, I can achieve this level of impact. If I combine it with chakra and go all out, my entire arm could easily pierce through the trunk. If this punch landed on a person, it would leave a gaping hole."
"Fortunately, I possess the bloodline of Asura. My physical constitution and recovery ability are strong enough to handle the strain; otherwise, I might not even be able to fully utilize Hard Fist. The burden it places on the body is truly immense."
Mitarashi Residence, Dinner Table
Mitarashi Shishio looked at Kai, who was eating, and suddenly spoke up: "Kid, I heard you beat that brat Kakashi from the Hatake clan at the academy today?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Kai glanced at Shishio in surprise. Normally, Shishio wouldn't allow him or Anko to talk during meals, but today he had made an exception.
"Do you have any plans afterward?" Shishio continued.
"I plan to apply for graduation from the academy."
Hearing Kai's declaration, Shishio's eyes flashed with surprise. He asked, "Are you confident?"
"I'm confident," Kai replied, adding a few more words, "One hundred percent."
"Is that so? Hahaha, that's my nephew, Mitarashi Shishio! Better than that Hatake Sakumo's kid, hahaha!"
Watching Shishio revel in his apparent victory, Kai couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Finally surpassing Hatake Sakumo in some way, Shishio's excitement was understandable.
"Here, Kai, eat more."
"Humph! Uncle is biased." Watching Shishio pile food onto Kai's plate, Anko pouted and complained about his favoritism.
Despite the teasing, the three of them enjoyed a warm and cheerful meal together.
The Next Day
Kai arrived late as usual, but this time he didn't head to the classroom. Instead, he went straight to the academy teacher's office. Facing the puzzled Takajirō, Kai calmly said, "I want to apply for graduation from the academy."
"What did you say?!" Takajirō couldn't believe his ears.
"I want to apply for graduation from the academy," Kai repeated.
"You can't! You've only been enrolled for three months. That's not allowed!"
Kai glanced at Takajirō and replied indifferently, "Then, teacher, what exactly can you teach me?"
"Uh..."
Takajirō hesitated for a moment before reluctantly saying, "Fine, I'll report this to the Third Hokage. He will make the final decision."
"Thank you, teacher. I appreciate your guidance during this time."
"Ah, it's nothing," Takajirō replied awkwardly.
In truth, he hadn't taught Kai anything at all.
But on second thought, given Kai's talent, he was bound to become a great ninja in the future. As someone who had once been his teacher, Takajirō realized he could boast about it later. This thought improved his mood somewhat.
Hokage's Office
Next to the academy stood the Hokage's office building. The Third Hokage held an application form in his hand, his expression curious as he looked at Takajirō.
"You're saying that Mitarashi Kai has applied for early graduation from the academy?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage. Mitarashi Kai defeated Hatake Kakashi yesterday, and I believe he has the strength to graduate early."
"Is that so? Mitarashi Kai, hmm..." The Third Hokage thought for a moment before saying, "Very well, I approve Mitarashi Kai's application for early graduation. Inform him that the graduation exam will take place in three days."
"Understood, Lord Hokage," Takajirō replied before leaving the office.
Watching Takajirō depart, the Third Hokage's lips curled into a mysterious smile. "But since you're a genius, I can't let you graduate too easily."
Three Days Later
"Three days, huh? Why does it have to take so long?"
After hearing Takajirō relay the news, Kai grumbled, then shrugged it off. "Well, the result will be the same anyway."
Within three days, news of Kai's application for early graduation had spread across the entire village of Konoha.
At just five years old, Kai had applied for the academy's graduation exam—a feat unprecedented in Konoha's history. The previous record for the youngest graduate was held by one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru.
Orochimaru had graduated from the academy at the age of six. Kai had broken the record by a full year, causing quite a stir.
For three days, the entire village buzzed with talk about Mitarashi Kai's application for early graduation.
"Have you heard? Mitarashi Shishio's nephew, Mitarashi Kai, has applied for early graduation from the academy."
"Really? That mischievous kid?"
"Absolutely. My cousin is a teacher at the academy, and he said it was specially approved by the Third Hokage. The graduation exam is scheduled for this afternoon."
"Wow, we have to go watch! I've never seen such a genius in my life."
Meanwhile, Kai couldn't hide his excitement. The news of his application had spread throughout the village, and his reputation points had been steadily increasing.
In just three days, Kai's reputation points had almost reached 200.
Still, Kai wasn't in a rush to use them for another lottery. At this point, his skills in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and tools were already well-rounded. The beginner reputation lottery would only serve as icing on the cake. Instead, he decided to save up for the intermediate lottery, which could provide a substantial boost to his strength.
"Right now, my strength is definitely at least on par with a Chūnin. But I'm not sure about the exact level. I just hope this afternoon's graduation exam won't be too boring."
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