The moment Tachibana stood up to sign up, the entire class fell silent.
Even Momochi Zabuza, who usually couldn't care less about anything, turned to glance in his direction.
"Sensei Ueda, I would like to take part in the medical ninja selection."
Seeing that their homeroom teacher gave no immediate response, spoke again, reminding him.
"You... go to the indoor training arena on the first floor for the assessment," Ueda-sensei replied after a moment, his expression slightly hesitant.
It was no surprise. Lately, Tachibana's performance had been on the rise, not just in theory, but in combat assessments as well, improving with every test.
Ueda-sensei had already assumed would be one of the students to secure a passing spot in the upcoming graduation exam, helping boost the class's overall rate.
And now, this sure-fire graduate wanted to switch tracks and become a medical ninja?
The look in Ueda-sensei's eyes was akin to that of a teacher in the previous world, who one day heard a top-tier student say, "Sensei, I've decided to drop out of school and become an excavator operator." That kind of feeling.
But Tachibana didn't need anyone's understanding. He simply nodded at Ueda-sensei standing at the podium and walked straight out of the classroom.
The moment he left, the classroom exploded in chatter.
"Never thought was such a coward."
"Can't be, right? Hasn't he been training super hard this past month? Why would he go for that kind of assessment?"
"I thought he was finally getting smart. Turns out, he's still the same fool as before."
"Alright! Class begins!"
The sharper students picked up on Ueda-sensei's foul mood and immediately quieted down.
Still irked, Ueda-sensei added,
"A ninja's most important trait is strength! If you can't take lessons seriously now, you might as well be ready to die on your next mission!"
But up in the front row, Momochi Zabuza looked more unsettled than angry, his brow furrowed tightly.
Could it be… that guy knows something?
Given 's strong performance in recent combat evaluations, Zabuza had already begun treating him as a rival, simulating numerous battles against him.
Now, that same guy suddenly decides, without a word, to go be a medical ninja?
Or... was it because he'd been mentioned to Yagura Kōkitsu before? Did someone put pressure on him and force him out?
While Zabuza sat tangled in suspicion, elsewhere, had already arrived at the selection venue, and was a little disappointed. Aunt Keiko Saigyoji wasn't one of the proctors.
Including himself, there were only three candidates present. The other two he recognized, bottom-ranked girls from Class 3 and Class 5, likely here out of concern they wouldn't pass the graduation exam otherwise.
Still, it wasn't just the number of candidates that was discouraging. Even the proctors didn't seem to take this selection seriously.
The two instructors in the corner of the room chatted and laughed among themselves. Only after some time, when it became clear no one else was coming, did one of them, slightly younger, speak up.
"Each of you perform the Three Basic Jutsu once. If you succeed, you can get lost and report to the hospital."
"Um… excuse me? Isn't this the medical ninja selection?"
The round-faced girl asked timidly, apparently holding some confidence in her medical skills.
was just as confused. The Three Basic Jutsu weren't difficult, but it did make all the studying he'd done on medical theory feel a bit pointless.
The young proctor already looked impatient.
"We're choosing qualified ninjas for medical training. Don't know the Three Basic Jutsu? What else could you possibly be good at?"
Fair enough, he supposed, it did make a bit of sense when put like that.
Still, this slapdash of a selection probably wasn't something even Keiko Saigyoji had anticipated.
Failing to master the Three Basic Jutsu after three years in ninja school probably meant there were deeper issues at play. So didn't spare the other two girls another glance.
He calmly began weaving hand seals and executed the Three Basic Jutsu in order, nothing flashy, just crisp, clean technique. Once done, he looked to the proctors.
"Alright, fill out this form and report to the hospital by the end of the day."
One of them handed him a stamped but otherwise blank form and waved him off.
[Ding! Dropped out of Ninja Academy. Achievement unlocked: 'First Step to Becoming the Richest Man.']
'Dropped out? What kind of nonsense is this system spewing? Richest man, my foot…'
muttered to himself as he walked off campus, not paying the slightest attention to the helpless looks behind him from the other two girls.
They'd failed the selection, chances were, their remaining days in the academy would only get harder.
Kirigakure Hospital
Everything ahead remained shrouded in the perpetual mist of Kirigakure, casting a haze over the world.
Though in three months' time, he might surpass Momochi Zabuza in strength…
Though the Third Great Ninja War loomed ominously on the horizon…
Though every ounce of planning, every choice he made, was merely another form of running away…
At this moment, it felt as if a beam of light had pierced the mist, straight into his soul.
A soft glow shimmered in Tachibana's black pupils. The corners of his lips curved into a gentle smile.
For the first time since crossing over to this world, he smiled from the heart.
He took a deep breath. Even the damp, heavy air of Kirigakure carried a hint of sweetness.
"Hey, brat! Why are you just standing around sniffing at the hospital entrance? You some kind of pervert?"
A young but furious-sounding girl's voice rang out behind him.
"Enough, Mei. Maybe the kid's just thinking about something important."
turned and saw two figures, both dressed like ninjas. One tall, one short.
The one who spoke was a man in his twenties, a chuunin wearing the standard flak jacket. He had a spiky, grayish-blue mohawk.
Next to him stood a girl around 's height, with shoulder-length reddish-brown hair, currently glaring at him with visible annoyance.
"Sorry, sorry. I'll head in now."
quickly masked the glimmer in his eyes, offering them an awkward smile as he hurried toward the hospital doors.
Even as he walked in, he called back, "I'm pretty familiar with this hospital. If there's something you need, I can help."
"Like hell we need your help!"
The girl clearly didn't appreciate the gesture and didn't even spare him a glance as she marched toward the stairs.
The older ninja merely nodded politely before following her.
'Mei Terumi and Ao? Looks like a jounin mentor and his genin team.'
It was still morning, and the hospital lobby wasn't too crowded. stood watching their backs ascend the stairs, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.
'Didn't expect the two of them to know each other this early. No wonder Ao became one of her most trusted guards after she became Mizukage.'
'Still, little Mei Terumi is such a tomboy. No sign at all of the sultry older woman she'd grow up to be.'
What didn't know was that those two, now on the second floor, were discussing him as well.
"That kid… did he recognize us?"
Ao felt a gaze when they passed earlier.
"He probably recognized you, sensei. You are one of the village's youngest jounin, after all. Wouldn't be strange."
"Maybe. He wasn't wearing a forehead protector, so probably still a student. But why would a student be in the hospital at this hour?"
"Doesn't matter. What matters is that Gantada and Kokugawa got themselves injured again. Another supposedly simple mission gone sideways! I swear, I'm going to beat some sense into those two!"
Mei's irritation clearly left her with no room to care about the strange boy at the door. Her priority now was scolding her reckless teammates.