Iruka nodded, a look of genuine approval crossing his face.
"Alright, go home and write up an early graduation application. I'll submit it to the Hokage for you." He paused, then added, "Fair warning, though. Early graduation isn't exactly a simple process."
"Thanks, Iruka-sensei."
Makoto smiled as he said it. The Naruto world was crawling with lunatics, but Iruka was one of the genuinely decent ones. Hard not to like the guy.
Stepping out of the office, he nearly walked straight into the four girls waiting by the door.
"Oh, bright and early today?" He glanced over them, noted the absence of Flatty, and smirked. "Your little justice warrior didn't tag along?"
Yuigahama Yui and her trio kept their mouths shut.
They'd all witnessed Makoto kill Sawanaga Taisuke with their own eyes. The memory still clung to them, and standing this close, a trace of that fear lingered.
It was Ichinose Chizuru who finally worked up the nerve. "Um... Makoto, are you applying for early graduation?"
He gave her a flat look that said everything: You already heard. Why bother asking?
Without a word, he turned to leave.
"W-wait!"
Chizuru hurried after him, her voice trembling slightly. "If you end up moving to a new place... could you let us move in too?"
Makoto stopped and turned around, his gaze settling on her.
Yuigahama Yui and Miura Yumiko froze, staring at Chizuru in disbelief.
Setting aside the fact that Makoto was a boy, the man had killed someone. Why would she ask to live with him?
"At least Makoto's the only guy in his house," Chizuru mumbled. "The orphanage has a whole pack of them."
Yui and Yumiko exchanged a glance. When she put it that way... it almost made sense.
His household already had three girls, one of them an adult guardian. He probably wouldn't try anything. Right?
Listening to the four of them whisper among themselves, Makoto almost laughed.
Did I say yes?
He raised an eyebrow.
You just invite yourself in? What is this, some life-hack you picked up on TikTok?
Miura Yumiko bit her lip. Gone was the queen-bee confidence she wore in the real world. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke up. "What if... what if we gave you our stipends? Would that work?"
The system had assigned them orphan identities, which came with a monthly survivor's allowance.
Makoto didn't even turn around. That pittance, and you think you're renting my place?
"Wait!"
Yui blurted it out before she could stop herself. "We'll cook for you, do the dishes, clean the house... please, just let us stay!"
Makoto paused mid-step.
He turned, rubbing his chin in a flawless Kudo Shinichi impression as he studied the four of them.
A few seconds ticked by before he spoke, slow and deliberate. "Fine. But don't think you're getting off easy. You'll be waiting on me in the bath, polishing my shoes, bringing me foot-washing water, giving massages... that's just off the top of my head. I'll add to the list"
All four faces flushed scarlet.
Miura Yumiko looked ready to explode. She wasn't one of Shuchiin's Pureblood elite, sure, but she'd grown up pampered in a comfortable family, the undisputed top of her class's social hierarchy. She'd never waited on anyone in her life.
She opened her mouth to snap back, but both friends grabbed her sleeve and shook their heads.
Yumiko sucked in a deep breath and swallowed every word.
Can't afford to piss off Makoto right now.
Still, why had he suddenly slipped into a cheesy mobster accent when he said "polish my shoes"?
...
In the end, they struck a deal and headed back to class together.
The moment Makoto sat down, the Akizuki sisters flanked him, each latching onto an arm.
Yumiko glanced over and muttered under her breath, "And he needs us to wait on him?"
Makoto ignored the jab, shook free of the sisters' clinging, and started writing his early graduation application.
He'd already discussed this with Akizuki Kayoko the night before.
By noon, the application had landed on Sarutobi Hiruzen's desk.
The Third Hokage picked it up and read the title: "Sun of the Shinobi World: Beloved Grandpa Third."
He blinked. Then the corners of his mouth began a slow, unstoppable climb.
"This kid... quite the creative application."
He read on.
The opening laid out Makoto's reason for wanting early graduation: he wanted to start working as soon as possible to ease the burden on his adoptive mother, Akizuki Kayoko.
The remaining thousand-plus words were pure, undiluted flattery aimed squarely at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Makoto proclaimed the Third Hokage not merely "the Sun of Konohagakure" but "the Sun of the Entire Shinobi World," destined to achieve what even the First Hokage never could: the unification of all shinobi nations.
Then he pivoted to trashing the Uchiha clan, calling them utterly worthless, insisting they had never appreciated Grandpa Third's boundless grace. Their extermination at Itachi's hands? Deserved.
How could anyone build a proper Konohagakure with vermin like that around?!
The closing line read:
"The debt I owe Grandpa Third can never be repaid."
By this point, Hiruzen's smile had stretched so wide it looked like the Nike swoosh.
Iruka, standing before the desk, could only stare. He was dying to know what Makoto had written to make the Hokage this happy.
"Iruka." Hiruzen set the application down and looked up.
"Sir."
"That boy... he's looking for a new place to live, isn't he?" The old man stroked his beard. "Plenty of empty houses in the Uchiha district now. Let him pick one."
A beat passed, then he added: "An honest child like that deserves a proper reward."
One essay, and Hiruzen had already filed Makoto under "inner circle" in his mind.
A shame the Three Legendary Sannin were all away from the village. Otherwise, he'd have half a mind to make Jiraiya take the boy as an apprentice.
...
Uchiha Sasuke was still recovering and absent from class.
Meanwhile, word of Makoto's early graduation application had already swept through the entire school.
Even Sakura, whose every waking thought usually revolved around Sasuke, couldn't help stealing a few extra glances at Makoto today.
Near the end of the school day, Iruka stood at the podium and announced, "Makoto, head over to the Uchiha district after class. The Hokage has authorized you to pick out a residence there."
The classroom erupted.
Nobody was more stunned than Yui and her group of four. They'd figured it would be years before Makoto could afford a house. And here he was, getting one handed to him on the same day?
What just happened?
Makoto was mildly surprised himself, but recovered almost instantly.
That little essay had done its job nicely.
Some things were universal across every world: flattery will get you everywhere.
"This is amazing, Makoto! We have a new house!"
Airi threw her arms around his left arm. On the other side, Marina refused to be outdone and seized the right.
"Quiet!"
Iruka shot the sisters a glare.
Could you at least show a little mercy to your perpetually single teacher?
The two girls stuck out their tongues and settled down.
Iruka turned back to Makoto. "Your application was approved, but there's still a practical exam. Come to school an hour early tomorrow morning. The Hokage will send someone to test you."
"Understood." Makoto nodded.
Right on cue, the bell rang.
"Alright, class dismissed." Iruka gathered his lesson notes and left.
Makoto stood. "Let's go."
The Akizuki sisters fell into step behind him, all smiles.
He crooked a finger at the four girls.
They exchanged a look, then silently followed.
Watching the procession leave, more than a few boys in the classroom stared with complicated expressions.
Damn it. The guy just keeps collecting more girls around him.
Aki Tomoya felt the bitterest sting of all, left to console himself with a single desperate thought: He only got a two-year head start on transmigrating... S-someday I can pull this off too.
_______________________
*The Bonus Chapter*