As soon as Iruka gave the word, Kairi began extracting chakra in front of him. This time, he went all in drawing out every bit of chakra in one go and releasing it without reservation. His entire body became wrapped in a layer of vibrant blue energy.
Iruka's eyes widened in disbelief. For Kairi to extract that much at once... just how vast was his chakra reserve?
But before he could fully process the thought, Kairi looked up and met his gaze.
Kairi: Staring...
Iruka: Uhh...
"Kairi, why'd you stop? To measure your chakra reserves, you need to extract all of it," Iruka reminded gently.
"I already did," Kairi replied, frowning slightly. Seeing Iruka's reaction, he hesitated. "Wait, does that mean... my chakra level is low?"
If it really was too low, that would be a serious issue. Most jutsu required substantial chakra, and lacking that would place strict limits on his future potential.
"Low? No, no, not at all!" Iruka waved his hands quickly. "I just didn't expect you to be able to extract your full reserve all at once."
"Then, Iruka-sensei," Kairi pressed, fixing him with a steady look, "how would you evaluate my chakra level? Compared to a genin, I mean."
"Let me think." Iruka studied him for a moment. "Right now, you're probably about half as much as the lowest-level graduates. Compared to the average genin, you're short by around two-thirds."
"That much of a gap?" Kairi frowned again.
"No, no, don't misunderstand," Iruka said quickly. "Your chakra reserve is already impressive especially for someone still growing. At your age, the majority of chakra development actually comes from natural physical growth, not training. That means you've got a lot of untapped potential."
He paused to sense the lingering chakra around Kairi's body again and nodded with a trace of admiration. "If you keep growing normally, by graduation your chakra level should far exceed the average."
"I see." Kairi finally let out a breath of relief. So his training hadn't been in vain after all. To hear that he'd likely surpass average levels... that was good news.
But then something clicked in his mind.
Wait a minute this class had Naruto Uzumaki.
That guy had been the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails since birth, not to mention the reincarnation of Asura, plus the natural chakra amplification of the Uzumaki bloodline. Even without the Nine-Tails' power, Naruto's base reserves were monstrous.
If Naruto was factored into the average, Kairi probably wouldn't even reach that line. Still, no point comparing himself to a cheat code. The thought made Kairi chuckle quietly.
Iruka, catching the smile, finally relaxed. He'd nearly discouraged the boy without meaning to and if he'd ended up dampening the spirit of a student like Kairi, he never would've forgiven himself.
In Iruka's eyes, Kairi was already a prodigy. To go from zero to chakra extraction in such a short time, and to handle it so smoothly plus his reserve already rivaled third-year averages. That kind of progress was rare. No exceptional.
"Kairi," Iruka said suddenly, smiling.
"Hmm?" Kairi turned to him, a little curious.
"Just so you know, the amount of chakra you extracted in one go is already more than most genin can manage. Some chūnin don't even do that. That's seriously impressive."
"Oh." Kairi blinked, not particularly phased. That was to be expected. After all, the amount you could extract in one attempt was tied to spiritual strength and in that area, Kairi was more than confident.
"Right, Iruka-sensei," Kairi said, shifting the topic. "Would it be possible for me to start learning the Clone Technique and the rest of the Three Basic Jutsu now?"
That was the second reason he'd come here today. But of course, it was tied to the first. If he didn't prove his capabilities, there was no way he'd be granted early access.
"Hmm... officially, the Three Basic Jutsu are taught starting in second year," Iruka said thoughtfully. "But considering your current level, you're well past that point. I don't see any reason to hold you back."
He nodded with a grin. "Alright. You can start learning them."
After all, they were part of the curriculum eventually anyway. There were no rules saying he couldn't teach them early. They'd even considered shifting the lesson plan forward in the past but not everyone was Kairi. Most students needed to build up from square one.
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Kairi said sincerely.
He'd chosen to approach Iruka because he knew the man's personality from the original story. If it had been Mizuki, he wouldn't have even tried. And though he'd expected Iruka to say yes, he was still truly grateful. After all, Iruka didn't owe him anything.
"Aha, no need for thanks!" Iruka chuckled, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's your own hard work that earned you this chance."
Then he handed Kairi three scrolls. "These are the Three Basic Jutsu. I've included some of my personal notes in them. Go over them first, and if there's anything you don't understand, come back and ask. Just don't forget to return the scrolls later."
"Got it." Kairi accepted the scrolls and glanced over them. They were full of annotations and highlights. Iruka had clearly prepped them for future lessons, complete with explanations on how to teach each step. If Kairi couldn't learn from this... well, he might as well go find a wall and bang his head against it.
"Anything else, Kairi?" Iruka asked.
"Well, since you've helped me so much... I'd like to treat you to a meal," Kairi said.
"Haha, no need! It's a teacher's duty to help their students. Besides, I've still got things to do later—" Iruka began to politely refuse.
"Ichiraku Ramen," Kairi added casually.
Iruka hesitated.
He did love Ichiraku Ramen. Not that it was expensive he could easily afford it on a chūnin's salary. But the idea of letting a student pay…
Then again, Kairi's face was serious. And a bowl of ramen wouldn't put a dent in the boy's finances. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to accept.
"Well then, I'll leave you to your duties for now, Iruka-sensei. I'll wait for you in front of Ichiraku Ramen at six this evening," Kairi said before Iruka could refuse again. With that, he turned and walked off.
Iruka watched his back, blinking in mild astonishment. He really didn't feel like he was talking to a kid from Year One.
Then he remembered Kairi's home situation and sighed softly.
A child forced to grow up early those were often the ones with the strongest drive.
But still... how did he even know Iruka liked Ichiraku Ramen? He had mentioned it before, but most kids wouldn't remember that.
That small gesture warmed Iruka's heart.