Ninja Academy Graduation

For most people, Early Graduation was unimaginable. But for Shiranui Genma and several others in the class who had been spurred on by Kakashi, it was as simple and natural as water flowing downhill.

Perhaps because war was on the verge of breaking out, as many as twelve students in Genma's class took the Early Graduation exam.

Not only was this not stopped, it was even encouraged by policy. As a result, many students nearing Genin level took that year's graduation exam.

Naturally, the difficulty of the assessment would not be lowered. They merely gave out a few extra little gifts, such as Shuriken.

Although an enormous number of people participated in this graduation exam, no matter how many passed, the village had enough instructors to lead them.

Shiranui Genma figured the village was going all out to mass-produce troops before the war.

And graduating earlier truly gave one an advantage. After all, veterans tempered by blood and fire were always more dependable and useful than recruits.

As expected, Genma and Kurenai passed the exam. Another six students from their class who had taken the Early Graduation exam also passed.

Twelve students had taken the Early Graduation exam, and eight had passed. Even Shiranui Genma was astonished when he learned the results.

In the peaceful years to come, only a little over ten people from a class would pass the Ninja Academy Graduation exam, most of them from clans with secret techniques. With thirty students in a class, that was less than a fifty-percent pass rate.

And those were only the figures from his own class's Early Graduation applicants, not all the students.

Students who successfully graduated were notified to gather in designated classrooms. After entering his assigned room and making a rough count, Genma found around thirty graduates there. And this was only one classroom. Many of the neighboring rooms were also filled with graduates. He had never expected this year's class to be of such high quality.

Then again, war was approaching. Every day they matured ahead of time gave them another chance to survive. Every class had no shortage of a few geniuses; they had merely gathered together at this particular moment because of the war.

Once no one else entered or left the classroom, a Ninja Academy teacher came in and announced the team assignments.

He continuously heard cries of delight and sighs of disappointment. When he heard his own team, Genma let out a breath.

Kurenai was on his team. That was the most important thing, and the thing that delighted him most.

Come to think of it, that had not been achieved through luck alone. His shameless father had long ago traded quite a few things with a certain old geezer over the team assignments.

He had no idea what had been used, but such a thing cost the old geezer nothing. It could practically be done with a flick of the pen.

Asuma had not graduated. Knowing Asuma's strength well, Genma understood why: the Third Hokage was probably reluctant to let him go.

Yet somehow, Obito and Rin were still assigned to the same team. Obito seemed to be late, though, and only Rin was there, lying on her desk and seemingly lost in thought.

After the teacher finished announcing the teams, it was time for teammates to gather together. Rin's slender figure looked all the more lonely.

The other teammate on Rin's team had the single-character name Roku. After the teams were assigned, he had not come looking for her at all. Meanwhile, Obito, who had been stopped by an old lady on the road, still had not shown up.

By then, all the members of Genma's team had arrived. He was already intimately familiar with Kurenai, while his other teammate was also someone he had a connection with: Namiashi Raidō, with whom he had practiced swordsmanship.

Once the team was assembled, it was lunchtime, and they could go eat.

Teams filed out of the classroom one after another. Before long, only Genma's team and Rin remained.

After all, they had been fairly close over the past three years at the Ninja Academy. Kurenai and Genma tacitly stayed by her side.

Even after the other teams had all left, Rin's teammates were still nowhere to be seen. Kurenai asked first, "Rin, never mind the other teammate. Where's Obito? You must have told him something as important as the graduation team assignments, right?"

Rin seemed to awaken from a dream. She weakly lifted her eyelids and sat a little straighter. "Mm, I told him. But Obito is late for everything. Maybe today is the same~"

Rin always acted like nothing mattered and everything was fine whenever she was around that idiot Obito.

But in front of them, Rin still showed signs of exhaustion.

It was not that she only revealed her true self to those close to her. Rin simply treated Obito differently.

Genma knew very little about Rin's situation, so he did not interrupt Kurenai and left it all to her.

He and Namiashi Raidō found somewhere farther away to sit, leaving the girls some private space.

"Hey, Raidō, the three of us all use swords. Do you think our instructor will be shocked when he finds out~?"

"Hah, now that you mention it, that really is quite a coincidence. Kurenai started learning swordsmanship relatively late, but her blade is pretty terrifying too~" Namiashi Raidō suddenly recalled sparring with Kurenai and being startled by her fierce fighting style. "But I wrote that I specialize in swordsmanship on my profile. Did you?"

"Uh, I can only be considered somewhat knowledgeable. Swordsmanship without life-or-death experience is beneath notice, so I couldn't really put it down. So..."

"So what are you good at? Do you have something you're even better at than swordsmanship?" Namiashi Raidō's mouth fell wide open, large enough to fit an egg.

"Ahem, aren't ninjas supposed to be versatile? Look, I'm taller than you. That's a specialty too~" To avoid being too shocking, Genma chose to bluff.

Though Namiashi Raidō always seemed impetuous when using a sword, he was not stupid. On the contrary, his instincts were sharp.

Seeing how unreliable Genma's words sounded, he sensed something was off. He pulled the sword from his back, held it in front of Genma, and laid it horizontally between them.

Namiashi Raidō looked stubborn at that moment. His nose was particularly prominent, making him resemble a bull that refused to move unless someone tugged on its nose ring.

"Well... I wrote that I specialize in Ninjutsu. Actually, I have Fire and Earth Affinity."

"What?!" Namiashi Raidō's nose seemed to shrink a little, but his eyes suddenly widened in utter disbelief.

Genma truly counted as a Ninjutsu-type ninja now. His Taijutsu was only nearing the level of an experienced Genin, while his Ninjutsu was relatively well-rounded and comparable to that of an ordinary Chunin.

He had also written that he specialized in Ninjutsu in order to differentiate himself from Kurenai. Otherwise, there was no way two people with identical abilities would be assigned together.

While Namiashi Raidō was still stunned, Kurenai and Rin came over. They seemed to have discussed something remarkable, and both looked quite happy.

"Genma, let's hurry and eat. I'm starving~"

Kurenai's rare display of girlishness made Genma's thoughts wander the instant he heard her voice.

"Sure. Then, Rin, want to come too? Let's go to a Roasted Meat restaurant. We still have plenty of time for once, and the exam was so exhausting. We should treat ourselves~"

Kurenai looked at Rin beside her. However, Rin seemed to think of something, and the smile on her face quickly gained a trace of bitterness.

"No. My teammates might come, and what if they do while I'm not here? And Obito... after putting in so much effort, he doesn't even know he graduated, or that he was assigned to the same team as me~ So you go ahead. I won't be going."

Rin maintained a stiff smile, her eyes full of apology.

She was such a kind girl that it made one's heart ache, yet her future would be so tragic.

Genma's craving for delicious food faded away. And it was not just him; Namiashi Raidō and Kurenai felt the same.

Was a perfectly good celebratory meal going to end on such a bleak note?

Letting out a soft breath, Genma looked at Namiashi Raidō, then at Kurenai. "Let's buy takeout instead. We can bring a portion for Rin too. How about the four of us eat together?"

The idea that shared joy was better than joy alone seemed to work. Kurenai and Namiashi Raidō readily agreed, and the gloom weighing on Rin's heart seemed to lessen considerably as well.

Since they were getting takeout, they were not limited to a single shop. The three split up to buy all kinds of snacks, and soon returned carrying a pile of food.

Come to think of it, being able to have a meal together at the Academy after graduating was probably quite happy.

In the afternoon, it was time to meet their instructors. Team after team was called out, while those who had yet to be led away waited anxiously and craned their necks.

At that moment, a male ninja who was meticulous and understated in everything from walking to opening doors entered the room and called Genma's team.

Their instructor was not Kushina. Kurenai seemed quite disappointed, but she followed him anyway.

Naturally, Genma had not expected Kushina. How could a Jinchuriki possibly have any freedom?

The three followed the man to a training ground and chose seats near a stack of logs.

While Namiashi Raidō conspicuously sat atop the highest log, Kurenai and Genma sat at the very bottom, relatively close to each other.

"Alright, Team 8 is all here. I'm your instructor, Kamise Yushi. You can also call me Teacher Yushi. Now, introduce yourselves. Tell us about things you like. For example, I like fish—any kind of fish. I dislike sour things, such as lemons. And dreams... I'd like to hear yours."

It was a very ordinary opening for a team instructor. Seeing that the students had little reaction, Kamise Yushi pointed at Namiashi Raidō, whose gaze was level with his own. "You seem like the livelier one. You go first."

Namiashi Raidō wanted to say it was only because he could not see the "scene below" and thus felt less annoyed, but since his instructor had said so, he could only accept it.

"My name is Namiashi Raidō. I like swordsmanship and fighting people. I dislike people and things that dawdle. As for my dream, it's to become a swordsmanship master of Konohagakure."

"So you're the kid who specializes in swordsmanship. Mm~ You look pretty good. Next, the girl who specializes in Genjutsu, introduce yourself~"

"My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I like..."

"Mm, you don't seem like a timid little girl. Wanting to become a ninja like Lady Tsunade is indeed an admirable dream. Now then, the last boy. Your turn."

"My name is Shiranui Genma. I like..."

One had to behave a little better during a first meeting, so Genma restrained himself and did not deliberately flaunt their affection again. After all, it was only the first day. They had plenty of time ahead of them.

"Looks like our team is full of drive." Kamise Yushi's previously relaxed expression changed, and he became inexplicably excited.

"I thought I'd get a bunch of brats who only liked fooling around, but it seems the ones assigned to me this year have some real talent. I've decided. After establishing some basic team awareness tomorrow, I'll immediately have you carry out missions!"