The Wind Stopped, The Clouds Ceased

As the Chief Examiner for this Early Graduation assessment, Minato Namikaze had already seen through Veigar's actions and intentions. Smiling inwardly, he said to Kakashi Hatake, "What will you do?"

"Kakashi."

Watching Veigar hold a kunai on the field, Obito Uchiha felt a swelling sense of pride.

Because Veigar had truly kept his promise and brought out the kunai Obito had given him during this Early Graduation assessment.

That was right—the kunai Veigar held was the very one Obito Uchiha had given him before.

"Go, Veigar!"

"Beat that Kakashi bastard flat for me!"

Obito Uchiha shouted excitedly as he cheered Veigar on.

If Veigar's opponent had not been Kakashi Hatake, or if Obito Uchiha had not seen Veigar pull out the kunai he had given him to fight with, he would not have been so excited.

But since Veigar's opponent was Kakashi Hatake, things were completely different.

Because of Rin Nohara, Obito Uchiha had always regarded Kakashi Hatake as his imaginary rival in love. He believed that if Kakashi Hatake did not exist, Rin Nohara would surely have fallen for him.

Instead of, as she did now, keeping her heart fixed on Kakashi Hatake.

That was why Obito Uchiha bore such deep hostility toward Kakashi Hatake. No matter where they were or what they were doing, he wanted to defeat Kakashi Hatake—but he had never succeeded so far.

Compared to Obito Uchiha's cheering, Might Guy was the most conspicuous guy in the entire crowd.

No one knew where he had gotten a flag embroidered with the symbol of Konoha Village on one side and the words "Certain Victory" on the other. He kept waving it and shouting.

"Go, Veigar, go..."

"Victory! Veigar will win..."

The commotion outside the field could not affect Kakashi Hatake in the slightest. Unable to tell which one was Veigar's real body, he reached into his Ninja Tool Bag and pulled out four sharp shuriken.

"Swish, swish, swish, swish!"

The shuriken shot toward Veigar's clones at tremendous speed.

Veigar's clones were merely illusions and possessed no real combat ability. Kakashi Hatake's thrown shuriken easily shattered them in a single strike.

"They're all clones. The real body..."

Seeing that every target he had destroyed was one of Veigar's clones, Kakashi Hatake's gaze sharpened as a sense of danger welled up in his heart.

At the same time, Veigar—who had just used the Transformation Technique to hide in Kakashi Hatake's blind spot—launched his attack.

"One-Sword Style: Iaido Slash."

Using a kunai in place of a Ninja Sword, Veigar unleashed the strongest move in the Sword Technique he had practiced—Iaido Slash.

Though it did not feel quite right in his hand, it did not diminish the power of the Iaido Slash in the slightest. He merely needed to get closer to Kakashi Hatake.

The longer the weapon, the greater the advantage.

And precisely because the blade in Veigar's hand was only a twenty-four-centimeter kunai, the Sword Technique that could have dealt Kakashi Hatake a killing blow gave him enough time to react.

Waiting calmly for movement, Kakashi Hatake flipped the short blade in his hand and unleashed one of the killing moves of his family's Sword Technique—Fang Pierce.

"Hatake Style: Fang Pierce."

With a sharp blade, a sharp gaze, and the determination that he could not lose, Kakashi Hatake thrust out with all his strength.

One could not lose; the other refused to lose. But every battle had to end with a victor.

The wind stopped, and even the clouds seemed to halt.

Veigar and Kakashi Hatake wore slightly ferocious yet solemn expressions.

Then, in the next instant, the mood abruptly changed.

The practice field, which had been filled with a fierce air as Veigar and Kakashi Hatake were about to decide the victor, instantly returned to calm because of a single sentence from Minato Namikaze.

"The battle is over!"

At that moment, Minato Namikaze, Veigar, and Kakashi Hatake were clustered together on the field. Minato Namikaze had both hands gripping Veigar's and Kakashi Hatake's wrists, a warm smile spread across his face.

It turned out that the three minutes were up, and Minato Namikaze had instantly stopped the battle between Veigar and Kakashi Hatake.

Veigar's kunai had stopped before Kakashi Hatake's chest, unable to advance another inch. The wrist Minato Namikaze held could not break free at all.

Likewise, Kakashi Hatake's blade tip rested against Veigar's chest, only an inch away from piercing his body.

At first, the two whose wrists had been seized by Minato Namikaze were puzzled. But after Minato Namikaze gently said, "The assessment is over," Kakashi Hatake finally came back to his senses.

Today's battle had been to assess whether Veigar could successfully graduate from the Ninja Academy.

In an instant, Veigar and Kakashi Hatake both pulled their wrists free from Minato Namikaze's grasp. Without waiting for Minato Namikaze to speak, the two formed the Seal of Reconciliation.

"Thank you for your guidance."

At the same time, both acknowledged their own defeat in their hearts.

I lost!

I lost!

Vega's face was filled with regret. He had nearly won just now. If what he had held had been a Ninja Sword instead of a Kunai, he would definitely have defeated Kakashi Hatake.

Unfortunately, reality had no "what ifs."

There had been none in the past, none now, and none in the future.

There were none during training, none during drills, and even less so in battle.

Kakashi Hatake's face was filled with unwillingness. He had nearly defeated Vega just now. If there had been one more second—no, even 0.1 more seconds—he would have been able to pierce Vega's body with the ninja power in his hand and claim victory.

Unfortunately, the three minutes were up.

Watching Vega and Kakashi Hatake form the Reconciliation Seal, Minato Namikaze announced, "I declare that Vega Koshima has passed the Early Graduation examination and has become one of Konoha Village's ninja."

The moment Minato Namikaze finished speaking, enormous cheers erupted from the crowd. At that moment, Vega's title of Super Genius was firmly etched into everyone's hearts.

Having passed the Early Graduation examination, Vega slowly walked toward the raised platform ahead, where Hiruzen Sarutobi stood with a kindly expression.

He was about to receive proof of his status as a ninja of Konoha Village—the Konoha Ninja Headband.

Looking at Vega standing before him, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore an exceptionally solemn expression as he said seriously, "Vega, congratulations on passing the Early Graduation examination. I will now present you with your ninja headband."

"Once you put it on, you will be an inheritor of the Will of Fire and a guardian of Konoha's peace."

Vega lowered his head and respectfully held out both hands. "Yes, Third Lord."

Then, Vega felt the Konoha Ninja Headband Hiruzen Sarutobi placed in his hands.

Under Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, Vega solemnly tied the Konoha Ninja Headband around his forehead.