"It was all because I got careless just now and didn't dodge that hit. Otherwise, I definitely would've won!"
Even after the outcome was decided, Obito was still indignant. "Damn it, I embarrassed myself in front of Rin!"
"No, you didn't."
Nohara Rin looked at Obito in front of her and said with a smile, "You did really well just now, Obito-kun. I never knew you were so strong."
"Ah, really?"
At Nohara Rin's words, Obito immediately flushed. "Haha, I knew I was strong!"
At that moment, he couldn't help feeling secretly grateful.
He wasn't actually an idiot. Naturally, he could sense that Namikawa Yū was far above his level. The only reason their fight had remained at a stalemate was that Yū had been holding back.
But it was just as well.
Otherwise, if it had been someone else, being soundly defeated by a younger schoolmate would have been far too embarrassing.
Although he had still lost this way, at least he had been allowed to save some face and hadn't embarrassed himself too badly.
Thank goodness.
At that thought, he couldn't help feeling relieved, and his impression of Namikawa Yū, whom he had just met, improved a little.
"Idiot."
Kakashi still wore that same expressionless look, his eyes calm and undisturbed. "I told you long ago to train harder, but you kept letting it go in one ear and out the other."
"What are you going to do when you reach the battlefield with skills like yours?"
"People in the village will go easy on you, but ninja from enemy nations won't."
With those words, he turned and left, leaving Obito and Rin standing there in disarray.
"Hey, Kakashi!"
Only after a long while did Obito's indignant shout ring out. "You jerk!"
What happened between Kakashi and Obito was only a brief interlude.
Elsewhere, after defeating Obito, Namikawa Yū looked at Kōi Akiya before him. "Teacher Akiya, does this mean I've passed the assessment?"
"Of course."
Kōi Akiya nodded, a smile appearing on his face. "You did an excellent job."
Namikawa Yū was far stronger than Kōi Akiya had expected.
It was hard to say exactly how strong he was, but he was certainly far above an ordinary Genin.
With that level of strength, there was naturally nothing wrong with letting him graduate early.
Before that, however, he still had a few things to do.
"Come with me."
He spoke to Namikawa Yū and led him aside.
Namikawa Yū didn't think much of it, assuming they were going to complete some paperwork or something.
Only after they had stepped aside did he realize that wasn't the case at all.
"Lord Hokage!"
Looking at the kind-faced, middle-aged man before him, who was currently in his prime, Namikawa Yū froze briefly before immediately recovering and bowing his head in greeting.
The man before him was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Haha, there's no need to be so formal."
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Namikawa Yū and chuckled, his smile looking very gentle. "Your name is Yū, isn't it? And you're only seven this year?"
After receiving confirmation, he marveled again. "To possess such strength at only seven. Truly remarkable."
"You're too kind, Lord Hokage."
Namikawa Yū lowered his head and said respectfully, "Where fallen leaves dance, new leaves will always sprout. That is the natural order of things."
"It's also thanks to your guidance that I've been able to come this far."
With a grateful expression, he recited, one by one, the Hokage quotations he had memorized while living at the Orphanage.
"Hahahaha!"
Sure enough, an appreciative look appeared on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face.
There were still too few people in Konoha who were good at flattery. Those ninja honed their killing skills to perfection, but were rather slow in other respects.
People like Namikawa Yū, who had no reservations about praising someone straight to their face, were even rarer.
Of course, what mattered most was his age.
What bad intentions could a mere seven-year-old child possibly have?
Children that age had never been able to keep things to themselves, so what they said had to be true.
Especially with Namikawa Yū looking so sincere, it seemed impossible for that feeling to be false, no matter how one looked at it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi believed him, and his impression of Namikawa Yū improved further.
As Hokage, however, he instinctively wanted to probe further.
So he asked, "You could clearly have ended that test very quickly. Why did you drag it out for so long?"
This question was also a test.
Namikawa Yū's answer would offer a better glimpse of his character, allowing him to understand the boy better.
"Obito is a good person."
Faced with Hiruzen Sarutobi's question, Namikawa Yū smiled. "I could tell that he probably likes that girl very much."
"If he lost too badly in front of the girl he likes, it would probably trouble him a great deal."
So it wasn't to hide anything, but to keep Obito from embarrassing himself in front of the person he likes?
Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat surprised. This child is unexpectedly considerate and gentle.
Inwardly, however, his opinion of Namikawa Yū rose further.
Whatever the case, a gentle person who understood how to consider others and willingly let them save face was always likable.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was no exception.
As he looked at Namikawa Yū before him, his gaze was much gentler than before.
"From today onward, you are a true ninja."
He took a forehead protector from an attendant beside him and personally handed it to Namikawa Yū before saying, "However, since it isn't time for the students to graduate yet, it will take a while before your assignment is decided."
After graduating from the Ninja Academy, most students would form teams of three and carry out missions outside the village under a Jonin's leadership, honing their abilities while completing commissions for Konoha as that Jonin's subordinates.
Had Namikawa Yū graduated normally, he would naturally have followed the same process.
That wouldn't work now, though, because there was no one to form a team with him.
So he would either have to remain unassigned or choose to join one of the teams short on members as its newest addition.
"Lord Hokage, I'd like to join Konoha Hospital."
Namikawa Yū wore a respectful expression. "To tell you the truth, I've always been interested in Medical Ninjutsu, and I've been practicing it under Miss Yakushi Nonō's guidance."
"If possible, I hope to become a doctor and treat patients at Konoha Hospital."
Namikawa Yū hadn't sought early graduation just to run off to some other team and become cannon fodder.
Originally, he had planned to find a way into Konoha Hospital directly and secure a position there.
Now, however, with the Hokage himself right here, there was naturally no need for that trouble.
He only needed to state his request directly.
"Oh? You want to become a Medical Ninja? That's quite an uncommon ambition."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was somewhat surprised by Namikawa Yū's choice.