Graduation Exam

"Really? Is that so..." Hyuga Rei's tone suddenly softened considerably.

"That's for sure. Every drop of sweat you shed during training is proof. If you couldn't make it, Rei, then probably more than half our class would have to repeat the year."

"Thank you... Kai-kun." The girl revealed a bright smile and offered her thanks to Uchiha Kai.

"Um, I wanted to ask..." Hyuga Rei hesitated.

"What?"

"After graduation, Kai-kun, what are your plans? I heard that most of the Uchiha Clan join the Police Force after graduating..."

"Ah, you mean that. I've already talked with Lord Yashiro. If I graduate smoothly and become a genin, I'll be randomly assigned to a team with everyone else to carry out missions." Uchiha Kai paused as he spoke.

"What's wrong? Why the sudden question?"

"N-nothing!" Hyuga Rei suddenly covered her face and ran off.

"See you tomorrow, Kai-kun! Do your best on the graduation test!"

Leaving behind a bewildered Uchiha Kai standing alone.

The next morning, in front of the Ninja Academy gates.

A bustling crowd had packed the entrance tight. On this important day, almost every parent had come in person to see their children off to school.

Words of encouragement and cheers rang out endlessly.

Uchiha Kai was clearly not among them, though he didn't mind much. Having lived two lives, he was long accustomed to going his own way.

"Morning, Kai. How's your recovery?" A boy in a tight-fitting combat uniform greeted Uchiha Kai.

"Morning, Kei. Nothing serious. I've mostly recovered already. It won't affect the exam."

"Is that so? Good. You suddenly disappeared for two days—I was worried you'd over-trained and dropped dead." The sturdy boy chatting amiably with Uchiha Kai was named Morino Kei, one of the closest friends among their peers.

"Hey, let's go together. I heard this graduation test is different from usual—it's not just a simple spot-check on the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques." Morino Kei leaned in close to Uchiha Kai's ear and whispered.

"As always, you're well-informed. You can find out something this important ahead of time." Uchiha Kai offered a compliment after hearing this.

"Heh heh—of course. That's because I carry the honor of that surname." At his friend's praise, Morino Kei's tail practically shot straight up in the air as he unabashedly bragged.

It wasn't empty boasting, though. Morino Kei had every right to be proud. His surname wasn't one of Konoha's famous great clans, but that was because he hadn't taken his father's family name.

His clan had answered the village's call, voluntarily giving up their surname to integrate into the larger Konoha community, setting an example for the major ninja clans.

And Morino Kei's grandmother was a renowned ninja in her own right: Senju Momoka.

"This graduation exam will most likely pair us up for sparring matches, with grades based on actual combat performance."

"Is that so? Then it's no different from our usual sparring sessions. Only the winners graduate? Wouldn't the elimination rate be too high?" Uchiha Kai questioned.

"Of course not. It's evaluated by analyzing the entire fight. Even if one of two strong fighters loses, that doesn't mean the loser is worse than everyone else, right?" Morino Kei waved his hand dismissively.

"That's pretty reasonable then. Just a bit more complicated than previous tests."

"Don't play dumb. Others might be nervous, but you're probably itching for some real combat to test yourself..." Morino Kei's tone was dry as he teased. As Uchiha Kai's close friend, he was clearly one of the few who knew the boy's true strength.

"We'll see when the time comes. Practice is the true test."

"You're still so full of these sayings, never letting anything slip. Isn't that tiring..." As the two chatted, they unknowingly arrived at their familiar classroom.

The moment they entered, they heard a familiar voice calling out.

"Over here! Kai-kun, Kei-san!" Hyuga Rei waved from a seat by the window in the back row, signaling them to sit with her.

"You two still love cutting it close. You always arrive just as the bell's about to ring." The girl spoke as soon as they sat down.

"Just getting a bit more sleep to conserve energy..." Morino Kei scratched his head in reply.

"Using time wisely is a required course in life. I just finished my morning training and rushed over too." Compared to Morino Kei's excuse, Uchiha Kai's words sounded several levels more profound.

It left Morino Kei with a face full of exasperation, his expression shifting.

"Heh heh, anyway, as long as you're not late. Today, Funeno-sensei is in charge. If you'd been a step later, you'd both be in trouble." The girl pursed her lips, gesturing toward the classroom door.

A stocky man with a simple, honest face walked in. It was Funeno Daikoku.

"Funeno-sensei? Doesn't he always teach the lower grades? Why is he suddenly overseeing the graduation exam?" Uchiha Kai asked, puzzled.

"Probably because of the Sand Ninja invasion a while back. Most of the village's ninja were sent out to hold them off. The only one left with time to oversee might be Funeno Daikoku-sensei." Hyuga Rei twirled a finger as she spoke.

The next moment, Funeno Daikoku suddenly rapped on the blackboard, his deep voice carrying through the entire classroom.

"Quiet down! I'll call roll first." Instantly, the room fell silent as if a mute button had been pressed. Everyone cooperatively stayed quiet.

Seeing this, Funeno Daikoku nodded in satisfaction and began calling names.

"Ryunoma Wajima." "Present!"

"Hyuga Tetsu." "Present!"

"Uchiha Ko." "Present!"

"Mibu Nin!" "Present!" "Mitaraishi Anko!" "Present!"

"Uchiha Kai!" "Present!"...

Three minutes later, Funeno Daikoku finished the roll call, swept his gaze over the students seated upright, and slowly began to speak.

"I know that, at this very moment, your hearts are all brimming with excitement. You can't wait to end this long period of study."

"You've grown tired of the monotonous school life. You're so eager to don the title of ninja and start living the life you've imagined."

"But I tell you, you're wrong! Completely wrong. If you're coming to this exam with that mindset today, I advise you to give up early and prepare to repeat the year." Funeno Daikoku began to state the facts sternly.

"Because a ninja! Is never a glamorous role, never a childish game of make-believe, but a high-risk profession that struggles through blood and tears at every moment."

"A ninja is an inescapable responsibility! Once you set foot on this path, you can never turn back. Are you prepared for that now?" Funeno Daikoku's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an indescribable force that connected everyone in the room.

"I'm ready!" "I am too!" "I'll never regret becoming a ninja!"...

Voices rose and fell within the classroom. Seeing this, Funeno Daikoku curled the corners of his mouth and nodded.

"Good, very spirited!"

"Then I'll announce a notice. This year's graduation exam is different from previous years. It won't be a simple test of the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques. Instead, you'll draw lots randomly, pair up for one-on-one combat, and your graduation will be evaluated based on your performance in battle."

The moment his words hit the ground, the classroom exploded into chaos, buzzing with noise.

"What?! This exam isn't testing the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques?!"

"No way! I've been practicing so hard just to graduate! How can they just change it like that?!!"

Complaints of this sort rose and fell, with only a few people remaining calm, unflustered by the sudden change in exam content.

"Hmph! A bunch of short-sighted civilian ninjas, wailing at every problem and thinking they can become ninjas? What a joke!" Uchiha Ko, wearing clothes adorned with a fan-pattern emblem, sneered as he spoke. His tone was full of contempt and disdain.

From start to finish, his gaze was fixed on only one person—Uchiha Kai, who sat in the back row. As for Uchiha Kai himself? The boy was spacing out at the moment, completely unaware of who was staring at him.