Graduation Exam

The teacher speaking had long anticipated this scene, and he smiled as he said, "Chunin Kaede Hyuga is an outstanding ninja who performed brilliantly while stationed at the border."

"You all had better stay sharp later; don't let our senior think that each graduating class from the academy is worse than the last."

The speech lacked finesse, but it was highly effective.

Countless boys braced themselves, determined to put on a show today.

The teacher on the platform continued, "Third, there will be the Three Basic Jutsu assessment this afternoon."

"The teachers will provide a comprehensive evaluation based on your performance. Only those who pass both items, or show exceptional talent in one, will graduate."

"Good luck, students."

Following this, the teacher stood up to maintain order, and Kaede Hyuga stepped into the arena to serve as the referee for the matches.

"I will now call out the names of those who are to come up. First group, Ebisu, versus Dongni Damu..."

As the teacher called out the names one by one, those summoned stepped into the center of the field, performed the Seal of Confrontation, and began their battle.

This was the final sparring match before graduation, and with so many teachers and the goddess-like senior Kaede Hyuga watching, everyone took it seriously, fighting with more focus than usual.

All eyes were fixed on the combat.

Obito Uchiha was not among them.

He stood beside Rin Nohara, yet instead of feeling his usual happiness, he felt a chill running through his entire body.

Just like his heart.

His gaze was hollow as he watched his classmates in the fray, the figures of Rin Nohara and Nebula Kotetsu constantly flashing through his mind.

Rin Nohara soon noticed his state.

The anger in her heart had long since dissipated.

After all, Obito Uchiha was a close companion, and seeing him like this made her feel increasingly sympathetic.

She reached out and tugged at his sleeve.

Using her usual tone, she said, "Obito, look. That person on the stage is really impressive."

Obito turned his head, and after a second, his eyes focused. Meeting Rin Nohara's gaze, he replied instinctively, "Yeah, yeah."

"Really impressive."

Rin Nohara: "Obito, are you better, or is that person on the stage better?"

Obito Uchiha: "Probably... about the same, I guess."

Rin Nohara: "Is that so? Then guess, which of the two on stage will win?"

Obito Uchiha did not know.

But he felt as if he had come back to life.

The familiar warmth slowly dispelled the chill from his body.

"Probably the one wearing sunglasses."

"Ebisu looks like he has a stronger presence than his opponent."

Rin Nohara: "Were you angry with me just now?"

Obito Uchiha: "Hm... huh?!"

"No, no."

Obito Uchiha quickly flashed a smile, scratching the back of his head as he laughed, "Rin, how could I be angry with you?"

"Never."

Rin Nohara: "Really? You aren't lying to me?"

Obito Uchiha: "Of course."

Rin Nohara observed his eyes with her clear pupils, and amidst his nervousness, she said noncommittally, "Perhaps."

"Let's keep watching."

Obito Uchiha: "Mm-hmm. Grinning_teeth.jpg"

Turning her head, Rin Nohara thought to herself: It should be fine now. It seems I need to be more careful with how I treat Obito in the future.

Obito Uchiha: That was a near-death experience. Hmm... Rin and that guy must just be ordinary friends; I was just overthinking it.

The two of them each had their own preoccupations.

Meanwhile, the battles on stage began to accelerate.

Some won, some lost.

Some pulled out all the stops, fighting brilliantly and earning rounds of applause. Others were timid and hesitant in their strikes. Whenever this happened, Kaede Hyuga would stop the match without hesitation and make a note of it.

Thus, everyone understood. Stalling was useless; the referee would make an assessment in the shortest time possible, and one by one, they began to fight with even greater seriousness.

"Next group, Mizuki, versus Nebula Kotetsu."

As the teacher called out the names for the next match, the crowd suddenly fell silent.

Following this, their gazes lit up in unison.

"Nebula!"

"It's our Nebula~"

"Go Nebula! Nebula is the most handsome!"

"Mwah~"

The girls' voices were impossible to suppress.

Amidst the clamor, a white-haired boy entered the arena first.

A sunny smile appeared on his reasonably handsome face.

"Student Nebula."

"It's our turn."

He smiled cheerfully, as if he were a close friend of Nebula Kotetsu.

In reality, Nebula Kotetsu had never even interacted with him at the Ninja Academy.

Mizuki: "Don't hold back later."

Nebula Kotetsu, having walked to the center of the arena, formed the Seal of Confrontation.

He smiled as well.

If Mizuki's smile could be described as bright and sunny, then the moment Nebula Kotetsu smiled, it was as if the world itself brightened for an instant.

The girls let out a collective "Wow," and as Mizuki heard it, his cheek twitched, a flicker of imperceptible jealousy flashing in the depths of his eyes.

These shallow women!

He's nothing but a dead last; is he really worth such adoration just because of a face?

Hiding his emotions deep down, Mizuki looked at Nebula Kotetsu, who had finished forming the Seal of Confrontation, and gave a hearty laugh.

"Student Nebula, here I come!"

"Anko, skipping class isn't good, right? The teachers will find out!"

"Oh, so what? At worst, you can just tell the teacher that I coerced you into skipping."

"How could the teacher possibly believe such nonsense?"

"I don't care, Yugao, you have to come with me this time."

Just as Nebula Kotetsu took the stage, two figures stealthily blended into the crowd behind the spectators. As they pushed through, they moved closer and closer to the front.

Finally, amidst a series of disgruntled voices and glares, the two squeezed to the front, where they could clearly see the situation in the arena.

"Wow~" Mitarashi Anko, a spirited girl wearing fishnet attire, let out a cry of pleasant surprise.

"Yugao, we arrived just in time for Nebula's match!"

The purple-haired girl being dragged by her replied with annoyance, "I know, I know."

"Every day it's Nebula this, Nebula that."

"He's just a boy, is it really necessary?" As Uzuki Yugao said this, she first checked to see if her clothes had been dirtied or disheveled during the pushing, and finding them fine, she looked at Mitarashi Anko.

Mitarashi Anko said, "Oh, you're always with Hayate or hiding at home practicing swordsmanship; how can that be?"

"As your best friend, I'm bringing you here to see what a real handsome guy looks like."

"Tch~" Uzuki Yugao was unimpressed.

She had heard the girls mention Nebula Kotetsu many times—things like "peerless divine face," "reincarnated fairy," "Hand of God," and "upperclassman harvester."

She had always dismissed it as boring gossip from little girls.

"What 'real handsome guy'..." she muttered, looking at the two people dueling in the arena: "No matter how handsome he is, he can only be so..."

Her voice came to an abrupt halt.

"I'm telling you, a real handsome guy can't be compared to those little boys in class. One look and you feel refreshed; one whiff and you feel at ease."

"Yugao, I'm only bringing you along because we're close; don't think I just dragged you here because I had no one else to skip class with." Mitarashi Anko kept her eyes fixed on Nebula Kotetsu in the arena, her eyes wide, completely failing to notice that her best friend beside her had suddenly gone silent.