Graduation Exam

The teacher who had spoken had expected this scene. He smiled and said, "Chunin Kaede Hyuga is an outstanding ninja who performed exceptionally well while stationed at the border."

"You'd better stay sharp later. Don't let your seniors think each graduating class is worse than the last."

The speech wasn't particularly impressive, but it was effective.

More than a few boys steeled themselves to make a good showing today.

The teacher onstage continued, "The third event is the Three-Body Technique assessment this afternoon."

"The teachers will evaluate you based on your overall performance. You'll graduate only if you pass two events, or stand out especially in one."

"Do your best, everyone."

Afterward, the teacher got up to keep order, while Kaede Hyuga came to the field to act as referee.

"Next, the students whose names I call will come forward. First match: Ebisu versus Dongni Damu..."

As the teacher called out the names one by one, the students summoned came to the center of the field, formed the Seal of Confrontation, and began to fight.

It was their final match before graduation, and they were fighting in front of so many teachers—and their goddess, senior Kaede Hyuga. Everyone took it seriously, and they fought with more focus than usual.

Everyone's attention was fixed on the matches.

Obito Uchiha wasn't paying attention.

He stood beside Rin Nohara, but instead of feeling happy as he usually did, he felt chilled to the bone.

Just like his heart.

With a vacant stare, he watched the students fighting on the field, while the images of Rin Nohara and Nebula Kotetsu kept surfacing in his mind.

Rin Nohara soon noticed his state.

She had long since calmed down.

Obito Uchiha was, after all, a close friend. Seeing him like this made Rin Nohara feel increasingly sorry for him.

She reached out and tugged at his sleeve.

In her usual tone, she said, "Obito, look. That person onstage is really good."

Obito turned his head. A second later, his gaze came into focus. Meeting Rin Nohara's eyes, he answered instinctively, "Yeah, yeah."

"He's really good."

Rin Nohara asked, "Obito, are you better, or is that person onstage?"

Obito Uchiha replied, "Probably... about the same."

"Really? Then guess which of those two onstage will win?"

Obito Uchiha didn't know.

But he felt as if he'd come back to life.

The familiar warmth gradually chased away the chill.

"Probably the one wearing sunglasses."

"Ebisu looks more confident than his opponent."

Rin Nohara asked, "Were you angry with me just now?"

Obito Uchiha said, "Mm... what?!"

"No, no."

Obito Uchiha quickly put on a smile. Rubbing the back of his head, he said with a grin, "Rin, why would I be angry with you?"

"I wouldn't."

Rin Nohara asked, "Really? You're not lying to me?"

Obito Uchiha replied, "Of course not."

Rin Nohara studied Obito's eyes with her clear gaze. As he grew nervous, she gave him a noncommittal answer. "Maybe."

"Let's keep watching."

Obito Uchiha said, "Mm-hmm. Grinning widely.jpg."

Turning back, Rin Nohara thought, He should be fine now. I'll have to be more careful about how I treat Obito from now on.

Obito Uchiha thought, I almost died just now. Mm... Rin and that guy are probably just ordinary friends. I was overthinking it.

Each of them had their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, the matches onstage began to speed up.

Some won, and some lost.

Some gave it their all, fighting spectacularly and earning cheers, while others held back, hesitating to make a move. Whenever that happened, Kaede Hyuga would call a halt without hesitation and record her assessment.

Everyone understood: dragging things out wouldn't help. The referee would make her evaluation in the shortest time possible, so they all fought more seriously.

"Next match: Mizuki versus Nebula Kotetsu."

At the teacher's announcement, the crowd suddenly fell silent.

Then, one after another, their eyes lit up.

"Nebula!"

"It's our Nebula!"

"Go, Nebula! You're the coolest!"

"Mwah~"

The girls' voices were impossible to suppress.

Amid the commotion, a white-haired boy stepped onto the field first.

His fairly handsome face wore a sunny smile.

"Classmate Nebula."

"It's our turn."

He smiled cheerfully, as if he were Nebula Kotetsu's good friend.

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

Mizuki said, "Don't go easy on me later."

Nebula Kotetsu walked to the center of the field and formed the Seal of Confrontation.

He smiled too.

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

The girls burst into a chorus of "Wow!" Mizuki heard them and twitched his cheek, a hint of jealousy flashing in his eyes.

What a bunch of shallow women!

He was just a dead-last student. Was he really worth all that attention just because of his face?

Keeping his feelings hidden, Mizuki looked at Nebula Kotetsu, who had finished forming the Seal of Confrontation, and smiled cheerfully.

"Classmate Nebula, here I come!"

"Anko, skipping class is bad, isn't it? The teacher will catch us!"

"Oh, so what? At worst, you can tell the teacher I forced you to skip."

"Why would the teacher ever believe that?"

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

Just as Nebula Kotetsu stepped onto the field, two sneaky figures slipped into the crowd from the back. As they kept jostling their way through, they gradually made it closer to the front.

Finally, amid a string of complaints and disapproving looks, the two squeezed their way up front, where they could see the field clearly.

"Wow!" The spirited girl in fishnet, Mitaraishi Anko, let out an excited little gasp.

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

The purple-haired girl she was dragging along replied, exasperated, "All right, all right."

"'Nebula this, Nebula that,' all day long."

"He's just a boy. Is all this really necessary?" Uzuki Yugao said. First she checked whether the jostling had messed up or dirtied her clothes. Only after confirming they were fine did she look at Mitaraishi Anko.

Mitaraishi Anko said, "Come on, you spend all day with Hayate, or else hide at home practicing sword techniques. That won't do!"

"As your good friend, I brought you here to see what a truly handsome guy looks like."

"Whatever." Uzuki Yugao was unimpressed.

She had heard the girls mention Nebula Kotetsu plenty of times: "peerless beauty," "reincarnated Sprite," "Hand of God," "senpai collector," and so on.

She'd dismissed it all as pointless gossip from girls.

"What handsome guy?" she muttered, glancing at the two people fighting on the field. "Even if he's good-looking, how good can he—"

Her voice cut off abruptly.

"I'm telling you, real handsome guys are nothing like the little boys in our class. One look, and you feel refreshed; one sniff, and you're in a better mood."

"Yugao, I brought you because we're good friends, so don't think I only dragged you along because I was skipping class and had nobody else to come with." Mitaraishi Anko stared at Nebula Kotetsu on the field, eyes wide, without noticing that her good friend had suddenly fallen silent.