Graduation: Becoming a Genin

"Day by day, I live my life~ remembering as I go~ experiencing it all anew~"

"Story by story, I look back~ and keep moving forward~"

Without the system throwing out all kinds of outrageous options,

day-to-day life seemed to have grown rather ordinary.

Obito spent his days playing dress-up with Guy in the woods.

When he had nothing else to do, he chatted with Kakashi and teased the little girls...

Yep, that was right.

Studying? Not me. I'm here to have fun!

Almost in the blink of an eye,

Obito had reached the age when he was about to graduate.

Over the past year or so,

he had made little progress in Taijutsu or Ninjutsu.

Instead, he had devoted most of his energy to studying Genjutsu.

After all, with the red eyes he had inherited from his clan, wouldn't it be a waste not to learn some genjutsu?

With the help of his uncle Kawamura,

he had mastered most of the Uchiha Clan's knowledge of Genjutsu.

He had learned four techniques: This Place Is Not, Hell Viewing Technique, Mirror Heaven and Earth Change, and Unknown Fire.

So in terms of overall strength, he could now hold his own against some Chunin.

When the hell is this damn mission going to count as complete? Obito grumbled to himself.

"Obito, Rin's here to pick you up," his Grandmother called from outside.

"Coming!"

Obito sprang off the bed in one swift motion.

He quickly dressed, ran out of his room, and scratched his head as he asked,

"Rin, what brings you here today?"

Rin wore a pale purple skirt and reddish-brown ankle boots.

Her long, pale legs made Obito swallow hard.

I'm not a pervert. I only swallowed because I'm hungry!

Rin clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head.

"It's our graduation ceremony today. I was worried you'd be late again, so I thought I'd come get you."

Obito sounded a little guilty.

"You're worrying too much, Rin. How could I possibly be late for something as important as graduation?"

Rin gave a couple of unconvinced hums.

"You... Just hurry up and eat something. We need to go."

Obito shoveled down a few bites and said through a mouthful of food,

"Okay, let's go!"

Rin nodded, then politely said to his Grandmother,

"We're off, Grandma."

"Bye, Grandma!"

Obito wiped his mouth and followed Rin outside.

His Grandmother called after them,

"Rin, Obito, take care on your way there."

Without looking back, Obito shouted,

"We will! Don't worry, Grandma!"

Cherry blossoms drifted down.

Pink petals danced through the air, romantic and beautiful.

Obito couldn't help looking at the girl beside him.

A passing breeze lifted a loose strand of hair by her ear.

Even the bright sunlight couldn't compare to her smile.

Obito etched the moment deep into his memory.

Even years later, he would still remember this day.

The two of them made their way to the Ninja Academy.

Inside the auditorium,

the Third Hokage sat onstage with a warm smile.

As he looked at the children below, his smile grew broader.

They were Konoha's future pillars.

Once everyone had arrived,

Kisuke Urahara stepped forward from beside the Third Hokage.

He cleared his throat and began reading from his script.

"Good morning, esteemed Lord Hokage and dear students!"

"Today marks one of the most important days of your lives: your graduation ceremony."

"First, let me congratulate you all. Happy graduation!"

Obito was the first to start clapping, putting his whole heart into it.

"Excellent! Well said, Mr. Kisuke!"

Pleased that his student was being so supportive,

Kisuke nodded and continued.

"Rin Nohara, Nagano Nami, Shikaba Nara, Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune, Ayako Aburame, Obito Uchiha, Asuma Sarutobi... and the other students have completed their studies with distinction through tireless effort and perseverance."

"I hereby declare that all the students named meet the Konoha Ninja Academy's requirements and are approved for graduation."

Obito started clapping again.

"Excellent! Beautifully said!"

Kisuke coughed twice and discreetly waved a hand at Obito,

signaling him to keep it down and stop making such a show of it.

"Next, please come onstage in the order your names were called. Lord Hokage will present your graduation certificates!"

Rin went up first. She bowed slightly to the Third Hokage and waited for her certificate.

The Third Hokage smiled and asked,

"Young lady, what would you like to do after graduation?"

Rin answered earnestly,

"I want to become a medical ninja."

The Third Hokage nodded approvingly and handed her the certificate.

"Very good. I think you have a talent for it."

"Do your best, young lady. If you run into any difficulties, you can come to me for help anytime."

Rin accepted her graduation certificate and dipped her head.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage."

Nagano Nami went up second.

When asked what he wanted to do in the future,

he said with a smug look,

"I'm going to become a distinguished jonin and leave my old man speechless."

The Third Hokage gave Kisuke a questioning look.

Kisuke understood and leaned in to whisper,

"His father, Nagano Kiku, is a Chunin."

The Third Hokage nodded in understanding and handed Nagano Nami his certificate.

"Do your best, young man."

Shikaba Nara went up third.

With a wry smile, he asked,

"Grandpa Hokage, can I choose not to become a ninja?"

The Third Hokage burst out laughing.

"No. Next."

"..."

The children went up and came back down one by one.

Soon, it was Obito's turn.

He bounced onto the stage.

Looking at the young member of the Uchiha Clan before him, the Third Hokage smiled and asked,

"Obito, what do you plan to do after graduation?"

For some reason,

the sight of this child always filled him with genuine affection.

Obito grinned and said,

"My dream is to become the Hokage, root out everything bad, and protect the peace of Konoha."

Kisuke's expression shifted slightly.

The Third Hokage, too, was momentarily taken aback.

Only after a pause did his smile return.

"That's a fine ambition, Obito!"

"But becoming the Hokage isn't easy. You'll have to keep working hard... Here's your graduation certificate."

Obito accepted it with both hands and said happily,

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage."

Below the stage, Nagano Nami curled his lip in disdain.

"Hmph. Obito really will say anything."

Shikaba nodded in agreement.

Actually telling Grandpa Hokage he wants to become the Hokage... Obito's got some nerve!

Once the remaining students had taken their turns onstage, that part of the ceremony ended.

Kisuke stepped forward again and announced in a clear voice,

"The moment you graduate from the Ninja Academy, you become official ninja."

"You will form three-person teams and begin carrying out missions for the village under the guidance of a jonin instructor."

Nagano Nami cheered from below.

"Yes! I can't wait!"

Shikaba complained lazily,

"Ahh, what a pain."

Ignoring the children's reactions, Kisuke read from the list.

"Team One: Nagano Nami, Shikaba Nara, and Ayako Aburame. Team Two... Team Five: Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, and Rin Nohara."

When Obito heard the familiar team assignment, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He really had been afraid his presence would change how things played out.

He might not have ended up on a team with Kakashi and Rin.