Graduation: Becoming a Genin

"Day after day, living life~ remembering as I go~ experiencing it all~"

"Story after story~ looking back~ moving forward~"

Without the ridiculous options the system kept offering,

life seemed to settle into a quiet routine.

Every day, Obito played dress-up with Guy in the woods.

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

Yep, that was right.

Studying? Not a chance. He was here to have fun!

In what felt like the blink of an eye,

Obito was nearly old enough to graduate.

Over the past year or so,

he had made little progress in Taijutsu or Ninjutsu.

Instead, he had focused most of his energy on training in Genjutsu.

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

With Clan Uncle Kawamura's help,

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.

In terms of overall strength, he was now a match for some Chunin.

I just wish I knew when this damn mission would count as complete, Obito grumbled to himself.

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

"Coming!"

Obito sprang off the bed in one swift motion.

He threw on his clothes, hurried out of the room, and scratched his head as he asked,

"Lin-chan, what brings you here today?"

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

The sight of her long, pale legs made Obito swallow hard.

I, Obito, am not a pervert. I 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 looked a little guilty.

"You're worrying for nothing, Lin-chan. How could I be late for something as important as graduation?"

Rin gave a couple of unconvinced hums.

"Oh, you... Hurry up and eat something. We need to go."

Obito shoveled down a few mouthfuls of food and said through a full mouth,

"Awright, let'sh go!"

Rin nodded, then said sweetly to Grandmother,

"We're off, Grandmother."

"Bye, Grandmother!"

Obito wiped his mouth and followed Rin outside.

Grandmother called after them,

"Rin, Obito, take your time on the way there."

Without looking back, Obito shouted,

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

Cherry blossoms drifted down.

Pink petals danced through the air like snow, 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 sunshine couldn't compare to her smile.

Obito etched that moment deep into his memory.

Even years later, he would still remember the scene from that day.

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

In the auditorium,

the Third sat onstage with a smile.

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

These were Konoha's future pillars.

Once everyone had arrived,

Kisuke Urahara stepped forward beside the Third.

He cleared his throat and began reading from his script.

"Lord Hokage, dear students, good morning!"

"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 clap, applauding with all his might.

"Yeah! Well said, Mr. Kisuke!"

Seeing his student give him such enthusiastic support,

Kisuke nodded in satisfaction 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 will graduate."

Obito applauded again.

"Yeah! Beautifully said!"

Kisuke coughed twice and discreetly waved a hand at Obito,

signaling him to tone it down.

"Next, you'll come up in the order your names were called, and Lord Hokage will present your graduation certificates!"

Rin went up first and bowed slightly to the Third, waiting for her certificate.

The Third smiled and asked,

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

Rin answered earnestly,

"I want to become a medical ninja."

The Third nodded approvingly and handed her the certificate.

"Excellent. Grandpa thinks you have a talent for it."

"Keep at it, young lady. If you run into any trouble, you can always come to Grandpa for help."

Rin accepted her 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 proudly,

"I'm going to become a distinguished Jonin and leave my dad speechless."

The Third shot Kisuke a questioning look.

Kisuke understood and leaned in to whisper in his ear,

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

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

"Keep at it, 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 burst out laughing.

"No. Next."

"..."

One child after another went up and came back down.

Soon, it was Obito's turn.

He bounded onto the stage.

The Third looked at the young member of the Uchiha Clan and asked with a smile,

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

For some reason,

he felt a genuine fondness for the boy whenever he saw him.

Obito grinned.

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

Kisuke's expression shifted slightly.

The Third seemed taken aback too.

Only after a moment did his smile return.

"That's quite a fine ambition, Little Obito!"

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

Obito accepted the certificate with both hands and said happily,

"Thank you, Grandpa Hokage."

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

"Tch. Obito's got some nerve saying that."

Shikaba nodded in agreement.

To tell Grandpa Hokage he wants to be Hokage himself... Obito's got some nerve all right!

After the remaining students had taken their turns onstage, that part of the ceremony came to an end.

Kisuke stepped forward again and announced,

"The moment you graduate from the Ninja Academy, you become full-fledged ninja."

"You'll be assigned to three-person squads led by a Jonin instructor and begin carrying out missions for the village."

Nagano Nami cheered from below.

"Yes! I've been waiting for this!"

Shikaba complained lazily,

"Ahh, what a pain..."

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

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

Hearing the familiar squad assignment, Obito finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He had genuinely feared that his presence might change how things played out.

That he wouldn't end up on the same squad as Kakashi and Rin.