"Neji's Instructor is that Might Guy. What a coincidence."
Hinata leaned her head closer to Naruto and spoke softly.
"Huh? Yeah, I feel like that was probably arranged long ago."
Naruto tilted his head, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.
Neji and the others had graduated a year earlier. On the day of their graduation exam, Naruto and Hinata had both waited outside, planning to surprise Neji.
Neither Naruto nor Hinata had considered the possibility that Neji might fail.
Of course not. Neji had held the top spot in his year for ages. If even he couldn't pass, nobody in that year would be graduating.
When Neji walked out alongside Tenten and Rock Lee, Naruto and Hinata jumped out.
Looking at the Forehead Protector engraved with a spiral on Neji's forehead, Hinata smiled faintly and congratulated him.
"Congratulations on graduating, Neji!"
⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
The corners of Neji's mouth lifted. Automatically ignoring Blondie flailing beside her, he fixed his eyes on his younger cousin and spoke gently.
"Thank you, Lady Hinata."
Unlike the slightly stiff way he had addressed her in the past, Neji's voice was exceptionally soft this time, making Tenten's ears twitch beside him.
Tenten: This damn cousin-obsessed idiot!!! Why can't he say even one thing to me that gently!!!
After answering his cousin, Neji turned his head toward Naruto with some annoyance.
"Thanks to you, too."
Neji was happy that Naruto had come to congratulate him.
But he wasn't happy that Naruto had come together with Hinata.
He kept feeling as though a pig had gotten into his family's cabbage patch.
"Hehehe, what was on your exam today?"
Naruto patted Neji's shoulder and leaned closer to ask.
"Hmm... just a knowledge assessment and a ninjutsu test. We were tested on the Transformation Technique."
Neji thought for