Chapter 32: Applying for Graduation, Buying Ninja Tools
Once he returned home, Tonan opened his diary and began writing a solemn entry. His hand scrawled steadily, but his mind was elsewhere—fixated on the pair of Sharingan he'd glimpsed sealed in Orochimaru's pouch.
When he finished writing, he moved to sit under the eaves, his eyes tracking the passing Uchiha clan members like a hawk with a grudge. Everyone had returned to the village after the war, making Konoha a prime hunting ground for a sicko like Orochimaru. If the Snake wanted fresh Sharingan for his science fair horrors, his only buffet was right here.
And Tonan? Three tomoe, living in a remote part of the Uchiha sector?
Basically: 'Free sample – please abduct me!'
Tonan rubbed his temples.
"The war's over… but I'm more paranoid than ever."
He remembered when the Great Elder had offered to move him to the clan's central estate for better protection after his Sharingan hit third tomoe. But Tonan had already aligned himself with Hiruzen then, and with all his personal secrets piled higher than Orochimaru's lab notes, he declined.
"I should've said yes. Damn it. Too late now."
Muttering to himself, he scanned the courtyard. A shinobi must not provoke others without cause—but must never let their guard down, especially in a village crawling with snakes and politics. Tonan had always lived by that code.
Today? That code was gospel.
He got up and walked to the storage room. It was time to fortify.
The rest of the day passed without incident. Tonan kept his head down. He had bigger things to focus on—like the Academy's upcoming graduation.
"Tonan-kun! Are you and Kakashi really applying for early graduation?"
Uchiha Obito's jaw dropped as he asked, wide-eyed.
Tonan nodded modestly.
"I'll try. I'm not sure I'll pass, but it's worth a shot."
Maito Guy, catching wind of the conversation, burst into a full sprint across the room to Kakashi's desk.
"KAKASHI!" he roared like a youth-fueled banshee.
"You're applying for early graduation? Then let's settle this! Our burning rivalry will be forged in flames! The loser has to run 500 laps around the training field—with hand weights!"
Everyone: 👀
His shout shook the entire classroom. Naturally, it drew a crowd.
Within seconds, half the girls in class had gathered.
"Kakashi, you're so cool! Graduating early again!"
"Tonan-kun is also taking the exam? He's so mature and smart!"
"Tonan-kun's genjutsu is already at genin level!"
"No, Kakashi's the real prodigy!"
"Tonan-kun~!"
"Kakashi~!"
The classroom instantly devolved into a chaotic fangirl warzone, Tonan and Kakashi at the center like rival pop idols.
Obito, meanwhile, stared at Rin standing next to Kakashi and cracked.
He slammed the desk.
"I've decided! I'm applying too! I'm going to be Hokage—I can't fall behind you two!"
Cue the silence.
Then—mass synchronized eye-rolls.
Rin, ever gentle, leaned in.
"Obito, to graduate early, you have to master all three basic jutsu—and get straight As."
Obito and Guy paled in unison like they'd just eaten moldy ramen.
"Three types of jutsu?!"
They both dramatically clutched their heads like background extras in a Genjutsu PSA.
But Guy recovered first, tears flowing freely.
"Damn it… as expected of you, Kakashi! You win this round… but the fires of youth burn eternal!"
As the classroom buzzed with commotion, Umino Naoto entered with the perfect timing of a jonin who didn't get paid enough for this.
"Quiet down!"
He slapped his hands on the desk, and the chatter died immediately.
"Your final exams are tomorrow. I expect everyone to do their best."
He looked to Kakashi and Tonan.
"Both of you will take the exam with the third-years. Don't be late. School ends early today. Go home and get some rest."
As soon as he left, Guy bolted from the room like a missile.
"FIVE HUNDRED LAPS—YOUTH NEVER WAITS!"
The rest of the class filtered out, some still murmuring about Kakashi and Tonan. One girl tried to follow Tonan home until a kunai mysteriously embedded itself into the wall beside her. She wisely reconsidered.
Later, as Tonan packed his bag, Kakashi walked over and casually handed him a scroll.
"Here. It's all in there."
Tonan took it, smiling.
"Thanks. How much?"
He reached for his wallet.
Kakashi waved him off lazily.
"Don't bother."
Tonan paused, then got serious.
"Kakashi… do you consider me a friend?"
"…What kinda question is that?"
Kakashi blushed and looked away.
"Because friends help each other. But they also respect each other's dignity. Take the money. I don't want to feel like I owe you—or that I'm using you."
Without waiting for a reply, he shoved a thick wad of ryo into Kakashi's palm.
Kakashi stared at it like it was a cursed scroll.
"…Annoying."
He pocketed it, though.
Then, trying to sound casual—but failing completely—he asked,
"You coming over?"
Was that… hope in his voice?
Tonan chuckled and waved him off.
"Not today. Gonna rest at home."
Back home, Tonan locked the front gate and headed into his room. He placed the scroll on the floor and formed a few hand seals.
"Unseal."
A puff of smoke burst upward, and several items appeared before him.
He took inventory:
Three reinforced Explosion Tags (the kind that don't go off when you sneeze near them)
Four Fūma Shuriken
Two barrels of oil
A coil of chakra-conductive wire
One barrel of quick-set cement
These weren't flashy tools, but they were quality—and expensive. Easily half of the survivor compensation he'd received after his parents' deaths had gone into this haul.
These were controlled ninja goods—not stuff you buy at the corner store next to the instant ramen. You needed village clearance just to look at the tags. Technically, Tonan could've bought them through the Uchiha armory… but he didn't want to raise suspicions with Hiruzen. Their relationship was murky enough already.
Luckily, he had Kakashi. Whether the kid begged his dad, the White Fang himself, or just "borrowed" them from home, Tonan wasn't going to ask.
He started attaching the chakra wire to the Fūma Shuriken and some of his kunai, crafting intricate traps and retrieval lines. Each item was sealed neatly into storage scrolls afterward.
Once the sun dipped low, he moved the rest of the gear into the courtyard.
Up in the surrounding rooftops and trees, a flock of white pigeons sat perched—each one blinking slowly, red tomoe swirling in their Sharingan.
No one was getting close to this courtyard unnoticed.
Tonight, Tonan would sleep soundly.