Daikoku Funeno stood before them, his arms crossed, a stack of papers in his hand. The air in the classroom was thick with a tension that had nothing to do with lectures or essays; it was the sharp, electric hum of a final exam.
"Alright, listen up," he said, his voice a familiar rumble that commanded immediate silence. "Your graduation exam will consist of three parts. First, a written theory test. It will cover everything you should have learned over the past few years. History, geography, chakra theory, mathematics—it is a comprehensive evaluation of your knowledge."
Hana let out a quiet, pained groan.
Daikoku's sharp gaze flickered to her for a second before continuing. "Second, you will perform the three basic Academy jutsu required for graduation: the Transformation, the Substitution, and the Clone. They must be flawless. Finally, you will each engage in a one-on-one spar against an opponent. Pass all three, and you graduate. Fail any one of them, and you will remain a student. Good luck."
Part 1: The Written Exam
The examination hall was a cavern of silence. The only sounds were the scratching of charcoal on paper and the unnerving, rhythmic patrol of the instructors' sandals on the wooden floor. Their eyes were like hawks, scanning for any sign of cheating.
Ryu looked down at his paper. The questions were, to him, laughably simple. Calculate the trajectory of a shuriken thrown at a 15-degree angle with a velocity of X. Basic physics. Name the five great elemental nations and their respective Hidden Villages. Child's play. Describe the biological process of molding chakra from spiritual and physical energy. He could have written a whole textbook on it. Blake's university-level education made this feel like a pop quiz for toddlers. He moved with swift, confident strokes, his mind a calm sea of answers. He was done in under thirty minutes, handing his paper to a proctor whose eyebrows shot up in disbelief.
A minute later, Itachi followed. He had worked with a quiet, methodical grace, his hand never pausing, his mind a perfect, analytical engine. For him, this was not a test of knowledge, but a simple exercise in recitation.
Hana, on the other hand, was at war. She scowled at the paper, tapping her charcoal pencil against her chin with a frustrated rhythm. History dates? Who cares when the First Hokage sneezed! Just tell me who to punch! But beneath her frustration was a core of pure, stubborn determination. She wouldn't fail here. She wrestled with every question, her brow furrowed in concentration, and with a final, triumphant scribble, she finished.
Izumi, ever the diligent student, worked carefully and precisely, her knowledge a testament to hours of study. She finished just after Hana, both of them handing in their papers with a full hour to spare.
Part 2: The Jutsu Practical
They were led to a separate room, one by one.
Itachi went first. "Transformation Jutsu," the proctor said in a bored tone. With a single, flawless hand seal, Itachi transformed into a perfect, stern-faced replica of his father, Fugaku, his posture and even the intimidating aura an exact match. The proctors just nodded, and he was passed through.
Hana was next. When asked for the Clone Jutsu, she grinned and with a puff of smoke, a perfect copy of herself appeared beside her, this one with a wild, feral glint in its eye and its hands already balled into fists. It was unconventional, but undeniably effective.
Izumi's Substitution Jutsu was a picture of grace. As a proctor threw a harmless rubber kunai, she vanished in a swirl of leaves, reappearing on the other side of the room while a log took the hit.
Ryu was last. He performed all three jutsu with a controlled, powerful efficiency that left no room for critique. His clone was solid, his transformation into Hiruzen was perfect down to the wrinkles, and his substitution was so fast the proctors barely saw him move, the only trace a faint scent of ozone lingering in the air.
Part 3: The Spar
The final stage was the most anticipated. They were led to a large training ground where a group of older students, repeaters who had failed the exam before, were waiting with cocky, arrogant smirks.
Hana was paired against a burly boy who prided himself on his taijutsu. "Get ready to cry, little girl," he sneered. Hana just cracked her knuckles. The moment the spar began, she dropped to all fours, a blur of motion. He completely underestimated her feral speed. She shot under his clumsy guard and delivered a powerful, precise strike to the back of his knee, sending him sprawling into the dirt. The match was over in ten seconds. "Who's crying now, dummy?" she yelled as he slammed his fist on the ground in a childish tantrum.
Itachi faced an older Uchiha who looked at him with pure disdain. The older boy activated his one-tomoe Sharingan. "Let me show you what a real Uchiha can do, prodigy." Itachi said nothing. He simply activated his own, fully matured three-tomoe Sharingan. The older boy's confidence evaporated. It was a complete dismantling, a lesson in humility as Itachi effortlessly dismantled his every move, ending the fight by simply walking past him and tapping him on the shoulder.
Ryu's opponent was a well-rounded boy with a condescending smirk. "So you're the famous civilian. This should be easy." Ryu didn't even give him a chance to finish his second sentence. He used a flicker of his Body Flicker, not enough to reveal its true nature but more than enough to cover the distance in an instant. A single, clean chop to the back of the neck, and the older student crumpled to the ground, unconscious before he even knew the fight had started.
They stood together, watching the last of the defeated students throw tantrums, their victory absolute. Daikoku-sensei approached them, a rare, proud smile on his face. "Congratulations. You all pass. Report here tomorrow morning with your parents to receive your headbands. You are no longer students. You are Genin of the Hidden Leaf."
The smell of rich pork broth and noodles filled the air at Ichiraku Ramen. The four of them sat at the counter, a row of beaming, newly-minted shinobi.
"I can't believe we did it!" Izumi said, her cheeks flushed with happiness and the steam from her ramen.
"My favorite part was watching that big dummy cry after I beat him!" Hana declared between huge mouthfuls of noodles.
"A victory is a victory, but do not revel in another's failure," Itachi said calmly, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.
Ryu just leaned back, a bowl of ramen in his hand, a feeling of deep, uncomplicated contentment washing over him. He looked at his friends—their laughter, their shared joy—and felt a profound sense of peace. They had done it. Together.
The celebration eventually wound down. Itachi and Izumi said their goodbyes, heading towards the imposing Uchiha compound. Ryu walked with Hana towards her home, the streets of Konoha quiet and bathed in the soft glow of lanterns.
"You were amazing today, Hana," Ryu said, breaking the comfortable silence.
"You weren't so bad yourself," she replied, bumping her shoulder against his playfully.
They reached the gates of the Inuzuka compound. Before she could go in, Ryu stopped her. He held out a small, paper-wrapped package. "Here. To celebrate."
She opened it to find a skewer of her favorite tri-colored dango. She looked up at him, her usual fierce expression completely gone, replaced by a soft, shy surprise.
"Ryu…" she began, her cheeks turning a bright, lovely shade of pink.
"Congratulations, Hana," he said with a warm smile.
She took the dango, her fingers brushing against his. Then, in a move that was faster than any of her combat techniques, she leaned in and pressed a quick, soft kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered, her face now the color of a ripe tomato. Without another word, she whirled around and sprinted into her compound, disappearing into the shadows.
Ryu stood there, frozen. The spot on his cheek tingled, a warm, electric buzz that had nothing to do with lightning chakra. He slowly raised a hand to his face, his mind a complete and utter blank. He was a reincarnated soul with knowledge of the future, a prodigy trained by a Kage, a shinobi with monstrous power.
And he had absolutely no idea what to do next.