__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
The chapter got you itching for more? Read ahead and get exclusive content before anyone else? Join me on Patr -e-on! Your support would mean the world to me.
( | p@treon.com/FictionGoat | )
Read over 20+ chapters in advance.
. . . .
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________
[ A Couple Months Later... ]
In the back of Classroom 1A, a boy with long black hair that reached his neck sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the window beside him. He wasn't focused on anything in particular, just lost in thought, his cheek resting against his palm.
That boy was Kaito.
Months had passed, and now, graduation day is finally here. This was the first of the three graduation exams, and while the rest of the class fidgeted in their seats, biting their nails and whispering anxiously about whether they'd pass or fail… Kaito wasn't worried. Not even a little.
He had the three basic Jutsu down, his shurikenjutsu was solid, and his taijutsu was more than enough to clear the first exam. As far as he was concerned, this was going to be easy.
The classroom door slid open, and Seji stepped in, clipboard in hand. Instantly, the room fell silent, every student's eyes locked onto him.
Seji scanned the class, then let out a small chuckle. ' So now they decide to pay attention… Well, I guess it makes sense. Exams always do this to kids. ' It reminded him of his own time sitting in those very seats, nervous and scared.
Clearing his throat, he addressed them. "As you all know, today marks the first of the graduation exams," he began, his voice steady and firm. "This test—whether you pass or fail—will help shape your future as a shinobi. I know a lot of you are anxious, and that's normal. You've spent months training for this moment, and now it's time to show what you've learned."
His eyes moved over the class, pausing on a few students who looked especially nervous.
"But listen, failing today isn't the end. You'll have two more chances. And even beyond that, a shinobi's real strength isn't just about passing tests...it's about getting back up, learning from mistakes, and pushing forward."
He smirked. "So take a deep breath, trust in your training, and give it your all."
Seji paused, letting his words settle in. It was rare for them to pay this much attention to him, but he wasn't surprised. This was their future on the line.
Seji's eyes flicked back to the clipboard in his hand. "That being said," he continued, "I'll be calling up the first few students. When you hear your name, follow me to the exam room, where you'll be evaluated."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
A few students swallowed hard, their nerves getting the better of them. However Kaito, still leaning against his hand, barely reacted. He had no reason to. This was just another stepping stone, nothing more.
Seji let them sit in it for a moment before speaking again. "Relax. You're ready for this." then, without further delay, he began calling names.
"Taketsumi Kanzane."
Seji called out the first name on the clipboard.
The moment Seji called out the name, a tall boy pushed himself up from his seat. His arms trembled slightly, his nerves betraying him, but with a deep breath, he managed to calm himself down. His face still looked worried, the fear of failure hanging over him.
"You got this, Taketsumi!" A friend beside him grinned, giving him a reassuring pat on the back.
Taketsumi blinked, then let out a small chuckle, his lips curling into a weary smile. "Thanks…"
With that, he made his way down the aisle, each step feeling heavier than the last. As he reached the front, he fell in line behind Seji, and together, they exited the room.
The door clicked shut.
Silence.
The weight of the exams felt even more real now.
"Psst…" Izumi leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kaito, are you nervous too?"
Kaito barely reacted, just shifting his gaze toward Izumi before giving a half-hearted shrug. "I guess, but not really…"
Izumi raised a brow, studying him like he was from another world or something. "Must be nice…" she muttered before leaning back in her seat, running a hand through her long brown hair. She exhaled sharply, shaking her head. "Well, I am. Nervous as nervous can be."
Her fingers tapped anxiously on her desk, her leg bouncing slightly. It was clear she was trying to keep herself together, but the thought of the exam was eating away at her.
Kaito raised a brow. "You? Nervous? Never expected that from you of all people." Izumi was at the top of their class, better than everyone in just about everything. She even had the Sharingan to fall back on. If someone like her was nervous, then maybe Kaito should be at least a little concerned too.
Izumi slumped back into her chair with a sigh. "It's not that I'm scared of failing. I'll probably pass… but I don't know. This is a big deal...well, at least to my mom." Her fingers tapped lightly against the desk as she stared ahead, clearly lost in thought.
That caught Kaito's attention. Her mom should be proud of her either way, even if she failed. Izumi was a year younger than him, meaning she was already ahead of the curve just by being here. The only reason she was even in their class and not with kids her age was because she was too good, the academy had no choice but to bump her up.
It wasn't unheard of for younger kids to graduate early, but it was rare. And when it did happen, it usually meant big things for their future as a shinobi. The whole village would have eyes on her, expecting great things.
Kaito leaned back slightly. "You're younger than everyone here, and you're still the best in the class. That alone should tell you you've got nothing to worry about, even if you somehow fail."
Izumi was quiet for a moment before a small smile formed on her lips. "Thanks… I needed that. I hope you pass too."
"Kaito passing the exams? Maybe when pigs can fly, Puhehe. "
A loud smug laughter came from the middle of the room.
Kaito barely turned his head before spotting Sugikura leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, a cocky grin plastered on his face. "You're gonna fail for sure," he sneered.
The two boys beside him snickered, nudging each other like they just witnessed the sickest burn of the year. But that was a shitty insult, if you can even call it one.
Kaito, on the other hand, didn't even hesitate to clap back. He turned slightly, resting a lazy arm on his chair. " Says the guy who still holds a kunai like a little bitch."
The grin on Sugikura's face twitched. His friends? Absolutely lost it. One of them smacked the desk while wheezing, the other clutched his stomach, struggling to keep it together.
Sugikura slammed his hands onto his desk, face red with anger. "I'll show you who's a little bitch!" He threatened before standing up from his seat.
Suddenly walking in through the classroom door was Seji with an annoyed expression on his face. "Best mind what you do next, Sugikura," Seji's voice cut in before things could escalate. The laughter died down immediately, and Sugikura flinched under the Seji's gaze. He clenched his jaw and scoffed, turning his head away before sitting back down.
Kaito smirked but didn't push it further. No need to rub salt in the wound.
Seji shook his head, glancing back at his clipboard. "Next up… Tagishi Moronkei."
Another student stood up, visibly tense, and followed Seji out the door. Just like the others.
Every ten minutes, the process repeated. A name was called, a student left, and the classroom grew quieter. Nobody came back. Kaito stayed put, arms crossed, watching as more desks emptied. At some point, Izumi had gone too. She hadn't returned.
Then, the door slid open again.
Seji stepped in, scanning his clipboard. "Kaito."
Kaito sighed and pushed himself up from his seat. No hesitation, no nerves. Hands in his pockets, he walked toward the front of the class, ignoring the glances from the remaining students.
Without a word, he followed Seji out the door.
Seji led Kaito down the long, quiet corridor. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, the only sound in the empty hall. The walk felt longer than it was, but eventually, they stopped in front of two massive double doors, easily twice Seji's height and nearly triple Kaito's.
Seji turned to him, arms crossed. "Well, this is it," he said, giving Kaito a once-over. "I don't have much advice for you, but do your best. I've seen how much you've improved over the past few months. I don't doubt you can pass… but even if you don't, you've still got two more chances."
Kaito didn't really care. Not about the words, not about the encouragement or anything he had to say. He knew Seji only started being nice to him after that whole mess with Tsuchi, probably felt guilty for letting things get out of hand. Before that, the guy had been an asshole, so this sudden shift meant nothing.
Still, Kaito kept his expression neutral, offering a polite smile. "Thank you, sir. I'll do my best."
Then, without another word, he reached for the door handle and pulled the door open.
Kaito stepped inside, the door closing softly behind him. The room was spacious, with wooden floors that creaked slightly under his weight and plain white cement walls with no windows. Despite its simplicity, it was built for function, not aesthetics.
The center of the room was taken up by a large sparring ring, rubber mats laid out to soften any falls. Standing in the middle was a man with short, spiky black hair, dressed in the standard Leaf shinobi uniform. Instead of wearing his headband on his forehead, he had it strapped around his arm—probably because of the thick horizontal scar running across his face.
Kaito's gaze shifted to the side, where a long table held an assortment of weapons. Kunai, shuriken, senbon, swords, staffs—basically everything you'd expect. But what really caught his eye was the large one-way glass panel on the far wall. He stared at it for a moment, narrowing his eyes slightly.
'So they're watching, huh? Might as well give them a little something to see.' A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but before he could get too lost in his thoughts, the man in the center of the ring spoke.
"Name?"
"Kaito," he answered without hesitation.
The man gave a small nod, flipping through the clipboard in his hands. "First test is Taijutsu evaluation, followed by a Bukijutsu test." He glanced up, his face unreadable. "Whenever you're ready, we'll begin."
Kaito didn't say anything. He just nodded, slipped off his shoes, and stepped onto the mat. " I'm ready... " He said before shifting into his stance.
The shinobi gave a firm nod and shifted into his own stance, feet planted, and one hand up. "This fight ends when I say it does," he stated plainly. His tone wasn't threatening, just matter-of-fact, like he'd done this a hundred times before and already knew how it was going to play out.
Kaito rolled his shoulders, taking a deep breath in as he shifted lower into his own stance. "Alright… let's get this over with. "
The shinobi rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck. "I'll only use one hand. Seems fair, right?"
Kaito narrowed his eyes. ' Pretty cocky...but he's most likely a high level genin or a low level chunin...if anything he's being generous. ' He didn't say anything, just lifted his fists and got onto the balls of his feet. But If this guy thought he could take him down with one hand, he'd just have to prove him wrong.
The shinobi raised a brow, then smirked. "Alright then...come at me."
Kaito didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, throwing a sharp right straight to the man's jaw—only to hit nothing but air. A sudden weightless feeling hit him as the shinobi pivoted effortlessly, dodging with barely any movement before a palm slammed into Kaito's shoulder, sending him staggering back.
Kaito barely had time to reset before the shinobi closed the gap, sending a jab straight into his stomach. He gasped—felt it deep in his gut—but before he could react, another hit came, this time a flicker-fast hook to the side of his head. Kaito's vision blurred as he stumbled to the side. 'Shit...he's fast...really fast!'
He clenched his teeth, forcing his body to move, and shot forward again, throwing a rapid one-two combo. The shinobi swayed out of range, completely unfazed, before stepping in close and slamming a knee into Kaito's stomach.
The air left his lungs in an instant.
Kaito buckled, barely catching himself before another palm crashed into his chest, sending him skidding back across the mat. He gritted his teeth, his hands trembling slightly as he lifted them again.
Kaito wiped at his mouth, breathing heavily. His fingers clenched into fists. 'Not good…he's reading me too easily.'
Still, he wasn't about to give up. He darted in again, this time aiming lower, trying to sweep his elbow across the man's ribs. The shinobi barely acknowledged it, stepping to the side and flicking his wrist—catching Kaito clean across the temple with the back of his hand.
Kaito saw white.
His body twisted with the force, feet struggling to stay grounded. His ears rang, his vision swimming. Kaito gritted his teeth, his breathing ragged. His whole body ached, but still—he forced himself to stand straight, forcing his feet to move forward.
The shinobi raised a brow. "You're still standing?"
Kaito didn't answer. Instead, he shifted his posture relaxing just slightly, his eyes completely LOCKED IN. He needed to change the rhythm.
This time, he slowed down. He took a single step forward. Then another. The shinobi watched, waiting for the next attack.
Kaito met his gaze...then suddenly burst forward, faking a right hook. The shinobi didn't move. He saw through it.
But what he didn't see...was the left coming right after.
A full-force, last-second switch.
Kaito's fist slammed directly into the shinobi's jaw. The impact was solid enough to force the man's head to snap slightly to the side.
For the first time, the shinobi actually took a step back.
Silence.
He lifted his hand, rubbing his jaw with mild amusement before letting out a chuckle.
"Well damn…" he sighed. "That's the third time today…" the shinobi muttered, rubbing his jaw before letting out a sigh. "Alright, we can stop now."
The words were music to Kaito's ears. His arms dropped to his sides as he sucked in a deep breath, trying to control his breathing. "Finally…"
The shinobi smirked. "Good job, kid."
Kaito wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm and gave a small nod. "Thanks… Do we have to fight with weapons next?" He asked.
The shinobi shook his head. "Nope. That was just the one-on-one evaluation. The rest isn't nearly as tough." He motioned toward the long table lined with weapons. "Well, moving on—next is the Bukijutsu test."
. . . .
_________________________________
________________________________________________________
Leave a review and comment!
Read over 20+ chapters in advance, on P@treon.