Chapter 40:
The final graduation assessment was over.
In front of the wooden stakes at the training ground, the instructor overseeing the Tenth Assessment Team was still visibly shaken. All twenty members of the team had passed, officially becoming Genin after just three years at the Ninja Academy — an impressive feat, considering that even students who trained for six years often struggled to graduate.
But what truly shocked the instructor were the top three. If the early graduates had been clan-born ninja students raised in shinobi traditions, it might have made sense. Yet, these top scorers were civilians. Even more surprising was that Asakawa Naoki and Namikaze Minato both achieved perfect marks in all three parts of the test, while Uzumaki Kushina only lost five points in one of them, scoring near-perfect in the others.
"You've all passed. Head to the main grounds and wait for your instructor," the normally stern-faced teacher announced, his tone noticeably gentler now. It wasn't just shock — deep down, he sensed that perhaps the next Hokage might be among them.
Out on the central playground, most of the other assessment teams had already finished. The crowd had thinned since the morning; some students had clearly been eliminated. Even though the school had loosened its graduation criteria due to the looming war and increased demand for low-ranking ninjas, it still wasn't easy for everyone to pass.
Those who failed would either repeat another year or leave the Academy behind for good.
"Let's rest for a bit," Kushina suggested.
Asakawa Naoki, Namikaze Minato, and Uzumaki Kushina sat on the grass together. Most other students naturally gathered with others from their own clans — the Uchiha stuck with their own, as did the Hyuga.
There were exceptions, though.
A black-haired girl in dark clothing noticed Kushina's bright red hair and made her way over with a warm smile.
"Naoki-kun, Kushina, Namikaze… mind if I join you?" Uchiha Mikoto asked.
"Of course," Naoki nodded.
"Come on, Mikoto!" Kushina grinned. Though they only hung out during holidays, the two had built a good friendship over the past two years — something rare for the often-isolated Kushina.
"Sure," Minato chimed in cheerfully.
Mikoto sat beside Naoki, though he noticed something was bothering her.
"What's wrong? You seem down," he asked.
"It's graduation. Don't you feel a little… strange about it?" she replied.
"A little," Naoki admitted. He remembered this same feeling after high school in his past life. After experiencing it several times before, leaving the Academy didn't weigh on him as heavily now.
"Don't worry about it. It's just graduation — it's not like we'll never see each other again," Naoki reassured her.
"Yeah, Mikoto! Who knows, maybe we'll end up on the same team," Kushina added, though Mikoto could sense the reluctance behind her bright expression. She didn't want to be separated from Naoki.
Still, the odds of being assigned to the same squad were slim. The talk of being in the same class was more for comfort than anything.
"Even if we're not teammates, we'll still see each other around," Naoki smiled.
Life rarely offered true permanence. In his previous world, he'd moved from elementary school to middle school to high school and eventually to college, watching old friends drift away each time. By the time he was in college, almost no one from his past remained. Even so, a few friends stayed in touch, and sometimes they'd gather for a meal.
Compared to the vastness of his previous life's world, Konoha was small. As long as none of them died young, it wasn't difficult to meet again.
And if Naoki one day became Hokage, maybe he could make Mikoto his secretary — a thought that oddly amused him.
"Yeah," Mikoto softly agreed, and the small group fell into a companionable silence, savoring their last moments as classmates.
Eventually, the calm was broken by a teacher calling names:
"Namikaze Minato, Classroom 11!"
"Asakawa Naoki, Classroom 33!"
"Uzumaki Kushina, Classroom 25!"
"Uchiha Misaki, Classroom 25!"
One by one, the students were assigned to their new squads. Mikoto and Kushina exchanged a glance, disappointment flashing in their eyes. Even if they'd expected it, there was always hope.
"Well, let's go," Naoki said as they stood.
The four of them headed to the office building, splitting off toward their respective classrooms.
When Naoki reached Classroom 33, he thought he'd arrived early — but one boy was already there.
About 1.4 meters tall, with short brown hair and a bright, open grin, the boy reminded Naoki a little of Naruto. Friendly and approachable. Naoki had a good idea who this was.
"Hey, I'm Asakawa Naoki. You in this class too?" Naoki asked.
"Yeah! I'm Nawaki— 12 years old, just graduated sixth grade!" the boy beamed, then immediately started firing off questions.
"You're so tall! Did you transfer in from last year? How old are you? You're taller than my big sister!"
A chatterbox for sure.
From his name and demeanor, Naoki suspected the boy was none other than Senju Nawaki — Tsunade's younger brother.
He hadn't expected to be teamed up with Nawaki, rather than Kushina or Mikoto.
"I'm not a repeater," Naoki replied, smiling. "I graduated early, in my third year. I'm 10."
"What?! You're 10?" Nawaki's jaw dropped.
He was two years younger, yet already taller than him.
"Asakawa-san, what did you eat to grow so tall?!" Nawaki asked eagerly, eyes shining with curiosity.
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