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Time flew by like a rushing river, and four years passed in the blink of an eye.
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Throughout those years, Shin diligently attended the Ninja Academy. As for graduating early? No, that had never crossed his mind.
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Now, it was finally time for him to graduate. Currently, the Academy''s program was five years, a year shorter than it would be in the future.
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"The graduation exam is coming up soon. Are you nervous, Shin?"
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Nawaki sidled up to Shin, his voice laced with anxiety.
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Graduating required passing an exam, and the current exam was more challenging than the one in the future.
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First, you had to demonstrate proficiency in the Academy Three: the Substitution Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Clone Jutsu.
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Then, you had to survive a spar against a Chunin for ten minutes. Only then could you graduate. Otherwise, you were held back.
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The Academy recognized that surviving ten minutes against a Chunin was a tall order for a student, so they allowed them to form teams.
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Teams could have up to three members. As long as one member survived the full ten minutes, the entire team passed. That made it a bit easier.
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"I''m not nervous, but you seem to be, Nawaki."
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Shin noticed Nawaki''s trembling hands.
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"Yeah, a little. It would be embarrassing to fail. How about we team up?"
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"Sorry, I''ve already teamed up with Kushina and Mikoto. You''ll have to find someone else."
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Shin glanced at Kushina and Mikoto, then back at Nawaki. It was obvious who he''d rather be with.
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"Fine. I knew it. I was going to carry you, but I guess you don''t need my help."
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Nawaki sulked.
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Soon, Tanaka-sensei arrived and announced the start of the exam. The morning was dedicated to the Jutsu proficiency test.
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This part was easy for everyone in the class. They were in the elite class, after all. Either clan members or exceptionally talented civilians.
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The Academy Three posed no challenge to them.
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After the morning session, they didn''t go home. They ate the lunch Mikoto had prepared in a quiet corner of the training ground.
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"We''re finally graduating! Does that mean we can go on missions now?" Kushina asked excitedly.
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Mikoto was unusually quiet, her expression downcast.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
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"What''s wrong, Mikoto? Are you worried about the exam?" Shin asked.
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"No, I''m confident I''ll pass. But... we''ll be separated after graduation, won''t we?"
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Mikoto looked at Shin, her voice laced with sadness.
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"Don''t worry, Mikoto! Maybe we''ll all be assigned to the same team!" Kushina said, trying to sound cheerful.
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But even she was worried about being separated from Shin.
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"If you don''t like your assigned team, you can always request a transfer."
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Shin reassured them. There was no need to worry. They could always ask Tsunade for help.
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Mikoto and Kushina relaxed, relieved.
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In the afternoon, the second part of the graduation exam commenced. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was present.
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He wouldn''t normally pay attention to a graduation exam, but this wasn''t an ordinary class.
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The students in this class were the future of Konoha. Even Hiruzen couldn''t ignore them.
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And it wasn''t just Hiruzen. Danzō was also observing, looking for promising recruits for his Root organization.
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After forming their teams, they were assigned their opponents. Shin''s team was up against a Chunin who looked about sixteen.
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Being a Chunin at sixteen had made him arrogant. He looked down on the Academy students.
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As a Chunin who had completed several missions, he saw these students as pampered flowers who had never experienced real combat.
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He didn''t even bother hiding his disdain.
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"You three brats should just surrender. Don''t blame me if I''m rough."
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Kimura, their opponent, held his Kunai, his eyes filled with contempt.
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"We''ll see how rough you can get."
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Kimura''s arrogance annoyed Shin. He was just a lowly Chunin; what was he so smug about?
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"You''re asking for it."
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Kimura sensed Shin''s disdain and felt a surge of anger.
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A mere Academy student, looking down on him, a real Shinobi? He was determined to make sure Shin didn''t graduate.
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"With that attitude, you''d think you were a Kage. What''s with the arrogance, newbie?"
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Shin said calmly. He disliked this Chunin from the start. Just a Chunin, and he dared to look down on him? Did he think he was Madara Uchiha?
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"Begin! No lethal force!"
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The Chunin examiner announced. He was there to assess their performance and ensure no one got killed.
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"No need for you two to get involved. I''ll take care of him," Shin said to Kushina and Mikoto.
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He walked towards Kimura, his steps measured and confident.
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Kimura glared at Shin, enraged by his casual attitude.
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"I''ll show you the difference between you and a real Shinobi!"
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He charged at Shin, his speed impressive.
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Well, impressive for a regular person. To Shin, he was moving in slow motion.
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Kimura lunged, thrusting his Kunai towards Shin. He aimed for non-lethal areas; he wasn''t going to kill him.
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He wouldn''t kill, but he wouldn''t hesitate to injure.
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"Weakling."
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Shin casually deflected the Kunai and punched Kimura in the gut. Kimura flew backward like a cannonball, crashing to the ground. He twitched a few times, then passed out.
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"Examiner-san, I believe we passed?"
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Shin looked at the examiner, who was staring at him with his jaw hanging open.
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Shin chuckled. He had shocked the examiner.
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He had revealed a bit of his strength, but he didn''t care anymore. He wasn''t the same weakling he used to be.
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Before, he had hidden his strength because he was weak. But now, he was strong enough to not have to hide.
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In four years, his Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Kenjutsu had improved drastically. Most importantly, his three-tomoe Sharingan had evolved into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
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The Mangekyō Sharingan, combined with his Perfect Sage Body, meant he could use its powers without fear of blindness. What did he have to fear now?
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It was time to step into the spotlight.