Chapter One: A Dream Come True

My shoes scuffed against the rocky path as I walked. The wind caressed my face as I looked toward the sky and breathed in the aroma of the summer grass and beautiful flowers. Birds chirped happily in the trees, and the leaves rustled together. It was a perfect day.

I passed a group of young children who were giggling as they played a game of tag. I smiled to myself, remembering the time when I was that young. I remembered how I had always dreamed of being a great ninja, and today that dream would come true. It was graduation day at the Academy, and I was confident in myself.

I met up with Miyuki, my best friend, on the way. We walked to the Academy together every day ever since we met the first day of our ninja training. We hit it off quickly, and now we are inseparable. People even joked that we must have been twins separated at birth. "Yuri and Yuki" was what they call us.

"Hey Yuri!" Miyuki smiled. I waved back at her and we continued walking.

"Ready for the exam?" I asked, kicking a pebble out of my way.

She shrugged. "I don't know…"

I laughed and gave her an encouraging nudge. "Are you kidding? You're basically a prodigy! If it weren't for that Sasuke kid, you'd be at the top of the class!"

"Thanks, Yuri," she laughed, blushing at the mere mention of Sasuke, "you're not too shabby yourself!"

I made a remark about her obvious crush on the dark and mysterious Sasuke Uchiha, and she threatened to "beat me to a pulp." She chased me, laughing and waving her fists in the air, all the way to the Academy.

We took our seats in the middle of the room and conversed quietly as we waited for Iruka Sensei to begin the final exams. Naruto rushed in at the last minute, making a big scene just as he always did. As everyone else rolled their eyes at him in disgust, I laughed quietly to myself. "Oh, Naruto… you goofball…"

"Alright class!" Iruka Sensei made his way through the door, silencing every student in the room, "I will randomly call each of you into the next room, where you will each be tested on essential ninja skills. Should you pass, you will be given your own official Leaf Village headband and you will be able to leave. Should you fail… well… I guess I'll see you back here next year. Any last minute questions before the exam?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned, "When are you gonna hurry up and start this thing?"

The students in the class groaned, embarrassed by the outburst of their fellow student, and Iruka Sensei narrowed his eyes in Naruto's direction. Naruto snickered.

"Alright," Iruka Sensei started, looking at a clipboard that he was carrying with him, "first up is Sakura Haruno."

Miyuki and I conversed quietly. My confidence was gradually being replaced with apprehension with each passing second spent in the classroom. Neither of us admitted our anxiety, but each of us knew quite well exactly what the other was feeling.

"Miyuki Sasaki, you're next."

"Good luck!" I whispered to my best friend as she stood up. She shot an appreciative smile in my direction before disappearing into the exam room.

I became more nervous once I was alone. I bounced my leg impatiently and fidgeted with the fire-red fringe that framed my face. My mind raced, wondering what I was going to be asked to do once I entered the next room. I bit my lip, my leg bouncing quicker and quicker, trying to keep my breathing under control. Come on, Yuri, I thought to myself, you've got this stuff down. Whatever you're asked to do, you'll nail it!

"Hey," I heard a calm, slightly raspy young voice whisper.

I looked up and noticed Shikamaru Nara, my fellow classmate, leaning back in his chair and gazing at me with half-opened black eyes. "Y-Yeah?" I asked.

"Could you control your legs a little? You're disrupting my nap."

I narrowed my eyes. Ugh, leave it to Shikamaru-

"Yuri Myoko, to the exam room."

My eyes darted toward Iruka Sensei standing in the doorway. I slowly rose out of my chair and made my way toward him. He must have sensed my nervousness because he smiled and patted my head reassuringly.

The room was large, and the only furniture occupying it was a large desk and three chairs, which seated Iruka and two other Senseis who, I guessed, would help proctor the exam. The door closed, echoing loudly throughout the room, and Iruka Sensei made his way to sit down at the desk. I lowered my head and closed my eyes in a last minute attempt to calm myself down. I took a few deep breaths before smiling confidently at the three ninja sitting before me.

"Hello, Yuri," Iruka Sensei started, "how are you today?"

"I'm fine," I said, trying to convince myself more than I was reporting to them.

"Alright," Iruka Sensei flipped a page on his clipboard, "the first thing I want you to do for us is the clone jutsu."

Piece of cake! I've done this jutsu thousands of times! "Yes, Sensei." I took a deep breath. I made the appropriate hand signs, focusing my chakra, and then smiled. "Clone jutsu!"

A puff of smoke appeared beside me, and when it cleared, it revealed a perfect clone of myself. Iruka Sensei and the others smiled and wrote some notes before continuing with the exam. "Excellent! Next, I would like you to perform a transformation jutsu."

"Yes Sensei," the clone I had created vanished as I prepared for the next technique. "What should I transform into?" The transformation isn't my forte… but I can still do this!

"The third Hokage."

Once again, I focused my chakra by performing the necessary hand seals for the transformation jutsu. I created a vision of the third Hokage in my mind, making sure to take in every little detail about his appearance. "Transform!" And in another puff of smoke, I became the third Hokage.

They scribbled some more notes, and when Iruka Sensei looked up and smiled at me, I took that as a signal to return to normal and prepare for the next task. "Your final test, Yuri, is a little more difficult."

My heart began to race. More difficult?

"I'm going to throw this kunai at you, and your test is to use the substitution jutsu to avoid the attack."

My jaw dropped in a combination of confusion and fear, causing the ninja to chuckle. "Don't worry," my sensei said, "it's a rubber kunai. It won't hurt if it hits you."

I relaxed a little, but maintained my guard. I didn't know when he was going to throw the kunai at me. Even though it was just a rubber kunai, I didn't want to get hit. I didn't want to fail.

While I awaited his attack, I frantically darted my eyes around the room for something to replace with myself. The room was so empty…

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Iruka Sensei stand, winding up to launch the weapon at me. I gasped; it was quickly approaching. I could not wait any longer to perform the jutsu. I fumbled with the hand seals, desperate to pass the exam. I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off, but I could feel my chakra concentrated within my body, and I flashed a confident smile before instantly appearing behind Iruka Sensei.

Good thing Iruka Sensei stood up. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to replace myself with his desk chair!

From behind the desk, I watched my replacement as the kunai hit it smack in the forehead, returning it to its original form. The ninja scribbled down their final thoughts as I made my way back to my place in the middle of the room. I gulped. This is it…

"Yuri Myoko,"

My gaze shot to my sensei, my heart pounding so hard that I could almost hear it.

"Congratulations! You've passed the exam!"

After hearing those words, I just couldn't control myself. I jumped up and down, throwing my arms into the air and screaming triumphantly. The ninja at the desk laughed at my outburst, but I didn't mind. I was finally a ninja, and I was going to celebrate my achievement no matter what.

Iruka Sensei approached me, placing a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down. I ceased jumping to allow him to tie my new headband around my forehead. "You are now a Genin," He explained, pulling the fabric into a knot underneath my spiky ponytail, "and with that title you have earned your official Leaf Village ninja headband!"

"Thank you Iruka Sensei!" I smiled uncontrollably as I raced out of the room. Before I closed the door, I bowed respectfully and waved goodbye.

Miyuki was waiting for me outside, and, not surprisingly, she was also wearing a headband. "You passed!" She cried, crashing into me for an excited hug.

I laughed, hugging back. "We're ninja!"