I woke early on the day of my ninja academy graduation exam. I felt unusually confident. Though, I'd only lived in Konoha for about a year and a half now, it felt like I'd lived here forever. It was a wonderful feeling.

I got up quickly. Taking much less time then normal to put on my outfit consisting of my scarlet red tee shirt and pale kaki pants. My sky blue jacket covered my tee shirt. I tied my mid-length hair back in a low ponytail, so it brushed my collar of my jacket.

Espeon was stirring too. She sat up from her sleeping area at the foot of my bed and began to groom herself. Once finished, she jumped down to the floor and shook out her pelt and then padded into the small corner-kitchen to dig up breakfast, which for her, consisted of two apples and as much water as desired.

I watched her eat, feeling a warm expression toward her normal attitude of acting as though everyday was special and her normal and calm temper. It always calmed my nerves to have her around and to talk to. Even though sometimes didn't or refused to take part in my conversations and debates.

I left my apartment in a hurry after placing Espeon into her poke ball. I could feel Konoha bustling with life and energy. I caught a glimpse of Kiba and his nin-dog, Akamaru standing together outside the Konoha Library. I could hear Kiba murmuring to Akamaru sheepishly about not doing his homework. Akamaru barked in a scolding way.

I laughed. His relationship with Akamaru was not unlike mine with Espeon, my best friend. I waved at him, though I was fairly sure that he hadn't noticed me.

I liked Kiba as a friend. Thanks to Hinata, she introduced me to everyone on my first day at the Academy.

I continued my walk through Konoha. I picked out a small knot of Jonin or Chunin standing close together. One of them had an odd scar on the left side of his face. Another had long copper hair, with his right eye hidden by his forelock the hung out loosely from his navy bandana that had his metal, ninja plate mounted upon. Another had a hair that looked a bit like a bristled, flat, black mop. He wore a loose bandage across his nose. He had stern black or dark blue eyes staring at the ground. The final ninja had thin, long light brown hair the poked out from underneath his navy bandana, not unlike the one who had his right eye covered. Only this ninja wore his bandana backwards, so the tie was on his forehead, and I guess that the metal plate was mounted on the back. He held a senbon needle or maybe a mere toothpick between his teeth.

Did that serve some kind of use during combat or was it to make him look like a tough ninja with a large ego?

I pricked my ears when I heard them talking.

"Hey, Genma. The Academy's graduation test is today, right?" the ninja with his eye covered asked the one with the senbon needle.

"Yeah," Genma replied.

"Do you think they'll let that new girl participate?" asked the ninja with the scar on his nose.

"It's possible. You know that, Raido," replied Genma.

"I think Iruka will give her a chance. I've watched her myself. She's not half bad after being at the Academy for only about a year. What do you think, Kotetsu?" asked the forelock man again.

"Well, Izumo. She might make it, but she'd still be inexperienced. I think that it would be better to keep her in the Academy for another term," replied Kotetsu, the only one who hadn't spoken yet.

"But the Leaf Village needs new shinobi. Inexperienced or not, she knows what she's doing!" Raido pointed out plainly.

"But what good will the do if they're inexperienced?" Kotetsu countered.

"That's a Jonin sensei is for!" Genma remarked drily.

"But still…" Izumo replied.

"Well, it's out of our hands now," interrupted Genma. "If Lord Hokage prefers youth to experience, then that girl just passed the test."

I passed without a gesture or word to the knot of ninja. If I actually knew them personally, I might've said 'hi' or something. Maybe I might've asked their names, but my heart really wasn't in it. Not to mention that I would've been too skittish to ask.

I noticed Hinata leaving the Hyuga compound, her light blue school bag swung over her shoulder.

Hinata was shorter than me by about ½ an inch. She had short, cute, black hair, which was a little longer along sides of her checks, much like mine. She had large, pale, lavender eyes, from the byakugan gene. She wore her pale colored sweatshirt with some fake fur around the bottom accompanied by dark blue cargo pants.

I noticed another person behind her. A boy, with really long, dark brown hair, tied about three inches from the ends keeping it together in a neat, reverse ponytail. He had his headband, which was mounted onto a black piece of fabric, wrapped and tied around his forehead, much like the other Konoha shinobi. He wore a light tan jacket with short sleeves and a puffy or raised collar. He wore dark brown shorts with a slight purplish shade. The visible parts of his right arm and leg were wrapped firmly with bandages that stopped a few centimeters before the first bend in his fingers. He wore a stern, strict emotion on his face, not unlike the bossy sort of look that Shino wore on most days.

I approached quietly. Hinata's escort noticed my presence and looked up. I met his gaze. I dipped my head in due respect.

"H…hi, Naya-chan," she whispered.

"Morning Hinata," I returned.

"Th…this is Neji-nii-san. He's my cousin and is a year older then me. He's a ninja already," she murmured.

I dipped my head in a greeting.

He returned my gesture curtly.

"I'll leave you to it, Hinata," growled Neji. He gave me one more curt nod and stalked off in the direction that I just came from.

Why'd he call her 'Hinata'? When I'm in the Hyuga compound, everyone seems to call her 'Hinata-sama' or 'Lady Hinata'.

"Let's go," I said to my friend who was staring after Neji. An odd emotion had taken hold of her face. She nodded blankly and followed me.