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Disclaimer: All characters of Naruto and things Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto.


I'm Defying Gravity by ShadowedNara

XxX

Chapter 11

End's beginning


"Two toffees."

I narrowed my eyes, rolling the two aforementioned chewy sweets between my fingertips.

"I call your two toffees," I muttered softly, sliding the golden sweets into the middle of the desk as I lowered the pair of cards in my hand. "And I raise you... three peppermints."

I allowed myself a small smirk as Konohamaru's eyes widened fractionally, his eyes flicking back down to his own pair of cards as he contemplated his move once more, Udon offering the Sarutobi some words of advice.

"That's a bold move," Hanabi whispered next to me, her own eyes switching between scanning the two cards in my hand and the four that were face-up on the desk.

Texas holdem had always been one of my favourite card games, a nice balance between luck and skill required for playing the game. It hadn't taken long to teach them how to play, and we'd been at this for most of the afternoon. The reason we were currently playing Texas holdem being that it was the last week of the year. The curriculum was basically over, class exams had finished last week already and children were given the last week of school to relax and take it easy as they waited for their marks to be released.

My own curriculum was similarly over. I'd written my own exams as well as the exam taken by this year's graduating class. I'd already been graded on all my other facets of shinobi skills such as shurikenjutsu, and a spar against Yamada had been supervised and served as my taijutsu exam for graduation. All that was left was the ninjutsu portion, though I didn't actually have an exact date for that. I'd been told just to be ready and prepared within one week before the Academy year would end.

I looked back down at my cards thoughtfully. I currently had a four of hearts and a jack of clubs. On the table were a four of spades, a queen of spades, a four of diamonds and an ace of hearts. There wasn't much in the way of hands at the moment. I had a three of a kind with the fours, though it wasn't a very strong one.

I glanced up at Konohamaru, his narrowed eyes staring intently at his cards as he nodded along to Udon's words of wisdom. For all I knew, Konohamaru could have the other four and therefore a three of a kind too, and then it'd depend on his remaining card to see who won out in the end. There was also the possibility of a flush, though only once the last card was turned, the river as it were, would we really know what we were dealing with.

The pot at the moment consisted of the four toffees we'd bet earlier, as well as a pair of chocolate bars that we'd opened the betting with, and now my three peppermints. If Konohamaru folded now, it'd all be mine.

Apparently my mask made for an excellent poker face, and I'd been using that to my complete advantage when I'd managed to outlast Udon and Hanabi. It was now down to just me and Konohamaru, and this was shaping up to be the last hand if our dwindling number of sweets were anything to go by. It didn't help that every couple minutes we'd snag another 'betting chip' to eat… we were running out of things to bet with at an alarming rate.

I smirked beneath my mask as I glanced sideways at Hanabi, her eyes flicking down to the remaining sweets I had to bet with. Specifically the banana flavoured soft chews. I grabbed a few and dropped them in her hands, winking softly as she regarded me curiously. "Don't worry," I whispered back, my own eyes swivelling back to the cards on the table and then back to Konohamaru who looked like he'd finally come to a decision. "Once I win this it won't make much of a difference anyway."

Soon enough another trio of peppermints were added to the pot, Konohamaru's determined grin settling into place. "I'll call that bet. Burn and turn the last card Udon."

The boy with glasses nodded quickly as he went about his job as dealer, discarding the top card and then placing the following one face-up beside the other four. Konohamaru's eyes practically lit up in excitement as the jack of spades was revealed. Given the cards on the table, I could quite accurately guess what he'd managed to get. He cupped the rest of his sweets between his hands and shoved them into the pot, a malicious grin on his face. "I'm all in!"

Looking down at my cards again and then back to the table, I let a malicious grin of my own blossom beneath my mask. 'Oh how I'm going to enjoy these next few moments of crushing defeat.' I allowed Hanabi a quick glance at my cards, and her perfectly masked face didn't betray a thing as I raked the remainder of my own sweets into the pot as well. "Call."

Konohamaru's face twisted slightly in confusion as he watched me match his bet, and the barest hints of doubt were slowly creeping into his expression. The earlier confidence was still lingering though, and he flipped his two cards face-up, revealing an ace of spades and a three of spades. All former doubt seemed to wash away as he stared down at the flush he currently had, a strong hand all things considered.

I kept my own face carefully devoid of emotion right up until the moment I flipped my own cards, his eyes widening a fraction of a second later as comprehension dawned on him. I grinned victoriously. "Full house, fours full of jacks. Read 'em and weep Konohamaru."

Konohamaru's expression did a complete one-eighty, his mouth dropping open in complete and utter shock. "W-What?! How the—how the hell did this happen? Damn it! I thought I had you there for sure!"

I did my best to keep the smirk off my face and out of my voice, but the shock he was displaying was making it a tad bit difficult. "You had a good hand, no doubts there. I just had a better one. Such is life I'm afraid Konohamaru. Pleasure doing business with you," I offered happily, raking the sweets towards me and throwing him a peppermint as consolation. I threw another at Udon for taking over as dealer once he'd been knocked out.

I glanced at Hanabi, a similar victorious smirk on her own face. Not so much at the fact that I'd won, more just that Konohamaru had lost. He'd been the one to knock her out after all. "I never doubted you for a second."

I raised an eyebrow at her, an amused grin settling on my lips beneath my mask. "Not even a little bit?"

"I had complete faith this whole time… more or less."

A breathy chuckle escaped my lips, my attention split between Hanabi and counting my winnings as Konohamaru and Udon cleaned up the cards—the price for losing. "More more, or more less?"

Hanabi didn't even hesitate a split second, an amused smile the only indication that she was enjoying this little back and forth. "Definitely more more. I had a lot invested in this game."

That she did. It'd been her sweet tooth and therefore her banana sweets that had made up a good portion of our improvised betting chips. I grabbed her right hand and quickly turned it palm-up, dropping the remaining seven banana chews into her hand with an easy-going grin. "Not a bad investment either. You know, you even earned a little interest too…" I grabbed the chocolate bar I'd won from Konohamaru and put that on top of her other sweets, taking the rest of my winnings and shoving them in my bag.

She closed her hand, smiling up at me as she nodded her head softly, popping one of the banana chews into her mouth. "Thanks. You know—"

Hanabi was suddenly cut off as the door to the class slid open, a man with shoulder length light blue hair stepping in and nodding curtly at our sensei. "Sorry for the interruption Yamada, but I'm here to escort Shiro Hatake to the ninjutsu portion of his graduation exam."

Yamada's gaze quickly darted over to me, our eyes meeting for a second as he nodded his head, turning back to the man in the door that looked vaguely familiar. "Of course Mizuki, he'll be with you in a moment."

The now named Mizuki nodded his head in thanks, sliding the door closed and presumably leaving to wait outside the class. A multitude of soft mutterings sprang up around the class, my heart suddenly beating a little faster than before. It was finally happening. The ninjutsu exam was today. The final exam to determine if I graduated or not.

You only received entrance into the ninjutsu portion if you passed all of your other subjects well enough to give yourself a chance of graduating, so that fact alone told me that I'd done relatively well on all my previous exams. Or at the very least that I'd passed them.

I hauled my bag onto my desk and zipped it closed, slowly getting to my feet as I ran a hand through my hair. Even though I knew I was fully capable of doing this, I couldn't help the nervousness that suddenly began to bubble just beneath the surface. Not just because of the exam, but what it all finally meant.

I was still a firm believer of the fact that there was a reason I'd been reborn here. That there was at least some good I'd be able to do with the knowledge I held. This was my world too, so doing my utmost to ensure the best possible outcome was only natural. I was still a little uncertain of just how that was going to come to pass however. I just didn't want to make a mistake or two and cause things to turn out even worse than before.

I soft punch to my arm drew my attention to Hanabi, a soft smile on her face as she regarded me. "Don't be a stranger, okay? I don't want to lose out on the best sparring partner I've ever had now that you're going to be a ninja."

I raised an eyebrow, quietly admiring the confidence and faith she seemed to have in me. Or maybe my nerves were just getting the better of me. "What makes you so sure I'll pass? I might end up being your desk partner for another year."

She folded her arms, her hip cocked to the side as she gave me a disbelieving look. "You can't seriously believe that. You probably aced all the other tests just like always, and this next one will be no different. Honestly, the amount of times I've heard you say you've failed only to get full marks..."

I scratched at my mask sheepishly, my eyes closing in embarrassment. I guess I had to give that to her, I just didn't want to get my hopes up too high only for them to come crashing down. I suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist, and I glanced down to find a head of brown hair pressed against my chest, my eyes softening. "Hanabi, you don't need to—"

"You'll do great. Don't think about it too much, or you'll start creating problems that aren't there in the first place."

My own words and trusted advice that I'd given out on more than one occasion rang true as they were given straight back to me for a change, and I could only chuckle softly. "That's some sound advice. Where'd you hear it?"

Hanabi chuckled a few times herself, my own arms winding around her back. "I've got this best friend you see, and he's kind of a genius. He can be a real weirdo at the best of times though." I chuckled with her as she let go of me, taking a step back so she could look at me in the eyes. "I mean it though. Unless you're out on some super important mission, sparring every other day, just like normal."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

She pinned me with a stare then, her head tilting slightly as she regarded me with those piercing Hyūga eyes.

I rolled my eyes at her. She could be so serious sometimes. I quickly held out a pinky to her, smiling softly when her own curled around mine. "Pinky promise."

I slung my bag over my shoulder, bumping fists with Konohamaru and Udon as I stepped out of my desk. Those two weren't ones to get all mushy over this, such was the mentality of nine-year-old males. The only reason I was feeling this way was because I was older and knew better I guess. Still, their easy acceptance of it was sort of encouraging. It was a pity Moegi wasn't here today, she probably would've wanted to say goodbye too. I'm sure Konohamaru, Udon and Hanabi would let her know for me though.

Mutterings and well wishes of 'good luck' and 'I always knew he'd graduate early' accompanied my short trip to the door, and I nodded curtly at Yamada as I exited class, giving him a mock two fingered salute. The man simply ignored me and turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

We'd never completely seen eye to eye, mainly because my propensity for being late directly clashed with his need for timeliness and efficiency. I'd led him to having to reschedule his entire class timetable, so there were probably still some hard feelings, but he'd been a good sensei all things considered. I'd definitely miss him and that sarcastic streak of his.

Once outside the class, I found the earlier blue headed sensei standing casually against the wall, a gentle smile on his face. It actually seemed sincere too. But I knew the man was as two-faced as his smile, so I didn't take it at face value. I inclined my head, not as respectful as a bow, because in all honesty I didn't have any respect for the man, even if he was my senior and superior.

"I'm Mizuki sensei. If you'll follow me, we can get you to your exam."

The man started walking, and I followed a few steps behind, making sure I was close enough so he knew I was following, but far enough that it'd be hard to strike up conversation. I honestly didn't feel like speaking right now, especially not with Mizuki, so I kept my distance.

I quickly ran through all the hand seals for the three jutsu I was going to be asked to perform. As Kakashi had explained, while the ninjutsu portion weighted the most and counted as the final say whether you got your hitai-ate or not, it wasn't actually all that difficult. The outcome of passing or failing rested all on this exam if you managed to pass everything else, but if you knew how to use the three jutsu required, there was no pressure whatsoever.

In Kakashi's opinion, graduating the Academy was ridiculously easy, and I could actually appreciate the need for a second test conducted by your jōnin sensei to weed out all the candidates who weren't truly ready for graduation. It was a clearcut way of ensuring that only the best graduated. There was no need to send children into dangerous situations if they weren't completely ready for it. Or I suppose no one was completely ready for it, but that was a decision ultimately decided on by the jōnin you were assigned to. They'd have the most qualified opinion.

I shoved my hands in my pockets then, though frowned as my fingers curled around something that shouldn't have been in there. I pulled out my right hand, a smile forming beneath my mask as I stared at the banana chew held between my fingers. 'Hanabi.'

She must have slipped it in there when she'd surprised me with that hug. I shook my head in amusement, absently noting that looking at it now put me strangely at ease. My heart wasn't pounding in my ears anymore, and there wasn't this uncomfortable prickle of heat spreading throughout my body. I felt perfectly relaxed, all because of a small little banana chew. I shook my head again, unable to keep the smile off my face as I put the sweet back in my pocket. It was the closest thing to a good luck charm I had, might as well use it.

I looked up as Mizuki stopped in front of a classroom door to our left, sliding it open and stepping inside. I followed a few seconds after, grinning beneath my mask when I spotted Iruka seated behind the teacher's desk. The class was empty, save for Iruka and now Mizuki, who were both seated behind the desk, the desk itself holding several rows of untouched hitai-ate. It looked like I was doing my exam before the actual graduating class.

Iruka smiled back at me, but in this moment he had to be an Academy instructor and no longer my friend who'd babysat me all those years ago, so I bowed my head respectfully, trying to remain as professional as I could. "I'm here for the graduation exam."

Iruka himself seemed to realise the need for professionalism as well, and he coughed into his hand, pulling out a few sheets of paper from the desk drawer and nodding in my direction. "Yes of course. Okay, as I'm sure you already know, this exam consists solely of your ninjutsu capabilities, specifically the three E-ranked jutsu taught here at the Academy. To pass, all you need to do is display a competent mastery of the aforementioned jutsu."

I pulled my bag off my shoulders and dropped it softly beside one of the open desks behind me, nodding my head at Iruka. "So, which one must I start with?"

Iruka looked contemplative for a second before Mizuki's voice reached my ears, the man tapping his pen against his chin. "Proceed in any order you like. We'll grade accordingly."

Iruka nodded at his fellow sensei's words, and I rolled my shoulders before bringing my hands together, running through the three hand signs for the first of three jutsu I'd practised. "Bunshin no jutsu."

Four doppelgangers of myself shimmered into existence, a pair on each of my flanks. I'd practised this jutsu over and over in the last few weeks, but despite seeing the effects time and again, it still fascinated me to no end that I could create clones of myself, incorporeal or not. Said clones mimicked my movements as I stretched my hands above my head, and I could've had these clones performing movements autonomous of my own if I'd wanted to. That wasn't necessary for this small exercise however, my clones soon shimmering and subsequently fading from existence at Iruka's satisfied nod.

"Very good Shiro. You may continue."

I brought my hands together again as Iruka and Mizuki's pens scratched harmoniously against their pages, running through the next three hand seals I knew before being enveloped in a small cloud of smoke. "Henge no jutsu."

The smoke dissipated within a few seconds, and they nodded in satisfaction once more as they no doubt stared into the face of Yamada, the person I'd decided to transform into.

It was the strangest sensation when you were under a transformation jutsu, and out of the three Academy jutsu, this was easily the most difficult, if only due to the need for a constant output of chakra. Nevertheless, judging from Iruka's miserable attempts to keep from smiling, I imagined my transformation was as flawless as it felt. I breathed out a sigh before dropping the technique, another cloud of smoke coalescing around my form.

"Another excellent demonstration," Mizuki quipped with an impressed lilt to his voice, his eyes on his page as he continued scribbling away. "One more to go. Whenever you're ready."

I nodded again before quickly going through the five hand seals required for the last jutsu. This was the one jutsu Kakashi had put a greater emphasis on as opposed to the rest, and it was easily the one I'd practised the most. To quote his own words, 'This jutsu has saved me from an early grave more times than I care to count.'

I ran through the hand seals with an ease and speed that was probably uncommon from an Academy student, a curtain of smoke clouding my vision as I was yanked in the direction of the chair I'd substituted with. "Kawarimi no jutsu."

This was a jutsu that'd taken some getting used to. It was extremely unpleasant being pulled around when I'd first started using the jutsu, and that was one of the other reasons Kakashi had had me performing it repeatedly. I was more than used to it now that I knew what to expect, but there was always room for improvement. It was nowhere near as flawless as it could be. My dad had it down to an art form, a carefully calculated science. I unfortunately still had to use the hand seals. Definitely a work in progress.

I stepped around the desk I'd substituted behind and stopped at my previous position in front of the teacher's desk, taking a seat in the chair that I'd substituted with. Both instructors were scribbling furiously again, and I scratched at the back of my neck, an eye smile making its way onto my face unbidden. "So, how'd I do?"

Iruka was the first to finish, and after stealing a quick glance at his colleague's page, he stood to his feet, a proud smile on his face as he gave a few claps. "On behalf of the Hokage and the Academy, I'd like to congratulate you on passing your graduation exam. Please, step forward and collect a hitai-ate."

A huge grin split my lips beneath my mask as I strode towards the desk, grabbing one of the many hitai-ate laid out on the table. The blue material was soft to the touch, still completely new, and I ran my hand up my forehead, pushing my growing fringe back and fastening the material securely around my forehead. The weight was uncommon on my forehead, but considering I'd be wearing this everyday for my foreseeable future, it wouldn't take too long to get used to.

Mizuki stepped around the desk as he finished writing on his page, making his way to the door and clapping a hand on my shoulder as he strode past. "Well done young man, you're every bit as skilled as I'd expected." He stopped at the door and turned towards Iruka, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "I'm going to go fetch the first candidate. Be back in a few."

Iruka nodded before stepping around the desk as well once the class door had closed, ruffling my hair playfully as I shouldered my backpack. "Congratulations Shiro, you've got no idea how proud I am. I always knew you'd make a fine shinobi someday, and you've already exceeded my expectations."

I smiled bashfully under the praise, my eyes closed as I scratched at the material of my mask. I honestly wasn't sure what to say, and settled for the only thing my mouth seemed able to get out. "Thanks, Iruka sensei."

The man nodded again with a smile, pulling a small leaflet from his back pocket. "Now that you've graduated, there's a few administration related things you need to complete. Everything is explained on that form, and I'm sure Kakashi can give you a hand with it if you need some help."

I nodded my head, slipping the paper into my bag as he continued. "You also need to meet back here at the Academy in at the end of the school week for team placements. The details for that are also on the leaflet." The man rubbed a finger beneath his nose, his expression thoughtful. "I think that's pretty much everything you need to know. You'd best be heading along though, Mizuki should be back any minute now. You're free to leave by the way. Officially, you're no longer a student here."

I nodded my head again with a proud grin before strolling to the door, sliding it open and glancing back. "Thanks again Iruka sensei. I'll see you in two days then."

The man gave me a thumbs up, a small grin still on his face. "Say hi to Kakashi for me. And drag him to a restaurant if you have to, tonight's a night for celebrating!"

I grinned over my shoulder, raising a hand as I left. "Don't I know it."


I closed the door to the apartment as I slid my bag off my shoulders and slipped my shoes off, padding softly through the unusually quiet(er) house. Finding no one in the kitchen and then the lounge was a little strange. Kakashi was usually in either of the two when I got back home. His room was only good for sleeping as he'd told me countless times before, so I knew he wasn't there. Kakashi didn't know the meaning of an afternoon nap.

I made my way back into the kitchen and took a generous sniff of the air, confirming that there was nobody else in the apartment. I frowned. Maybe he'd been called away on an emergency mission. It was always possible, and it was the more likely of the reasons I had at the moment. If that was the case though, Kakashi would've left me a message somewhere. I hadn't come across anything yet, so I turned around and headed for my bedroom.

I eyed my bed curiously however as I stepped through my door, my eyes noting the small square box on my bed with a note attached to the top. 'At least I found the message,' I mused absently. I stopped at the edge of my bed and grabbed the small piece of paper, reading over the words left by Kakashi:

'Out to grab us some celebratory food, be back soon.

P.S. Congratulations on passing.'

Smiling amusedly at the note, I placed it onto the bed before eyeing the square package that had been beneath it. It was a small narrow box with a lid, dull looking in colour and more than a few years old. With careful fingers, I gingerly peeled the top off, my eyes widening in a mixture of shock and awe as the glint of steel flashed in my eyes. I almost couldn't believe it, but hell if seeing wasn't believing. And right now, I was very much seeing the White Light Chakra Sabre. 'Holy shit' was almost accurate enough to perfectly sum up the way I was currently feeling.


A nice steaming plate of lasagna for your thoughts?