"We are now about to begin the Graduation test." Iruka announced to his class with his right hand behind his back as he read off of a sheet in his left hand. "When your name is called, please proceed to the next classroom. The test is on the Clone Jutsu."
Naruto's eyes widened and his face paled and he covered his face with his hands, leaning his elbows on his desk.
"Oh no..." He thought, a knot forming in his stomach. "Of all the...! That's my weakest Jutsu!"
"Settle down, settle down." The female teacher crossed her arms and stared at her class, looking over each child with her analytical amber eyes. "I'll make this simple— if your name gets called, you're to head to this room to take the Graduation Exam, understand?" Picking up a piece of chalk, she wrote the room number on the board and tapped beside it with the chalk as she looked to the class once more.
"Furthermore, I will not tolerate any talking in the hall or stalling. You will not speak to students from other classes if you see them in the hall, or I will ensure that you get docked points because I will assume you are cheating. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Hidemi-sensei." They replied in unison.
"Very good." She picked up her clipboard, glanced down at the list, and then her eyes fell on the red-haired girl in her class who sat in the back row. The special case.
"Natsumi Uzumaki, step forward."
The students turned to see the girl stand and approach the teacher quietly. Hidemi touched the girl's shoulder, leaning in close to whisper to her.
"There are two Chunin waiting for you at the end of the hall for your own test. Give it everything you've got."
Natsumi nodded and Hidemi pulled her face away, patting her shoulder.
"Go on, now. You'll do fine." She motioned toward the door and Natsumi stepped outside, pressing her lips together nervously, and let out a sigh once the door had closed behind her.
"Hey, sensei, you didn't give her any hints, did you?"
One boy called out, his voice muffled by the door.
"Yeah!" A girl joined in. "What did you say?"
"Quiet!" Hidemi barked and moved to sit on her desk with her arms crossed. "You can use this time to do whatever you like, with the exception of talking. Play cards, write notes— whatever. I don't really care, since all we have to do it wait. But if I have to intervene and silence anyone, I'll give you all extra work to do. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am." The students nodded, already shuffling around the room to sit with their friends and writing notes amongst themselves.
Natsumi let out another sigh and glanced at another classroom's door— Iruka's classroom.
Naruto, please do your best and pass.
She turned away from his class and headed down the hall in the opposite direction where two figures waited. Both leaned against the wall with their arms crossed, talking amongst themselves too quietly for hear. They looked up as she approached and nodded their heads in greeting.
"Natsumi Uzumaki?" The man with the bandana stepped forward and uncrossed his arms.
"Yes, sir." Natsumi nodded, stopping in front of him.
The man next to him had dark, spiked hair and a bandage across his nose. He looked the girl up and down and then turned to his friend.
"Are we sure this is the same girl Hidemi spoke so highly of? She looks too...delicate."
Natsumi furrowed her brows but kept her mouth shut.
"I'm Izumo." The man with the bandana introduced himself, then pointed to his partner. "This is Kotetsu. Since you've already passed the Graduation Exam, we'll be overseeing a series of tests that the Hokage himself requested, based off of Hidemi's reports on your progress."
"Understood." She nodded again and followed them out of the Academy's rear entrance. Once outside, the man named Kotetsu touched her shoulder and transported both of them to one of the Village's training grounds. Natsumi saw Izumo appear beside them and Kotetsu removed his hand from his shoulder.
"What kind of exam will this be?" Natsumi asked and looked between the two of them.
"We're to assess your skills in different areas— Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu— as well as your problem solving, tracking, and stealth." Kotetsu answered and retrieved a folded paper from a pocket in his flak jacket. "It's nothing too complicated, but the Hokage just wants to see what kind of progress you've made the past three years."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it if Hidemi's reports about you are accurate." Izumo smiled faintly at her. "We'll start with the combat assessment, so prepare yourself. You'll be taking us both on at once."
Natsumi's eyes widened momentarily and then she adjusted her stance in a ready position.
"Alright. I can do it."
Kotetsu smirked and took a stance as well, followed by Izumo.
"Not that you'll be able to beat us, but if you do, know that there are restrictions. The match ends if either you or us are knocked unconscious. Use every Ninja tool at your disposal as you wish but killing isn't permitted."
Natsumi's eyes narrowed as she met his gaze. "I said I can do it."
"Hmph." Kotestu chuckled. "Don't get too cocky."
"The match begins... now!" Izumo announced.
Naruto stepped into the Examination room, having waited for his name to be called impatiently. The room was primarily open and empty, with the exception of a table set up against the far wall where Iruka and Mizuki sat with an array of Leaf Headbands organized neatly in preparation to be awarded to the students who passed.
Naruto eyed the headbands and clenched his fists, determined that one of them would soon be given to him. He looked up at Iruka who smiled in acknowledgment at him.
"Are you ready?" Iruka asked and watched Naruto move to stand in the center of the room.
"I'll show you that I can do it!" Naruto stood with his legs shoulder-width apart and took a breath.
"This may be my weakest Jutsu, but still... I will do it no matter what!"
Closing his eyes, he brought his hands together in the Ram sign and channeled his Chakra. Energy swirled around him as he concentrated and released a breath.
"Clone Jutsu!" He called out and enacted the spell. A small puff of smoke appeared and then dissipated beside him, and he turned to see his creation.
The clone was pale and poorly colored— almost cartoonish in appearance— and was laying pitifully on its belly with an empty, dumb expression and its tongue flopped out of his mouth and drooled.
Naruto held up a hand to his face, trembling at the sight of his failed Jutsu.
"Not again..." He thought miserably.
Iruka stared at the clone, his eye twitching. Finally, he blinked and let out a slow breath.
"Disqualified!" He shouted and Naruto fell back, wide-eyed in horror.
Iruka returned to a quiet thoughtfulness and watched Naruto.
"What a shame..." He thought. "I hoped that this time would be different."
"Iruka-sensei." Mizuki turned to his fellow teacher with a faint smile. "His physical coordination and stamina are excellent. And he did manage to come up with something. Isn't that enough for him to pass?"
Naruto got up from the floor and grinned at the praise, his eyes sparkling in hope as he looked at the teachers and waited for a reply.
"Mizuki-sensei..." Iruka turned to him with a frown, then glanced at the headbands on the table. "All the others created two or more clones." He held up a hand as he explained, then lowered it again. "Naruto created just one, and it's practically useless. I can't give him a passing mark."
Naruto gritted his teeth and clench his fists as he stared at his sensei.
"I'm sorry, Naruto." Iruka met his eyes. "Keep working on it and you'll make it next time."
Naruto turned away from his teachers and walked out of the room, his fists trembling.
Both men ran at Natsumi simultaneously and she remained in place, watching their movements carefully.
They move so synchronized... they've been working as a duo a long time.
She exhaled and lowered her stance, grounding herself as she timed their strikes.
Three...two... now!
She quickly did a series of hand signs and vanished completely. Izumo and Kotetsu's eyes widened and staggered as their fists were met with empty air. They recovered quickly and looked around.
"Where'd she go?" Kotetsu cautiously stepped backward and turned.
Izumo quietly surveyed the area, unable to hear anything. "I'll give her that... her evasion skills are excellent."
Several meters in front of them, Natsumi began to rise from the ground. They watched as she emerged from the earth with a blank expression on her face.
"You missed." The corners of her mouth twitched upward slightly.
"Hmph." Kotetsu smirked. "I'm impressed. That's a pretty advanced technique for a kid."
As he spoke, he reached behind his back and retrieved his long blade, pointing the tip at her. Izumo followed his lead and Natsumi eyed the chain that appeared between the two weapons.
So, that's their style?
She smiled and stood in place.
"Catch me if you can."
They came at her again, this time attacking from the opposite sides before she could react and the chains encircled her body. They grinned and tugged, tightening them around her and then stared in shock as the chains passed through her form.
"It's a clone!" Izumo gaped and the two watched as the length of chain hit the ground, clinking against itself as it did.
"Missed again." Natsumi's clone giggled. "Don't worry. You can try again."
Around the clearing, several more forms emerged from below, all smiling.
"There's more!" Kotetsu looked over them all. "I can't tell which one is the real one."
"Hidemi wasn't kidding." Izumo thought to himself, looking at the Natsumi clone closest to him. "This girl is already Genin level without any formal training. Maybe even higher."
The clones raised their hands and formed the Tiger hand seal and all turned to look at the men simultaneously.
"That sign!" Kotetsu stared and held his blade in front of him, at the ready.
Suddenly the clones vanished, quickly reappearing in various spots around the clearing. Izumo and Kotetsu stood with their backs to ones another, completely surrounded, as the clones continued to vanish and reappear.
"The Body Flicker Technique, too?" Kotetsu identified. "I was wrong. This girl is impressive."
As they watched the clones' movements, a pair of hands reached from below and gripped Kotetsu's ankles suddenly and quickly pulled him down into the earth, leaving only his head above ground.
"No way! The real one... was underground?"
Natsumi leapt from belowground from a hole that appeared, sealing again as her feet touched down on the earth.
"I got you!" She beamed and put her hands on her hips, and each of her clones disappeared as she glanced between the Chunin.
"Yeah, yeah." Kotetsu muttered. "Can you just get me out, now?"
"You're good." Izumo nodded and returned his blade to his back. "Your Ninjutsu is advanced, and your chakra control is excellent. Even your strategy was well-thought out. I can tell you've put a lot of effort into your training."
"Thanks!" Natsumi clasped her hands behind her back and stepped forward. "What else do I have to do for the test?"
"We've seen your Ninjutsu, but what about your Taijutsu?" Izumo suggested, shrugging.
"It's not my strongest skill, but I'm not terrible at it." Natsumi thought, then nodded. "But, okay."
She shifted her feet with her right foot forward and her left back. Her left hand she held in a loose fist, her wrist barely brushing against her hip. Her right hand she held open and relaxed in front of her body.
"Do you want me to be Uke or Tori?" Natsumi asked with her body still and expression calm.
"Uke."
"Got it." Natsumi exhaled slowly, ducking down and immediately spinning counterclockwise on the ball of her right foot to sweep his legs.
Izumo quickly leapt upward, dodging easily, and landed behind her.
He's slightly slower than the other one and more analytical. She settled into a low stance, resting most of her weight on her right leg with her left leg out to the side. He's not used to fighting alone anymore, so he leaves one side open without realizing.
She lifted herself to a stand with her right leg and instantly aimed a roundhouse kick at his right side. He blocked it easily with his dominant hand and she quickly retracted her leg, feigned a right hook, and, as he blocked with his left forearm, she spun and aimed a strong kick at his unguarded left side.
The force caused the Chunin to be thrown back where he landed and rolled on the grass at the other end of the clearing.
"Izumo!" Kotetsu called out, struggling against the earth that held him.
Izumo slowly pushed himself from the ground and gave his friend a thumbs-up. "I'm alright!"
He sat up slowly and Natsumi knelt in front of him, holding out her hand to help him up.
"You're used to fighting as a team, so you leave one side open as a result out of habit." He took her hand and she grunted as she pulled back, letting go of his hand once he was upright. "You should work on that."
Izumo laughed and tousled her hair. "I'll do that. You're better than I anticipated, kid. You and your brother must train together a lot."
Natsumi grinned at the compliment and shook her head.
"Not really. Naruto and I do like to spar, but I train mostly on my own, with clones. I get up around sunrise to train, while Naruto sleeps in. I'd waste a lot of time if I waited on him."
"She's been training with just clones?" Kotetsu eyed her carefully. "I would have never thought training solo like that could produce such a talented Ninja. And to think that that Naruto kid is her twin. They're completely different."
Izumo looked at her in disbelief. "Eh? Seriously? How did you get so good without having anyone training you?"
Natsumi's cheeks tinged pink and she rubbed the back of her head, averting her eyes.
"I'm not that good... but I do put a lot of effort into my training. I try to read a new scroll or book every week so that I can refine my Jutsu and my combat. It can be challenging without anyone to train with, but I'm used to it now."
"I-impressive." Izumo chuckled and scratched his cheek. "To think that a kid like this could beat us so quickly... and without even breaking a sweat. Just how strong is she when she goes all-out?"
"Say, Izumo-sensei?" Natsumi looked up at him, watching him think as if she could see gears whirring behind his eyes.
He blinked and met her gaze. "Y-yeah?"
"What you said before, about the test not being over until someone loses consciousness, is that true?"
"O-oh, well I suppose so." He put his hands on his hips. "Although it's not necessary. We've gotten a good sampling of your skills."
Her lips curved in a slight smirk. "I hope you don't mind if I do one more move, then. I've been wanting to try out a new Jutsu to see how it affects real opponents." She waved her hands quickly, smiling. "Don't worry, it's nothing dangerous! I just want to see what you think of it."
Natsumi looked between the two, taking several steps back.
"Of course." Izumo nodded and crossed his arms. "Go ahead."
Natsumi giggled and brought her hands together to form the Ram Hand sign.
"Transform!"
Natsumi poked Izumo's cheek as he lay unconscious on the ground. Kotetsu lay beside him, unconscious as well.
They're both out cold... I guess that Jutsu is really as potent as Naruto says it is.
She giggled to herself and turned her head, hearing a twig snap in the woods behind her. Out of the shadows emerged a tall woman with caramel-colored skin, dark eyes like onyx, and long, waist-length hair as black as a crow.
She wore a simple, tight black shirt with sleeves that stopped just at her elbows and a deep, plunging neckline that accentuated her large breasts, and tight, black pants with the standard Kunai holster on her left thigh. Her headband was tied loosely around her hips and the only color she had on was a small black ribbon that had been braided into the small, single pleat behind her ear.
She looked at the two men on the ground and put her hands on her hips, sighing.
"Those morons. I should have expected something like this to happen."
Natsumi stood and watched as the woman approached.
"Did you do this?" She turned to Natsumi, who nodded. "I'm impressed."
She extended a hand and then smiled as Natsumi shook it. "My name's Kiri Ueno. I'm the one who was chosen to test your tracking and stealth."
"My name's Natsumi. It's nice to meet you."
"Natsumi? Cute name." Kiri reached out to muss the girl's hair. "And I love your hair. It's beautiful."
Natsumi stared up at her, touching the ends of her hair. "Really? Most people say it's obnoxious."
"Most people are morons." Kiri laughed, thumbing at Izumo and Kotetsu. "Like those two. It's a good thing they aren't put in charge of three-man squads. Those guys are complete idiots. Cute, maybe, but idiots."
Natsumi giggled and Kiri prodded Kotetsu's side with her feet.
"Hey, get up."
After a moment, his eyes opened and he blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"Kiri?" he sat up slowly. "What are you doing here?"
"You guys were supposed to bring Natsumi to see me for the next part of her evaluation about an hour ago. I came looking for you because I got tired of waiting."
Natsumi giggled and watched as the Ninja shook his friend awake. "It's my fault, Kiri-sama. I used a special Jutsu of mine and it knocked them out."
Kiri turned toward the girl and crossed her arms, leaning in closer. "Oh, really? What kind of technique?"
The men blushed furiously and helped each other to stand.
"A-A really powerful one." Izumo averted his eyes, sheepishly chuckling as he scratched the back of his head.
"Oh?" Kiri grinned and leaned closer to Natsumi. "Can I see?"
The men stepped back, crossing their arms in front of them in an X.
"T-that's not a good idea!" Kotetsu's face was flushed a vibrant red and he shook his head quickly.
Kiri laughed loudly and clapped her hands together as she met Natsumi's eyes. "I've gotta see it now! I want to be able to tease them about it later."
Natsumi laughed and held up the hand sign. "This one is called Sexy Jutsu."
A puff of smoke surrounded her and when it cleared, she was a tall, full-figured, naked woman with deep black hair, golden eyes, bold, red lips, and tiger stripes tattooed from her right shoulder down to the wrist. She posed seductively, winking at Kotetsu as they trembled where they stood, their noses dripping blood before they fell backwards.
Kiri's eyes widened and she circled Natsumi. "Woah! I like that one! Where did you learn to do that?"
Natsumi released the Jutsu, appearing as herself once more. "My brother's the one who came up with the technique, but I thought it would be fun to try to do it myself." She eyed the two men as they lay on the ground, stammering and red-faced. "And, it's really fun to see people's reactions."
Kiri put her arm around the girl's shoulders. "I like you already, Natsumi. Anyone who can knock those two out cold like that is a hero in my book. They're so annoying at times."
Kotetsu sat up, recovering more quickly this time. Izumo followed, rubbing his face and avoiding eye contact with Natsumi completely.
"I love the technique," Kiri muttered, cupping her hand around her mouth. "but you've gotta make the bust a little bigger."
"Oh, really?" Natsumi pressed her lips together in thought, looking up at the woman.
"Mhm. Guys love them big. They want to shove their whole face in and practically die of suffocation. That's their true happiness."
The duo stood open-mouthed.
"Hey, you can't just talk about stuff like that so casually with a kid!" Kotetsu blushed as he scolded her.
"D-Do you always have to be so indecent?" Izumo's face was the same shade of red as he pointed at Kiri.
Kiri laughed and crossed her arms under her breasts, accentuating them.
"Rule number one for Kunoichi." Kiri grinned at Natsumi. "Remember that all men are perverts, and the worse ones are the closet perverts who lecture other people about decency but lose the ability to form full sentences when they see a little cleavage."
Natsumi laughed, covering her mouth to stifle the noise as Izumo and Kotetsu glared at Kiri, though their eyes wandered to her chest before they blushed deeper and raised their gaze.
"W-We're not perverts!" Kotetsu defended. "We just get surprised, that's all."
"Hm?" Kiri smirked, winking at Natsumi. "If that's the case, then I'll just have to prove it."
She stepped closer to Kotetsu, who attempted to take a step back. She slid her arms around his neck slowly and pressed her body to his. He shuddered and gulped as he glanced down, averting his eyes as quickly as he could.
"I-Izumo... help." He croaked to his friend, whose mouth was hanging open as he watched.
"Hey, Kotetsu..." Kiri murmured, leaning in to whisper in his ear. A small squeak escaped his lips and blood spurted from his nose as he fell to the ground.
Kiri chuckled and put her hands on her lips, looking down at him. "What's the matter? A grown man can't even handle a little dirty talk?"
Izumo knelt down to Kotetsu, leaning in to whisper. "What did she say?"
Kotetsu pulled him closer, whispering so softly that Natsumi couldn't hear. Izumo blinked slowly and then collapsed on the ground beside him.
"So... filthy..." He stammered.
Kiri gripped Natsumi's shoulder.
"Alright, while they process that, let's go to the next area. I can already tell that working with you will be fun."
Natsumi glanced between Izumo, Kotetsu, and Kiri. "What did you say?"
Kiri laughed and waved her hand, turning and guiding Natsumi away. "Something that I won't tell you until you're a little bit older. Even I'm not that indecent." She winked. "But ask me again in about in two or three years and I'll be glad to answer that question."
Excited students celebrated with one another as their parents chatted amongst themselves.
"I'm a ninja now!" One girl exclaimed to her friend. "Can you believe it?"
"I'd been studying so hard, but I'm glad the Exam was on something so easy!" The boy grinned and tapped the headband on his forehead.
"I can't wait to do missions!" A group of huddled together, imagine what it would be like to be given their first assignment. "I'm going to be the best Kunoichi yet!"
Parents praised their children, with fathers ruffling their sons' hair and mothers hugging their daughters.
"I'm so proud of you." One mother cooed and touched her nose to her daughter's. "I'll make something really good for dinner tonight!"
"You did well. That's my boy." A father patted his son's head. "I always knew you'd do well."
Far from the crowd, in the corner of the courtyard, Naruto Uzumaki sat on a lone swing hanging from a thick branch of a large tree. He held one rope in both hands with his head lowered as he listened to the excited chatter. His eyes were unfocused as he stared lazily at the shadow of the tree.
"Darn..." He thought bitterly, his chest tight. "Where's Natsumi?"
One mother saw Naruto out of the corner of her eye and she leaned closer to her friend, motioning toward him.
"Look at that one."
"It's that boy." She replied and furrowed her brows. "I hear he's the only one who failed. Serves him right." She scowled.
"Imagine what would happen if he became a ninja." The first woman scoffed. "Isn't that the boy that actually—"
"Hey, we're not supposed to talk about that!" Her friend interrupted her quickly in a hushed tone.
"Right." She huffed again and crossed her arms, watching Naruto stare at the empty air in front of him. "I heard that he has a twin sister and that she received some of the highest grades in class, but never came back after she took her exam."
"I heard that, too." Her friend shook her head. "She probably messed up and failed so miserably that she was too embarrassed and ran home to hide."
"I'd say what a shame, but I'm glad that neither of them passed. Children like them don't deserve to have the power of a ninja."
Naruto blinked and wiped away his tears, clenching his fists as he thought of Natsumi.
"Did you fail, too?" He sniffed and wiped his cheeks again. "Where did you go? We were supposed to meet here."
Naruto adjusted his goggles on his head then turned as he heard someone land softly on the ground beside him. Mizuki looked down at him with one hand on his hip, smiling faintly.
Iruka watched Naruto and Mizuki over the crowd with the Hokage, his stomach tightening into knots as he saw him wipe away tears.
"Iruka," The Hokage spoke up without turning to the younger man. "We need to talk later."
"Yes, sir." He replied in a quiet voice, watching Mizuki and Naruto leave together, the empty swing rocking back and forth.
"Iruka-sensei isn't trying to be mean to you." Mizuki explained as he sat with Naruto on a high ledge overlooking the village with their feet dangling over the edge. From their vantage point, the view of the sunset was brilliant and filled the sky with an orange haze as the sun sunk lower to the horizon, not yet touching the earth.
"Then why only me?" Naruto asked, kicking his feet absentmindedly as he looked below.
"He wants you to become strong from the bottom of his heart." Mizuki replied quietly. Naruto's eyes slowly widened as he listened and Mizuki continued. "You both don't have parents."
Naruto slouched at the thought and he let out a slow breath. "But, I really wanted to graduate."
Mizuki chuckled and looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye.
"Hm... I guess I have no choice."
Naruto turned his head quickly to him, staring eagerly.
"I'll let you in on a big secret." Mizuki smiled faintly.
"Secret?" Naruto thought and watched the teacher's smile grow.
Natsumi watched the woman carefully as they walked, admiring her dark skin. Kiri noticed her staring and turned to the girl.
"Is something on your mind?"
Natsumi shook her head quickly and then let out a short breath. "Well, actually... yes. I didn't want to bring it up and risk offending you, but..." She averted her eyes, and then looked up at her again. "You're not from the Leaf Village, are you?"
Kiri smiled, leaning down to poke her cheek. "Nope, not originally." She straightened and stretched, keeping her eye on her young companion. "I was born in the Cloud Village. Do you know where that is?"
Natsumi nodded. "I do, but I don't know much about it. What was it like there?"
"Hmm.." Kiri crossed her arms and turned her face upward in thought. "Well, it's a pretty place to watch the sunrise from. There's a lot of mountains and some of the buildings and pathways are built pretty high up, so you have to have a strong stomach. But, the view from the Raikage's building is the best. It's the tallest one, so you can see for many kilometers around."
Kiri looked at Natsumi, who was eagerly listening.
"I prefer the Leaf Village for a lot of reasons, though. The forests are beautiful, and it feels so much more peaceful here."
"Have people treated you differently for being from a different Village?"
Kiri shrugged. "When I was a kid, sure. But, I've lived here since I was five, so this has become my home. Anyone who had a problem with me being an outsider then doesn't say the same now- at least not to my face."
Natsumi eyes fell on the path in front of her momentarily as she thought, then rose once more.
"What made you come to the Leaf Village? Did you parents immigrate here?"
Kiri shook her head.
"My parents died when I was really little, so I don't remember them much. I was an obnoxious orphan kid who got in a lot of trouble until one day I was found by some Leaf Shinobi. They were the ones who brought me here, and I was adopted by two of the Shinobi, Yayoi and her husband Zenzo. They already had a grown son and daughter, Yuuta and Yuuri, so I was the baby of the family. That's the short version of it."
Natsumi stared at her for a while and tried to read her expression. "What's the long version, then?"
Kiri patted Natsumi's head and wagged a finger. "I like you, Natsumi, I really do, but that's a story that I only share with my close friends."
Natsumi nodded and pressed her lips together. "I didn't mean to be rude or anything, I was just curious." She paused and then looked over her shoulder briefly in the direction they'd come from. "So, how do you know those two from before?"
"Izumo and Kotetsu?" Kiri laughed quietly under her breath. "We went to the Academy together. We were in the same class."
"Were you friends?"
Kiri shrugged again, holding her hands up. "I don't really know the answer to that. I suppose a better term would be rivals. I first met them on the playground, when they were teasing me for looking so different. After that, we just started teasing each other back-and-forth constantly. They've always been a little annoying, but they're good guys overall."
"It seems like you're good friends now." Natsumi smiled.
"I guess so, yeah. We've been on some missions together, but we don't see each other much now that we're grown." She winked. "But, I used to have crushes on them, you know."
Natsumi giggled. "Really? Both of them?"
"Really. It would change from week-to-week sometimes, but after Graduation we didn't see much of each other so the crushes didn't last. Though, I do have to admit that they matured into really attractive men."
"Did you ever tell them that you liked them?"
Kiri laughed loudly, holding her stomach. "Did I...?" She shook her head quickly. "No, never. It was just a couple of childhood crushes— nothing serious."
"Really?" Natsumi crossed her arms and examined Kiri's expression. "It seems as if you still like them, though. Especially Kotetsu."
Kiri's cheeks darkened in a blush and she laughed, waving a hand. "That's ridiculous. Kotetsu's not really my type, anyway."
Natsumi stared at her until she blinked and turned her eyes away. "Alright, alright; so maybe my crush on Kotetsu never fully went away. He's just always been so cute that I can't help it."
"He seems to like you, too, so why don't you date already?"
Kiri rolled her eyes and ruffled Natsumi's hair. "Look at me, a grown woman getting relationship advice from a kid who's never even had her first kiss, yet."
Natsumi blushed slightly and turned her head away. "Y-You don't know that. Maybe I have."
Kiri poked her cheek again, then pinched it lightly. "You just confirmed it, though." She laughed as Natsumi blushed more deeply and released her cheek. "Even if I still do like him, we don't see each other much and neither of us are good at relationships. We're both busy, so it would be difficult to date anyway. Not to mention, admitting that I had any feelings for him at all would immediately end our rivalry and all the teasing would be over. I can't just admit defeat and let him have the upper hand like that."
Natsumi sighed, shaking her head. "I thought dating was just supposed to be two people who liked each other, spending time together. I didn't realize it was so complicated."
"And that's how I know that you're still just a kid." Kiri smiled and rested a hand on her shoulder. "When you get older, you'll understand. Sometimes just having feelings isn't enough. There's a lot of factors you have to consider."
"I guess so." Natsumi considered. "I just think it should be simpler."
"You probably do have a point." Kiri shrugged. "Maybe we adults do make it too complicated, but we can always talk about that later."
She led Natsumi out of the forest and onto a wide street. She smiled and rested her fists on her hips.
"As for now, let's begin the second part of your test."