Thankfully those taking the graduation exam early don't have to go to their regular class the day of the test. Instead, we're all ushered into an empty classroom to begin our written exam. Naruto and I are separated as soon as we enter the room. He's in the front row on the far left while I'm on the far right by the door. He gives me his sunny smile, knowing how nervous I get about written tests.
I try to return his smile, but Iruka sensei pulls our attention to him.
"Alright, kids!" He says, smiling as he looks over the room. "Once tests are passed out you may begin. Once you're finished, bring it to the front and Naoki sensei will lead you to the waiting area for the practical portion of the exam." He begins handing out the tests, starting with me. He gives me a small smile as he places it on my desk.
I take a deep breath before filling in my name, birthday, and today's date at the top of the page. And then I get into the exam itself.
Section one is easy enough, it's questions on traps, something Iruka sensei has gone into great detail about this year. Section two is math, I hate everything about it. Section three is okay again, it's about Konoha's history. Later sections cover genjutsu and taijutsu theory, proper techniques for bukijutsu, basic first aid, survival skills, and more.
My head hurts by the end of it. When I finally take my test up to the front, I realize that there's only one other student working on the test. I feel my shoulders deflate. I so failed. Iruka sensei has even left the room, Mizuki sensei is the one taking our exams.
"You were more thorough this time than in previous tests, Uzumaki-chan," Mizuki sensei smiles as I hand him my test. "Good work, Naoki sensei should be outside waiting for you."
"Thank you, Mizuki sensei," I say before leaving the room.
"Ah, how do you feel Uzumaki-chan?" Naoki sensei asks as she leads me through the academy halls.
"My head hurts," I pout. Honestly, from the lack of sleep and that horrible test, all I want to do is hide in bed.
"I'm sure you did well, you took longer than you have in previous years." She smiles as she leads me to the bench outside of the testing room. She was one of the only sensei's that graded us fairly. If she was grading the practical portion, I might have a decent shot of passing this time around.
I take a seat by Naruto, his legs are bouncing even more than normal.
"How'd you do?" I ask, hoping to calm him down a little.
"I failed it," He shrugs.
"That way if you pass practicals you still won't pass?" I whisper.
"Yup!" He smiles widely as Mizuki and Naoki sensei walk down the hall and into the testing room. Soon kids are being called one by one to take their tests. I try to keep busy by running through hand signs. It's something Jiji told me I should try doing it whenever I get overwhelmed or nervous. That way I get some more practice in while trying to calm myself down.
I see kid after kid walking out of the room with their new hitai-ate in their hands or already tied around their forehead. I try to ignore them, going back to my practice. Rat-Ox-Tiger-Hare-Dragn-Snake-Horse-Ram-Monkey-Bird-Dog-Boar. Jin. Boar-Dog-Bird-Monkey-Ram-
"Uzumaki, Kikuko."
"You've got this, Kiku-chan!" Naruto yells, I give him a nervous smile before following Naoki sensei into the room. I stand in front of the table where she sits beside Mizuki sensei.
"Alright, Kikuko," Mizuki sensei begins. "The first jutsu you need to perform is the shunshin."
"Okay," I nod. I quickly form the tiger seal, "Shunshin no jutsu!" I appear behind Mizuki and Naoki sensei. From their stiff posture, it's clear to see they weren't expecting that.
"Where did you learn to do that without using leaves, Kikuko?" Naoki sensei asks, turning around to look at me. I fight the urge to rub the back of my head as I move to stand back in my original spot.
"Shisui-niisan taught me a couple years ago," I say. "I got tired of having to go back and clean up the leaves in Jiji's office."
"Well, that's some motivation," Mizuki snorts. "The next jutsu you need to perform is the Kawarimi."
Tiger-Boar-Ox-Dog-Snake. "Kawarimi no jutsu!" I replace myself with a piece of chalk, moving back behind Mizuki and Naoki."
"Well done, although a piece of chalk won't help you much in the field." Mizuki sensei says as he writes on the paper in front of him.
"Well, I didn't think you'd want to clean up something bigger falling 'ttbane," I say as I move back to my original spot again.
"Thank you, honestly these boys are driving me insane with the amount of desks they've broken," Naoki sensei says, rolling her eyes. "Now, the last jutsu you need to perform is the bunshin no jutsu."
"I was wondering if I could do another clone technique?" I manage to squeak out.
"Why?" Mizuki sensei asks after a moment.
"According to Mito-baachan's journals the Uzumaki can't do the regular technique so they do the Kage bunshin which Jiji said I can't learn yet, or the Mizu bunshin."
"The Mizu bunshin is a C-rank jutsu," Naoki sensei deadpans.
"I can do it, 'ttbane!" I feel my cheek heat up as Mizuki sensei raises his eyebrow.
"Well, go ahead then." Mizuki sensei smirks. He thinks I can't do it. Naoki sensei looks worried as I form the tiger seal.
"Mizu bunshin no jutsu!" Three water clones form beside me.
"Told you so," one of the clones says, giving a peace sign to Mizuki sensei. I snort and dispel them before they can say anything that won't let me pass.
"Well, I believe it's finally time, Uzumaki-chan." Naoki sensei says. She stands up, grabbing one of the hitai-ate as she walks around the table. She leans down, putting the hitai-ate in my open hands. I feel tears well in my eyes as I take a deep breath. "I don't know what motivated you so much for this test, Kikuko-chan," she whispers as she pulls her hands away. "But keep chasing it."
"Yes, sensei."
"Good job, Uzumaki." Mizuki sensei says reluctantly.
"Thanks," I give them a small smile before leaving the room. I grip the hitai-ate tightly as I walk into the hall, Naruto's eyes immediately meet mine. "I did it?" I say, holding it up for him to see.
Something flashes across his eyes but it's gone before I can realize what's going on. Naoki sensei calls Naruto into the room, he rushes in not even looking at me. I feel a pang in my chest as I move to sit on the bench to wait for him.
The time passes slowly, too slowly. As soon as the door opens, Naruto looks at me for a second before running the other direction. He didn't pass. I try to control my breathing as I stare down at the hitai-ate in my lap. I don't know how long I sit there.
Naoki sensei eventually breaks me out of my trance.
"He'll come around, Kikuko-chan." She gives me a kind smile before pulling me to a standing position. "Now, go tell Iruka sensei that you won't be in his class any longer. You'll get your team assignments in my class tomorrow."
"Thank you, Naoki sensei."
"There's no need to thank me, Kikuko-chan. Would you like help with your hitai-ate?"
"Could you?" I manage to squeak out.
"Of course. Would you like it around your forehead?"
"Yes please!" I hand it to her and turn around. I feel the weight of it against my forehead before she carefully pulls up the bottom braids of my hair to tie the fabric at the back of my head.
"This is a new hairstyle, what inspired the change?"
"It's a celebratory clan hairstyle 'ttbane." When I turn around her brown eyes are soft.
"It's beautiful," she says before turning me back around and pushing me lightly. "Now go catch Iruka before they go to lunch."
Before I know it, I'm standing in front of the doors to Iruka sensei's classroom. I knock lightly on the door before opening it slowly when Iruka sensei acknowledges me.
"Come in!" I feel everyone's eyes on me as I look to Iruka sensei.
"Naoki sensei told me to let you know I won't be in your class anymore, Iruka sensei," I say quickly. His eyebrows raise, but a warm smile lights up his face.
"Congratulations, Kikuko."
"Thank you for everything, Iruka sensei," I bow to him before standing back up. When I do, I see a blush has bloomed across his cheeks.
"You're welcome."
"Sorry for interrupting, ja ne!" I say to both Iruka and the rest of the class. I turn around, closing the door behind me as I hear Iruka sensei laugh. I pause and stick my head back through a small crack in the door, "And yes, you told me so, Shika!" I see his smirk as I quickly shut the door again.
It doesn't really hit me until I step outside of the academy.
"Thank you, Hiroto-ojichan," I whisper into the wind.
And then, I feel a gust of wind push me forward.
I manage to get decent deals in the market before heading home to make dinner. I know Naruto won't be too happy this afternoon, especially after something this big, so I decided to splurge and get things to make homemade ramen.
As soon as I get all the groceries put away, I start making the ramen. I bribed Teuchi for some of his broth, so all I need to do is get everything else ready.
I blast music as I cut up extra narutomaki for Naruto's bowl. I check the clock and it's already six. Naruto is normally home by now. I decide to let the broth keep going, I'll put the noodles in when he's closer to home.
I start working on his bento for the next day.
I make tonkatsu, rice, potato salad. I fill the box to the brim with foods other than vegetables.
The clock says seven by the time I've put his lunch in the fridge and cleaned up all the dishes.
It's eight by the time I shower and make sure all my gear is ready for tomorrow.
I finally drop the noodles in at nine.
I've finished my food and put the leftovers in the fridge by ten.
I give up waiting and crawl into bed at eleven.
How can I take care of our clan when I can't even make my own brother happy, Hiroto-ojichan?
I feel them come home sometime in the middle of the night. I hear Naruto open the fridge, pulling out the leftovers. How the ramen is poured back into the pot I washed earlier and the stove is turned back on. How three chairs are pulled back and scoot back in as they sit down for dinner together.
The bed dipping as someone sits against the headboard by my head is what causes me to actually open my eyes. Tenzo looks tired. So tired as he looks down at me.
"Kakashi took the rest of my shift so I could come over. He says congratulations."
"Thank you," I whisper back, leaning my head against his side.
"I'm proud of you," he says in the quiet room.
"Thank you," my voice cracks as I press closer to his side.
"The last few days have been rough, ne?" Another voice asks from the window.
"Shisui?" I whisper as he hops down into our room. "Didn't know you got back yet."
"Couldn't miss your graduation now could I?" He says, flopping down over my legs. "Well, I did but I did make it in time to give you your present!" I let out a small laugh at his antics as I struggle to sit up in my bed.
He tosses an impeccably wrapped present in my direction. I barely catch it. Both of the boys laugh at me, causing me to stick my tongue out at them.
They just laugh even harder.
I open my present carefully, inside the box is a tanto?
"Shisui-nii?" I ask, unsure. I was so bad at using a tanto Yugao and Hayate both gave up on me using one.
"It's a chakra blade, specifically for wind chakra," Shisui grins at me. "It comes with free lessons, of course."
"You snuck away to buy that on one of your bathroom trips during our last mission, didn't you?" Tenzo says, amusement clear in his voice.
"Of course not!" Shisui gasps, holding his hand over his chest. I can't help it. I burst into a fit of giggles. "It was a present break, not a bathroom break." Tenzo's pained sigh makes me laugh even harder.
"I guess it's my turn, then." Tenzo says as he hands me a scroll. "I didn't have time to wrap it this week." I quickly open the scroll and immediately start bouncing in my seat.
"Thank you Tenzo-nii!" I smile widely up at him. It's a guide on how to do Suiton: Mizurappa, water release wild water wave.
"It's more for the sake of the village. We need someone to help put out the fires Shisui causes," Tenzo teases. Shisui's pout makes me break into laughter again.
"Thank you, Tenzo-nii. I'll try to put out some of Shisui-nii's fires."
"I'll have you using the fireball technique eventually, Kiku-chan~"
"Please stop corrupting the youth, Shisui," Itachi sighs from my window.
"Itachi!" I smile and wave at him, he gives me a small smile in return.
"Congratulations on your promotion Kikuko," he says before turning to Shisui. "Come, mother is upset you missed dinner."
"Go Shisui," I say after he gives me a long look. "You know you don't want to make Mikoto-san mad." Shisui shivers at whatever memory that brought up. He stands up from my bed and comes around the side to kiss the top of my head.
"We'll work out tanto practice sometime soon, okay?" I smile and nod up at him, my eyes growing heavy. "Get some sleep, Kiku-hime~" He hops out of the window behind Itachi. That's the last thing I see before sleep catches up with me.
The front door slamming shut as Naruto leaves the apartment wakes me up a few hours later. I close my eyes tightly for a moment before taking a deep breath. It's phase Kiku, he'll come around soon.
But for some reason I don't even believe that.
"Kikuko!" Tenzo calls from the kitchen. "Come eat breakfast!" I groan, slowly sliding out of the warmth that's my bed. I see my scroll sitting on my nightstand, Tenzo must have moved it when I fell asleep. But then where is my- "And your tanto is in your nightstand."
"Thank you, Tenzo-nii!" I call back, relieved. Naruto finding out I got a present from Shisui when he didn't would make everything worse.
"You're welcome," he laughs as I walk into the kitchen. I quickly dive into my food as Tenzo cleans up after making breakfast. It's nice to not have to cook for once. I love Naruto and our Anbu team, but none of them cook except for Kakashi and Tenzo. And as much as I love Kakashi, he's such a picky eater.
And I hate eggplant.
I finish my breakfast in record time, I go to start washing my dishes but Tenzo waves me off.
"Go get ready. If you leave fast enough you can go bug Hokage-sama before you have to be at the academy."
"He probably knows already," I pout as I hand him my dishes.
"You'll probably beat the academy instructors, he has a general idea of who may have passed, but he gets the official reports the morning of the assignments."
I pause for a second before running towards my room. Tenzo's quiet laughter makes me feel a lot lighter than I had when I first woke up.
"We've finally corrupted you, Tenzo-nii!" I hear his sigh as I quickly change out of my pajamas and into my shinobi gear. I attach Ryūjin to my belt. It's my first time actually wearing my sword in the village. I normally carry it, but now it's attached to me like it's a part of me.
Just like Mito-baachan said it should.
"Your bento is on the counter, I've got to head to work." Tenzo says outside my door. I open it quickly and pull him into a tight hug despite his Anbu armor digging into me.
"Thank you for everything, Tenzo-nii," I whisper.
"You're welcome, imouto."
There's no way Jiji's going to believe this!
There's only his Anbu in the office as I approach it. I flare my chakra to let them know I'm there and not to kill me as I open one of the windows.
"Ne, ne, Jiji guess what?"
"What, Kiku-hime?" He asks as he reads over a scroll in front of him.
"I get to annoy you even more now~"
"And how is that?" He chuckles as he starts signing the scroll.
"You know how much trouble I've caused so far-"
"Oh, I know." I feel the mixed amusement and dread of the Anbu in the room.
"Just imagine how much more chaos I'll be able to cause with access to all the genin books in the library 'ttbane!"
"Oh Kami, that will be the day I reti- wait what?" He spills his ink as he looks up at me.
"I did it?" I ask, rolling back and forth on the balls of my feet. He stands from his chair and pulls me into a tight hug.
"Congratulations, Kikuko-hime." I smile into his robes before a knock on the door interrupts us.
"Come in!" Jiji calls, as he slowly releases me from our hug.
"Hokage-sama," two voices call. It's Mizuki and Naoki.
"I believe it's time for you to head out, Kiku-hime," I hear the smile in Jiji's voice.
"Yeah, yeah. See you for practice tomorrow Jiji!" I say as I head towards the window. "Ja ne!" I call to the Anbu in the room. I hear a familiar snort, Kakashi's chakra rolls in amusement as he shoves me out the window.
How rude.