Kurotsuchi had a faux-sense of humility to do with graduation. She told people (including her grandfather) that the ceremony made around the whole thing was a celebration of mediocrity, and that people could expect great things from her after she became a ninja, and that the petty academy examinations had been nothing but babysitting until it was time to do the real work. Her being first in her class? That was to be expected. Nothing to celebrate or make a big deal over.

She was lying of course. She wanted the ceremony. She wanted to be celebrated and to be thought of as great. She just wanted to act like a great person, and great people don't recognize the grandiosity of what they've done. She didn't recognize that this is what she was doing, of course. This motive and method of behavior was relegated only to her subconscious. And that piece of her subconscious slept for that period of time during the graduation when they were all personally thanked by the Tsuchikage, and where they were all personally congratulated by their instructors and the class ranking was read aloud to all of the parents (and though hers weren't in attendance on account of their deaths, she could imagine what their reactions may have been). She felt proud for those hours, and didn't feel the need to hide it. She smiled, and it was a real smile, one that crinkled her eyes and showed off her white teeth.

It seemed as though everyone shared in her joy. Kogeru seemed strangely non-combative, Bao seemed relieved that his grade-anxiety was over for good, Kurotsuchi's friends, Mai and Aya, were both thrilled to be done with the constant tests and the annoyance of studies. Even Naruto, who ordinarily seemed entirely unconcerned with the academic side of training, wore a grin for the full duration of the festivities.

And the moment that one reason to smile came to an end, another one presented itself just as quickly. First was the prize of the Tsuchikage's introduction to the festivities which grew within every new Genin a little seed of pride. Then, once that began to fade into memory, the tables normally used for books, papers and pencils were served high with quality food instead. Noodles from various cultures, cuts of high quality meat along with exotic vegetables all served with wonderful sauces piled up high for the new shinobi.

As the food was served, that external representation of a cynic that Kurotsuchi had been playing before managed to reel its head around, breaking through her outward joy, "Why spend so much money on the food? Isn't it a waste to do this every year?" She asked her grandfather,

He looked at her, understanding more about her motives than she did, and smiled, "There's no waste here. You all are about to be ninja of Iwagakure, and when you're out on a mission, making important decisions and potentially sacrifices, it is important that you can think of Iwagakure and think of this meal that you shared with your comrades and know what you are fighting for."

She quite liked the answer. She liked the food even more. In between bites of pizza she exchanged jokes and pleasantries with her 'comrades' (she loved that her grandfather had used that word instead of 'classmates.' It made her feel like an adult). And for that hour or two of eating, she forgot the grudges that she had held for the entirety of her education, as did everyone. She joked with Kogeru, and paid him compliments that he had honestly earned without thinking of how he might take them. She told him that her grandfather had told her that Scorch Release had to be considered one of the most difficult of the Iwagakure bloodline techniques, and that his ability to even start on them before he had graduated was a mark of great potential.

On a normal day, Kogeru would use the compliment as an excuse to belittle her, or aggrandize himself. But today, he demonstrated only true humility and deference. He brushed aside the kind words and responded that whatever potential his Scorch Release had displayed must be dwarfed by Kurotsuchi's mastery over Steam and Lava.

And Kurotsuchi thanked him as she ate. And she forgot why she ever fought with him so often, and why they couldn't be the best of friends.

And she did the same thing with Naruto, telling him about how impressive his meteoric rise to the occasion of Class A had been.

And he immediately spoiled the mood by pulling out a piece of clay and trying to show her how to explode it.

She tried to compliment him on his ingenuity instead, but that too received little reaction. He said a quick "Thanks," and went on with a lengthy explanation about how chakra can't 'survive stationary' and how the whole trick is a tiny two inch barrier seal he had hidden in the ball of clay.

He ate too, of course, but less than everyone else. He downed a few bowls of a noodle dish said to originate from Fire Country, and then turned back to trying to explain to her the intricacies of his little clay bomb.

Even with the inordinate amount of grace that Kurotsuchi felt willing to grant on today of all days, she still felt that tingling sensation of annoyance grow within her.

"Why are you so weird?"

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious as though he saw no issue with his own behavior.

"Why are you doing weird chakra stuff instead of having fun? You always do this kind of thing instead of doing what everyone else is doing."

"I like chakra stuff," Naruto said in a matter-of-fact kind of way, "Now the trick is, see, that you have to make a path for the chakra to flow down or else–"

"Are you still explaining? I don't care."

"Oh," Naruto sounded genuinely surprised to hear that, "Okay."

He went back to tinkering with his little piece of clay. Exploding it, and reforming it before exploding it again.

Kurotsuchi sat there, took bites out of the steak in front of her, and watched him.

Eventually, the relative silence between the two of them grew too wide to bear. She broke it with an insult, "Why are you so weird?"

Naruto looked up from his little piece of clay, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're all here having a good time and I'm trying to compliment you and it seems like you don't care about any of it. Do you think you're too good for the party or something?"

Naruto took his eyes off the clay and looked at Kurotsuchi, "No, I'm not really thinking about the party. The noodles were really good, but I'm thinking more about this project. I finished it yesterday and I'm really proud of it. I told Bao, and he didn't really care either. I thought you'd get it though."

Kurotsuchi opened her mouth to speak and then closed it again. Her annoyance faded away. That last sentence evoked some kind of feeling that she couldn't quite identify within her stomach, pride being the closest match. It was a good feeling, anyway. Better than any compliment, certainly. She felt foolish for insulting him. "You thought I'd get it?"

"Well yeah. You're not like me, but you get the chakra stuff more than the other kids do. I just thought you'd want to know about it," he shrugged and turned back to the clay sitting in his lap, "But I get it, you like food and telling stories or something."

And the feeling in her stomach was gone and a strange sense of dread had replaced it. She didn't like that. Not one bit. "Well I just thought you were being annoying. I didn't know you were being serious."

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked, "Because I don't really think I believe you. I thought you were just being mean because you knew that with all the people watching I'd get in real trouble if I fought you, so you decided to pick on me because now you can. Y'know, like a kid. If you were a boy I'd call you a bitch. But you're not, so I'll just call you a loser."

And now there was no feeling in her stomach. Except maybe anger. "Oh you think you're really tough, huh? I don't care about any ceremony, I'll beat you right here in front of everybody."

Naruto put the clay into the pocket and turned to her, but didn't meet her gaze. Instead he put a hand to his face and stared into the distance contemplatively, "Hmm… I don't know. Normally I would, but I got adopted yesterday, and the guy who adopted me is here and I want to make a good impression," Naruto pulled his hand away from his face and looked directly at the seething Kurotsuchi, "No, let's not fight right now. We can after if you want. I've been meaning to pay you back for breaking my nose during our last spar. And it seems like you're serious about fighting, so I guess I was wrong about you being a bitch. You weren't being a bitch. Just mean."

Kurotsuchi felt a growl rise in the back of her throat, "You're so annoying. You're weird too. If everybody wasn't here I'd–"

Another student sitting next to her nudged her on the shoulder, "Be quiet, the Tsuchikage's speaking!"

Kurotsuchi looked at the interrupter angrily, and then at her grandfather, who had indeed begun to speak. She turned back to Naruto, and continued her hostilities in whispers.

Onoki smiled at the assemblage of the fresh Genin and their relatives. He gave a nod to the soon-to-be Jonin sensei that stood at the back of the room. A subtle indication that they would be necessary shortly and should begin to make their way to the stage.

The old man hadn't lied to Kurotsuchi about the purpose of the ceremony. The celebration was purely practical. It stood as a subtle anchor for these new shinobi, to keep those on the margin perhaps a little more loyal than they otherwise would be. But for Onoki in that moment, floating above the stage and looking out at new Iwa ninja, the celebration was a celebration and nothing more.

They had good reason to celebrate after all. It had been a good year. On average, Class A only graduated about three to six students a year. This year they had twelve. An unprecedented number of prodigies or prodigy-adjacent shinobi had emerged from Class B over the last few years, and some, like that Naruto boy, had emerged from even humbler beginnings.

And the Genin weren't being spat out into an overworked village with no money or missions either. When Onoki celebrated with the others, he wasn't just celebrating the graduations, but all the other recent successes of the village as well.

Iwagakure had much to be happy about, after all. Iwa casualties were down following Konoha's decision to focus their attention inward on the rogues in Fire Country. The influence of Iwagakure had grown, becoming the primary supplier of warfare to the buffer states with Konoha's temporary drop from the international stage.

With more power over those countries came leverage, and that gave the Daimyo more room to levy taxes. And with taxes came spending and gifts. And who better to receive that spending and those gifts than the village that made it all possible?

Yes, this had been a great year for Iwagakure when it came to the economic realities of the village.

But the greatness didn't stop at economics either. Deidara, Onoki's most elite shinobi, had begun taking a genuine interest in the future of the village. He wanted to take a Genin team.

Onoki glanced at Deidara who was walking to the stage with the other Jonin. He wore a face like he was walking to his funeral.

Onoki's interactions with Deidara had been perhaps the most difficult part of his job as the Tsuchikage for quite some time. Onoki had been around the block before, and he knew the look of someone who was about to leave the village and try their hand at being a rogue. He'd seen it countless times, most frequently at the top of the ladder. Many S-Rank shinobi had gone that way before, and Onoki always knew it was going to happen weeks before it did. But Deidara had seemingly switched into a loyal Iwa shinobi overnight, dedicated to nothing more but the education of the next generation.

He didn't understand the teenager. He didn't need to. Deidara, who was worth more than all the taxes that expansion had granted, and was worth more as a military asset than four years of Genin, was saved. Onoki knew a miracle when he saw one, and he knew not to get in its way.

Yes, this was a great year.

The four Jonin he had signaled before joined him on the stage. Once they were properly standing behind him, the Tsuchikage cleared his voice, and issued a ceremonial speech that he had issued many times before. Some of the adults in the audience had a glint of recognition at the tired words.

The words weren't the point. The point was that everyone felt very important, sitting in that room, hearing the Tsuchikage address them. And with that importance came another emotion, a more crucial one for Onoki's purposes: pride.

Pride for themselves. Pride for the village. Pride for the Tsuchikage.

Once you felt it, you'd fight whoever the mission office would let you, just to justify that pride.

That was the point.

Deidara watched Naruto talk to Kurotsuchi next to him from his position on the stage. The kid tried showing off the remote detonation bomb that had secured him an apprenticeship. Deidara just shook his head.

She won't get it, he thought, she's not like you.

And then the girl spurned that conversation, like Naruto should have known she would. And Naruto's face dropped, and he said something to her to elicit a strong reaction. Deidara didn't know what the kid had said, he'd never been any good at reading lips, but if it had been him in Naruto's shoes, he would have called her a slut or a bitch. Normally that'd get them to stop talking to him. That's always been the trouble with girls, they always assumed he wanted to talk unless he insulted them.

Deidara frowned. Naruto didn't play that game though. Judging from the conversations Deidara had with Naruto this morning, the kid didn't know anything. He didn't understand that other people were different from them. He just didn't seem to get that no one else actually cared about the important things.

That was their only difference so far. Deidara always understood that there existed others. Others that didn't care about art, or chakra, or anything of the sort.

Oh well, if it was his job to educate the kid in the ways of the people that didn't matter, so be it.

The Tsuchikage started his long and grating graduation speech, and that shut up Naruto and Kurotsuchi's bickering, at least for a little bit. It was quieter, at least. Naruto clearly didn't care about the speech in the slightest. It didn't seem like Kurotsuchi cared much either. Or, at the very least, she cared more about arguing with Naruto.

That was a good sign. If she was the kind of person who didn't care what the Tsuchikage said, maybe she was the kind of person that Deidara could teach.

Deidara swept the room for his little cousin Bao, the last member of the team. He sat across the room, staring at the Tsuchikage with a rapt expression on his face while eating dumplings with his hands.

Oh well, thought Deidara, you can't win them all.

Especially not with the Kyodas, who put an asinine quantity of importance on things like "rank" and "listening to elders."

Yeah, if Naruto hadn't shown up to make him stay, he would have killed them all on the way out. It was a sad thing that no one with Explosion Release had an adequate character to make use of it properly.

No one but Deidara anyway.

Deidara's contemplation was cut off by Tsuya Shaku, who had been standing directly next to him on the stage but was now kneeling at the Tsuchikage's bequest. Jonin kneeled before taking on missions of great importance, so the action stood as a powerful symbol for the audience ahead of team assignments. It was as though the Tsuchikage himself were saying: Yes indeed, your little thirteen year old kids who don't know anything and can't do anything either are really quite important!

The Tsuchikage had selected Tsuya to be first for a reason as well. Tsuya looked like the most stereotypical "athletic" twenty-three year old to ever live. He had a handsome face, and looked very "Jonin," more so than the 16 year old blond at the very least. Never mind that this Tsuya kid was a twerp who never should have made Jonin anyway.

Tsuya knew how to use Scorch Release, but had never actually invented or even modified a technique he had been given, at least to Deidara's knowledge. He was completely creatively bankrupt.

Normally Iwagakure loves creative bankruptcy, but in this case it was so bad that even the village elders had deemed it fit to delay his promotion. They delayed it for almost three years, and still Tsuya hadn't managed to come up with something.

But he killed a squad of Konoha Chuunin by himself and got away with it, and that'll earn you a promotion regardless of your problems.

Right now the man kneeled before the Tsuchikage, as the Tsuchikage issued some oath about protecting his students and 'transforming them into brave warriors of Iwagakure', whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

Tsuya voiced his agreement, and then Tsuya's students came to the stage to be given their forehead protectors. All the Jonin had been given their students' forehead protectors beforehand. Deidara knew that his students' were in his second tool pouch, where he kept his knives.

Tsuya stood up and tied the glorified bandana around each of the students' heads. After he had finished with the last one, the crowd applauded the fresh Genin.

Deidara looked for Naruto's table. The kid wasn't applauding, he was still arguing with Kurotsuchi. That little act of accidental insubordination carved a smile across Deidara's face. The kid didn't even know that the Tsuchikage wanted him to clap.

The Tsuchikage addressed Deidara next, and so Deidara kneeled, obeying the order like a well trained dog.

The Tsuchikage issued a long oath that Deidara didn't listen to, and Deidara responded "Yes" as if he had. And then Deidara's students were called up to the stage, and Deidara stood. Bao heard the cal immediately and began walking to the stage. Naruto and Kurotsuchi were still arguing.

The crowd waited patiently as they argued. Bao played with the hems on the fancy shirt that his parents had dressed him in, as if nervous fidgeting could help him evade the awkwardness..

Naruto and Kurotsuchi argued some more, not noticing Bao's expression of complete mortification at the waiting crowd. Those two forced Deidara's little cousin to stand on the stage by himself for almost thirty seconds. Deidara thought it hilarious.

When the delay grew to an unacceptable length, the Tsuchikage cleared his throat, capturing Kurotsuchi's attention, which then drew Naruto's.

Kurotsuchi, at least, had the wherewithal to look embarrassed. Naruto did not. Deidara's smile widened at that.

Kurotsuchi rushed to the stage, walking faster than she normally did. Naruto walked leisurely.

Once they got to the stage, Deidara tied Bao's forehead protector first, then Kurotsuchi's, and finally Naruto's. He gave Naruto a pat on the head after securing the symbol.

Then came the applause. Deidara considered each of his students carefully as they took in the crowd.

Bao looked nervous. He didn't want to be standing in front of all these people.

Kurotsuchi was basking in the limelight. She still seemed a little embarrassed that she had missed her name being called, but she recovered enough to enjoy being appreciated.

Naruto was talking to Kurotsuchi. Telling her something about how she "didn't understand anything," and that he was "looking forward to getting out of here so he could bash her teeth in." He hardly seemed to notice the crowd.

Kurotsuchi noticed him enough to respond with how she'd give him two black eyes so bad he "won't see for the next month."

Deidara laughed. This Jonin sensei thing was going to be more fun than he expected.

He already knew that he would miss it once one of his Genin died.