Demon of Light[Discontinued]

Exams! Pass or Fail!

    After some whining, everyone else in the class made a whole commotion. Kenji just stared out the window in the middle front row. A clone has to be made pass the exam, this scared Kenji, and she wasn't that good at it yet. 'I don't want to disappoint Kakashi and Chieko...' Kenji jolted when a hand grasped her shoulder. She looked up to see a smiling Chieko. Her light brown hair thrown over one shoulder. 'An angel! But she's a flower...flower angel?'

"Don't worry Kenji, you'll pass. I believe in you." She encourages sweetly, Kenji smiled at her.

"Thanks Chi."

     Chieko had to go back to her seat a row behind Kenji, as Iruka got to the stand to make announcements. "To graduate you'll have to do the 'Bunshin No Jutsu' when you're called into the next room." He addresses to the class, he announced roll call, but Kenji blocked out the other names. Kenji noticed Naruto, in the seat in front of her, stiffen. She leaned over her desk and poked his back.

"Hey Naruto, just try you're best, I'm sure you'll pass." She whispered to him reassurance just as Chieko had. 'Naruto....just believe in yourself! You will pass! I know it!'

Iruka's voice is now clear in her ears when he called out her own name. "Kenji Hatake!"

   "Yes!" She walked out into the other room, reminding herself the words she'd just told Naruto. "Bunshin No Jutsu!" A giant cloud of smoke appeared in the room, once it cleared, two shadow clones stood next to her. A grin on her face, 'I passed! I did it!' She pumped her fist.

"You pass! Congrats." Iruka told her proudly, a smile on his face. She ran over and picked a normal black head band. "Thank you, Iruka sensei!"

    As Kenji trotted back in, she held her headband high in the air, "Chi! I did it! I passed!" She giggled and hopped over to her friend's seat. A proud grin on Chieko's face, "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks for believing in me, I hope you pass." Kenji said looking at her seat. 'I already know you will though.' Right then, her name was called. "Chieko Nara!"

"Looks like I'm up, wish me luck." Chieko walked towards the door, Kenji gave her a thumbs up as she did.

~ * ~

     As Kenji waited at the gate for Chieko, she watched the other children laughing with their parents. Their happiness somehow mocked the poor boy, alone on the swing. His eyes cast to the ground. She heard the dark whispers about Naruto as well, but she tuned them out. She hated mean gossip. She hesitantly walked over to him.

"Well Naruto, you did your best. I'm proud of you. I know you'll pass again. Mistakes are for learning anyway." She said, looking at him with soft eyes. Naruto's head hung, not looking up at Kenji.

"But I failed! Maybe I'll never pass..." He murmured sadly.

   "Naruto, if you don't believe in yourself. Then you'll never pass, you can't give up on your story before it has even begun. Then you'd have an empty book." She pointed out, thinking that she just made a cool quote. She flashed a confident smile, "You got this Naruto, I believe in you."

'Though I don't know why I do, I just do.'

~ * ~

"I'm home! ~" Kenji called out as she entered, taking her shoes off at the door. Her uncle walked over to greet her.

"How was it?" He asked her, she grinned and held up the headband with the village symbol to him. "I did it!"

"I passed!"

"That's good, glad you did well." He seemed to smile under his mask, and leaned against the wall.

"Chieko passed too!" She exclaimed happily, He nodded.