Kimiko's P. O. V:
The following morning, I get up and get dressed for the graduation test today.
I eat breakfast and dispose of the rubbish before I leave the house and make my way for the academy. I get there and enter my classroom. I that see Naruto, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Choji, Sakura and Ino Yamanaka, the blonde girl from yesterday, were already there, heading straight for my seat between Kiba and Hinata.
Akamaru barks happily the instant I sit down and I look at him. I hold out my arms and he jumps into them, allowing for me to hug him.
He's too cute!
"Hi, Akamaru!" I say, and he licks cheek, threatening to make a giggle burst forth.
Grinning, Kiba says, "Morning, Kimi-chan!"
"Good morning, Kimi-chan," Hinata greets me, smiling shyly at me.
I nod to both of them in acknowledgment, before resuming snuggling the cute puppy, making Kiba grin goofily.
When Iruka walks in, clipboard in hand, he announces, "Alright, class, the graduation test will be on... the Clone Jutsu."
I notice Naruto looking bummed out, and I could only assume that the Clone Jutsu is his worst one.
The first person to go was Sasuke, then Sakura. As I wait, I continue to play with Akamaru, a chibi expression on my face. I was the next person, then Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata.
I pout when Kiba had to go in because he took Akamaru with him.
Iruka soon returns and calls my name.
Naruto calls to me, "Good luck, Kimi-chan!"
I glance back at the blonde and nod my head once at him, before I follow Iruka into the examination room, further up the hall. In it was nothing save for a desk with a bunch of blue headbands on it, though I know people can get red and black bands. Iruka goes to sit at the desk next to another Chunin with chin length silver hair and black eyes.
Iruka tells me, gesturing to him, "Kimiko, this is Mizuki Sensei. He's another judge for this exam. We want you to create a maximum of three perfect clones. Do that, and you pass."
I nod my head, my face impassive and perform the correct hand sign. "Clone Jutsu," I say unenthusiastically, having no need to shout it out like most people do. This causes both Chunin's eyes to widen as six perfect clones to poof into existence, three on either side of me.
"E-Excellent work, Kimiko," Iruka stutters as I make my clones disappear.
"So you're the girl I've heard so much about," Mizuki muses with a smile, though, for some reason, that smile puts me off. That's my alias due to my mastery over the element. "I'm surprised you've come to the academy."
"I decided to stay and I was told to graduate with the other Genin," I respond.
Iruka says in a tone of astonishment, "W-Well, you've passed, Kimiko. Congratulations. You can take your headband and wait outside with the other students."
I nod and my clones disappear. I go up to the men as Mizuki reaches into a box beside the table and hands me a black headband.
I take it and don't give the Chunin a second glance before I turn to the door. As I head to the yard, I couldn't help but think back to Mizuki.
There was just something that wasn't quite right about him... though I just can't quite put my finger on it...
I make it to the yard where the others were gathered and tie my headband around my forehead.
"Hey! Kimi-chan! You made it!" Kiba says as he walks up to me, Akamaru on his head.
"Of course I did. I see you've passed too," I say with a glance at his headband around his forehead.
Kiba grins and we chat as we wait for the rest of the Genin to come out.
When the test was complete, all the Genin wear headbands and the parents of these Genin show up to congratulate their kids and take them home.
The only one who doesn't have a headband is Naruto.
He's sitting with his legs on either side of the swing hanging from a tree beach, forehead resting on the rope, looking depressed as he watches the other kids chatting happily with their parents.
This wasn't even the first time he'd failed, either, from what Iruka had said yesterday.
I was going to leave when I notice a girl with black hair say to her friend as they stare at Naruto, "There. You see him?" She wears a headband on her forehead.
Her brown haired friend who also has a headband says, "It's that boy. I heard he's the only one who failed."
The ravenette scoffs, "Hmph. Serves him right!"
"Just imagine what will happen if he became a ninja! I mean, he's the boy who..." The brunette is cut off by her friend who shushes her sharply.
"Ssshhh! We're not allowed to talk about that!"
I roll my eyes at the women and heave a sigh.
I see Mizuki appear next to the blonde with a smile at Naruto, causing him to wrench his head up with glare on his features. It fades as Naruto notices it's Mizuki.
I ignore them and make my way home and have ramen for dinner once again.
🗡🗡🗡
Sometime past 4am, I was awoken. Not by a nightmare this time, but by shouting.
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I get up and go over to the window, tugging the curtain back. The night sky greets me and I see a bunch of Chunin and Jounin leaping across the rooftops. I crack open the window to hear that they were shouting for Naruto, and something about a sacred scroll.
What has that goofball gotten himself into this time?
I quietly slide the window closed and the curtain falls back into place as I turn to climb back into bed.
I'm sure Naruto will be fine.
I can only hope he doesn't do anything stupid that could possibly get himself killed.
I soon drift off back to sleep while knowing Naruto will be alright. After all, it's not like it's any of my business.