The records room was quiet.
Mizuki smiled as he pulled Sasuke's file from the drawer, signed a few lines, then slid a document envelope across the desk.
"Take care of this," he said. "It's your shinobi record. Most of it's already filled in. Just attach your photo and hand it to your assigned jōnin."
"Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."
Sasuke accepted it and turned to leave. After a few steps, he stopped at the doorway and looked back.
"By the way," he said, "I ran into Koharu-senpai on my way here this morning."
Mizuki froze for a fraction of a second.
"She seemed to be muttering about an anniversary," Sasuke continued evenly. "If you're free today, you might want to head home early. Flowers wouldn't hurt. Maybe a small gift."
He didn't wait for a response.
Sasuke left the room.
Behind him, Mizuki frowned faintly.
"An anniversary…?"
That afternoon, after classes ended, Mizuki walked out of the Academy with a clouded expression.
Naruto had passed. Cleanly.
With Shadow Clone Jutsu already mastered, his practical score ranked near the top. No opening. No leverage.
There would be no second chance.
On the street, Mizuki's smile returned out of habit, but his eyes were dark.
So that path's closed, he thought.
In Konoha, killing a comrade was a sin that never faded. Promotions stopped. Doors closed. The future narrowed to a thin line.
Orochimaru had once seemed like an answer.
Now, even that was distant.
Mizuki slowed as he passed a flower shop.
Sasuke's words surfaced again.
After a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside.
That night passed quietly.
Konoha slept without incident.
Late that same night, after the meeting to assign instructors to the new graduates, Kakashi was asked to stay behind.
The Third Hokage handed him a sealed file.
"This is your team," he said. "Take a look."
Kakashi already knew.
He opened the folder.
Uchiha Sasuke.Genin.Top scores across written, practical, and final exams.Previously trained under Hatake Kakashi.
Kakashi exhaled slowly.
That test is going to be troublesome.
He flipped to the next page.
Uzumaki Naruto.Practical exam: second.Written exam: near the bottom.Strong taijutsu background.Frequently trained with Sasuke.
Taijutsu, huh.
Kakashi's mouth curved faintly. He could handle that.
The final page.
Haruno Sakura.Written exam: second.Strong chakra control.Specialized in water techniques under Maruboshi Kosuke.
Water Release.
Kakashi skimmed the page, unimpressed.
So the real problem is Sasuke.
He closed the folder and looked up.
"I've reviewed them, Third-sama."
The Hokage nodded. "Then rest well. You'll need it."
Kakashi left the office, the file tucked under his arm.
Two days remained.