Chapter 7
The Ninja Graduation Exam was a written test that determined who could officially become a genin. Apart from Obuya, everyone present was already a full-fledged genin.
This exam also had a critical implication: it was the gateway to the Chunin Exam.
Only those who passed this written test were eligible to participate in the Chunin Exam.
For every genin in the room, earning the rank of Chunin was a dream. Naturally, everyone took this exam very seriously.
The exam papers were distributed.
Obuya glanced at his and immediately buried his face in his hands in despair.
The questions were all about ninjutsu knowledge—a glaring weakness of his. His mind was blank, unable to distinguish right from wrong.
He looked over at Obito.
They were comrades in misfortune, sharing the same expression and actions, though Obito's desire to qualify for the Chunin Exam made him even more anxious, his heart burning with worry.
Time ticked away.
Obuya watched helplessly as the exam neared its final moments.
"This ninja exam… is my first demon side quest. Am I supposed to fail right out of the gate? Fail on the very first try?"
"More importantly, this decides whether I can become a Konoha genin. If I fail, joining Konoha will be off the table. Soon, I'll be forced to leave the village, and seeing Rin again would become nearly impossible…"
Thinking this, he instinctively glanced toward Rin, who was sitting slightly above him.
At that moment, Rin also looked at him secretly.
Seeing Obuya's gaze, she gave him a subtle look and, using her right hand discreetly at her left side, flicked a small paper ball toward him while the examiner wasn't looking.
Obuya's eyes lit up. He had been waiting for this moment. As the examiner's attention wavered, he silently picked it up.
On the tiny paper ball, neat letters listed all the answer choices. At the bottom, two characters were written: Obito.
Obuya understood immediately.
He quickly memorized the answers and bent his head, scribbling furiously.
With five minutes left, Obuya had completed his answers and was looking for a chance to pass the paper to Obito.
Obito, meanwhile, was on the verge of losing his mind, scratching his head endlessly as strands of hair fell onto the desk.
Suddenly, Kakashi, seated across the aisle to his left, stood, handed in his paper, and left.
"Kakashi, don't you want to double-check your paper? This exam determines your eligibility for the Chunin Exam," the examiner kindly reminded him.
Kakashi, hands in his pockets, paused at the doorway. Without turning, he replied calmly, "Too easy. Checking is pointless."
And with that, he disappeared outside.
"That bastard!"
Obito's legs shook with frustration.
At that moment, a paper ball rolled to his feet.
He shivered, turned, and saw Obuya nod at him. Excited, he grinned widely.
Obito's hearing was sharp. Taking advantage of the examiner walking past, he quickly retrieved the paper with nimble hands and then began copying madly.
Five minutes later.
The bell marking the end of the exam rang.
Once the examiner collected the papers and left the room, Obito stood, laughing uproariously.
"Good job, Obuya! Well done!"
Obito approached Obuya and gave a thumbs-up.
"Have you both finished?"
Rin hurried over, unable to contain her curiosity.
Obuya finally exhaled in relief, smiling and nodding. Obito's excitement alone was enough to show he had finished as well.
Rin chuckled.
"Perfect! Now Obito has qualified for the Chunin Exam, and Obuya has been promoted to genin. You're officially part of Konoha—we're permanent partners."
Obito nearly jumped for joy. "What? The higher-ups approved Obuya joining Konoha?"
So far, few knew that passing the exam meant Obuya could officially join the village. Obito was ecstatic at the news.
"This is amazing! Tonight, we have to celebrate properly. I'm buying dinner for everyone!" Obito's chest pounded with excitement.
Rin seemed to have a thought. "We should celebrate… maybe we can invite Kakashi too."
"Huh? That annoying guy? Why invite him? If he comes, I won't pay," Obito said, disappointed.
Obuya felt slightly embarrassed.
He was financially limited, and whenever they went out to eat together, Obito always covered the bill without complaint, treating it as perfectly normal.
"Things will be better now. As a Konoha genin, I can take on missions, earn money, and won't have to worry about being this poor anymore."
Obuya had grown tired of living off relief payments every month. Now, with his newfound abilities, he wouldn't have to depend on anyone.
That evening, Rin did indeed invite Kakashi.
As expected, Obito and Kakashi quarreled over dinner, with Rin being the only one able to stop them.
Throughout the night, Obuya observed Kakashi and gained some understanding of him.
Having experienced his father's suicide at a young age, Kakashi had grown up in a dark, difficult life. Beyond sarcasm and jabs at Obito, he displayed almost no other emotions.
Though Obito had vowed not to treat Kakashi to dinner, when it came time to pay, his kind heart covered the bill for all four of them.
Obuya could see that, despite Obito and Kakashi's clashing personalities, Obito still considered Kakashi a partner.
That night, the stars were sparse in the sky.
Obuya lay in his dim little room, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
The more his friendship with Obito and Rin grew, the more he refused to accept the fate that awaited them.
Rin's tragic death, Obito's eventual darkness—he was determined to do everything in his power to change the course of events.
"Without me, everything would follow the original timeline. But now that I'm here, I'm the only anomaly. So if anyone can stop this, it has to be me…"
"To change fate, it ultimately comes down to power."
Lying in bed, he raised his right hand into the darkness.
Zzzzt… zzzzt…
Blue electricity danced along his hand.
"According to the system, my Cardiac Shock fruit ability, at its peak, rivals the Chidori. Its power isn't static—it's a process of constant growth."
"The Third Great Ninja War is about to begin, roughly a month away. Within this month, I must maximize its potential if I hope to save Rin from the coming crisis."
"Beyond that, the most important thing is to quickly rise to a one-star demon. With the Human Modification ability, even if I can't obtain the Sharingan temporarily, I can still modify my body, preventing it from being so fragile…"