CH - 77 Graduation

A/N: I am grateful to Jonathan Ireland and Michael for becoming a patron on my Patreon. Thank you for your support as they enable me to continue creating and providing valuable content

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day at the Grass Shinobi Village Academy was bright and pleasant, with a gentle breeze and sunny skies, setting a perfect backdrop for the graduation ceremony of the first batch of students. Despite the ongoing war that had spread through the ninja world, on this special occasion, there was a slight sense of relief in the Grass Country. The tension had eased a bit, and smiles were more abundant, reflecting the pride and joy of the parents and villagers.

From early morning, parents flooded into the academy, eager to witness their children's graduation. While becoming a low-ranking shinobi in the Grass Shinobi Village might not seem like a grand achievement in the larger ninja world, the village's emphasis on education had made this day significant. Education was highly esteemed throughout the Grass Country, and parents took immense pride in their children stepping into a new chapter of their lives as graduates.

The atmosphere in the Grass Shinobi Academy was vibrant, with parents bringing small gifts to bless their children's future endeavors. The hallways echoed with laughter and excitement as the graduates donned their ceremonial attire, ready to embark on their journey as shinobi, guided by the values and teachings of the village.

...

In the early morning, Zetsu managed to sneak into "GrassLand Studio" and borrow a camera, using it to skillfully blend into the bustling crowd at the academy's graduation ceremony. His intention was to capture the event's highlights and later show the pictures to Madara, hoping to quench the legendary shinobi's underlying curiosity about the outside world.

Although Madara often displayed a dismissive attitude and scolded Zetsu frequently, the observant Zetsu knew that he held a hidden curiosity for the world outside. He believed that by sharing these pictures with Madara, he could soften his reaction to him sneaking out, just like how Madara would initially refuse the dango Zetsu brought, but eventually eat it with grumbling complaints.

Realizing that Madara had been isolated from the outside world for an extended period, Zetsu was determined to bring glimpses of it to him. As he observed the lively graduation scene, he thought, 'Hehe, so many people! It's just a graduation for ninja students, but the Grass Country is making it quite lively.'

Suddenly, something caught his attention, and his eyes lit up. Quickly clutching the "borrowed" camera, he dashed toward the intriguing sight. "Excuse me, excuse me! I'm here on behalf of 'GrassLand Studio' for an interview. Please make way, everyone!"

…

"Darn it! The three most perplexing mysteries on campus, and our 'Akatsuki Organization' hasn't made any proper progress investigating them!" Yahiko expressed his frustration, dressed in the Grass Country's distinctive graduation protective suit for students. Unlike the adult versions, this suit exuded youthful energy and sporty vibes, almost resembling trendy sportswear for teenagers.

Graduation day had always been an exciting prospect for Yahiko, but now that it had finally arrived, he felt a mixture of nerves and reluctance. Throughout all these years, he had made no significant progress in unraveling the three mysterious incidents that baffled everyone in school.

His fists clenched in determination. "Why does the academy's underground emit eerie noises? Why do some students suddenly appear and vanish without a trace? And what is truth behind the genius employee at the night school? The Akatsuki Organization will undoubtedly unveil the truth, sooner or later!"

Having said that, Yahiko glanced at Nagato, who seemed completely uninterested, and nudged him. "Nagato, what are thinking? We're about to graduate, and you should totally join my Akatsuki Organization."

Nagato responded irritably, "Leave me alone! I have other things to deal with. Besides, your so-called organization is just a silly joke! You barely have enough members to count on one hand. It's better to disband it before it becomes embarrassing."

Frustrated with Yahiko's persistence, Nagato couldn't understand why they were still trying to keep the organization going after graduation. In his mind, it was time to let it go and move on.

Unfazed, Yahiko retorted, "Come on, don't call it a 'joke.' The Akatsuki Organization is serious business! Once you, Konan, Daisuke, and Hato join, we'll have a whole hand full of members," He emphasized, trying to downplay the lack of numbers.

Before Yahiko could finish speaking, Daisuke, who had come to attend Nagato and the others' graduation ceremony, wearing a worker's protective suit, interrupted him. "Sorry, I'm quite busy lately!" He shook his head at Yahiko's mention of his name and continued, "I have no interest in joining any ridiculous organization."

"I told you, it's not a ridiculous organization," Yahiko pouted and looked at Daisuke.

"That's not the point," Daisuke waved his hand dismissively. "The point is, congratulations to all of you, Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan, for graduating"

"Thank you," The three of them smiled happily at Daisuke. Thinking of Daisuke reminded them of when they first met him. It was back in the Rain Country, and Daisuke was holding their wanted poster.

To their surprise, the poster was specially made by Akihiko and then used by Rain-nin to issue a bounty. At first, they thought he was an enemy since he had their wanted poster.

Just when they were about to take action, Daisuke solemnly pointed to the line of words under the poster that said, "Join us and create a better future together" and said to them, "Can you change The Land of Rain?"

They were dumbfounded at that moment. They never thought that the poster could serve this purpose?! But with Daisuke looking so serious, what else could they do but nod? And so, Daisuke joined them, becoming an unexpected ally.

Not long after that, Mubuki arrived. As for what happened afterward, let's not talk about it!

During this time, it seemed like Daisuke was doing pretty well in the Grass Shinobi Village. They heard that he worked diligently during the day and studied seriously at night. If it weren't for his unique identity, he might have already received the "Outstanding Employee" and "Progressive Student" awards.

Now, wearing his protective suit, Daisuke looked particularly neat, giving his originally rough appearance a touch of dignity.

"There's mine too!" Hato grumbled as he handed over the flowers, "Congratulations on your graduation" Then he added with some annoyance, "But it's just graduation from the ninja student level to a low-ranking shinobi(Genin). What's so special about it? Making such a big fuss about it made me take leave."

Ignoring Hato's grumbling, the three of them smiled at him and expressed their gratitude, "Thank you, Hato."

As for Hato? Well, let's not dwell on that, Despite his grumbling and remarks like, "I'm not building a wall. It's normal for a ninja to accept a commission, complete a mission, and get rewarded," he still worked diligently.

It was during this conversation that they noticed the mud stuck to Hato's shoe, which made them realize how much they had all changed over time.

Suddenly, a cheerful voice interrupted their thoughts, saying, "Hello, Sorry to disturb you." They turned to see a guy who introduced himself as a reporter from 'GrassLand Films Studio,' expressing his interest in filming and conducting interviews with them.

Everyone present was taken aback by this unexpected invitation, unsure of how to respond to the surprise interview request.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

.

.

You can read +5 chapters ahead of everyone on my Patreon

p@treon.com/Kaiszer

(replace ' @ ' with ' a ' for the link)