GRADUATION DAY

It has been four since the tragic events that occurred at the Uchiha clan settlement, but life goes on.

After hearing the news of what happened, the fourth Hokage personally went out to capture Itachi and return him for judgement, but he failed. Itachi had disappeared of the face of the earth… that was until Intel returned to the village that he had joined the Akatsuki.

Young Sasuke was taken in by the fourth Hokage. He was filled with rage and promised to avenge his fallen clan and restore it to greatness. So every day, he would practise until he can reach the strength required to fulfil his dream.

Ninja classes at the academy like life in the village also went on.

And now it has been four years with great change to the ninja class.

Sasuke's popularity among the ladies reached a new high as he became the brooding silent bad boy, Naruto also rose to greatness when one day during a fight, he summoned a red charka coating around his body boosting his speed and power winning the fight with easy.

Hinata also rose to greatness when her fighting skills and charka control put her on the same level as Sasuke and Naruto, she became the most popular girl in class, the fantasy of most boys which increased when she began developing hips and growing her breasts.

Samuru displayed the biggest change of all. After his fight with Sasuke, he went silent. He stopped dominating in class duels and choose to forfeit before the fight even began. He began sleep in class if he even attended. His popularity with the teachers dropped as well as with his fellow male ninja. But his popularity with the kunoichi reached and all time high dwarfing even Sasuke. He was begin to show signs of puberty becoming the handsome man he knew he would and unlike Sasuke, he would smile, talk, eat and laugh with budding young kunoichi.

Many girls thought of confessing to him but a lot of them had seen him and Hinata hanging out by the lake so they assumed they were already a couple, so all they could do was admire from a far and use his image when they are alone in their rooms.

But despite his new found laziness, his classmates weren't foolish enough to think him weak, after all on the first day of class he showed them that his skill was already leagues above them.

…..

…..

It was the night before graduation of the class to the rank of genin and, the genin to be were out celebrating with their families that they were on the grad list, except for Samuru.

His mother Akari had left with Hiruzen and a few delegates to attend a meeting at the Fire Daimyo's palace so he was home alone.

Samuru wasn't used to begin in a quiet house so, he put on his shoes and went out for a walk.

He began to reflect on his growth in the past four years. It could be summarised as: mastering all recorded elemental jutsu in the ninja library, waken his ability to manipulate wood element and insta-teleportation without the need to activate his Sharingan.

All these skills could make him the centre of attention so as per his promise to his future self, he took it easy. He would practice and perfect his technique in isolation, not even his mother knew his new power levels and the fact that he had Sharingan.

He did have a debt with himself weather he should revival his Sharingan to Sasuke to comfort him, but thought against it after all because he had a Sharingan didn't mean he was an Uchiha.

Samuru's walk had now led to the lake were he hangs out with Hinata and helps her in taijutsu, kenjutsu and nintaijutsu training. Her progress was a lot slower than he would like, but to others she her skills were genius level.

"I wonder if she is actually celebrating with her family or in the dojo practicing…probably practicing, she needs to learn to just chill from time to time"

Samuru turned away from the lake to head back home when he thought, "you know what, I think I will head to the Hyūga settlement and teach Hinata how to just chill"

All of a sudden he felt an incoming attack. It was kunai and it was coming from his left mid high, he raised his hand and caught it mid-air then quickly throw it back at the source who deflected it with another kunai throw.

Samuru turned and looked at the future dead man, he was covered in all black with a black face mask.

"You are either a brave man or a really stupid man to attack me" Samuru said.

The black masked figure didn't reply, he just vanished.

Samuru chuckled, "you think you can escape from me that easily".

And that he to vanished.

In one of the many forest in the village, the black masked man appeared.

He looked around to make sure there was no one present and reached to remove his mask when a voice spoke, "did you think it was that easy to get away from me?"

The black masked man turned around and standing behind him was Samuru who had a smile on his face.

"So why did you attack me earlier?" Samuru asked him

"It was a test… and you passed" replied the black masked man in a husky voice.

"A test for what?"

But the black masked man didn't reply, he vanished yet again. This time it wasn't a movement technique. It was spatial.

"Fuck, spatial movement" he said as he activated his Sharingan to see if could pick the spatial coordinates from his point of disappearance but there was nothing.

Samuru sighed, "He got away, what a skill ninja".

He also vanished appearing in his room. His plans to visit Hinata were put on hold.

"What test did I just pass?" he asked as he laid on his bed.

…..

….

The cold night came and went and now the sun rose to a new… it was graduation day.

All the graduates where at the academy gates bright and early for the graduation ceremony, were they would receive fore head protectors that were a sign that they are shinobi of Konoha.

Iruka sensei walked in to the class carrying fore head protectors.

"You have all shown that you are ready to take the next step in your walk as ninja. These fore head bands will be your sign to the world that you are ninja ready to fight, protect and surface for Konoha. When I call your name, step forward and receive your head protector"

One by one there names were called in order from the highest ranked student Sasuke Uchiha to the lowest rank that happened to be Samuru. He didn't even do the final exams but the Hokage passed him anyway.

With the ceremony done, Iruka stood in front of the class and said, "You have all been a signed Jōnin to take you through your next stage of training who you will able be meeting here tomorrow morning. Dismissed"

The new genin run out of the academy wearing their head protectors and went off to either celebrate or show off to the other villagers.

Samuru didn't wear his head band like the rest, he had plans to modify it to suit his test.

"I will have make it in to a surf and have it around my waist like Asuma" he thought with a smile when a voice spoke to him.

It said "you don't deserve that hand protector, you didn't earn it" the voice belonged to Naruto.

"Oh and why is that?" Samuru asked

"Because all have been doing these past four years is just lazy around, if it wasnt for your performance on the first day, you would have failed"

Samuru laughed, "I doubt that" he said as he walked away from Naruto.

….

Meanwhile in the Hokage's office, Minato was looking at a man wearing an Anbu mask and uniform.

"You can remove the mask Kakashi, your next mission doesn't require you to wear it"

Removing his mask he asked, "So what's my next assignment"

Minato placed four files in front of him and said "You have been assigned genin to train"

Kakashi looked at the students files and asked "How good are they?"

Minato went through the files one by one.

Sasuke has perfect scores in all his class but lacks socialising abilities and team work.

Sakura has perfect scores and exceeds in chakra control but she isn't suited for combat, not yet any way.

Naruto his son has average scores, exceeds in fighting but lacks chakra control.

"What about the fourth file?" Kakashi asked.

Minato handed Kakashi the file to read for himself, and it read Samuru Sarutobi failed all classes.

Kakashi looked at Minato and asked, "How did he pass if he failed?"

"Because I allowed him to pass" replied Minato as he stood up them walked to the window behind him and looked out.

"Samuru is the most gifted ninja I have ever seen. He is leagues above you and I combined. In fact he is probably on the same level as the first and second Hokage combined." Said Minato.

Kakashi was shocked by the statement, he looked at the photo on Samuru's smiling handsome face and asked, "it sounds like he should be running his own team, why a sign him to me?"

Minato turned and looked at Kakashi with a serious face, "it's because he needs a cover identity"

"Why?" asked Kakashi

"Because after this meeting, I will be appointing him in to the Anbu black ops"