11 first year 4

As Satoru and Nawaki walked towards the playground for the physical exam, Nawaki asked with excitement, "Do you think we'll get to spar with someone for the test?"

Satoru, with a hint of uncertainty, replied, "I doubt it. We've only learned basic moves and stances so far. It's too early for sparring, right?"

Just as those words left his mouth, the PE teacher loudly announced, "The test will contain sparring alongside other assessments!" The teacher began organizing everyone into a line.

Satoru groaned and facepalmed. 'I've done it again. Jinxed myself.'

He reminded himself of the sparring matches Miku had put him through over the last few months, just in case.

Those training sessions might give him an edge over the others who hadn't been pushed as hard. Still, there was a weight in his chest at the thought of being unprepared.

Then, the teacher's voice called out his name, "Satoru, you're up next. You'll be sparring with Tsume Inuzuka."

Satoru felt his heart drop. 'Are you kidding me?' he thought, staring at Tsume, one of the most physically imposing students in their class. 'She's the second strongest here! What am I supposed to do to defeat her? Tickle her until she gives up?'

They both stepped into the sparring ring, the energy around them growing tense. The class grew quiet as everyone watched with anticipation. Satoru and Tsume made the starting hand seal, signaling the beginning of their match.

As soon as the match began, Tsume was prohibited from using her dog, leaving her to rely solely on her natural agility and strength. She dashed forward, her sharp nails gleaming as they swiped towards Satoru.

He barely managed to evade her first attack, using her momentum against her by tripping her up. But each movement was a struggle, as her raw power made it difficult to stay on the defensive.

Satoru's hands were already beginning to sting from deflecting her blows. 'She's a brawler,' he concluded. 'Not like Sakumo. She's all about brute force.' He knew he had to tire her out before he could stand any chance of winning.

But just as that thought crossed his mind, a sudden kick landed squarely on his face, sending him stumbling backward.

'That was faster than the others,' he thought, wiping blood from his nose. Things were quickly getting worse. Every block felt heavier, every movement slower, and Tsume was only getting more ferocious. His back hit the ground, and in an instant, Tsume was on him, nails aimed for a vicious strike.

Panic set in. Satoru frantically looked around for anything to turn the tide. His fingers grasped something rough—a rock.

As Tsume's claws came dangerously close to his face, he swung the rock with all his might, smashing it against her outstretched hand. The crack of her nails breaking filled the air, followed by a sharp grunt of pain as blood began dripping from her hand.

Using the opening, Satoru swung the rock again, this time connecting with the side of her head. Tsume staggered, but she wasn't down yet. Seizing the opportunity, Satoru rushed her, landing a solid left hook to her liver, causing her to gasp.

She lashed out with her left hand in retaliation, but he kicked her left knee, causing her to miss his face and only manage a scratch on his shoulder.

Satoru followed up with a right hook that caught her square on the jaw.

Tsume stumbled back, clearly shaken. He swung again, but this time, she was ready. She dodged his punch and countered with a powerful blow of her own, landing a strike that sent him flying across the ring.

As Satoru opened his eyes, dazed from the fall, he saw Tsume standing over him with a wild grin, her arm raised and ready to finish him off.

"I surrender," he muttered, defeated.

Tsume paused, the wild grin slowly fading from her face. The match was over.

As Satoru sat on the ground, the boos from his classmates still ringing in his ears, he watched the rest of the spars play out.

The kids had seen him use a stone to his advantage and weren't shy about calling him a cheater. Some even shouted it aloud, hoping the teacher would disqualify him.

But the teacher remained expressionless, scribbling something in his notepad without a word of reprimand or praise.

The next sparring matches came and went. Tatsuo won his battle with sheer force, crushing his opponent with ease. Sakumo didn't even have to fight—his opponent surrendered the moment they stepped into the ring, too scared to even try. Nawaki had a decent match, using speed and strength suiting a brawler to win.

Satoru, still nursing a sore jaw and shoulder, smiled faintly, thinking, 'I made the second strongest bleed.' Sure, he lost, but making Tsume bleed in a sparring match was no small feat. Maybe, the teacher would remember him for that.

As the last matches ended and the students were dismissed, Satoru caught a glimpse of older kids entering the ring for their spars.

Walking back toward the classroom, his thoughts drifted to Miku. He'd spent so much time with him, learning, training.

Miku would soon become a full-fledged shinobi, off on dangerous missions, with little time to spare for a kid still in the academy.

Satoru felt a strange pang of sadness—one he didn't realize was there until now.

'He won't be around much anymore,' Satoru thought.

Two weeks later, Satoru, Dai, and Tatsuo gathered in the common room of the orphanage, all eyes fixed on Aunty Hana as she held their report cards.

Each of them eager to know how they had done in the exams. Satoru, felt his heart race. Dai, couldn't contain his excitement and impatience.

"Aunty Hana, come on, just tell us already!" Dai burst out.

Aunty Hana smiled warmly at his excitement, setting the report cards down on the table. "Alright, alright. Let's start with Tatsuo."

She picked up his report card and looked it over. "Tatsuo," she said, "you passed with flying colors. Your written exam and physical performance were both exceptional. I'm so proud of you."

Tatsuo grinned, though he tried to hide it by looking away. It was clear he had expected the result but was still happy to hear it.

Next, Aunty Hana turned to Dai. "Dai," she continued, "you passed too. Middle of the class. You're doing great in the physical side of things, but you need to improve on your written exams."

Dai nodded, though he seemed less concerned about the written exams than his placement in the physical. "I'll work on it!".

Then, she turned to Satoru with an odd look on her face. Her brow furrowed as she read through his report card, her expression slowly turning to one of surprise. Satoru, feeling the tension, sat up straight.

"Satoru," she said slowly, "you've passed at the top of your class in the written exams." A smile appeared, but it was mixed with disbelief. "But…" Her smile faded as she glanced down at the report again. "You barely passed in the physical exams."

Satoru didn't feel too surprised by that; the physical test had been rough. But what caught his attention was Aunty Hana's pause as she read the final notes.

"In your report card, it's written in red ink: 'Used underhanded tactics.'"

Satoru's heart sank. He remembered the stone he used against Tsume, and how the kids had booed him for it.

Though they were training to be shinobi, using underhanded tactics during the sparring exam had been marked almost as a violation. It wasn't just seen as clever improvisation—it was equivalent to cheating in the eyes of the academy.

Aunty Hana sighed and placed the report card down. "You're studying to be shinobi, but using underhanded methods during an exam is frowned upon, Satoru. You need to be careful about how you fight. There's a fine line between creativity and dishonor."

Satoru nodded, feeling the weight of her words. He had passed, but that red ink felt like a mark of shame.

Satoru's vacation had begun, a full month of free time ahead. Yet, his mind often drifted to Miku, who had officially become a shinobi. The headband now tied around Miku's forehead symbolized a new chapter in his life—he was part of a jonin's team, ready for his first mission.

It felt surreal, and Satoru couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and sadness knowing that Miku would be venturing into real danger soon.

On the morning of Miku's departure, Satoru made his way to the village gates where the team was gathering. As he approached, he spotted Miku standing beside his jonin and two other genin, looking nervous but determined.

Satoru walked up to him, holding a small tiffin box in his hands.

"Miku," Satoru called out as he got closer, extending the box toward him. "It's your mom's recipe. I cooked it myself."

Miku's face flushed a bit, feeling embarrassed. He shifted awkwardly, trying not to take it. "Satoru, I appreciate it, but you didn't have to… I'm a shinobi now. I can handle myself," Miku said, scratching the back of his head.

Before Miku could refuse further, the jonin leading the team, a woman with a calm yet stern presence, looked over and smiled.

"Shinobi should always bring homemade food or ration bars for their missions. If you don't take it, Miku, the rest of us might just eat it ourselves."

Miku sighed, seeing no way out. "Alright, alright, I'll take it." He accepted the tiffin from Satoru, though his embarrassment was clear. The other genin chuckled, and even Miku couldn't help but laugh at the situation.

As the team gathered and prepared to leave, Satoru stood near the village gates, watching them closely. The large wooden doors loomed ahead.

Miku adjusted his pack, exchanged a few words with his teammates, and turned to Satoru one last time.

"Take care of yourself, Satoru. Don't slack off while I'm gone, okay?"

Satoru grinned, "You too. Come back in one piece, or else I'll never cook for you again."

Miku laughed, giving Satoru a thumbs-up before turning to join his team. With a final wave, they walked through the gates and disappeared into the wilderness beyond.

Satoru stood there for a moment and watched until they were out of sight.

After a quiet farewell Satoru turned and began the walk back home.

Satoru's thoughts drifted back to something Miku had mentioned before he left—there was a gift waiting for him if he got the best grades in the written exam. Curious and eager, Satoru made his way to Miku's house to claim it.

When he arrived, Miku's mother opened the door with a warm smile, immediately ruffling Satoru's hair.

"I knew you'd be coming for the gift," she said, almost as if she had been expecting him all along.

Satoru blinked, surprised. He hadn't even said a word yet, but somehow, her motherly instincts seemed to have already known his purpose.

'How do her motherly superpowers work on an orphan like me?' he thought with amusement as he stepped inside.

In the living room, a small box sat on the table, clearly marked for him. Satoru walked over, heart pounding with excitement. He lifted the lid, and the sight inside made his jaw drop.

The box was filled with all of Miku's old textbooks, from grades one to six, neatly arranged alongside meticulously written notes.

Satoru's face lit up with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "With this," he whispered, picking up one of the well-used notebooks, "I can speed run the entire academy!"

The weight of the books felt like a treasure in his hands.