Chapter 8 – Ninja Academy’s Graduation Exam

The past couple of months passed without much funfair.

Sakura and Ino became strong enough to get an A grade for their taijutsu, even Sasuke had issues whenever matched with one of them, meanwhile, I managed to beat him by relying on my superior speed and strength, it honestly felt like I was a bullying a kid 2 grades lower than me.

Our fight reminded me of the famous duel between Sasuke and Rock Lee during the Chunnin exams but Sasuke hasn't learned to use his Sharingan yet and thus couldn't keep pace with my moves.

I wonder how I would compare to the Rock Lee of a year ago? His graduation remains a mystery to me. Naruto failed the clone jutsu test and is supposed to be held back but I know that he's about to set out on an adventure and somehow master the forbidden multiple shadow clone jutsu in a freaking day.

Meanwhile, Rock Lee spectacularly failed every ninjutsu and genjutsu test and still became a genin without having any backing behind him. Though those eye eyebrows make me suspect him of being Guy's illegitimate son.

As for Choji, he couldn’t even find the energy to get past any of the Taijutsu sections of the exam and failed.

Despite his backing, I'm very sure even if his clan steps in and forces his promotion they wouldn’t be crazy enough to put him in a team. If he can't even take a walk 30 minutes away from the village there is no way he's ever doing anything above D-grade mission and as much as the Nara and Yamanaka clan want to preserve their friendship, they won't stand by and have their heirs saddled with such a burden.

I slightly fix Choji's histamine after the exams are over, enough to make sure he doesn’t suffer too much and to make his recovery a bit more gradual.

When the final results were tallied Sasuke barely beat Sakura in getting the best overall grades in class with his lowest subject being cooperation where only Naruto can match his wonderful F- score.

I secured first place in the Taijutsu section and ranked decent enough in genjutsu and ninjutsu. I could have done better if I wasn't spending most of my chakra every day messing with my hormones and isn't spent more chakra training but this was an investment that was going to wield 2000% returns in the future.

Naruto went off to do plot business and I choose not to interfere in any way. Though the Scroll of the First Hokage is sure to have some really good jutsu in it I'm not talented enough to take advantage and there are way too many eyes on the following events for my taste.

Changing the assigned genin team is my first true form of deviation from the story of Naruto.

I hate that they call it that, just Naruto.

As if there weren't thousands of ninjas involved. As if people like Kakashi, Tsunade and hundreds of others hadn't suffered more than Naruto, worked harder than Naruto and had as big of a role in achieving the final victory as him.

Meanwhile, Naruto manages to bumble his way through every part of the story.He is blessed with the Kyuubi and Uzumaki bloodline and when that isn't enough even gets blessed by the sage of the six paths himself.

When I realized the events I came to know were going to be true I wanted nothing other than to rebel and break that story.

Maybe if I was a secondary character like Kiba or Shiba I could bear to just follow the events with minimal interference and securing my safety.

But with my destiny entirely unknown I refuse to leave my safety to others and I refuse to let some drawn story dictate what I can and can't achieve in this life.

And today. With Choji failing the exam and the teams being reshuffled tomorrow I finally have proved to myself that I can change the future and am not bound to a written fate of irrelevance.

I am nervous about the team formation in 2 days.

I envy Sakura and the rest of the girls who get to just celebrate finally becoming a ninja without knowing how one of the most important days of our lives is almost here.

All four of us go out to celebrate. Even though none of us has much in terms of allowance we all get some caramel apples and eat together to celebrate the start of our ninja life.