Several days passed, and soon Ren and the others officially turned twelve. Today was a special day for every student in the academy.
It was the graduation day.
Inside the classroom, students talked loudly while waiting for the exam to begin.
---
Shikamaru Nara rested his head lazily on the desk while staring at the ceiling.
"What a drag," he muttered quietly.
"Now we'll have to start doing missions."
He sighed heavily.
"That means less time for sleeping."
---
Across the room, Kiba Inuzuka grinned widely.
"Hey, stop being lazy!"
"Now we can finally do real missions."
He pointed proudly at himself.
"And I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage!"
---
"Hah! Dream on!"
Naruto Uzumaki suddenly shouted from the back of the class.
"I'm the one who's going to be Hokage!"
Kiba smirked immediately.
"You have to graduate first, dead last."
Naruto clenched his fists angrily.
"I will graduate!"
"Just as long as the test isn't the Clone Jutsu!"
The two boys immediately began arguing.
---
Ren sat quietly near the window with Ino Yamanaka and Hinata Hyūga beside him.
He watched the chaotic classroom with a relaxed expression.
"Well," Ren said calmly.
"After today we won't have as much free time as before."
Ino immediately pouted.
"But I still want to enjoy the hot springs."
---
Hinata rolled her eyes slightly.
"You can go whenever you want, blonde."
She pointed toward Ren.
"Ren even created a special Flying Thunder God mark for you."
"So you can teleport to the islands anytime."
Then she added with a teasing smile.
"That's because someone couldn't learn FTG."
---
Ino's eye twitched immediately.
"So what if you learned Flying Thunder God?!"
"You think you're stronger or something?"
Hinata crossed her arms.
"Well… I did learn it."
Ino leaned forward.
"Say that again!"
Ren sighed deeply.
---
Their relationship had changed a lot over the years.
After countless survival drills, sparring matches, and missions simulations, Hinata and Ino argued constantly.
Yet they trusted each other completely in battle.
Sometimes Ren thought they resembled Naruto and Sasuke.
Always competing.
Always provoking each other.
---
"Okay, okay," Ren said while raising both hands.
"You two can argue later."
"Today is the last day of the academy."
"Let's at least enjoy it."
Both girls quieted down slightly.
Ren smiled faintly.
They had truly grown stronger.
---
If Ren had to rank their strength now, both girls were already close to Jonin-level ability.
Their bodies were still those of twelve-year-old children.
However, their skill, chakra control, and combat experience far surpassed normal genin.
In taijutsu, Hinata was nearly unmatched among Chunin-level fighters.
Ino was also strong, though she still couldn't defeat Hinata directly.
---
After Hinata successfully learned the Flying Thunder God technique, Ino had been furious about losing their sparring match.
So she decided to improve differently.
She began learning fuinjutsu directly from Ren.
Now her Wind, Earth, and Water release techniques were already approaching Jonin-level.
Her sealing talent was also becoming frightening.
---
"HINATA!"
A voice suddenly interrupted the class.
Everyone turned toward the door.
It was Sasuke Uchiha.
He stared directly at Hinata.
"Hinata."
"Fight me."
---
Ren sighed quietly.
Hinata looked equally helpless.
"Sasuke-kun…"
"It's graduation day."
"Can we not do this today?"
---
Ino covered her mouth while giggling.
Originally Sasuke had constantly challenged Ren to fights.
That stopped after Hinata defeated Sasuke during one of their training matches.
After the fight, Hinata openly admitted something.
She had said she was still weaker than Ren.
---
Since then Sasuke began challenging Hinata repeatedly.
"If I cannot defeat you," Sasuke often said seriously,
"How can I defeat Ren?"
"And how can I kill that man?"
Ino had wisely avoided fighting Sasuke entirely.
---
When Sasuke once challenged her, she had answered perfectly.
"Sasuke-kun," she said innocently.
"I'm a Yamanaka."
"We specialize in support roles."
She looked down shyly.
"So what's the point of bullying a helpless girl?"
---
Psychological manipulation was her specialty.
Sasuke never challenged her again after that.
Every time Hinata remembered it, her eye twitched.
Ino… helpless?
That blonde girl possessed multiple Wind, Water, and Earth techniques.
Her taijutsu alone could defeat many Chunin.
If she was helpless, then what were the rest of the academy students?
---
Just then the classroom door opened.
Iruka Umino stepped inside.
"Alright everyone."
"Take your seats."
The room immediately quieted down.
Iruka looked around calmly.
---
"When your name is called, enter the next room."
"You will perform the Clone Jutsu."
"That will determine if you graduate."
Naruto immediately shouted.
"NOOO!"
"Why the Clone Jutsu?!"
---
"Iruka-sensei, can't we use something else?!"
"Please!"
Iruka sighed deeply.
"Naruto…"
"I'm sorry."
"The exam cannot be changed for one student."
Naruto groaned dramatically.
---
One by one, students entered the examination room.
Some returned smiling proudly while holding Konoha forehead protectors.
Others returned looking disappointed with empty hands.
Slowly the classroom became quieter as the exam progressed.
---
Eventually the tests finished.
Outside the academy building, Naruto sat alone on a swing.
His head hung low as villagers walked past quietly.
Ren glanced at him briefly while leaving the academy.
---
Ino and Hinata walked beside him.
Ren had already told them earlier that Naruto would still become a ninja.
Neither girl believed him.
So they had made a bet.
Ren had accepted happily.
---
As they walked through the village streets, a masked figure suddenly appeared before them.
An ANBU operative.
"Ren."
"The Hokage requests your presence."
"You are to report to the Hokage Tower immediately."
---
Ren nodded calmly.
"Understood."
He turned toward the girls.
"I'll see you later."
Then he followed the ANBU shinobi.
---
Ino and Hinata remained standing there.
Both looked worried.
"Why would the Hokage suddenly call Ren?" Ino asked quietly.
Hinata frowned slightly.
"I don't know…"
They exchanged uneasy glances.
---
"Let's go home," Ino said.
"We should ask our parents if they know anything."
Hinata nodded slowly.
"Yes."
The two girls walked away toward their clan districts.
Both silently hoping nothing serious had happened.