Chapter 6 — Academy
The next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten, a faint gray light filtering through the window.
Obuya lay sprawled across his bed, breathing steadily, still deep in sleep.
Suddenly—
Thump, thump, thump…
A rapid series of footsteps approached, growing louder with each passing second.
Bang!
The door to his room was flung open with force.
"Ah!!"
A sharp scream followed immediately, and the door was slammed shut just as quickly.
"Obuya, you—! Why are you sleeping naked?!"
Rin's flustered and angry voice came from outside the door.
Startled awake by the commotion, Obuya blinked several times, still half-asleep as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He rubbed his eyes and glanced down at himself.
"I wasn't naked… I had shorts on. They were just a bit short…"
Muttering to himself, he quickly got up and dressed, his movements efficient and practiced.
"All right, you can come in now, Rin."
Hearing his voice, the door slowly creaked open. Rin cautiously peeked her head inside first. After confirming that Obuya was fully dressed and sitting on the bed, she stepped in, though her cheeks were still faintly flushed.
"Sorry… I got a little too excited earlier. That was rude of me," she said, looking slightly embarrassed.
"It's fine," Obuya replied. Then he tilted his head, puzzled. "But shouldn't you be at the academy? Today's the graduation exam, isn't it? Why are you here this early?"
At the mention of the exam, Rin's earlier embarrassment disappeared instantly, replaced by excitement.
She hurried closer and stopped in front of him, her expression bright.
"Obuya, last night I told sensei about your awakened Kekkei Genkai…"
"And…?" Obuya smiled faintly, already guessing from her expression that it wasn't bad news.
"Obuya, you've been approved to take the ninja academy graduation exam!" Rin announced, unable to hide her excitement.
"The graduation exam?"
Obuya paused, processing her words before the meaning truly sank in.
"You mean… I can officially join Konoha and become a ninja of the village?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief.
"Yes, exactly!"
Rin nodded eagerly.
"As long as you pass, you'll become a Konoha genin. You'll receive your forehead protector and be able to stay in the village permanently."
Obuya understood what that meant.
As a war refugee, he had only been allowed to stay in Konoha out of compassion. That arrangement was never meant to last forever. Once he reached a certain age, he would have been expected to leave.
Now, being allowed to take the exam meant the village was willing to accept him—provided he could prove his worth.
Yesterday's events had clearly played a role in that decision.
"Obuya… you don't want to join Konoha?" Rin asked nervously when she noticed he wasn't reacting as excitedly as she had expected.
Obuya smiled and shook his head. "Of course I do. I was just caught off guard. Konoha took me in when I had nowhere else to go. If I can stay and give something back, that's more than I could ask for."
"That's great!"
Rin clapped her hands happily.
"That means we can stay teammates. Once you graduate, you'll go on missions with me, Obito, and Kakashi."
Her eyes were filled with anticipation.
Obuya fell silent for a moment.
In this world, he had no family, no connections—only a few people he could truly call friends. Remaining in Konoha, becoming part of it… it really was the best outcome he could hope for.
"Come on, we should go. Today's an important day."
Before he could say anything else, Rin grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.
…
[Demon Task · Side Quest]: Participate in the Konoha Ninja Academy graduation exam. Use any means necessary to pass and become a Konoha genin.
[Task Difficulty]: Medium
[Task Reward]: 20 Demon Points (Accumulate enough Demon Points to advance to One-Star Demon)
[Failure Penalty]: None
As Rin dragged him toward the academy at a brisk pace, the system's voice echoed in Obuya's mind.
Completing tasks was the only way to advance. Only by reaching One-Star Demon could he unlock "Human Modification" and gain the ability to transplant Kekkei Genkai.
Under normal circumstances, receiving a mission like this would have excited him.
But now, he felt conflicted.
He had only been in Konoha for a year. Compared to the others, his foundation was weak. Just thinking about the graduation exam made him feel uncertain.
"I'll deal with it when I get there… one step at a time," Obuya sighed inwardly.
The exam was being held in their usual classroom. By the time they arrived, most of the seats were already filled.
At first, Obuya assumed his name wouldn't be listed. But after searching carefully, he found it—tucked away in the back-left corner, clearly added at the last moment.
Rin's seat was just a few steps ahead and slightly to his right.
That alone eased his tension a little.
He looked around at the others.
Yuhi Kurenai sat quietly, her expression calm. Might Guy fidgeted with restless energy. Sarutobi Asuma leaned back with a rebellious air. A short distance away, Gekkō Hayate and Uzuki Yūgao whispered to each other.
Every face was familiar.
In his previous life, he had only seen them in manga.
Thinking about what lay ahead for them, Obuya let out a silent sigh.
Knowing the future wasn't always a blessing. Still… with him here, perhaps something could change.
Amid the chatter, an examiner walked into the room.
Obuya didn't recognize him, but that wasn't surprising. Not every ninja became known in history, even if they existed.
The examiner checked his pocket watch and spoke.
"Time is almost up. Anyone not present will have their eligibility revoked—"
Before he could finish, the classroom door scraped open.
A boy wearing goggles and a tracksuit rushed in, nearly stumbling as he stopped himself against the doorway.
"Uchiha Obito!"
The examiner frowned slightly.
"You didn't disappoint me. On such an important day, you're late as usual."
"Examiner, I—"
"No explanations. If you had been ten seconds later, you would have been disqualified. Now get to your seat."
Obito let out a breath of relief and quickly moved inside.
As he passed, several students laughed at him, but he ignored them, shooting back annoyed looks.
Then he spotted Obuya in the corner, and his expression brightened immediately. He raised a hand and waved.
"Idiot."
A cold voice came from beside him as soon as he sat down.
"Kakashi, you planning to sit there? Don't even think about copying my answers. You'll definitely fail."
"Worry about yourself," Kakashi replied with a faint sneer.
"You—!"
Obito's temper flared, but before he could argue further, Rin's voice cut in.
"Obito, don't start again…"
She raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.
The moment he saw her, Obito's anger disappeared, replaced by a sheepish grin, as if nothing had happened at all.