Chương 28: Chapter 26 - Graduated

It was a regular morning... I wasn't expecting anything special to happen that day, and as they say, when you expect nothing, something will come knocking. I woke up as usual, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and was halfway through a toast when someone knocked on our front door with a surprisingly aggressive beat. It made me raise my eyebrows about who or what was so... important that it almost broke down our front door. But my parents were handling it, so I returned to my breakfast.

As far as I know, I hadn't broken any rules or gone too far with things, so I should not be in trouble.

"Renjirooooo!" My Mom's surprisingly excited voice called after me a minute later, making me realize that this was indeed about me. Please... let it be good news!

"Letter! Official letter! It has the Hokage's seal! Renjiro, hurry!" I nearly inhaled the rest of my toast when I heard her finish... What?! Hokage's seal?! Did someone die? Did I kill someone? Wait, I didn't... And I don't think I sleepwalk either, doing something that's against the law... Did Mika-sensei finally complain and label me a menace to society? What is it?

Coughing and clearing my throat from the chunks of bread, I jumped off the chair, ran to the hall, and froze when Mom thrust the scroll at me with both hands, trembling in excitement. Even Dad was there, peeking at me from behind her shoulder, already giddy from it... Well, looking at their faces, it had to be good news.

"Open it!" They said in sync, almost yelling at me.

"Whoa, whoa... Okay, okay...!" I flinched, looking at it in my hand. Oh boy... here we go. With a deep breath, I broke the wax seal, unrolled the parchment, and read it once, making me deflate the moment I reached its end. It wasn't bad news. It wasn't news at all, really; it was just that the time had come, and I should have expected it. It was even normal, really.

"Oh?" Dad leaned in.

"Well? What is it?"

"…I'm graduating."

"You're WHAT?!" both my parents shouted in perfect unison.

"I'm graduating. Early." I waved the letter as if it were a perfectly everyday phenomenon.

"It says here the Academy recommends immediate advancement. And… my Jōnin sensei will be announced in a few days."

"Oh my goodness, Renjiro!" Mom squealed while she grabbed my shoulders and shook me like I was a maraca.

"Graduating early?! This is amazing! My baby! My little genius!"

"I'm not little," I muttered, watching her act like how Dad used to... Did they switch roles or something?

"Does Minato know?" Dad asked, already putting on his shoes like we were going to head out and start another parade like when my Sharingan had awakened.

"Good question..." I blinked my eyes, and I was about to say something when another set of loud knocks interrupted me. When Dad opened the door, of course, Minato stood there with a scroll identical to mine in hand, his hair wild, probably running over here from home the moment he got it.

"You too?" he asked. I nodded, lifting my own seal, and I watched as he sighed in relief. What? You thought you would sprint ahead of me? Hmph! Good luck with that! I'm sticking to you like a bad shadow.

"We're genin…" he whispered.

"Damn right we are!" I grinned at him, and I wasn't even scolded for cursing in the house.

"My two little geniuses!" My Mom giggled, pulling Minato into a hug too, making him blush, which made me laugh even louder.

"That's my boys!" Dad patted his shoulder with a gravely approving nod.

"You'll both do us proud. We will have to have another party! No arguments! Minato, you stay! Renjiro, go clean your room, because we are inviting everyone!"

"Everyone?" I asked suspiciously.

"Who is... everyone?"

"Kushina-chan! Sayuri-chan! Maybe even Naoto if he wants to come." Mom began rattling off, not that we had that many friends...

"Mom, Naoto doesn't party." I reminded her because even if you invite him, he would just stand in the corner like a buzzing bug statue, taking observational notes and maybe, MAYBE, say a word or two.

"Fine, fine. Kushina and Sayuri then!" She pursed her lips, shaking her head, "Still, go! Move! I have to prepare snacks!" I wasn't arguing about the decision... To be honest, it did feel like a chapter was quickly closing behind me, and sending it off with a celebration just felt... right.............. Only a few hours later, our living room smelled of roasted chestnuts, grilled mochi, and whatever sweets Mom had decided to conjure up for the occasion.

"I expected this," Minato said, as he sat down beside me, taking some of the nuts and throwing them into his mouth, "But… not this soon, not after you told me to postpone the request for it."

"I didn't expect them to push us through this fast either," I nodded, "Not that I complain, because I won't have to sit in Mika-sensei's classes anymore, and listen to her voice. Give it a few years, and we will also outrank her, heh!"

"She is just a Chūnin, so," he mumbled to himself, thinking it through, then nodding to himself, "It is pretty much possible." Before I could reply to him, the front door slid open, and Sayuri stepped inside first, carrying a basket wrapped in pale yellow cloth. Her hair, which was now in a ponytail, swayed as she bowed politely to my parents, and I caught how pink her cheeks were from the get-go.

When our eyes met, I just smiled at her and watched as Kushina stomped in, dressed in her usual clothes, with a scroll in hand... Wait... She got to leave early, too? I didn't even need to wait for her to brag about it... I can smell old Sarutobi planning something, huh? I can feel it. This had to be the Hokage's handiwork.

"Congratulations!" Sayuri exclaimed, bringing me out of my conspiracy theories when she walked up to us.

"Honestly, I thought this would have happened earlier."

"Yeah," I rubbed the back of my neck, "I would have liked to be a lazy student a bit more, but it seems I am going to get sent on missions already..."

"…I'm really happy," she said softly, still watching me before finally blinking her eyes and glancing at Minato, then at Kushina.

"You all worked so hard... You deserve it." While she spoke, she was genuinely happy for us, but her fingers twisted the edges of her skirt. I could tell that she wasn't jealous, but she felt a bit... sad. She was being left behind, after all. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Oi!" Kushina elbowed her with a loud snort, "Don't make that face, dattebane! It's fine! We live in the same village, we can hang out whenever."

"Exactly." I grinned, nodding my head, "It won't be much different anyway, because most of the time, Minato and I were doing other exercises than the rest.

"I see everyone is here!" Dad walked in, bringing in some fizzy drinks, while Mom immediately went for the girls.

"Kushina-chan!" she beamed at her, rushing forward to hug her too.

"You came, good, good! I made spicy tofu in case you like spicy food—""I do!" she lit up immediately, "Thank you, Naori-san!"

"And some of your favorite sweet cookies," Mom added, smiling at Sayuri.

"Thank you, Naori-san!" She bowed and handed her basket over, mumbling, "I brought honey-lotus cakes, too…"

"Sayuri-chan, you're an angel." Mom whispered, stroking her cheeks, and what she added next made me almost choke on my drinks, "You will make a perfect wife one day!"

"Yeah," Dad leaned in and whispered to me, going for a one-two punch, while I was still coughing, "You'd better marry that one." I won't even comment on that... I don't even think about marrying. Would that even be possible? I don't want to think about clan politics at all... So... Ignoring my parents, in the end, we gathered in a circle around the low table as Mom served proper food, and I watched as Kushina devoured everything spicy.

She couldn't even be angry about calling her a habanero after that, so she just scoffed at me and kept stuffing her face like a chipmunk. Even Sayuri began teasing her, poking at her face... For a moment, I couldn't help myself... Was this a red flag? Or am I... overthinking things? Maybe Sayuri caught the flash in my eyes, because when I headed into the kitchen to bring more drinks over, she followed me to help.

"You will make great things in the future." She said suddenly, making me blink my eyes, looking at her, feeling a bit confused.

"Why, you won't?" I asked back, making her shrug.

"I am not as good as you..." She muttered, shaking my head, making me snort, and to put everything down from my hands, and look her in the eyes.

"Bullshit."

"Huh?" She flinched, not expecting the intensity in my voice, and neither did I, but... here we are.

"You are a Yamanaka, so don't play yourself short." I started, "You have your unique ways, something that can be just as lethal as a Sharingan. Don't ever look at yourself as inferior to anyone, me or Minato included. In the future, I may very well rely on your unique abilities, Sayuri."

"When you do," She nodded after my words settled in her mind, looking very resolute all of a sudden, "I will make sure to deliver... Whatever you ask for."

"Be careful what you say!" I joked, making her blush and purse her lips, but she did step closer, which in turn made me blush the next moment... Um... okaaaay... I did not expect this.

"I said what I said..." She repeated, barely audible, poking my chest with a finger while looking at me, "So... Promise?"

"I..." I gulped, because our faces were way too close now, "Promise."

"Good." She smiled and was about to lean in, I think, when Kushina arrived.

"What is taking you for so loooooohng. Khm. Um. Nothing!" She turned around at once, but... the magic was gone because we both separated like startled sparrows. Yet my heart was still racing in my throat. Um... Did I just make some... significant promise for the future? Oh boy............... A few days later, when we were told to gather at a particular spot, the headband felt heavier than I expected. I mean, actually, physically heavier.

Wearing it on my head made my forehead itch, so instead of tying it around my skull, I tied it around my arm.

"You're not wearing it?" Minato asked, walking towards me, already tying his own neatly around his forehead, the metal protector centered perfectly.

"I am," I replied, pointing at it, "Just not on my head. This is more comfortable."

"Of course you wouldn't wear it normally, dattebane." Kushina squinted at it, then huffed because I could see that she was also struggling with wearing it on her head; she just didn't want to act like she was special.

"That'd be too boring." Currently, we were standing at Training Field Three, precisely at the same field where I remember Kakashi putting Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura through his test... Except that none of them were alive yet. Or wait... Maybe Kakashi was... I may need to look into that! Haaah... Time is running ahead faster than I'd like to accept the fact.

"So," Kushina spoke up again, crossing her arms, "who do you think it is?"

"Well, I do hope it won't be another Hyūga woman," I answered immediately.

"If someone like that shows up, I'm leaving."

"I don't think the Academy instructors can become jōnin just like that," Minato said carefully, trying not to laugh.

"Usually it's… someone else. Someone experienced. So I wouldn't worry about it..."

"Maybe it will be someone boring," Kushina offered, looking at us, "Probably some old guy who smells like a weird, wet dog."

"Statistically speaking," I murmured, pursing my lips, "There should be more old, experienced shinobi around than not... No?"

"It isn't a profession that allows a long life," Minato countered, explaining it weirdly grimly if I had to rate it, making me raise an eyebrow at him.

"Geez, that's not something we had to hear, especially right now!" I chuckled, shaking my head, "Anyway, I don't think it'll be random." As for one, you don't graduate three kids early and then hand them to some overworked nobody. Someone important was coming... I was sure of it because the fact that we three were on the same team had to be the Hokage's machination. The question was: who will be the important person that he will send for us?

It had to be someone strong; otherwise, why tell us to gather here and wait for him to come and test us?

"Hey, Minato." Kushina flopped down into the grass, hands behind her head.

"Yeah?"

"You nervous?"

"Hm..." He hesitated for a moment, thinking about it, "…A little."

"Good!" She grinned, making me roll my eyes at her.

"You're one to talk." I snorted, "Your leg is twitching, you are clearly worried more than he is!"

"Hey!" she shot back at me, holding her legs down, sitting up.

"I'm perfectly calm!" I was about to say something when a presence touched the edge of my senses, then it wasn't subtle, nor was it hidden, probably being flaunted just enough for us to notice in time, not wanting to sneak up on us... Here we go! Just as I straightened my back, Minato noticed the presence at the same time, his posture shifting, his attention snapping forward, signaling to Kushina that something was happening.

"What? What is it?" She asked, looking around, searching. I froze the moment I managed to catch a glimpse of the arriving man... The white hair, the red markings... Although he looked a bit younger, not wearing his usual clothes, it was unmistakable. Right now, he was dressed in a more shinobi-like getup, including vests and all... Which made sense, because he was still an integral part of the village and a more public figure...

"You've gotta be kidding me," I muttered as his body dropped from the treeline, landing a short distance away from us, walking the rest of the way, casually strolling up to us. Jiraiya? Really... It will be him?! But then again, it quickly clicked... because Minato was trained by him, so... It made sense.

"Jiraiya-sama." Of course, it was Minato to recover from his surprise first, recognizing him the same way I did. He had already bowed his head, and I followed suit, closing my mouth, not wanting to look like a village idiot. Finally, even Kushina realized he had to be someone important, so she greeted him the same way.

"Relax, kids," Jiraiya waved us off, "You bow like that to everyone, you'll wreck your spine before you hit thirty." He chuckled, and then he scanned us one more time before his eyes returned to me.

"You," he said, pointing at my arm casually, "are not wearing your headband properly. Didn't know it became an armband."

"Why not? Arms are just as useful," I replied flatly, "as someone's head."

"…Huh." He chuckled, but then he said nothing more about it.

"So," Minato asked carefully, before I could say something stupid, I guess, "does this mean you're—""Your jōnin sensei?" Jiraiya finished for him, "Yep. Congratulations. You're stuck with me!"

"Wait. You're teaching us?" Kushina asked, glancing at us, trying to figure out if he was indeed someone great or not... Damn girl, were you asleep in history classes or what?!

"If you pass," He nodded, and then he clapped his hands together once.

"All right. Let's get this out of the way." With that, he stepped back, planting his feet, posture shifting from casual to dangerous because I could feel his chakra gathering inside of him, and his aura kept growing, enveloping us three, "I'm Jiraiya, one of the Sannin. And before you ask," he added, "yes. I know exactly who each of you are, including your supposed strengths and weaknesses. I just don't know if you are worthy enough to be my disciples." Ouch... When did you become so picky, huh? Oh well...

He has the achievements to be a bit cocky. Then, just as I thought that, I saw him pull out two little bells, dangling them before us. OH... OOOOH...! This is going to be... fun... Super. Fun!