Raj crouched, watching for a while, until he spotted two green figures approaching in the distance.
He immediately darted back inside to avoid being seen...
However, he hadn't anticipated the shameless duo daring to enter.
He retreated further into the house.
"Auntie, Raj!" Obito called out as he entered, announcing his presence.
"Obito, are you going to school with Rin? Wait a moment," Tsume said, glancing out before quickly withdrawing.
She still needed to prepare breakfast.
Guy scanned the room, but finding no sign of Raj, he sighed softly in disappointment.
"Since you two have class today, I'll go train alone first."
"Thank you for your guidance these past few weeks," Obito said, bowing deeply.
He knew he couldn't have progressed so rapidly in taijutsu without Guy's instruction and training.
"We just trained together. See you later!" Guy replied cheerfully, brushing off the matter.
Besides, he hadn't actually taught Obito much himself; he'd often consult his father and then relay the lessons the next day.
After Guy left, Raj finally emerged from the shadows.
'That was close! That guy was definitely looking for me. Otherwise, with Guy's personality, he would have left long ago. Why would he linger at the entrance?'
"Obito, we might have an evaluation today. Did you bring everything?"
"I forgot my kunai, but Guy gave me one. Heh heh..."
"You're doing it again! Ugh, you can't keep this up when you become a ninja," Rin sighed.
"I know, I know. Is there an evaluation today? I didn't even know! Are they assigning teams? I..."
Obito's anxiety made him rush his words.
Rin shook her head, then glanced around.
Spotting Raj standing in the corridor by the restroom, she immediately ran over, her expression alert.
Obito watched, confused.
He saw Rin approach the corridor with a tense expression, only to relax once she reached it.
She crouched down and spoke to a small cat.
The final evaluation...
Raj didn't really want to go.
He'd rather visit Kabuto at the orphanage.
But Rin gave him no choice, dragging him to breakfast.
After making Obito wait impatiently, they finally finished eating and left.
Even with the delay for breakfast, there was still some time before class started.
Obito had arrived so early simply because he had woken up early.
In the past, Obito used to wake up late and often got delayed by helping others on the way to school, causing him to be late.
Since teaming up with Guy, the pressure on him had lessened considerably, thanks to Guy sharing the workload.
Plus, running faster meant he was less likely to encounter elderly women needing assistance along the way.
Otherwise, he definitely wouldn't have made it on time today.
By the time he reached the classroom, most of the students had already arrived.
Raj looked around.
Soon, he spotted Kurenai and Hana standing together.
They waved at Rin, but Rin was clearly preoccupied with other thoughts and didn't notice.
"Meow~"
The call startled Rin out of her reverie.
Raj seemed lost in thought, likely deeply worried about Rin's mission.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be so distracted.
"Rin... Wow, little Raj has already passed the assessment and become a full-fledged Ninja Cat!" Kurenai approached and immediately noticed the forehead protector around Raj's neck.
"I'm so jealous."
Hana, holding Haimaru, refrained from reaching out to pet Raj.
Haimaru, however, stared at Raj with a mixture of envy and fear.
Animals possess senses far sharper than humans, and Haimaru could sense that the cat had grown even stronger.
'Damn it! He was barely eight months old.'
'How could any cat improve so quickly?'
Haimaru felt utterly hopeless.
He would likely never surpass this cat in his lifetime, and his previous grudge would remain unavenged...
Raj bared his teeth.
"Woof woof!"
"Raj, don't scare Haimaru. He's still so young..."
Rin trailed off mid-sentence.
She suddenly remembered that Haimaru was actually several months older than Raj-perhaps even twice his age.
Calling him 'young' seemed rather inappropriate.
"I'll take this cowardly dog away. He's so embarrassing."
Hana covered her face and hurried away, clutching Haimaru.
Since the Inuzuka Clan joined Konoha and began raising dogs, this was the first time they'd bred a dog afraid of cats.
'And I'm supposed to be the clan's prodigy? If word gets out, people will laugh their heads off,' she thought.
"Oh, right, the Summoning Technique," Kurenai said, pointing at Raj and reminding Rin of their earlier conversation.
"Let's not rush it for now."
The Summoning Technique wasn't something you could just pick up anywhere.
It was a space-time Ninjutsu that allowed you to summon creatures or objects, but both required a crucial component: a scroll.
While the technique itself could be learned through friendship, the scrolls were incredibly expensive.
Rin was only a Chunin; buying one would likely bankrupt his family.
"I'm sorry," Kurenai said, realizing her mistake and immediately apologizing to Rin.
Raj reached out a paw and affectionately patted her shoulder.
It glanced at Asuma.
'This guy seems to have been shocked into numbness,' Raj thought.
'He's not even jealous seeing me being affectionate with Kurenai anymore.'
'Oh well... Graduation's coming up anyway. I can drain him dry without feeling bad.'
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the teacher's arrival.
Today was the final exam, but any senior ninja knew it was just a formality.
Konoha needed a new batch of Genin, so every student would pass.
Of course, Obito didn't know this.
He sat up straight, waiting for the teacher to start the practical exam, eager to show everyone the results of his months of training.
But all he got was a test paper.
A written exam!
Obito found it utterly absurd.
How could the final exam be a written test?
Raj, sitting next to him, was overjoyed, even rolling around on his desk.
"Obito, what's this? Months of practical training, and we get a theory test!"
'Serves you right for hanging out with Guy all the time, and dragging me along on those runs. Karma's a bitch.'
Obito was on the verge of tears.
He knew next to nothing about theory.
If this was the real exam, he'd have to wait until next year.
He whispered desperately to Rin for help.
But Rin, separated from him by a desk, could only shrug helplessly.
"Pass out the papers. You have two hours. This is the graduation exam, so it's more challenging than usual. I expect everyone to answer independently-no looking around. Anyone caught cheating... hmph hmph hmph."
Takuma smirked, his gaze
Takuma's gaze swept across the room like a hawk's.
The children, terrified by his threat, fell silent as mice.
No one dared cheat.
When the exam papers were distributed, Obito glanced down at his sheet and took a deep breath.
'Perfect. I don't know a single answer.'
Panic churned within him, his legs trembling, but he maintained a calm facade.
He whispered to the cat beside him, "Help me."