Chapter 29: The Cohort Graduates
Late March. The cherry blossoms were blooming in Konoha again, and graduation season was here.
Two months of border cleanup missions had ended, and Furukawa Osamu had recently returned to the medical corps. Nobody was happier about that than Shizune.
After medical class one afternoon, Tsunade had stayed to teach for once. When she spotted the usual shadow trailing after Nohara Rin, she thought to herself:
'Nothing like an Uchiha at all.'
Obito had worked his way out of the A-class dead-last label through sheer effort and was days away from graduating. He was visibly excited about it.
"No problem at all, Rin! I'm definitely passing the exam tomorrow!"
"..."
With eyes only for Nohara Rin, Obito had pushed straight to her side the moment he walked in and was telling her loudly about everything he'd done to prepare.
"Do your best, Obito. We'll graduate together!"
"Don't be late to the exam. Leave early, and watch your time even if you run into old ladies on the way."
"This is the very first step of your ninja career!"
Rin cheered him on warmly, not bothered at all by his volume. The girls in the medical corps watched and started teasing immediately.
"Rin, Kakashi would be sad if he saw this."
"Are you giving up on Kakashi? Because if so, some of us are ready to make our move..."
Nohara Rin had been pumping her fist in encouragement for Obito. At the teasing she went red, then looked up with her wide eyes and answered openly.
"Kakashi is everyone's role model..."
"Not a crush?"
"Rin is so sweet, she and 'cold Kakashi' would actually be a great match!"
"..."
Ever since Kakashi's streak of discouraging his squad members, the nickname "cold Kakashi" had made its way through the school.
The girls laughed and carried on. Obito stood right next to Rin and felt miserable about the whole thing.
"So Rin's kindness doesn't all belong to me."
"Huh?!"
Hearing his own thought said out loud, Obito jumped and spun around to find Furukawa Osamu and Shizune standing behind him.
"That's not what I was thinking, I never said that..."
His voice got quieter with each word. He turned away, embarrassed. Furukawa Osamu gave him the same sideways look he'd been giving him for years.
"Rin doesn't turn nine until November. Go turn yourself in to the Military Police."
Shizune laughed out loud, then thought about her own small feelings and went slightly pink.
"That's not how it works! The Military Police isn't what you think. It's an important division, only the best Uchiha ninja qualify."
"Someday I'll be part of it too. When that happens I'll be able to help more people and earn everyone's recognition."
Obito spoke about the Uchiha Military Police with rare seriousness, something genuine in his voice.
Rin had freed herself from the girls' teasing and came back to Obito's side. She noticed Furukawa Osamu and Shizune with a pleased look, said hello, then smiled and asked:
"Are the missions over? Osamu, will Kakashi come to the graduation ceremony?"
Homeroom teacher Kimura Ryosuke had declared this the best class he had taught in his career. For the ceremony, he hoped the whole A-class could be there for a group photo.
Furukawa Osamu had no reason to refuse. The entire A-class had graduated early, and he understood how the teacher felt.
"He'll be there. He's had time lately. Even with missions, people need to rest."
The moment she heard that, Nohara Rin's face lit up. She pressed her textbook to her chest and answered happily.
"That's great! It's been almost three months since I've seen Kakashi! Everyone's been looking forward to taking a photo together!"
Obito couldn't look away from the brightness on her face. But that happiness wasn't because of him, and the familiar sourness settled back in.
Furukawa Osamu left it alone. Childhood friends losing out to someone who arrived later was a sad thing.
"Osamu, can we take photos together sometime too?..."
After the two of them walked away, Shizune followed behind Furukawa Osamu and asked quietly. She sounded a little nervous, but the answer she was hoping for came quickly.
"Of course. We can take photos anytime. There's only the one studio in the village though, Gengo-san's."
"It would be nice to have a more portable camera. Photos can hold a lot of good memories..."
Shizune pressed her hands together with a happy expression and moved up beside him, more lively than usual.
"Tsunade-sensei would probably like that too. She said once she wants to always look her best, and photos would be a good way..."
"..."
As she said it, Shizune felt a chill on the back of her neck. Tsunade had appeared behind them at some point, and before Shizune could explain herself, she was already being pulled into a tight embrace.
"Shizune, are you trying to remind me I'm getting old too?"
"Mmph... I can't breathe, Tsunade-sensei!"
* * *
The last day of March. The Ninja Academy held its graduation ceremony, and the Third Hokage presented certificates to every graduating student in person.
Every student who stepped onto the stage had excitement on their face. Only Sarutobi Asuma turned his head to the side, showing off his rebellious streak.
Nohara Rin, in her loose purple jacket, kept looking around. There was no sign of Obito anywhere, and she was quietly anxious about it.
By the time the ceremony ended, Obito still hadn't appeared.
"Gengo-san, could we wait a little longer? There's still one student who hasn't arrived."
Kimura Ryosuke made the request again, but most of the students were already getting impatient. Every other class had cleared out before A-class finally gathered for the group photo.
Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu had all put on new clothes for the day and were laughing and swapping ninja stories. Kakashi had left his short blade behind, dressed in a blue long-sleeved training outfit the same as Furukawa Osamu. Sarutobi Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai were talking and laughing. Shizune, in a loose blue jacket, stood beside Furukawa Osamu with a smile. A crowd of students had gathered around Inuzuka Hana, who had somehow wrapped several loops of bandage around her head, and was pulling it off. Morino Ibiki, headband on, grinned and looked toward the camera along with everyone else. Nohara Rin was a little downcast but managed a sweet smile standing beside Kakashi.
"Alright, everyone look this way!"
At the call from the balding Gengo-san, A-class finished the group photo. Kimura Ryosuke made sure to catch each of them before they left.
"You are the finest students I have ever taught. I'll be honest, as a chunin, there wasn't much I could really teach you."
"Promise me this. Wherever you end up, whatever the mission, take care of yourselves. A ninja is not a tool."
Might Guy, in his green jumpsuit, agreed immediately and finished with a thumbs up. The full force of his burning youthful spirit brought a warm smile to Kimura Ryosuke's face.
* * *
Near midday, Uchiha Obito finally arrived, very late. He slowed down near the entrance and promptly tripped on flat ground.
No classmates, no teacher. Obito sat up and saw the girl who had waited for him, and almost lost it completely.
"Are you alright, Obito? Don't worry, I picked up your certificate for you!"
Nohara Rin leaned down, her face full of concern. Obito rubbed at his eyes, voice catching.
"Rin... only you... you're always the one who stays by my side..."
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