Chapter 9: Graduation Practical Exam

Kasai had just finished changing clothes when he heard a knock at the door, accompanied by a frantic, high-pitched feminine voice urgently calling his name. It was Hina, clearly in a hurry to get to school. She had woken up early, fearful of being late for the Practical Exam scheduled for that day at the academy.

As she rushed to his apartment, she decided on the spur of the moment to stop by and accompany Kasai to school. He welcomed her in, all the while feigning ignorance. "Why did you come to my place?" he inquired as if he didn't already know the reason.

Hina shot him a glare. "To make sure that you didn't forget about the practical exam," she retorted. Standing by the door, she continued to glare at Kasai, urging him to hurry. "Come on, Kasai. Hurry up!"

"I know," Kasai replied with a hint of annoyance. "Geez, Hina, take it easy. The practical exam lasts for more than five hours. We still have time for other things, like eating, you know?"

"Nonsense," Hina countered firmly. "Save the food for later, once we're certain we've passed the practical exam. Then we can relax before the squad formations tomorrow."

With a deep sigh and a roll of his eyes, Kasai conceded to Hina's persuasive argument. "Fine, Hina."

From Kasai's perspective, Hina's appearance and her interactions with him were just too endearing to dismiss. She had long, thick, curly, lush green hair, which she typically tied up in a loose ponytail, allowing some strands to cascade around her ears. Paired with her sea-green eyes, she resembled a dryad from a fantasy manga, exuding a gentle and amiable temperament. In summary, Hina was a beauty in a child's body, and Kasai was certain she would grow up to be one of Konoha's top kunoichi beauties.

Hina wore a black haori with a golden-yellow line running from the shoulders down to the hem of the sleeves. On the left side of the chest, an inverted golden-yellow triangle with a line in between was printed. Beneath the haori, she sported a dark green kimono.

As Kasai lost himself in these thoughts, he stood there frozen in time, completely unaware that Hina was watching him. She instinctively scolded him, "Come on, Kasai. Are you spacing out again?"

"Sorry," he replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Hina shot Kasai an annoyed yet curious look, clearly wanting to know what had occupied his thoughts a moment ago. She brushed it off and urged, "What could be more important than the Practical Exam? Come on, let's hurry."

As they arrived at the academy, they encountered other early birds congregated in front of the entrance. Several academy students who were about to take the exam were engaged in a hushed discussion about the upcoming assessment.

"I heard that the Hokage is going to be among the teachers for the Practical Exam."

"Seriously? Is that confirmed?"

"That's what they say."

"I hope it's just a rumor. I don't know if I can concentrate with the Hokage watching."

"Yeah, same here. I'm afraid I'll mess up the exam and make a fool of myself."

Kasai's brow furrowed as he overheard their conversation while passing by. He couldn't comprehend why the Hokage would dedicate his time to a regular Practical Exam, especially when war was looming near the borders of the Land of Fire. Instead, Hiruzen would surely prioritize attending to reports about the impending conflict.

As they walked further, Hina gently nudged Kasai's arm, her expression filled with unease. "About the Hokage... is it really true?" she asked, her voice portraying her nervousness.

Kasai turned to face Hina and shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, but I'd bet it's just gossip. The Hokage must be occupied with the current village crisis, so I highly doubt he'd waste his time coming here."

Hina nodded, still appearing somewhat worried. "That makes sense, but what if he did show up?"

Kasai chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, come on. That's highly unlikely. Let's not dwell on it. We've got an exam to ace." He gave Hina a reassuring smile before leading her into the academy building.

Inside the academy, a short queue of students awaited their turn to enter the examination hall, and Kasai and Hina patiently joined the line. As they waited, Kasai couldn't help but notice several of his classmates from the academy arriving, including Aoki. Aoki strolled in with an air of arrogance, not bothering to exchange pleasantries with his fellow students as he confidently entered the line. His demeanor seemed to reflect his belief in his superiority over others, a characteristic that had often earned him mixed opinions among his peers.

Aoki's gaze briefly landed on Kasai, and Hina, who had also noticed, couldn't help but grumble in annoyance. "So arrogant, always acting like he's superior to everyone else."

Kasai chuckled and shook his head. "Be careful, Hina, he might end up on the same squad as you," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Hina's eyes widened at the thought and then quickly narrowed as she shot Kasai a playful glare. She clenched her fist and retorted, "I'd take my chances with you any day, even though you might not be the best in team battles." Her teasing tone carried a warmth that spoke of their strong friendship, a bond that had grown since their early days at the academy.