Chapter 22: Chapter 22: Graduation Classes! Class 7!!
"Come on, stop daydreaming and eat quickly. The soup will get cold if you wait any longer!"
Seeing Naruto lost in thought, Morkel placed a piece of pork ribs into his bowl, snapping him back to reality.
In the blink of an eye, two more days passed.
Today was the long-awaited day—Morkel and Naruto's ninja graduation exam.
Early in the morning, both of them left home filled with excitement and anticipation, heading to the examination room.
The first part of the test was a written exam, which posed no difficulty for Morkel. He answered the questions effortlessly.
Next came the practical exam, where students had to demonstrate their skills in the Body Replacement Technique, Clone Technique, and Transformation Technique.
Now, Morkel stood before the examiners, ready to perform the Transformation Technique.
This was his first major test since arriving in this world. Though he had taken many exams in his past life, he found himself feeling slightly nervous.
The examiner gave the order: "Begin."
Morkel swiftly formed the necessary hand seals.
"Swish!"
In an instant, he transformed into the Third Hokage.
The examiners were stunned.
They had to admit—it was a perfect transformation!
The wrinkles on his face, the faint chakra fluctuations, and even the subtle aura—all replicated flawlessly.
For a brief moment, the examiners hesitated. Was this truly a transformation, or had the real Third Hokage just walked into the room?
One examiner blurted out, "Hokage-sama, please stop playing around! Are you secretly taking the exam for one of the students?"
Morkel stared at them in confusion and answered in a childish voice, "Huh? Examiner, what are you talking about?"
The examiner who had spoken immediately felt embarrassed.
"Ahem, alright, you passed! Move along!" the head examiner quickly declared.
Though confused, Morkel was pleased to have passed.
After an entire day of evaluations, Morkel successfully completed the test!
Despite his weak academic skills, even Naruto managed to pass.
Now, all the qualified students were waiting for their forehead protectors and ninja registration certificates.
"We did it! We're officially ninjas now!" Naruto cheered, slinging an arm around Morkel's shoulders.
"Yeah, but this is just the beginning. The real challenges are still ahead," Morkel replied.
As a time traveler in this dangerous world, he had to stay vigilant.
"Come on, let's celebrate with ramen tonight! My treat!" Naruto grinned.
"Fine, fine," Morkel agreed, unable to resist Naruto's enthusiasm.
Nearby, other students whispered amongst themselves.
"Those two actually graduated?"
"Yeah, they've been at the bottom of the class for years. I can't believe they made it."
"Must've bribed the examiners."
"Well, I heard their ninjutsu scores were actually pretty decent..."
"Hah! Big deal! I could master the Shadow Clone Jutsu if I had two years to practice!" one student scoffed.
At that moment, Yamanaka Ino passed by and smirked. "You? Please. You're not even half as hardworking as Morkel. You wouldn't master it in a hundred years!"
"Ino, that's too harsh!" the boy protested.
"It's the truth. Deal with it," Ino shot back confidently.
Before the argument could escalate, Iruka and the other teachers entered the room, carrying stacks of ninja registration forms and forehead protectors.
The room instantly fell silent.
Iruka stood at the podium. "This year's graduates, I will now distribute your Ninja Registration Certificates and Forehead Protectors. Once you receive your certificate, please sign it and submit it to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning."
"After registration, you will officially be recognized as Konoha Genin!"
He then called students forward one by one.
When Morkel and Naruto stepped up, Iruka's usually stern expression softened. His eyes glistened with emotion. "You've both grown so much... and now, you're real ninjas."
He solemnly handed them their certificates and forehead protectors.
"Keep working hard," Iruka said.
"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei! I, Uzumaki Naruto, will become Hokage one day!" Naruto declared proudly.
Morkel simply nodded, taking a moment to appreciate the teacher's kindness.
Iruka had always looked out for them, never giving up on them despite their struggles.
Seeing his students all grown up, Iruka nodded with satisfaction. "Go home and rest. After submitting your forms tomorrow, you'll receive your team assignments."
Morkel and Naruto left the school together.
On the way home, Naruto couldn't stop talking about his excitement, but Morkel remained deep in thought.
That night, for the first time in a while, they skipped training. Instead, they filled out their registration forms and went to bed early.
The next morning, they submitted their forms at the Hokage's office before heading to school for their final class—
The Genin Orientation.
During this session, the students would receive an overview of their responsibilities as Genin and, most importantly, be assigned to their teams.
Iruka stood at the podium once again. "From today onward, you are full-fledged ninjas."
"Genin in Konoha work in three-person squads, each led by an experienced Jōnin sensei."
"Your Jōnin instructor will guide you on missions and in training, helping you grow as shinobi."
"Now, we will assign your teams."
The students waited anxiously as Iruka read the names.
"Team 1..."
"Team 2..."
"Team 3..."
And then—
"Team 7: Morkel, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha."
A tense silence filled the room.
Naruto's jaw dropped. "No way! I got stuck with that arrogant Sasuke?!"
Sasuke remained silent but smirked slightly, as if unimpressed by his teammates.
Morkel sighed, knowing things were about to get interesting.
Their journey as Team 7 had officially begun.
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