Ti passed swiftly.
Two years after Karin entered the ninja academy...
the graduation examination grounds of the Iwagakure Ninja Academy were once again packed with noise and excitent.
But today, the audience contained several unusual faces. It wasn't just students' parents and instructors anymore.
There were also several Iwagakure jonin and mbers of the sealing technique research division.
Because the one being tested today was a special child.
Karin.
Eleven-year-old Karin stood at the edge of the field, wearing the neat academy uniform, a dark gray shirt and shorts with Iwagakure's diamond-shaped emblem printed on the back.
Her red hair was tied into a high ponytail. Her small face carried a seriousness far beyond her age, and her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, making her nervousness obvious.
In the front row of the audience sat Kyoshin, Kurotsuchi, and Chinatsu together.
Chinatsu clasped her hands tightly, her knuckles pale from the force.
Her eyes never left her daughter in the arena, and her lips trembled faintly.
"Don't be too nervous," Kyoshin said. "Karin prepared thoroughly. She'll be fine."
Chinatsu nodded, but her gaze still remained fixed on her daughter.
The examiner walked to the center of the field and cleared his throat.
"Graduation examination, special session."
"Student Karin has applied for early graduation. According to regulations, she must pass both the written examination and the combat examination."
"The written examination has already concluded. Karin's score is… perfect marks."
A wave of quiet astonishnt spread through the audience.
The ninja academy's written examination covered many fields, including ninjutsu theory, chakra control, tactical analysis, and ninja world history. Very few children could achieve a perfect score.
Not to ntion doing so after only two years.
"Next is the combat examination." The examiner looked at Karin.
"Your opponent is Genin Matsumoto Ken. The rules are simple: stop at the appropriate point. The match ends once one side admits defeat or loses the ability to fight. Understood?"
"Understood!" Karin nodded hard, her voice crisp and clear.
Matsumoto Ken walked to the center of the arena.
"Ready?"
Karin bowed according to ninja etiquette before taking the opening stance of basic taijutsu.
"I'm ready!"
"Begin!"
The instant the examiner finished speaking, Matsumoto Ken rushed forward.
His speed wasn't particularly fast, but his attacks carried solid power as his fist shot straight toward Karin's face.
It was the most basic taijutsu attack, but for an eleven-year-old child, it was already threatening enough.
Karin lightly stepped backward, narrowly avoiding the strike by the slimst margin.
Matsumoto Ken continued attacking, one punch after another, but each strike was dodged by Karin by re fractions.
Her movents weren't especially fast, but her timing was incredibly precise. Every ti, she would sidestep, tilt her head, or retreat at the exact instant the attack was about to land.
Whispers began spreading through the audience.
"What precise evasion…"
"It's like she can predict her opponent's movents?"
"No, not prediction. Perception. She can see the flow of chakra."
After failing to land a hit for so long, Matsumoto Ken jumped back several steps and ford hand seals.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A fireball half a ter wide roared forward.
While dodging the fireball, Karin also began forming hand seals.
But her seal sequence looked strange. It wasn't a common offensive or defensive ninjutsu, but sothing older and far more complex.
"Sealing Technique: Four Limbs Heavy Seal, Simplified!"
Karin dodged out of the fireball's range and thrust both hands forward.
There was no light. No flashy effects.
Only an invisible force spreading outward.
Matsumoto Ken's body suddenly froze.
He felt his limbs beco incomparably heavy, as if bound by invisible chains. Every movent beca incredibly difficult.
"W-What is this…" He tried to struggle, but even lifting an arm required all his strength.
Karin looked at him and asked, "Do you surrender?"
Matsumoto Ken gritted his teeth and tried circulating chakra to break through the restraint.
But the mont his chakra began to flow, the sealing technique's power suppressed and scattered it, preventing it from gathering at all.
In the audience, groups of ninja frowned as discussions broke out.
The scene was too bizarre.
"Is this a paralysis jutsu? Why can it activate remotely?"
"Probably not. I can sense fluctuations of sealing power."
"So kind of sealing technique? And a long-range one at that?"
On the stage, after several failed attempts, Matsumoto Ken finally gave up.
"I surrender."
Karin imdiately released the sealing technique, then bowed toward him.
"Thank you for the match."
The examiner stepped forward and carefully checked Matsumoto Ken's condition.
After confirming he wasn't injured, he announced, "Combat examination, Karin wins. I hereby announce that student Karin has successfully passed early graduation!"
———
[In The Audience]
Chinatsu covered her mouth in excitent as tears poured from her eyes.
Kurotsuchi also clapped hard, her face filled with a relieved smile.
Karin stood in the center of the field, accepting everyone's congratulations.
But she wasn't looking at anyone else.
Her gaze passed through the crowd and landed directly on Chinatsu and Kyoshin.
Those large red eyes were filled with expectation and a little unease.
After the examination ended, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Karin ran to Chinatsu and hugged her for a while before coming over to Kyoshin. Her small face was still flushed from exertion.
"Brother Kintsuchi… I did it."
Kyoshin smiled warmly, "Mm. Very good."
Karin's eyes imdiately lit up, "Then… then did I catch up a little?"
Her question was soft, but the aning behind it was heavy.
'Catch up a little? Catch up to whom?'
Of course, she ant catching up to Kyoshin's footsteps.
From the very beginning, Karin had treated becoming as strong as Brother Kyoshin as her goal.
She studied desperately, trained desperately, and worked desperately to prove herself, not just to protect her mother, but so she could stand beside him instead of always being the one protected by him.
"You've already caught up by a lot." Kyoshin raised a hand, wanting to pat her head, but stopped halfway and withdrew it again.
Everyone had grown up now. So things could no longer be treated casually.
"And the path you have is very clear." Kyoshin reminded her, "The Uzumaki Clan's talent for perception and sealing techniques is sothing many people don't possess. Develop them properly, and you'll beco a truly unique ninja."
Karin nodded hard, then suddenly threw herself forward and hugged Kyoshin.
"Thank you… Brother Kyoshin… thank you for always believing in …"
Her body was small, soft, and warm.
Kyoshin froze briefly before gently patting her back.
Watching from the side, Kurotsuchi curled her lips.
If she'd known there was a move like this, she would've used it when she graduated too.
The old Tsuchikage floated in the air with a gentle smile on his face.
"I saw your performance. Perfect theory scores, exceptional sensory abilities, and you can already use basic sealing techniques… very good. Extrely good."
Karin nervously bowed.
"Thank you, Lord Tsuchikage…"
"No need to be nervous." Onoki chuckled. "From today onward, you're officially an Iwagakure genin. But you still need to continue learning and growing."
"I have a proposal."
"To establish Team Kintsuchi."
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