Flower in the Mirror [Hatake Kakashi] [1]

❄️ Chapter 5 ❄️

Several weeks passed by and Yumetsuki found herself fallen back to her shell, spending all of her time either in her room or training to be a Ninja. Since no one really bothered her, she didn't bother others, which was good since they had plenty of exams coming up. Senior students, aged twelve and above, were also preparing to graduate after their final exams.

Due to the far that had ended about a year and some months ago, a lot of these graduations were messed around. Unlike how things had been in Kirigakure, students were not taken out of the school to go fight but Yumetsuki had heard that it might not be so easy if another war broke out.

Yumetsuki felt strange at the thought of that – Konohagakure had become a home of sorts for her, and she didn't want it to become like the place that she had left.

But in the back of her mind, Yumetsuki still felt like if fate had brought her all the way here just to die. She often felt sick whenever it crossed her mind how she had survived and her parents not.

The smell of blood was often fresh during those episodes, cursed to be remembered in vivid detail due to her memory, and Yumetsuki always felt an overwhelming desire to hurt herself to rid her parents of the pain that she had given them. The pain that had led to their demise.

One evening before the exams began, Hiruzen summoned Yumetsuki to his Hokage's Office. She had just gotten out of a practice session with Grandma Chi and rather exhausted.

"Have a seat, you look tired," Hiruzen said and he smiled as she took the chair even though she normally always refused out of respect. "Did you finish with your practice? How was it?"

"Yes," Yumetsuki replied. "I have been practicing hard," She played with her fingers lightly, thinking about it. "I have been working hard... my exams are coming up; you know about them..."

"Of course, of course," Hiruzen said as he exhaled smoke from his pipe. "In fact, I summoned you here in regards to those exams as well," Yumetsuki looked up. "Your class teacher visited me,"

"... Sensei did?" Yumetsuki asked, nervous, and she felt mind surge with thoughts, trying to figure out where and what she had done something wrong. "About what...?"

"There's nothing to worry about," Hiruzen assured her. "Rather than doing something wrong, you did well, that's why they came to me. You see, when a student performs extraordinarily well, they are allowed to give their final exams early. You are one of those students,"

"One of those students?" Yumetsuki repeated, taken aback. "Me and...?"

"Hatake Kakashi," Hiruzen replied and she blinked at him. "You know of him, right? He's your classmate. Since the pair of you have shown great performance, you can give graduate early,"

"Kakashi-Kun and I can graduate early?" Yumetsuki asked as she tried to wrap her mind around it and what it would entail. Hiruzen nodded in reply.

"Yes, if you would like that," Hiruzen said. "It's all up to you, of course, if you want to graduate early. If you feel like you can spend a few more years at the academy, you can continue. You may take your final exam any year if you continue your performance. You can even delay it entirely and graduate with the rest of your class when you turn eleven,"

"I understand," Yumetsuki replied. "If I take the final exam, would I become a Genin?" Hiruzen nodded. "And I will be able to do missions? Or join a squad?"

"Normally when students graduate early," Hiruzen said. "They are able to do missions within the village to make up a rapport and get used to missions. You may apply to join a squad or you may be assigned to a special Jonin Sensei who will train you,"