Chapter 22: Family

Going to apply for graduation and take the Genin Exam the day before school starts—now that's so you.

At the Qimu Residence, in Qimu Chao's room, Kakashi sat cross‑legged on Qimu Chao's bed, looking at him with a slightly contemptuous gaze: "You don't want to go to school, so you don't have to play this game, right? You have to wait until the vacation is almost over before you go."

Qimu Chao, sitting at his desk, rolled his eyes: "I'm telling you, this is defamation, you know? Who said I applied for graduation because I didn't want to go to school? Didn't I already tell you I was preparing to graduate?"

"Then why didn't you apply for graduation on the day I told you, and wait until now, after spring break is over, to do it?"

Kakashi took off his mask and shoved a Spicy Rice Cracker that was on the bed into his mouth.

Eating on the bed is a bad habit he learned from Qimu Chao, but honestly, eating on the bed really feels great.

"I call that enjoying the vacation; once you become a ninja, you won't have that many vacations to enjoy, you know? So you have to cherish the time you spend at school."

Picking a piece of Spicy Rice Cracker from the plate on the bed, Qimu Chao tapped Kakashi on the head: "After all the way I treat you so well, worrying about this and that, you actually look at your brother with such a doubtful gaze. We're full‑blood twin brothers, same father and mother!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes again and ignored him.

At that moment, QiMu ChunNai opened the door and saw the two brothers sitting on the bed.

"You two, aren't you afraid the food crumbs will fall onto the sheets when you eat on the bed?"

She lightly tapped Qimu Chao and Kakashi on the heads twice, then looked gently at Qimu Chao: "I heard from your father that you applied to the Third Hokage for Early Graduation?"

"Ah."

Facing his mother's question, Qimu Chao didn't know what to say for a moment; his eyes flickered, and he dared not look into his mother's gaze.

He could have stayed at the Ninja Academy until graduation, gradually improving his strength there, so that after becoming a ninja he would be stronger and fewer things could threaten him.

But he still chose Early Graduation, simply to see the scenery of the Magnetic Field Upper Realm sooner.

It was his willfulness.

He didn't discuss it with his parents.

Qimu Shuomao said little after learning the news; after all, he had long known his son was no ordinary person, and in his view Qimu Chao and Kakashi already qualified to become Genin even before entering the Ninja Academy.

Especially Qimu Chao—he even injured himself.

And QiMu ChunNai…

Because she herself was once a ninja, she knows the dangers of a ninja's life, so she doesn't want the two children to enter it too early.

No matter how strong a child is, parents never want them to take part in such dangerous matters.

"I'm sorry, Mom… I…"

Even though Qimu Chao can fight and is strong, at a time like this he still doesn't know what to say.

"Xiao Chao, you don't have to apologize to me either."

QiMu ChunNai stroked his face, then sighed and said, "You've been more opinionated than Kakashi since you were little. A few months ago, when you went after those spy ninjas alone, I already knew you would soon embark on a Ninja Career."

"But I didn't expect this day to come so quickly."

"Speaking of it, you two will be seven soon; Xiao Chao, you must be the youngest Genin in the village now, right?"

His mother's lightly teasing words of comfort didn't ease Qimu Chao's mind.

But he quickly readjusted his mindset and laughed, "Yeah, but if Kakashi applied for graduation together with me, Kakashi would be the youngest Genin."

Hearing Qimu Chao's words, QiMu ChunNai turned her gaze to Kakashi again: "Kakashi, do you also want to graduate?"

"No, I don't have that thought for now."

Kakashi shook his head; having his brother graduate was enough.

Even if their mother agreed, their father and brother would never consent to them applying for graduation.

In both of their minds, if they haven't reached the level of strength that matches them, they wouldn't agree to early graduation.

If it were the old father, he might have agreed, but after seeing his brother's steadily increasing strength, the father was determined not to consent.

QiMu ChunNai nodded, opened her mouth to speak but didn't know what to say, and finally just patted Qimu Chao's head: "Good luck with tomorrow's assessment."

"Hmm, don't worry, Mom, the Genin assessment won't stump me."

Qimu Chao smiled.

In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived; today was the opening day of the Ninja Academy.

When Kakashi entered the class, the classmates were excitedly talking about what they did over the break, where they went; some even encountered bandits on the way out with their parents and cleared the bandits together with their parents.

Dai Tu swaggered over to Kakashi, slapped his shoulder and said, "Yo, idiot Kakashi, where's A Chao? He didn't come to school today? Is he feeling unwell?"

"No, my brother applied for graduation."

Kakashi shook his head and said calmly.

After hearing Kakashi's words, the classmates gradually fell silent.

One stone stirred up a thousand ripples.

Once quiet, a more intense discussion erupted instantly: "What? Qimu Chao graduated?"

"Whoa, has that guy already reached that level?"

"What a pity, from now on the class's handsome guys will only be Kakashi alone."

"Yeah, yeah, not seeing Qimu Chao's smiling face during the break made me feel terrible."

"Stop babbling here; which day of spring break weren't you smiling…"

A Kai looked extremely excited: "No wonder it's A Chao; becoming a Genin so quickly. Good! I'll study hard too, then apply for graduation early, and become a Genin like A Chao to splash my youth!"

"That A Chao guy…"

Asuma scratched his head: "Isn't that just behind him again? Speaking of which, Kakashi, aren't you applying for graduation early?"

"No, my strength isn't as good as my brother's."

Kakashi's words were light, but for the students in the class they were a decisive verdict.

Usually, Qimu Chao and Kakashi's grades were neck‑and‑neck, and their looks and bearing were similarly outstanding, so the girls in the class debated who was more handsome, while the boys argued who was stronger.

Now a discussion was ended by Kakashi, who openly admitted he wasn't as strong as his brother.

At that moment, homeroom teacher Yi Teng Xin Xuan stepped onto the podium, patted the desk and said, "Quiet."

When the class teacher entered, the whole class quickly fell silent.

"You should all know the news that Qimu Chao has applied for Graduation, right? I just received the news," Yi Teng Xin Xuan looked around the class and said, "Qimu Chao has already successfully passed the Genin Exam and has officially become a ninja."