During the holidays and the most part of the third year Yahiro had homework to do... homework given by his Father of course. Third year of school where they learned more about Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, learned the water walking Chakra application, alteration of nature and shape of Chakra to achieve the five elements and the basics of Medical jutsu. They also learned the theory behind the Kage Bushin¹Shadow clone and application for those who had the necessary Chakra reserves. The homework that Yahiro had to do was to simply learn more about the geopolitics of other hidden villages, other country and their own situation.

Kiri, Kusa, Iwa and Kumo were more or less calm, a new village was founded in the sound country, the Kage and founder of this village being Orochimaru who was welcoming nukenins that were searching for asylum. Ame was finally at peace, the one to succeed Hanzo being in place without any war desire. Suna was getting out of his civil war against their Daimyo. Finally he learned that three Shinobis of Konoha were from Ame before getting mentored by Jiraya. They were Chunins for now and their names are : Yahiko, Konan and Nagato.

Anori also pushed him to learn the Bingo Book by heart just in case for his future missions. He also had to learn how to chain Rikougan, Kami no me and Jutsus at neck breaking speed for the simple reason that he already cleared the curriculum and only continued going to school to enhance his social network.

The third year passed by insanely quickly, with a lot of skill contest between Naruto and Sasuke. It was now the mid year exams, mock exams in the other classes. Iruka was more imaginative since they changed the curriculum and as such, they still did not know what to expect. The boys were given colored cards after being brought together.

"Good. Here is the first part of the exam. It will be considered that you succeeded better if you keep it. You have the week end. Yahiro-kun, Anori-san was informed, you won't have any training at home to prevent you from staying there." (Iruka)

He nodded, not without frowning. It was VERY fishy. His Father would not have accepted that easily, even for an exam, to not train him. They split up, more or less wondering about the point of the exam. Yahiro looked around him for an instant before smiling. He saw Akita approaching him.

"What do you think ?" (Akita)

He smiled, teasing, advising him to fend for himself this time and Akita pouted a little, before letting him go to gather information.

Akita searched for a long time, the remaining of Friday and all of Saturday, and still did not know for sure what the exam was about. He finally gave up, not without attaching a bell to the card, at least he would catch the thief that would come for it. He then went for a walk while yawning. Searching something to do to occupy his Sunday. He finally saw a group of girls with Ino. None of them being from the class and they were asking Ino some questions about flowers. He got close, more to relieve his boredom than because he was genuinely interested.

He was listening while being a little distracted, lost in his thoughts. He had continued his prank fight with Yahiro and ended up seeing that, despite the fact that he was on good term with everyone, he wasn't close to anyone with the exception of Naruto. Even Sakura, Sasuke and Kiba who were the closest after the Blond boy still kept a small wall. Probably because Yahiro never showed anything on his face.

In hindsight, he was the only one who managed to get genuine laughter out of him when it was mostly forced for the others, not that he wasn't feeling anything but he did so to not make the others uneasy with his semi-permanent poker face. Akita knew that Yahiro wasn't someone cold despite what he was showing and he assumed that it was more or less cause by the absurd quantity of knowledge he was learning or his disproportionate control over his Chakra and emotions.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the bell he attached to his card ringing, he swiftly grabbed the wrist of the culprit. Ino who had finished her essay about roses took advantage of his lack of attention to try and swipe the card. He took his card and kept it out of the range of the girl who was trying to grab it by hopping.

"No touching, that's mine." (Akita)
"Why putting a bell on that !? Come on, please, give it to me." (Ino)
"No." (Akita)
"Come on !" (Ino)
"Nope." (Akita)
"Please, the other target is Shikamaru, it's hopeless !" (Ino)
"Only if we go to a date together." (Akita)
"Why should I ?" (Ino)
"Welp, to get the card for one reason. The rest is because I'm sexy, smart, talented and free as a bird." (Akita)

Ino frowned while he was doing a falsely charismatic pose. She giggled and he winked at her. He however had no illusion as to the fact that she would accept, she was already trying to get the card by have one hand on his torso and the other up in the air trying to get a hold of the card.

"Sure, okay, but only once. Now give me the card." (Ino)
"Wait, seriously ?" (Akita)
"Why ? You changed your mind ?" (Ino)
"Well, wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to date you, but..." (Akita)

He ended up giving her the card and she smiled while telling him the date would be at the festival before the end of the year. Akita scratched his cheek, half convinced that this happened while she went away skipping, probably happy to at least have one of the two cards.

Yahiro was strolling through the streets and parks as he had nothing else to do that day. He also guessed since the start of the exam that some girl from his class would go and try to snatch his card, so he was trying to bait them by being seemingly distracted. However nobody came until nightfall and he stopped on the third training ground, the one with the memorial for the shinobis killed in action, he put a knee on the ground before it. He did not know his grandfather that well, but there he was because his last mission went south.

He heard a sound, so he stood up and began walking away. He saw Irina getting close, passing by him. She was the only one that got close to him that week end and it was now the last day. But knowing was one thing, preventing the steal was another entirely. He heard her turning around to swipe his legs by kicking the back of his knee, so by mere reflex he grab her wrists and made her fall with him, all the while putting her under. Preventing her from getting her hand close to his pockets.

"Damn it !" (Irina)
"And that is a miss."
"Let me go !" (Irina)
"No. You want the card, don't you ? I won't let you go."
"It ain't fair ! I got Shino and you ! You both are the only one were Ninjutsu is needed to trap. Now I'm gonna fail because of you !" (Irina)
"And it's my problem how ?"
"As there ain't anymore exams that measure our physical abilities, I've got trouble getting satisfactory results... if I fail once more my parents will take me out of the shinobi curriculum." (Irina)

She continued speaking with difficulties, tear in the eyes but not because she was sad, no more like she was that frustrated. Which finally put the final piece of the puzzle in his mind, everything clicked as it finally felled into place. The Anteiryoku family was big, big enough to have three official branches : Military, Spirit hunter²spirit here as Yokai or Seirei and finally mountebank, they got a Shinobi branch at the founding of Konohagakure. The linking point of all the branches were the family that was always supporting them : the Natsuki. However that family always had issues mobilizing their Yin, making it close to impossible to become Shinobi, despite their energies being almost as balanced as the one of the Anteiryoku. The few that managed to become Shinobi however were like the sun that hid the shadow that were the Anteiryoku, sometimes having a special ability thanks to the purity of their Chakra.

"I wanted to finish the Academy with you, I wanted to become your teammate !" (Irina)

He stared at her for a long time, this time showing his genuine emotions. He was smiling kindly, before letting her go and giving her the card he was supposed to protect.

"Playing on the emotions of someone to get what you want is also one way that is normal for a Shinobi. The point of a mission is to accomplish it, the way matter very little. Of course it's often better to not get caught, but if it's impossible then it's acceptable to find another way. I'll help you get the other card and I'll have a discussion with your parents afterward. What is important is not what the other think of you, but what you want to do and if you can do it. I know you can be what you want to be, so don't despair, I'll help you."

She took the card, moved by the kind heart of her friend, and hugged him hard. He hugged back while patting her head lightly and kindly. Once she was calmed they got to the Aburame compound and search for Shino that they found at his home, studying.

"Hello Shino-kun"
"No, I will not give you my card." (Shino)
"tut-tut, I don't want to waste my energy stealing it. It's for a good cause, if she fail this one her parents will take her out of the curriculum."
"No." (Shino)
"How cold. If you can't beat me, would you forgo the idea of becoming a Shinobi ? I am against the idea that everyone should make it, but she got the worst student possible for this exam and her parents are not the ones of the year. So, I'd say let's prove to them she can do it."
"If I do that I fail my part... but I suppose you'll take it anyway, by will or by force." (Shino)
"That was the idea. Iruka will give us our exam next week anyway."

Shino sighed while giving the card he hid in his sleeves to Irina who thanked him with some tears in her eyes. Yahiro smiled a little while wishing Shino a good night and accompanied Irina to the temple at the edge of the village where she lived. She thanked him once more and got home while he kept his eyes on her until she was in the building. He then took the direction of the Anteiryoku compound.