All the aspiring Chûnin were summoned in front of the Hokage building, in order to close the exam, and to announce the lucky ones, if some candidates had been chosen.Aruna was trying to temper Mitsuki, as she couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go out despite the early hour. As she finally convinced him to go to the meeting place, she saw Itachi waiting alone in front of their door, his back against the porch. As soon as he saw them, he gave her one of those warm looks he was so good at. Aruna then found a good excuse to leave them, swearing to Mitsuki to find her before the Hokage's speech.

Mitsuki took a step towards her friend, who straightened up and invited her to follow him. Both of them had been through a lot to get to this important day, and he suspected that, like him, the young brunette wanted to pay tribute to those who had once helped her reach this level. So he walked silently to the cemetery, without Mitsuki challenging his company, which confirmed the good initiative he had taken by accompanying her in this painful moment. Everyone stood in front of the stones with the names of their departed companions, and they meditated without a sound.

When Mitsuki shook her shoulders in a painful sob, the boy came to her back and supported her with a hand on her shoulder. He understood her pain all too well, though he expressed it in a much less emotional way. The loss of his former comrade only pushed him a little more into the idea of protecting this village that was dear to him. He could not allow such horrors to happen to other innocent people, and for that he would give everything.

When they were done, he led his friend to the top of their favorite hill, and stood with his back to the cherry tree that overlooked it, while Mitsuki questioned him with her eyes, trying to figure out why he was stopping here.

"Why did you give up the fight?" he asked her straightforwardly, revealing the bottom of his thoughts to the girl.

"Would you have attacked me?" returned Mitsuki.

The boy kept silent for a moment, before answering her:

"If you had... yes."

Mitsuki let out a soft laugh.

"I could never have come after you like that, Itachi.

- It wouldn't be the first time, we've trained together many times!

- It's not the same thing, and you know it, otherwise why didn't you attack me first? That doesn't usually slow you down."

She had a point. He couldn't have envisioned even making a move against her.

"You sabotaged your exam ... he sighed.

- I'll take it again next year," she reassured him, convinced.

- You should never have sacrificed yourself ...

- I promised you to do everything to help you to become Chûnin, and it is what I did. And quite between us, if we had fought, we know very well that I wouldn't have come out victorious ! I didn't have much chakra, and I spared myself one of your fearsome Genjutsu!"

And even without that, Mitsuki was sure that her chances of climbing the ranks within the ninjas were almost nil. The council was surely watching over her! The confident look on the Hata's face gradually turned to sadness at this heartbreaking reminder.

"I would never throw a Genjutsu at you," Itachi defended himself, trying to take his mind off of it, "At least, nothing that would have been unpleasant for you. And you know how to escape by yourself! Shisui probably did everything he could to make you a big obstacle for an Uchiha like me!"

The smile returned to the girl's face, much to Itachi's relief.

"It's good to talk to you again." she whispered.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to see you more often lately...the Uchiha apologized.

- I thought you were angry with me...

- How could I be? You're the kindest, most selfless person I know! You even surpass Shisui in that department!"

He smiled as Mitsuki burst out with her oh-so-pretty laugh, before continuing in the most serious tone in the world:

"And... tell me... your date with Izumi Uchiha?"

Itachi's eyes widened at the unexpected question, before he teasingly asked:

"Do you really care?

- Oh...I don't know... You only looked close, so I assumed that... and then you're my friend and you don't even talk to me about it!

- Maybe just because there's nothing to talk about."

Mitsuki's face frowned, which amused Itachi greatly. She was unfiltered, and unlike most Uchiha, she was simply unable to hide her feelings. Seeing her upset over such a trivial matter warmed his heart, even though he felt a little guilty for taking advantage of his friend's naivety. Just as he wanted to clear the air, the village bell rang, taking them out of their bubble. That would be for another time!

They hurried to the Hokage building before they were late, and found Aruna, Mikoto and Sasuke there. Fugaku was forced to miss the event, being unfortunately stuck at the police station, much to his regret, he who was so proud of his elder.

The Hokage appeared and cleared his throat before starting his speech:

"Dear Ninjas of Konoha, and families, we are gathered today to give the title of Chûnin to the most deserving candidates of this examination session. But first of all, I would like to congratulate each of the candidates who participated, and I strongly encourage those who failed to participate to come back next year, even more prepared and stronger. Learn from your mistakes, they are what will move you forward."

There followed a long tirade concerning the Will of Fire, their role for the future of the Ninja world and the issues of the Chûnin within the village.

"We are going to promote the candidates who passed the exam. Don't forget that this is an extremely selective test, and that only a handful of Ninjas manage to reach the rank of Chûnin each year. This year, only two candidates caught our attention in Konoha. The first one, unsurprisingly, passed the exam from one end to the other thanks to his outstanding skills, his loyalty to his team and an admirable sense of strategy: Itachi Uchiha!

The crowd cheered for the boy. Mitsuki gave him a brief hug, whispering a "Congratulations" in his ear, as he thanked her while hugging her a little tighter.He went to the Hokage's podium, who personally gave him the official Chûnin outfit. Mikoto was overwhelmed by tears as she was so proud of her eldest son, and Aruna could only suffer her little cries and jumps of joy.

"Our second Chûnin has shown exemplary courage and support for his teammates. He was able to show great strategic skills, passing each test with flying colors and saving himself when necessary. His sacrifice while facing his own teammate only makes him an example for future generations to follow. With my congratulations, Mitsuki Hata joins the ranks of our Chûnin!"

A heavy silence settled in front of the building. Mitsuki was suddenly divided. She didn't expect to be chosen, and she didn't know what to do between her joy and her desire to disappear in a hole so much the tension that surrounded her suffocated her.Aruna started to clap his hands, soon followed by Mikoto, Sasuke, Itachi, the Hokage, and ... Mitsuki's favorite ANBU, who was of course watching the Kage's back. Some of the crowd followed politely, but as Mitsuki walked towards the stage, she could easily discern a lot of disapproving words.

She kept her head up, focusing her eyes only on Itachi, who was waiting for her with a wide smile. She managed to reach the Sandaime who proudly delivered her outfit, congratulating her as a father would have done for his child. He then finished his speech, before inviting the two young graduates into his office.

"Congratulations again on passing your exam! You have shone like very few before you, and this despite your young age! You represent our village with brilliance. From now on, you will be assigned to bigger missions. However, Mitsuki, I must tell you that in order to convince the council to let you evolve while you had all the qualities of a great kunoichi, I had to promise them to give you a place in the Konoha hospital, so that you wouldn't have to leave the village too regularly for the moment. ... they felt that after the attack that you and your team suffered, your power could be coveted even more, and since you gained notoriety during the examination, they feel it is more prudent...

- ... To keep me under close surveillance here ... That way there are no waves, my powers remain nicely sealed and I'm no longer a problem for anyone. This promotion is nothing but a smoke screen..., the girl interrupted him with a sigh.

- It's not exactly that... That said, I would like you to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about medical Jutsu. We still need ninja with these skills in the field, and your mastery of healing and your ability to defend yourself can only be an asset to Konoha. And despite the council's reservations, they can't help but recognize your skills as a ninja, and can't afford to turn away such a valuable kunoichi from our ranks any longer. The situation will eventually turn in your favor Mitsuki, believe me."

Mitsuki merely nodded in response. The Hokage finished giving them their assignments. Itachi would be on a frequent field mission, his Sharingan being invaluable to the success of the mission.

They were given a week's rest, time to recover from the exam, before starting this new stage of their lives.

As they walked out, Mitsuki didn't say a word, keeping her head down, obviously upset. Itachi grabbed her hand, before forcing her to turn around to face him, and give her his best smile:

"Congratulations, Mitsuki-chan! I'm glad we passed this exam together."

Mitsuki opened her mouth slightly, then changed her mind. Her eyebrows frowned slightly as she kept her saddened eyes immersed in her friend's onyx gaze.

"I know this isn't exactly what you wanted..." the young Chûnin said for her, guessing the bottom of her thought, "But we'll surely have the opportunity to do missions together. And remember that I promised you to come and see you as soon as the opportunity arises!"

A very slight smile played on the corner of the beautiful Hata's lips. She answered him, suddenly more mischievous:

"As long as it's not on a hospital bed!"

Itachi let go of her, bursting into laughter.

"If I ever become Hokage, Mitsuki Hata, I promise to free you from your chains," he said more solemnly.

"Would you like to become Hokage?" the young girl asked.

Itachi smiled shyly before turning his gaze to the Hokage cliff.

"Then it's my turn to make a promise to you, Itachi Uchiha... I promise you that from this day on, I will do everything in my power, and devote every day, every hour, every second, to helping you achieve this goal. You will be a wonderful Hokage, Itachi. Without doubt the best. Fair, powerful, peaceful, and who has Konoha's interests at heart more than you?" said Mitsuki, making the boy blush slightly.

- I think the truth is, if that happened, I wouldn't be able to completely keep my promise... I would release you from your seal, but I wouldn't want you anywhere else but by my side to help me make this world a better place.

- And I would not go anywhere but where you are, unless you asked me to. Your promise still stands, there are no chains holding me back, if I am here of my own free will."

This new goal gave Mitsuki's life a new meaning. If she could not act physically for the protection of Konoha, she could nevertheless give her best for her best friend to face him in the best possible conditions. And for that, he could be assured that she would be of an unfailing support. While they could no longer discern anything around them, their cheeks slightly flushed after the fervor of their discussion, a clearing of the throat drew them out of their torpor.

They moved away quickly, their cheeks even more scarlet, finding themselves facing a stern-looking Aruna, and a tender Mikoto, her eyes sparkling with joy. Sasuke rushed over to them, asking them as innocently as possible:

"Are you in love?"

The temperature rose so high in the cheeks of the two young Chûnin that they thought their heads would explode. Mitsuki dreamed of disappearing immediately, while Aruna seemed to be waiting for the answer himself, arms crossed on his chest, his overprotective brother's look going from Itachi to her, and vice versa.

Itachi quickly put an end to this extremely awkward scene, ruffling his brother's hair:

"No, little brother. You know that Mitsuki is my best friend, just like Shisui."

Without knowing why, Mitsuki felt a twinge of sadness at these words. She had forgotten about Izumi in this whole thing, and Itachi's heart was definitely beating for her. She gave a big smile to the little Uchiha, who was pouting at her.

"Too bad... I like Mitsuki a lot, I wish she was still with us! Too bad... If you don't want to marry her, I will!" he announced, giving Mitsuki a big smile in turn.

Mitsuki's body went numb as she stopped breathing after such a statement. Aruna's features relaxed, and he finally burst out laughing, before announcing:

"I have my eye on you, young Uchiha! Whoever wants my little Princess will have to go through me!"

Itachi laughed nervously, but Sasuke eventually completely lightened the mood by standing in front of the Sensei, his face very serious, ready to fight for Mitsuki's hand. Everyone started laughing, and the girl put a light kiss on the cheek of the little boy, disturbing him enough to put an end to this excess of courage.

"Well, let's go celebrate your promotion at Ichiraku's!" Aruna finally said.

Everyone gladly accepted, and they had lunch over a nice bowl of ramen. Itachi and Mitsuki talked about their new jobs, Mikoto was overjoyed to hear that the girl was going to specialize in medicine, just like her. Sasuke took the opportunity to share his progress at the Academy as well. Aruna emphasized her kunai throwing skills, making her older brother proud and ruffling his hair. The little boy smiled with all his teeth, before asking his brother to help him train again.When they finished their meal, Itachi and Sasuke left for the training ground, Mikoto and Aruna went home, and Mitsuki decided to go for a walk around town.

She had the idea of giving Itachi a present for his promotion, something he could easily keep near him when he was on a mission, as if to say that she would always be by his side, even if not physically.

While she had visited a number of stores without success, her choice finally stopped on a necklace linking three round metal pendants. It was simple and discreet. She took it, hoping that she would like it, and especially that it wouldn't look weird as a friend, and went to get a box of dango to go with her present. She would take it to him in the evening, preferring to give the two brothers some privacy for the day.

As she strolled through the streets, screams erupted in an adjacent alley. She went to see what was going on, and discovered paintings covering the walls of the houses there.

"Come here, you rascal!

"Somebody do something! There's enough of that little brat!"

"Don't let him get away!"

The people railed against the person in charge who seemed to have already escaped their sight. However, Mitsuki heard a giggle from behind a roof. She jumped towards it, and discreetly slipped behind a blond boy who must be about Sasuke's age.

"Are you the author of these works?" she whispered in his ear, making him jump.

He jumped up, about to run away, but Mitsuki held him by the sleeve.

"I'm not here to scold you, you know. My name is Mitsuki Hata, and you?" she asked simply.

The boy raised an astonished eyebrow, and proudly told her:

"Naruto Uzumaki! I'm the future Hokage!"

Mitsuki laughed softly, which made Naruto sulk.

"I don't see what's so funny!" he grumbled.

"Oh... nothing, I just have to warn you that you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to get there. You see, I promised a friend that I would do everything I could to help him achieve this goal, and I'm not the type to go back on a promise!" the girl explained, amused.

"I guess a little rivalry never hurt! But warn your friend that Naruto Uzumaki is not a man to let himself down! " announced the blond boy by bulging his chest.

"You better get out of here before they find you, Naruto Uzumaki. I'm glad I met you," Mitsuki advised him, amused.

The boy winked at her before disappearing.

The clock was ticking and the sun was setting. Mitsuki returned to the Uchiha district. She spotted Itachi's shadow in the distance, sitting on the roof of his house, and went to meet him. He looked pensive and didn't even notice her friend's presence. She took out the necklace she wanted to give him and took advantage of his inattention to slip it around his neck.

He was slightly startled, but immediately recognized Mitsuki's thin pale hand. He grabbed it delicately as she had finished tying the jewel, before drawing it with a gesture between her knees.

"Congratulations on your promotion!" she exclaimed.

He looked at the necklace for a moment before placing his lips on Mitsuki's forehead.

"Thank you, I like it very much! Thanks to him, I'll always have a little bit of you during my missions..." he thanked her, a touch of nostalgia in his voice.

"That's not all!" the girl announced, handing him the box of dango.

Itachi smiled broadly before handing her one of the skewers. Mitsuki leaned back a little more against the boy's chest, enjoying the sunset with him. He rested his chin on the top of the little she-wolf's head, trying to soak up as much of the scent of her hair as he could, as if to keep it in mind on the days they would be forced to be apart.

The following week, they spent a lot of time together, regularly going to pick up Sasuke at the Academy, to his great pleasure. Mitsuki had spotted the little blonde head she had met a few days before. Naruto seemed lonely and sad, the opposite of the mischievous and smiling boy she had seen. While Sasuke was hanging on his big brother's back telling about his day, she took the opportunity to tell him about the blond boy:

"Naruto Uzumaki is in your class?"

"Yes..." confirmed Sasuke, not seeming to explode with joy about it.

"I've seen him on that swing by himself for several times now... Is he in trouble?" worried Mitsuki.

"He's just clowning around for the sake of entertainment, and he's really not good at school. For someone who claims to want to become a Hokage, that's the last straw! He doesn't have any parents to scold him when he does something stupid, so of course... But nobody approaches him especially because of what he has in him... That's what I heard." Sasuke explained.

"He's the host of the fox demon..." Itachi clarified quietly.

Mitsuki's face became sad as they walked. This did not escape Itachi's notice, who once again guessed what was going on in her head. She saw Naruto's situation as a reflection of her own life. He then said to his brother:

"You should try to get to know him. You know, just because everyone rejects him for such a stupid reason, doesn't mean you should. And if he's so boisterous, it's probably because he hasn't found anything better to attract attention... We, the Uchiha, have also been pointed out after the Kyûbi attack, we should be smarter than the others and reach out to people like Naruto... and Mitsuki."

Sasuke seemed to meditate on these words, before bouncing back:

"Why are you comparing Mitsuki to Naruto? It's different, she's smart and strong..."

"But she's also singled out and has to fight every day to be recognized for her true worth, not for the fear that the heritage attached to her name generates."

Mitsuki gave Itachi an emotional look. He was so good to the people around him. She remembered her first days at the Academy. He had always been there, kind and caring.

"I didn't know..." apologized Sasuke, confused.

"It's nothing, Sasuke-kun. I have you now, and all these things are easier to bear by your side. Your older brother has the power to see beyond appearances. He carried me when everyone else wanted me gone. I'm lucky to have met him." smiled Mitsuki.

"I'll talk with Naruto tomorrow," Sasuke assured.

The three of them stopped for a snack on the dock of the lake near the Uchiha district, before challenging each other to a kunai throw. Sasuke didn't hide his happiness at sharing quality time with his brother, completely softening the young Hata.