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[NTU] [ARC-02-ACADEMY] Chapter : 29
🕑 Added 2024-05-22 17:55:37 +0000 UTCNowadays, the graduation exam at the academy are divided into three categories: written exams, ninjutsu, and actual combat.
The written test covers the basic content of ninja training. This includes hand signs, code words, ninja techniques, and tactical formations. It also incorporates some historical and cultural knowledge, as well as subjects like physics and mathematics, though the score in these areas is not very high.
Aoyama-sensei entered the building designated for the ninja graduation exam. He found the teacher in charge of the test and received a token number.
“Follow the number on your token, go upstairs to find your classroom and seat, and prepare to take the written test!”
Aoyama-sensei looked at the students about to enter the examination room. He couldn't help but say, “Good luck, Toshiro. The teachers and your classmates believe in you!”
“Thank you, Aoyama-sensei! No problem!”
As he spoke, he made an OK gesture at him.
'I don't usually see Aoyama-sensei paying so much attention to him. Now, just before graduation, he's giving him such special treatment...'
Lost in these thoughts, Toshiro glanced at the number in his hand as he walked to the staircase around the corner.
"It's..."
Toshiro was slightly taken aback. The token displayed two rows of numbers: 201 on the upper row and 12 on the lower row. This indicated seat number 12 in room 201 on the second floor. But something seemed off...
With just a glance, Toshiro noticed something peculiar. The token was enchanted with a simple illusion meant to confuse.
The illusion was so basic that it hardly qualified as one. It merely had a mild disorienting effect, which even the students of the Ninja Academy could detect if they looked closely.
This was clearly one of the exam challenges prepared by the academy. If a student couldn't see through such a simple illusion, becoming a ninja would be tantamount to a death sentence.
"I didn't expect the academy graduation exam to have such a twist!"
"It's a bit reminiscent of the Chunin Exams in the original story!"
After going upstairs, he saw room 201 directly to the left, with rooms 202 and 203 on the right. The classroom in 201 was already bustling, with a few students arguing over their seats.
"It seems these fools are going to be eliminated," Toshiro thought. They failed to notice the repeated seat numbers, an obvious mistake. Their IQs are truly worrisome.
There was no room 201 directly opposite the left-hand side of the stairs. Instead, he turned right and entered room 202. Opening the door, he found about 40 people already inside.
He located seat 21, which had a blank piece of paper and a pencil prepared for the exam. The left side of his seat was against the wall, and to his right sat a familiar white-haired, masked boy.
"Yo, Kakashi! Long time, no see! I didn't expect to meet you here!"
Kakashi turned his head slightly at the sound of his name, glancing at Toshiro with his dead-fish eyes, but remained silent. It was a minimal acknowledgment, at best.
Kakashi recognized Toshiro from a few street encounters. He was just a familiar stranger.
'Does this guy always look like this now? The incident must have impacted him more than I realized.' Toshiro thought.
Toshiro understood Kakashi's icy demeanor but didn't let it bother him. Kakashi had lost his parents young, started his ninja career at five or six, and lost a good friend who died saving him. And the other friend whom he promised to protect died at his hands. His teacher, the famed Yellow Flash, ultimately died during the Nine-Tails' attack.
It can be said that all the death, killing, pain, and tears that a ninja experiences in his life, he endured it all in his childhood.
Toshiro didn't have to wait long—only about ten minutes—before a group of five people walked into the classroom. Four of them took positions in the four corners, each holding a clipboard and adopting a proctoring stance.
"Alright, here are the rules for the exam: anyone caught cheating will be immediately disqualified from the exam!"
The teacher continued, "Let's start handing out the exam papers. Everyone will pass them along to each other."
Without further ado, the teacher distributed the test papers, providing a brief introduction to the exam rules.
"It's really a straightforward and harsh rule," Toshiro thought. "If you are caught cheating, you're out. But isn't the main theme of being a ninja, deception?"
He observed the students in the classroom. Some pretended to be calm, others appeared worried, and a few looked confident.
Looking at the blank spaces on the test paper in his hand, he sighed. There seemed to be a lot of space to write.
First, he scanned both sides of the test paper, quickly familiarizing himself with the questions. Then he picked up his pencil and began to answer them.
Given a certain momentum and angle, and without considering wind speed, calculate the shuriken's flight trajectory. Name the parts of the body that are deadly. Indicate the temperature of the flame for each of the following colors.
Looking at the various questions on the exam paper, Toshiro felt like he was back in his high school exam room in his previous life. The memory of those dark days was vivid, and even though he was in a different world and life, he could still deeply recall that kind of suffering.
It took him less than 30 minutes to complete both sides of the test paper. After double-checking his name and answers, Toshiro got up and handed in the paper early.
At that point, the exam was only halfway through, and a few candidates had not completed even half of the questions. His ability to finish the exam so quickly attracted a lot of attention.
Some candidates had barely made any progress on their papers and looked at him with gritted teeth.
He ignored the stares of those struggling students. What surprised him was that less than a minute after he walked out of the classroom, another figure finished the exam and handed in their paper ahead of time. It was none other than Kakashi, taking the ninja exam at the age of less than six.
"Please pull out your next exam question from this box," instructed a teacher wearing a green Chunin vest, gesturing to the wooden box on the table in front of Toshiro.
Without hesitation, Toshiro reached into the wooden box and withdrew his hand with a slip of paper in his palm. He opened it and read: "Transformation Technique."
The second part of the exam was the ninjutsu assessment. Each candidate had to draw their assigned task from the box. The tasks included the Clone jutsu, Transformation jutsu, and Substitution.
"Use this teacher next to you as a reference to perform the jutsu," the examiner instructed.
A basic technique like this was a child's play for Toshiro. He quickly formed the necessary hand seals.
With a puff of smoke, an identical figure to the referenced chunin stood in his place. The resemblance was uncanny, even down to the smallest mannerisms.
His hand seal speed was impressive, his chakra control was excellent, and the transformation was flawless.
The chunins responsible for assessing the students' ninjutsu took notes, recording their observations. They didn't hesitate to award him an excellent score for his performance. Even as experienced Chunins, they found no faults in his execution of the transformation jutsu.
Having swiftly completed the ninjutsu assessment, Toshiro moved to the outdoor area designated for the next part of the ninja exam.
'Next up is the taijutsu and actual combat assessment!'
'I wonder who my opponent will be. Hopefully, it won't be a troublesome one.'
The taijutsu assessment for Ninja graduation was straightforward and rigorous. A chunin-sensei acted as the examiner, attacking the student. The goal was to hold out against the teacher's attacks for five minutes.
You know, the teachers who serve as assessors are experienced veteran shinobi, all in their forties or fifties. While they may not have the physical strength of younger ninjas, their experience in combat more than compensates. For them, handling a group of candidates who have yet to become full-fledged ninjas is an easy task.
Of course, the teachers won't go all out. The main objective is to test the students' abilities. Otherwise, even lasting just five minutes would be too much for 90% of the candidates.
"Uchiha Toshiro, follow me!"
As Toshiro stepped into the specially prepared examination room, a ninja approached him.
"This is your opponent for this exam, Hiromi Mizutani. You can use any means, including ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, shuriken, and explosive tags. Your goal is to withstand his attacks for five minutes."
"Understood," Toshiro replied calmly, assessing his opponent. He also noticed a few observers sitting in the stands opposite.
Hiromi Mizutani, his opponent, was a ninja instructor who was not very tall, with graying hair indicating he was in his fifties or older. A centipede-like scar ran down his right cheek, giving him a menacing aura. Despite his unremarkable appearance and clothing, the thick limbs and muscles on them conveyed reliability.
The academy favored middle-aged and elderly ninjas, like Mizutani, to instruct students. Their wealth of mission and combat experience is invaluable for teaching. Many older and disabled ninjas aspire for such positions, eager to pass on their knowledge and the 'Will of Fire' to the next generation of Konoha shinobi.
In the stands, five or six spectators sat upright, observing the proceedings. After a quick glance, Toshiro noticed that most of them were unfamiliar faces, and the Third Hokage was notably absent. However, he did recognize one familiar figure: a middle-aged man with glasses who was none other than Mitokado Homura, an elder of Konoha frequently seen on TV assisting the Hokage.
Toshiro knew that Elder Mitokado was mainly responsible for personnel matters in Konoha, akin to a head of HR or an organizational department in his previous life. His kind personality starkly contrasted with the hot-tempered Koharu Utatane and the gloomy Shimura Danzo.
"The seals are in place. The academy graduation assessment starts now!"
"Shadow Dance!"
Without waiting for the referee to step away, Hiromi Mizutani launched a swift upper kick aimed at Toshiro's chin, almost like a sneak attack.
'Wow, no hesitation! Is he trying to intimidate me right off the bat?'
"Brush!"
Reacting instinctively, Toshiro sidestepped the attack and leaped backward, creating some distance. Simultaneously, his right hand reached for the ninja pouch behind his waist, preparing a shuriken attack to disrupt his opponent's rhythm.
The sudden assault was a close call. Thanks to Toshiro's keen senses, he had detected a hint of the attack in advance. A less alert candidate might have been kicked away and knocked out with a follow-up combo.
"Konoha Whirlwind!"
Before Toshiro could reach his ninja pouch, Mizutani's follow-up attack arrived—a fierce spinning kick aimed at his head. The seamless connection of his moves suggested he had anticipated Toshiro's reactions.
'It's relentless! No wonder he's made it to Chunin, especially one of those old veterans who survive to fifty or sixty. They're all formidable!'
'My experience is still lacking. I didn't expect the opponent to launch a sneak attack!'
Toshiro had trained diligently over the years. He had honed his ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, but his practical battle experience paled compared to these seasoned ninjas.
"Bah!"
Caught off guard and left with no choice, Toshiro performed a substitution technique, leaving a piece of wood in his place that was promptly split in two by Mizutani's kick. This maneuver widened the gap between them.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Now separated by more than ten meters, Toshiro held four shurikens in each hand and hurled them at his opponent, aiming to disrupt Mizutani's attack rhythm and create an opening for his own counterattack.
He had already strategized before the exam. He decided to stick to basic taijutsu, shuriken techniques, and the three basic jutsu taught in school. Even though his family's relationship with Konoha had been good over the years, it was always wise to keep some skills in reserve.
After launching the shurikens, Toshiro didn't remain idle. He initiated his own assault.
In an instant, four identical Toshiros appeared on the field, each wielding a kunai and charging at Mizutani.
Using the Clone Technique to confuse the opponent during an attack was a simple yet effective strategy.
