Once the commotion settled, the instructor stepped forward and addressed the remaining students. "Congratulations to those of you who passed," he announced, his voice firm. "Fifty of you remain. Now, prepare yourselves—your final test will be to face off against a Genin.
A brief murmur spread through the group.
"This test will evaluate your taijutsu skills and determine whether you're truly ready to become a shinobi," the instructor continued. "A single mistake on the battlefield can endanger not just your life, but your teammates' as well. We cannot allow someone unprepared to pass."
At the mention of a match against Genin-ranked shinobi, a wave of excitement surged through the students. It was rare—almost unheard of—for academy students to spar against fully certified ninja. For most of them, it was an unexpected but thrilling opportunity.
However, the more observant among them felt a chill of unease. It wasn't just a spar—they had to win. And winning against a Genin, someone with actual field experience, was no small feat.
"Can we really win against them?" one student whispered.
"We'll have to," another replied. "It's not like we have a choice. I need to start earning—my family's counting on me."
"Hah! You come dead last every year in the elite class. You really think you can take down a Genin?" another voice sneered. "You better start figuring out a strategy. Otherwise, you don't stand a chance."
"Oh, so you're laughing now?" the first student shot back. "You're only two ranks above me—and not exactly a prodigy yourself. Don't come crying when I become a Genin and you're still stuck in the academy."
"We'll see who laughs last."
All around, hushed conversations buzzed—friends whispering encouragement, rivals trading barbs. Some students wore nervous expressions, while others clenched their fists in determination.
The instructor raised his voice once more.
"Silence!"
The crowd fell quiet instantly. "The match will begin shortly. Here are the rules: you are free to use any jutsu or weapon available to you. However, Genin will be restricted to D-Rank techniques only."
"There are three ways to win—force your opponent out of the ring, make them surrender through combat, or last a full seven minutes without surrendering yourself. Each ring will have a diameter of fifteen meters, giving you enough space to move and strategize."
"As your name is called, report to your assigned ring."
No sooner had he finished than five instructors disappeared in a flicker of movement, reappearing across the training grounds. With a series of practiced hand seals, they used Earth Release techniques to carve five large circular arenas into the ground.
A moment later, fifty Genin—all under the age of fourteen, entered the training area. Each one bore the Konoha forehead protector, proudly displayed on their arms or foreheads.
The sight of the real shinobi, standing tall and composed, sparked a renewed wave of awe and motivation across the group. The final test had begun.
The instructor raised his voice, projecting across the training ground. "Now that your opponents have joined the field, I will begin calling names. As your name is announced, proceed to your assigned ring. Genin Ren and Academy student Takeshi — Ring One. Hyūga Ishikawa versus Uchiha Shōta — Ring Two… Aburame Ayame versus Sen Koharu — Ring Five."
His gaze swept across the group. "Begin the match only after my signal. Do your best—fight to your limit without fear. A designated instructor will be monitoring each ring. If a match becomes life-threatening, it will be stopped immediately."
A sharp whistle followed.
The battles erupted across all five rings.
Some students fought fiercely, pushing their Genin opponents out of the ring. Others were quickly overwhelmed and thrown out themselves. A few surrendered mid-fight, recognizing the gap in skill, while some endured the full seven-minute test with sheer grit and resolve.
Then came the next round of names.
"Next match — Genin Subaru versus Kazeo: Ring Five. Participants, proceed to your ring. The match will begin on my whistle."
Kazeo stepped into the ring and eyed his opponent. 'So he's a civilian ninja like me,' Kazeo thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. 'I was hoping to face someone from a clan… but whatever. I'm feeling good today. Let's see how I stack up against a real Genin.'
The whistle blew.
Subaru offered a small, confident smile as he stepped forward. "Don't worry, kiddo," he said casually, drawing a kunai. "I'll go easy on you." Without hesitation, Subaru rushed forward, his kunai aimed directly at Kazeo.
In response, Kazeo reached into his pouch, pulling out a kunai and a set of shuriken. With a flick of his wrist, he launched five shuriken in rapid succession toward his opponent.
Subaru weaved through them with ease and closed the distance quickly, swinging his kunai in a horizontal arc aimed at Kazeo's chest.
Kazeo ducked back at the last second with a single thought. 'Is it just me, or is he kind of slow for a Genin? How did this guy even graduate?'
He called out, "Oi! Let's keep it taijutsu for now." Subaru nodded. He closed the distance with a low sweeping kick toward Kazeo's ankles.
Kazeo jumped, spun mid-air, and countered with a backfist that brushed Subaru's nose.
He didn't let up—his fists blurred in motion. Left jab. Right feint. Elbow strike.
Subaru ducked, rolled aside, and came up quickly, dirt on his knees.
They clashed again in the center. Palms met in rapid succession. Forearms slammed. Knuckles scraped. Then—wham! Subaru's knee caught Kazeo's ribs.
Kazeo grunted, but twisted with the blow, caught Subaru's arm, and threw him over his shoulder. Subaru landed hard, but recovered smoothly. "Not bad," he muttered, brushing his chin. "But I'm not done."
"Neither am I." This time, Kazeo charged, ducked a swing, and tackled Subaru straight in the gut. They rolled across the arena floor. Then—
"You two!" The instructor's voice cut in. "Are you here to dance? Use ninjutsu and weapons already! I can't evaluate just fists."
They paused. Both gave a reluctant nod. Subaru drew a kunai. Kazeo pulled out a metal wire and held a kunai in the other hand.
Subaru weaved signs. "Earth Style: Rock Bullet!" Chunks of stone shot toward Kazeo, who dodged left and returned fire with a kunai throw. Match continued for another two minutes. "Earth Style: Swamp Grip!" Subaru cast, and the ground beneath Kazeo softened to grab him but Kazeo leapt out just in time. "Tch. Underground again?" Subaru emerged with a mud wall rising to shield him.
One more minute of jutsu and evasion passed. Kazeo watched his opponent panting heavily.
'So that's it? He's tired already?'
'No... maybe he's just the weak link among genin. Still, releasing my seal before the match was a good decision. Two years of restricted breathing... and now I feel faster, stronger. The dizziness only lasted fifteen minutes. Good thing my turn came late.'
He clenched his fists."Time to end this."
He closed the gap. "Earth Style: Stone Fist!"
Subaru mirrored the move. Their fists collided—stone cracking from the sheer force. But just before impact, Kazeo's wire—now laced with chakra—coiled up Subaru's leg like a serpent.
Click.
It tightened around Subaru's arm and neck. Before Subaru could react, Kazeo yanked it taut, binding him in place. For a second, a fleeting thought came and went, 'Should I vibrate the wire a little—?' 'No! What am I even thinking?!' He shook his head and stepped behind the restrained Subaru and pressed the edge of his kunai lightly against the Genin's neck.
Subaru let out a small breath. "I give up. The match is yours," he said with a respectful nod. "You're strong. Let's have a rematch sometime."
'And you're weak.' Kazeo suppressed the thought before it could leave his lips. Instead, he replied calmly: "Sure, anytime. You're strong too—maybe I just got lucky today."
Their brief exchange was cut short by the voice of the supervising instructor. "Good match, both of you. Kazeo, release your opponent before you start chatting. And if you want to talk, do it outside the ring. Let the next pair step in."
"Ah—sorry, sorry," Kazeo replied quickly, withdrawing the kunai and wire.
Half an hour later, the last of the sparring matches came to an end. The students were given a ten-minute break to recover.
Once the break concluded, the instructor gathered everyone again. "Now that your taijutsu tests are over," he began, "we will move on to ninjutsu evaluation. Each of you will be required to perform three E-rank jutsu and two D-rank jutsu of your choice. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from this year's graduation."
"There are thirty-nine of you remaining. Form six lines—each line will be supervised by a designated instructor. Step forward one by one, demonstrate your jutsu, and then stand behind your examiner."
The students began their demonstrations. For E-rank, most performed the standard academy techniques. And for D-Rank, thirty-one students used Fire Release jutsu, three chose Water, two displayed Earth Release, another two showcased Wind, and one student performed a Lightning-style technique.
When it was Kazeo's turn, he stepped forward and executed all three basic academy jutsu with ease—producing ten stable clones, transforming into Okabe for a thirty seconds, and seamlessly switching places with a nearby log using the Substitution Technique.
For his D-rank demonstrations, Kazeo selected one Earth Release and one Wind Release jutsu—hoping the diversity would earn him extra consideration from the instructors.
After every student had completed their performance, the instructors gathered the group once more. "That concludes the exams," one of them announced. "You are all dismissed. Return home and report back to the academy five days from now for your final results."
With that, the students dispersed.
In the following two days, the academy continued its examination schedule—completing graduation tests for the fifth and sixth-year students from the normal classes.
------
Inside the Hokage's office, Akimichi Takuma stood before the Third Hokage, presenting the final reports. "Hokage-sama, the results this year are consistent with expectations. Thirty-three Genin have passed from the elite class. The normal classes produced one hundred and fifty-three new Genin."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm, the numbers are promising—better than last year," Hiruzen said, eyes scanning the report. "Who were the top students from the elite class this year? And tell me more about the one who ranked first."
Takuma nodded. "The top rank, surprisingly, goes to a civilian student—Tanaka Kazeo from the fourth year. Based on this exam alone, he placed second, but when we factored in academic scores and overall classroom performance, he rose to the top. His physical performance in previous years was somewhat inconsistent, according to his instructors, but he delivered solid results in the final spar."
"Personally," Takuma added, "I believe he wasn't showing his full strength during that match. He's a promising candidate—high potential, and if nurtured correctly, could very well become a jōnin."
"Interesting," Hiruzen murmured.
Takuma continued, "As for the rest—second place went to Uchiha Ren from the fifth year. Third is Kurama Ken, sixth year. Fourth place is held by Hyūga Ishikawa, also from the sixth year. And finally, fifth rank was claimed by another civilian, Daichi, from the same year."
The Hokage leaned back slightly, a faint glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. 'Two civilians among the top five… That's good news. Seems my efforts to elevate civilian shinobi are finally bearing fruit.
Still… I hadn't expected that brat to take first place.
So Shisui was right after all—he really does train like a madman and have improved very much.'
As his thoughts drifted to Shisui, Hiruzen's expression briefly darkened, but he quickly composed himself as Takuma awaited further instructions.
"How many sixth-year students failed—both in elite and general classes?" he asked.
"From the elite class, twenty-one passed. The remaining nine didn't meet the required standards," Takuma reported. "In the general classes, fifty-one passed."
"So that leaves nine from elite and forty-nine from the normal classes who didn't make it," Hiruzen said thoughtfully. "As usual, transfer them to the Reserve Genin Corps. Those nine still have potential—perhaps enough to become elite Chūnin or even special Jōnin. And if we're lucky, one or two may eventually reach the Jōnin rank."
He sighed lightly. "As for the forty-nine… well, if even a quarter of them make it to Chūnin, I'd consider that a successful batch. What do you think?"
"I share the same opinion, Hokage-sama."
"Good. Then take the rest of the day off. In two days, we'll begin assigning Jōnin and Chūnin instructors to the new Genin teams."
"Hai," Takuma said with a respectful bow. With that, he exited the office, leaving the Third Hokage alone with his thoughts once more.
-------
The next morning, Kazeo followed his usual routine, making his way toward the academy. Today was result day. As he jogged down the familiar streets of Konoha, he couldn't shake a flutter of nervousness from his chest.
'I haven't felt like this in years… It's almost the same as waiting for my competitive exam results back then.'
When he reached the academy gates, he saw a long line of students already gathered, many standing with parents or guardians. The tension was palpable. Though the teachers would be allowed inside later—after the top students received their awards—the results would be announced publicly first.
Soon, the academy doors opened, and the students were guided inside. The Hokage himself would be addressing them.
Kazeo followed the others to the training ground. It looked completely restored—no chalk lines, no dug-out sparring rings, no trace of the previous day's events. As if nothing had happened at all.
A hush fell over the crowd as the Hokage stepped onto the wooden podium. "Good morning, new shinobi," Hiruzen began, his voice calm and commanding. "From this day forward, you are official protectors of the Hidden Leaf. Your lives belong not just to yourselves, but to your comrades, your village, and its future…"
Kazeo folded his arms, listening silently. It's mostly the same speech every year… a few new lines here and there, but somehow, it always feels fresh. The way he speaks… no wonder he's the Hokage.
When the speech concluded, Hiruzen scanned the crowd and continued. "Tanaka Kazeo. Uchiha Ren. Kurama Kenji. Step forward. As the top three students of this year's elite class, you may each request a personal reward."
The three students stepped out of the formation and walked toward the front, standing side-by-side in front of the podium.
Kurama Kenji stepped forward first. "Hokage-sama, I would like to receive some Genjutsu techniques—specifically C and B-rank ones that aren't taught in the academy or within my clan."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… That's a fair request, but as you ranked third, I cannot grant access to B-rank techniques. Those are reserved for elite Chūnin and above."
He paused, then nodded. "However, I will assign an instructor to personally teach you five C-rank Genjutsu techniques not available in the standard curriculum. Will that suffice?"
Kenji's eyes narrowed slightly. "Five C-rank jutsu? Hokage-sama, could I exchange them for just two B-rank jutsu instead?"
Hiruzen exhaled quietly. 'Hmph… Was this request suggested by someone in the Kurama clan? Still, it's not unreasonable.'
Aloud, he replied, "Very well. You may choose one B-rank Genjutsu technique instead of the five C-rank ones. Consider it granted."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kenji said with a respectful bow before stepping back.
Next, Uchiha Ren stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, I don't require any reward."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Ren, don't hesitate. Whether it's a jutsu, funding, or a mentor—ask for whatever will support your growth. You've earned it. If you need time, I'll grant you a week to decide."
But Ren shook his head firmly. After the third refusal, Hiruzen relented with a faint sigh. 'So it continues… For the past three years, it's been the same. These Uchiha children keep declining rewards… It's their silent protest, I know. Retaliation for the surveillance. And yet, I can't fault them for it.'
Finally, Kazeo stepped forward, his eyes alight with energy and ambition. "Hokage-sama!" he said with excitement. "I want to become like the Fourth Hokage. Please teach me the Flying Raijin technique!"
The courtyard fell silent. Even a few Jōnin in the distance turned their heads.
Hiruzen blinked slowly, lips twitching in surprise. 'Is this kid plotting something?'
[A/N:- You can read extra chapters on my patreon.
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