Ryuu stared down at the crisp sheet of paper, the scent of ink sharp in the tense air of the Academy examination hall.
Today wasn't just another assessment, it was the Genin Graduation Exam, and he, along with two others from Class 1-B, was taking it a full year ahead of schedule. He had turned ten not long ago, placing him firmly outside the normal graduation age of eleven or twelve.
Beside him, though separated by the regulation distance between desks, sat the other two early candidates recommended by Tamura-sensei: Asami Hyuga, her back perfectly straight, pale lavender eyes fixed forward with unwavering composure and Kenjiro Uchiha, subtly flexing his fingers, a spark of restless energy barely contained beneath his usual casual facade, his dark eyes scanning the room with quick, intelligent glances.
The rest of the examination hall was filled with older students, the twelve-year-olds for whom this day marked the expected culmination of their Academy careers.
Ryuu could feel the weight of their collective gaze, the mixture of curiosity, dismissal, and perhaps even resentment directed towards the three younger interlopers attempting to jump ahead.
Graduating early wasn't just an honour, it was a statement, a target painted squarely on their backs. Failure would be amplified, success demanded they prove they belonged on the accelerated path. Ryuu pushed down the familiar knot of apprehension, forcing his mind into cold focus.
"Alright, settle down!" Chiyo Tamura's voice sliced through the nervous murmurings of the older students. She stood at the front, flanked by two other stern-faced Chunin examiners, her presence dominating the room.
Her sharp eyes swept across the hall, lingering perhaps a fraction longer on the three younger candidates near the back. "Phase one: Written Examination. You have ninety minutes. Standard Academy knowledge – history, tactics, shinobi rules, geography, basic mathematics, elemental theory, seal recognition. No cheating."
Her gaze flickered pointedly towards Kenjiro. "Eyes on your own paper. Any unauthorized use of clan techniques – Sharingan, Byakugan, Yamanaka methods – will result in immediate disqualification and severe disciplinary action. This applies," she added, her voice hardening slightly, "to all candidates, regardless of age or recommendation. Begin!"
She slammed the hourglass onto the desk, the sand cascading downwards. Ryuu took a centering breath, deliberately tuning out the rustling papers and anxious sighs of the older students. This was his strongest area.
The paper was dense with questions. He worked methodically, navigating the expected propaganda in the history sections, providing the 'correct' Will of Fire interpretations while mentally noting the factual inaccuracies.
He answered the shinobi rules and tactical scenarios with cold logic. The mathematics – projectile trajectories, logistical calculations, basic code principles – were straightforward exercises for his ingrained understanding of physics and patterns. He paid particular attention to the seal recognition and elemental theory sections, areas Kasumi had drilled him on extensively, recognizing their critical importance beyond basic Academy knowledge.
He finished with time to spare, meticulously reviewing his answers. He ensured they reflected high competence but not impossible genius. He allowed a minor, easily correctable error in a complex chakra theory explanation and slightly rounded a final trajectory calculation – subtle flaws to maintain the facade of a gifted, but still developing, ten-year-old.
Of course anyone who was smart enough would be able to tell that some things were deliberately changed, but he didn't mind. If he was seen through all he could do was accept it.
He sat back quietly, resuming his observation. Kenjiro finished shortly after him, leaning back with a confident air, idly tapping his pencil. Asami completed her paper with neat, swift strokes, laying her pescil own with perfect finality exactly halfway through the allotted time.
Many of the older students still labored over the questions, some chewing their lips, others staring blankly at complex diagrams. The pressure was clearly higher for those facing their only scheduled chance to pass.
When Tamura finally called time, a wave of audible sighs – relief for some, despair for others – washed over the room. Papers were collected swiftly, the examiners' faces impassive.
"Candidates taking the early evaluation – Yuki, Uchiha, Hyuga – remain," Tamura ordered.
"The rest of you, proceed to Training Ground Seven for the physical assessment briefing. Your classmates," she gestured towards the main group of older students shuffling out, "will await the results of all phases outside the main hall later today."
The implication was clear: the early candidates were being judged as a distinct group, their success or failure determined separately before being announced alongside the main cohort. The three of them sat in the suddenly quiet classroom under the watchful eyes of the examiners, the weight of the next phase pressing down.
Training Ground Seven baked under the afternoon sun.
Phase two: Taijutsu and Weapon Proficiency.
Ryuu felt the familiar prickle of sweat beneath his long-sleeved tunic even before the drills began. This was where his youth and lack of raw strength would be most exposed.
The assessments were run efficiently, brutally. Timed sprints, agility courses involving leaping, balancing, and climbing, strength tests against standardized weights. Ryuu pushed himself to the absolute limit, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his muscles burning.
He completed everything within acceptable parameters for his age, his score likely boosted slightly by the examiners factoring in his youth, but he was visibly outmatched in raw power by many of the older students running the same drills alongside them.
Kenjiro moved with whip-cord speed and agility, easily outpacing Ryuu. Asami displayed flawless balance and economical movement, conserving energy while executing perfectly.
Weapon proficiency was next. Shuriken and kunai throws at targets ranging from static bullseyes to sporadically moving dummies. Ryuu's analytical mind and steady chakra control served him well here. His throws were consistent, accurate, grouping tightly near the center of the targets. He lacked the sheer speed and force of Kenjiro's Uchiha-trained throws, or the brute impact some older students achieved, but his precision was noted by the examiners.
Then came the spars. The examiners deliberately matched the three early candidates against each other, and also against select older students deemed suitable benchmarks. Students stepped onto the marked sparring circles, facing their opponents.
Before each match began, the pairs performed the Seal of Confrontation (対立の印, Tairitsu no In) – extending the index and middle fingers of one hand, touching them to the same fingers of their opponent's hand. It was a formal acknowledgment, a declaration of intent to engage under the rules of the spar.
Ryuu first faced an older civilian-born girl known for her tenacious grappling. They performed the seal, her grip surprisingly firm. He used his speed to evade her lunges, substituting out of holds twice, but eventually got caught, unable to break her superior strength, and was forced to concede after a brief struggle on the ground.
As they were separated by the examiner, they performed the Seal of Reconciliation (和解の印, Wakai no In) – clasping hands fully. A loss, but his evasion drew a neutral note from Tamura.
His second spar was against Kenjiro. The murmur of interest from the spectating students increased slightly. Kenjiro grinned as they stepped forward, performing the Seal of Confrontation, his dark eyes alight with competitive energy. He activated his Sharingan immediately – two tomoe spinning lazily in each eye.
The fight erupted. Kenjiro's Sharingan-enhanced prediction made Ryuu's evasive style incredibly difficult. Kenjiro flowed around Ryuu's dodges, his strikes fast and precise, aiming to intercept and finish. Ryuu was pushed back constantly, substituting frantically, desperately looking for an opening. He needed something else.
Kenjiro pressed his advantage, forcing Ryuu backwards towards the edge of the marked sparring area. "Nowhere left to run, Ryuu!" Kenjiro called out, lunging forward with a decisive straight punch aimed at Ryuu's center.
Instead of dodging sideways or backwards again, Ryuu did something unexpected. He dropped forward and low, almost collapsing into the lunge. As Kenjiro's fist sailed over his head, Ryuu used chakra to slightly augment the soles of his feet, gaining purchase on the dusty ground. He didn't try to counter-attack Kenjiro directly. Instead, using Kenjiro's forward momentum against him, Ryuu pivoted sharply on his lead foot while simultaneously kicking backwards with his other heel, aiming low and hard at Kenjiro's supporting ankle.
Kenjiro, his Sharingan focused on tracking Ryuu's upper body, didn't anticipate the low, backward kick. The unexpected impact completely broke his balance. He yelped in surprise, stumbling forward past Ryuu.
Ryuu didn't waste the fraction of a second. He sprang up, spinning instantly, and before Kenjiro could fully recover his footing, Ryuu darted behind him and pressed the blunted edge of a practice kunai firmly against the base of Kenjiro's neck.
Silence fell for a beat. Kenjiro froze. Then he sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright, you win! Seriously? A backwards ankle kick? Where did you even learn that?" He sounded more surprised than hurt.
"Match, Ryuu Yuki!" Tamura called out, making a note.
Ryuu withdrew the kunai, offering a hand to help Kenjiro up. Kenjiro took it, pulling himself to his feet, dusting himself off. They faced each other and performed the Seal of Reconciliation, Kenjiro shaking his head with a rueful grin.
Ryuu simply nodded in acknowledgment. He had won against a Sharingan-wielding Uchiha taking the test early, using speed, prediction, exploiting momentum, and a simple, unexpected Taijutsu fundamental executed at the perfect moment. Not power, but cunning.
His final spar was against Asami Hyuga. Ryuu knew this was likely unwinnable through trickery. They performed the Seal of Confrontation, Asami's touch light but firm, her expression serene. Her Byakugan flared to life instantly, veins bulging slightly around her temples, her pale eyes piercing through him.
The moment the spar began was the moment it effectively ended for Ryuu. Asami flowed forward, her Byakugan tracking his every twitch, every shift in weight, every flicker of chakra. His evasions were predicted before he even fully committed to them. Her Gentle Fist strikes, aimed not with brute force but with pinpoint precision at his tenketsu, were impossible to completely avoid.
She controlled the space effortlessly. A feint from Ryuu was met with a perfectly timed palm strike aimed at his shoulder joint. He twisted away, substituting at the last possible second, reappearing near the edge of the circle. Asami was already turning, locked onto him.
Before he could regain his stance, she closed the distance. Jūkenpō Ichigekishin. A rapid flurry of strikes impacted his arm and torso. Sharp, numbing jolts disrupted his chakra flow instantly. His right arm went dead, hanging uselessly. Dizziness washed over him. He staggered back, defenseless.
"Match, Hyuga," an examiner called before Asami pressed the advantage further.
Ryuu clutched his numb arm, catching his breath. Asami deactivated her Byakugan, the veins receding, her expression returning to calm neutrality. She approached and offered her hand for the Seal of Reconciliation.
Ryuu met it, acknowledging the absolute difference in their close-combat capabilities. Her bow was curt, formal, conveying respect for his participation rather than victory. He returned it, filing away the crucial lesson: avoid Hyuga in close quarters.
———————————————————————
The Ninjutsu demonstration felt almost anticlimactic after the intensity of the spars. Ryuu performed the Academy Three competently. His Henge into Tamura-sensei was stable and accurate, held for the required time.
His Bunshin was singular but solid enough to be functional, mimicking his movements briefly before dissipating. His Kawarimi remained his strongest practical technique, executed flawlessly. He demonstrated control, precision, and adequate reserves for his age.
Kenjiro and Asami similarly demonstrated mastery appropriate for early candidates, Asami's technique bordering on flawless.
After another agonizing wait outside the main hall, huddled with the other nervous graduates while the examiners deliberated, Chiyo Tamura emerged, holding the graduation scroll. The crowd of waiting students and anxious parents fell silent.
Tamura first read the names of the older students who had passed, a wave of relief and jubilation rippling through that group. Then, she addressed the younger candidates directly.
"Early evaluation results," she stated, her voice carrying. "Hyuga Asami – Pass. Uchiha Kenjiro – Pass." She paused, her sharp eyes finding Ryuu in the small group. The silence stretched. Ryuu felt his heart pound. Had his Taijutsu losses been too significant? Had his unconventional win against Kenjiro been deemed inappropriate?
"...Yuki Ryuu – Pass."
Air rushed back into Ryuu's lungs. He had done it. He, Kenjiro, and Asami. The three early candidates had all passed. A mixture of exhaustion, relief, and the daunting weight of the future settled over him.
Tamura offered the barest hint of a stern smile. "Congratulations to all graduates. You are now Genin of Konohagakure. Do not shame the forehead protectors you will receive tomorrow morning. Team assignments will be posted then. For those of you," she added, her gaze sweeping over the three early graduates, "who chose this accelerated path – remember that expectations are now significantly higher. You volunteered for the front lines sooner. Act accordingly. Dismissed!"
A cheer went up from the successful graduates. Kenjiro whooped, clapping Ryuu on the back. "Yes! We made it!" Asami allowed herself a small, satisfied nod.
Even amidst the celebration, Ryuu felt the subtle shift. They were no longer just Academy students. They were Genin. Tools of the village. Soldiers in training. The real danger, the real work, was about to begin.
He met Kenjiro's excited gaze with a carefully neutral expression, but inside, his mind was already calculating the next steps.