Chapter 5: Entrance Exam & "Will of fire"
Two months after Yuto turned six, the eagerly awaited academy entrance exams finally commenced.
Rising early, Yuto prepared to leave for the academy, he did some normal workouts not his usual training only some stretching, he waited for his friends which he made over past 11 months that made him look like normal kid at his age, Hiroshi and Riku, who were also planning to participate in the exams.
They were among the nine children from their neighborhood who were taking the academy exams this year. With their parents accompanying them, they all set off together for the academy.
Upon reaching the academy, their amazement knew no bounds as they witnessed the sheer number of children gathered for the exams. Riku, his friend, exclaimed, "Woah!!n There are lots of participants."
Mr. Tanaka her father chuckled and explained, "Probably over a thousand. Last year, there were over 1,600 kids attempting the exam. However, only around 360 were selected."
Yuto couldn't believe the magnitude of the event. 'I didn't expect this. So many participants and so many selected? From what i saw in the anime there were 99 students who passed the gennin exam making 27 teams but only 9 teams were allowed to graduate as stated by Kakashi.' he guessed the village is trying to fill the void left by deaths during the previous kyubi's rampage and 3rd great ninja war.
'Oh well, it doesn't really affect me in any way.' he thought.
As they looked around, Yuto noticed some groups within the crowd wearing village headbands. Mr. Tanaka noticed Yuto's curiosity and commented, "They are trained ninjas from various clans in our village, probably accompanying their children. It's likely that all of them will pass the exam."
As the news reached the group, a wave of tension swept through. Mr. Tanaka noticed their unease and offered words of reassurance, "Don't be overly concerned. Most participants aren't from clans, giving you a good chance to succeed. Just do your best."
Hearing this, the other kids felt relieved and nodded nervously. Moments later, a figure in a Chunin vest, exuding authority, stepped forward and declared that the exams would commence shortly. The kids were directed to assemble at the training ground behind the academy.
Inside the academy, in a conference room, a few Chunins, most of whom were academy teachers, were discussing the entrance exam. Haruto Kenta as vice principal he was the supervisor of the exams, received a report from one of the Chunins.
He had been assigned to oversee the exams after the conflicts, with an order to pass as many students as possible to compensate for the loss of ninjas.
The report revealed that this year, a staggering 1160 children were participating in the entrance exam, a significant decrease from the previous year that he expected due to rampage. Haruto knew that the first phase he had to weed out the physically unfit ones, so he signaled the start of the exam.
Masashi, a Chunin, was assigned to conduct the first phase. He explained the task to the children, which involved running five laps on the marked path in the training ground. The laps amounted to roughly 500 meters each, and the children would be monitored throughout the run, following Masashi.
Yuto, recalling his training and improvements, thought, 'This seems simple enough. I could run this much on my very first day at the academy. And after ten months of training, yesterday, I managed to run over 9 kilometers '
As the laps progressed, some participants dropped out due to exhaustion. By the time the fifth lap was completed, Yuto was one of the few still going strong from his group. Many still failed to reach the goal
Masashi announced, "All those who couldn't complete the 5 laps are eliminated. They are to return to the front of the academy and can go back to your guardians."
He continued, "Among the ones still left, you have 2 options. The first is to run another 5 laps. If you don't think you can, then return to the front of the training ground and wait there."
Many chose to return to the training ground, but a few hundred still continued. Yuto's determination led him to attempt the next five laps along with his friend Hiroshi. After compiling the data, Kenta noted, '478 participants couldn't complete 5 laps, and only 215 attempted to do the next 5 laps.'
Among the 215, 154 participants completed the additional 5 laps. The ones who couldn't complete the laps were sent to the group of students waiting in the training ground. For the remaining 154, the same 2 choices were provided again. Only 26 participants decided to attempt another 5 laps mainly consisting kids of clan. The ones who didn't attempt were sent back and gathered in a different group than those who stopped after only 5 laps.
Yuto was now the only one left from his group. Most remaining participants were from clans. All 26 who attempted the additional laps managed to complete them and were placed together in different groups. The training ground was now separated into 3 different groups.
Yuto felt grateful that there were no more laps to run, as he might have had to back out. After that, more physical tests were conducted, leading to further eliminations.
Kenta noted, 'All the 26 and 240 participants from the 2 groups passed, but many from the 1st group were eliminated. Only 636 from the 1st group were still remaining.'
After the first phase was completed, the participants were given a break and provided breakfast. Following the meal, the examiner for the second phase, a member of the Hyuga clan, made his appearance. Yuto noticed the examiner's identity and felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
The Hyuga announced, "In each of the groups, the ones who have unlocked chakra step forward." The majority of children from Yuto's group moved forward, but he observed that almost a hundred kids in total had unlocked their chakra. Notably, many civilian children stepped out too, making Yuto less conspicuous.
Using his Byakugan, the Hyuga examiner examined the chakra of those who stepped forward. The evaluation focused on the amount and quality of their chakra. All 26 children from Yuto's group passed. Out of the remaining participants, 63 students also passed, while others were disqualified.
To Yuto's surprise, a few Chunins moved around and assisted the rest of the students in unlocking their chakra. He thought, 'Wow, I didn't think they'd help everyone unlock their chakra. The village must be really desperate.'
As the process continued, Kenta observed the situation, and the Hyuga examiner, Hyuga Hachiro, approached him. Hyuga Hachiro said, "I'm surprised that the 3rd ordered all these kids to unlock their chakras."
Kenta nodded and replied, "Yeah, he doesn't have much of an option. We lost too much in the past few years. In the past couple of years, he ordered the training of the reserve Genins, to replace the dead, however even that's not enough."
He sighed and continued, "And while most of the kids here won't become ninjas, with chakra enhancing them, they'll help fill many other roles in the future."
Hyuga Hachiro replied, "Yeah, we just need a few years without any major conflict." Kenta dejectedly replied, "Yeah, but these exams are gonna be a pain in the ass till then." Hyuga Hachiro laughed, sharing in Kenta's annoyance.
The process of unlocking and examining the chakra continued for a while, finally concluding in the evening. In total, around 390 kids passed, while the remaining 770 kids failed and were asked to return to their guardians.
The successful candidates were gathered together in the training ground, eagerly anticipating what came next. They soon noticed an old man with a smoking pipe walking towards them. Yuto looked to his left and recognized the figure he had read about in stories. It was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage himself.
In the presence of the wise 3rd Hokage, everyone became respectful and serious. Many kids were surprised and excited that he personally came to meet them. He looked at them kindly and began his speech, congratulating them for passing the entrance exams to the ninja academy.
The surrounding chunins requested silence so that Lord Hokage could address the young aspirants properly. Yuto, however, thought to himself, "Here it is, I will finally experience his legendary skill of inspiring young kids. In my previous life, everyone talked about Naruto's 'talk no jutsu,' but few mentioned how Hiruzen influenced Naruto to work hard and protect those who treated him badly!"
The 3rd Hokage continued, explaining that they would now be taught the ways of a Konoha Shinobi in the academy, where Lord 2nd Hokage himself had taught many students, including him. He recalled the fun and battles they had during their time in the academy. The graduates from the academy were the ones responsible for keeping the Hidden Leaf village safe and peaceful. And now, it would be up to these kids to carry on that legacy, known as the "Will of Fire," a term Lord 1st Hokage used to use.
He urged them to love their village and preserve peace and prosperity, carrying the will of fire within them. The Hokage encouraged them to have a strong spirit, endure hard training, and be healthy in both body and mind. With that, he warmly welcomed them as future ninjas to their academy.
After the speech, the kids' excitement burst forth, and they started celebrating. The day came to an end, and everyone began heading back home, full of enthusiasm for their journey as ninja students.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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