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"Line up and follow me. No pushing, no lagging behind. We're heading to the field for the second half of the exams," Matsuda-sensei instructed, his tone sharp but not unkind.
The moment he spoke, the classroom burst into activity as students hurried to gather their things. I simply stretched, adjusting the hem of my haori before falling in line.
As we exited the building, the fresh air hit me, a welcome change from the stifling exam room.
We walked for a while before the academy grounds stretched out before us, paths leading to different training areas, and beyond that, the large field where practical exams were held.
Other classes were already making their way over, some ahead of us, others trailing behind. It was a stark reminder of just how many students actually attended the academy.
Unlike the ridiculous notion that only a dozen kids got admitted each year, there were hundreds of students from all over, all training to become shinobi.
That made sense.
How else would the military state of the fire nation maintain a functioning military force?
The anime never did the academy justice. The fanfics were even worse.
I scoffed internally.
One should never forget that while the story revolved around the shinobi hidden villages, there are actually villages that are under the land of fire.
That was probably the point behind the Term "Hidden" in the village name.
It would be funny to assume that the village that stands as a symbol of their military strength only produces dozens of shinobi every year.
These stories really don't do justice to the reality they are in.
Like hell you could just "accidentally" bump into Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or Tsunade.
Some stories had their protagonists running into legendary figures like it was a casual stroll through the park.
In reality, If I ever saw them, I'd turn around and walk the other way.
"Murakami!"
I was pulled from my thoughts as a familiar voice called out. Turning slightly, I found Kaito jogging up to me, his usual carefree grin in place.
Kaito was one of the few students I got along with, mostly because he wasn't insufferable.
He had an easygoing nature but was surprisingly sharp when he wanted to be.
"How was the written test?" he asked, matching his pace with mine.
I shrugged. "Same as always. Some tricky wording, but nothing impossible."
"Ugh, you always say that," another voice cut in. Rika, a sharp-eyed girl who took everything way too seriously, fell into step beside us and pushed her glasses up, frowning slightly.
"You did notice how they phrased the chakra theory question, right? The one about the difference between the Clone and Transformation Jutsu?".
I smirked. "Yeah. They wanted to see who actually understood the fundamentals, not just memorized them. Most people mix up illusionary projection with chakra reshaping."
Rika groaned. "I almost did. They should've just asked that directly instead of turning it into a riddle."
"That's the point," I replied. "Shinobi don't get clear instructions on missions. You have to think under pressure."
"Easy for you to say," she muttered.
She huffed but didn't deny it. Rika was a perfectionist, always aiming for the top. While she saw me as a rival, I just saw her as another classmate who was fun to mess with.
From behind, another student joined in. "I completely bombed that last question. What does it even mean by 'what does it mean to be a shinobi'? What kind of question is that?"
That was Daichi, always exasperated, never lazy.
"You could've written 'surviving these exams' and still gotten sympathy points," I joked.
He groaned. "Why didn't I think of that?"
Kaito chuckled. "Honestly, I just wrote something about wanting peace. It sounded smart enough."
"Peace, huh?" I said, half to myself. "That's what everyone says."
He gave me a confused look. "You don't think the wars ended because people wanted peace?"
I shook my head. "No. They stopped because people got scared. Fear did what ideals couldn't."
Fear of Hashirama and the force behind him mostly. After much study, that was the conclusion I came to in regards to the shinobi clans within the boundaries of the land of Fire.
As for the other shinobi villages, they too were formed out of fear of the first hidden village, Konoha and the forces behind them — Hashirama and Madara.
Rika blinked. "That's… kinda dark, Murakami."
"Maybe," I said with a smirk. "But in the real world, fear keeps people alive longer than ideals do."
For a moment, nobody said anything. Even Kaito looked thoughtful for a moment before he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"You think too much for a kid," he finally said, grinning again. "You should try being normal once in a while."
I scoffed and turned away. "Normal is overrated…" I muttered to myself. "Everyone is normal. I can't afford to be normal."
As we continued walking, I took a moment to internally catalog my acquaintances. Kaito, the easygoing fighter. Rika, the academic rival. Daichi, the reluctant but competent student.
We weren't exactly a tight-knit group, but after a few months in the same class, familiarity had settled in.
And here we were, heading toward the next round of trials.
The field was a massive open space divided into multiple sections for different tests.
Some students were already going through their exams, running through obstacle courses, demonstrating jutsu, or engaging in spars under the watchful eyes of instructors.
The sheer scale of it was impressive, rows upon rows of students being put through their paces.
I took it all in, shaking my head slightly.
Seriously, how did people think the academy only had a few students per year?
This was an entire military training program, not some exclusive private school.
And the idea that some random civilian-born kid could just waltz into the Hokage's office or bump into legendary shinobi on the street? Laughable.
Fanfics made it seem so easy.
"Oh, you're orphaned? Time for Jiraiya to take you under his wing."
"Oh, you have potential? Congratulations, Orochimaru has personally scouted you."
Bullshit.
Even if I could seek them out, I wouldn't.
Getting involved with any of them was a terrible idea. Jiraiya would probably ditch me for his research, Orochimaru might decide I was an interesting experiment, and Tsunade? Yeah, no thanks.
The less interaction I had with future Sannin, the better.
My musings were cut short as Matsuda-sensei finally stopped walking and turned to face us.
His sharp gaze swept over the class before he spoke.
"You will be split into groups for the next phase of the exam. Each section will test different skills, taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, and general agility."
"You will move through each station in an orderly manner. Failure to follow instructions will result in immediate disqualification. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, sensei" rang out, though some voices were more enthusiastic than others.
He nodded in approval. "Good. The first group will step forward for taijutsu assessment. The rest of you, remain in line and wait for your turn."
I sighed, rolling my shoulders. Time to get this over with.
At least this part would be more interesting than the written exam.
…
Normal POV
Matsuda-sensei stood at the front of the gathered students, his sharp gaze sweeping across his class.
Forty-eight students stood huddled together, their attention mostly on him, though some were clearly trying to stifle their nerves.
The written exam had been one thing, but this was where they proved themselves physically.
He glanced toward the other sections of the field where different groups of students were already engaged in their exams.
The academy was a vast institution, housing hundreds of shinobi in training, and it was organized accordingly.
"For the taijutsu test, you will be paired with an opponent of similar size and skill level. Boys and girls will fight separately. This is not a street brawl, nor is it about overpowering your opponent. We will evaluate your form, reaction time, and adaptability. No excessive force, and I will intervene if necessary."
Matsuda turned and gestured to the training dummies lined up at another section of the field.
"The test on shurikenjutsu will assess your throwing accuracy, form and technique. You will have five throws, three with shuriken and two with kunai. Your score will depend on precision and consistency."
Finally, he pointed to a long track that ran along the perimeter of the field. Wooden hurdles, climbing walls, and narrow beams lined its path.
"The agility test will consist of an obstacle course designed to measure speed, coordination, and endurance. Completing it in the fastest time is not the goal, completing it efficiently is."
His gaze hardened. "Your performance today will determine whether you move forward or fall behind. Now, line up. We begin with taijutsu."
The students moved quickly, forming two separate groups as the boys grouped up on one side of the sparring ring and the girls on the other.
Matsuda scanned the roster and began calling names.
The first few matches played out as expected
Kyohei Daizen vs Hideki.
Kyohei was an overly energetic kid who moved with speed and flexibility but lacked restraint, leaving too many openings.
Hideki on the other hand was slower but more methodical in his fighting style, managing to hold his ground despite being overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, he lost in the end.
Rika, in contrast, fought like she had memorized a textbook on taijutsu, her stance was solid and her movements precise, but she struggled the moment her opponent forced her off-script.
That was the unfortunate aspect of learning fighting techniques without a proper teacher to help you develop the ability to adapt mid combat.
Daichi showed flashes of raw talent but treated the fight like a chore, doing just enough to pass.
He was quite good to say the least, unfortunately, he wasn't a clan kid and at this point in the story, clans and bloodlines were kind of a trend.
Some matches were one-sided, others more evenly matched. But Matsuda's attention sharpened when he finally called the next pairing.
"Harumi Murakami and Shoto Ryota."