The Gathering of Future Shinobi
By the time Raizen reached the academy grounds, the courtyard was already filled with children.
Some stood in quiet groups.
Others stretched or practiced throwing motions with imaginary shuriken.
But one thing was immediately clear.
This wasn't a normal school environment.
The atmosphere felt competitive.
Almost tense.
The academy of Kumogakure had a reputation for producing powerful shinobi, and every child standing in that courtyard knew it.
Many of them had been training for years already.
Raizen paused near the entrance and quietly observed the crowd.
Inside his mind Astra began analyzing.
"Multiple subjects exhibiting advanced physical conditioning."
"Estimated clan representation: 40%."
Raizen raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That high?"
"Affirmative."
It made sense.
If Kumogakure wanted to become the strongest village in the shinobi world, it would start by pushing its future shinobi as early as possible.
And that meant the academy entrance evaluation wasn't simply a formality.
It was the first competition.
While Raizen scanned the crowd, two figures caught his attention.
A boy and a girl standing near the center of the courtyard.
Twins.
They looked nearly identical except for subtle differences.
Both had dark hair streaked with faint lightning-blue highlights—an inherited trait from one of the older clans within Kumogakure.
Their posture was confident.
Comfortable.
Like they were used to being watched.
Inside his mind Astra spoke.
"Subjects likely raised in a shinobi clan environment."
Raizen nodded internally.
The girl stood slightly straighter than her brother.
Calm.
Observant.
Sharp eyes that studied the surrounding students.
Her name was Aikari.
Next to her stood her twin brother Daigo.
Unlike his sister, Daigo looked impatient.
He cracked his knuckles as he stared at the other students like he was already imagining a fight.
Aikari's eyes drifted across the courtyard as she quietly evaluated the other children.
Then she noticed him.
The silver-haired boy standing alone near the entrance.
Raizen wasn't doing anything dramatic.
He simply watched the surroundings calmly.
But something about his presence stood out.
Aikari tilted her head slightly.
"…Interesting."
Daigo noticed where she was looking.
"Who?"
"The silver-haired one."
Daigo glanced over.
"Hm."
He studied Raizen for a moment.
"…He doesn't look that strong."
Raizen wasn't particularly large or imposing.
Lean.
Balanced.
Controlled.
But not intimidating.
Daigo shrugged.
"Probably some civilian kid."
Aikari kept watching him.
For reasons she couldn't explain…
She didn't think that was true.
A loud voice suddenly echoed across the courtyard.
"Line up!"
Several academy instructors stepped forward.
One of them—a tall jonin with a scar across his jaw—looked over the gathered students.
"Today you will complete the academy entrance evaluation."
"This determines your starting placement."
His voice carried the hard tone typical of Kumogakure instructors.
"No one here gets special treatment."
"Clan heirs."
"Civilian students."
"Everyone earns their position the same way."
A large board stood behind the instructors.
At the top were the words:
ENTRANCE RANKINGS
Raizen noticed immediately.
"A leaderboard," he thought.
Inside his mind Astra responded.
"Competitive academic structure confirmed."
Written Evaluation
The first test began inside the academy classroom.
Basic shinobi knowledge.
Village history.
Chakra theory.
Raizen read the questions calmly.
Most of them were things he had already learned while studying with his mother.
He finished far earlier than the other students.
Across the room, Aikari was still writing when she noticed something strange.
The silver-haired boy had already placed his brush down.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Already?"
She sped up.
But when the instructors collected the papers, Raizen was still the first one finished.
The Physical Evaluation
The next test moved outside.
Obstacle course.
Balance drills.
Target throwing.
Short sprint races.
This was where many clan-trained children began to shine.
One boy sprinted across the track with incredible speed.
Another lifted training weights that made several other students gasp.
Raizen watched quietly.
Inside his mind Astra calculated.
"Several subjects possess early specialization advantages."
Raizen responded silently.
"Speed and strength types."
"Correct."
Then it was Raizen's turn.
The Shuriken Test
Three targets stood twenty meters away.
Each student received three shuriken.
Some students landed one or two hits.
A few missed completely.
When Raizen stepped forward, several students glanced at him curiously.
The silver-haired boy looked calm.
Almost relaxed.
Inside his mind Astra spoke.
"Wind drift: two degrees east."
Raizen adjusted his stance slightly.
Three quick flicks of his wrist.
THUNK.
THUNK.
THUNK.
All three shuriken struck the center rings.
A quiet murmur spread through the students.
Next came the obstacle run.
Speed specialists dominated the early attempts.
Several clan-trained students raced through the course with impressive pace.
When Raizen ran, he wasn't the fastest.
But his movements were smooth.
Balanced.
Efficient.
He lost almost no time during transitions between obstacles.
When the results were calculated…
His overall score rose quickly.
Not the fastest.
Not the strongest.
But consistently near the top in every category.
Exactly the type of performance his mother had predicted.
Final Rankings
When the instructors finished compiling the scores, the ranking board was updated.
Students gathered around it nervously.
The final list appeared.
1 — Raizen
2 — Aikari
3 — Daigo
A quiet wave of surprise moved through the crowd.
Aikari stared at the board.
"…Second."
She wasn't upset.
Just impressed.
Daigo, however, frowned deeply.
"…Third?"
His eyes shifted immediately to the top of the board.
Raizen stood nearby looking at the results calmly.
Not celebrating.
Not bragging.
Just observing.
Daigo walked straight toward him.
"You."
Raizen looked over.
"Yes?"
Daigo pointed at the ranking board.
"I'm beating you next time."
Raizen blinked.
"…Okay."
Daigo scowled.
"That's it?"
Raizen shrugged slightly.
"If you train hard enough, maybe."
Inside his mind Astra commented quietly.
"Probability of rival surpassing host: 14.3%."
Raizen almost laughed.
While Daigo walked away in frustration, Aikari approached Raizen.
"You did really well."
Raizen nodded politely.
"Thank you."
"I'm Aikari."
"Raizen."
She hesitated slightly before asking,
"Where did you train?"
Raizen thought for a moment.
"At home."
Aikari blinked.
"…Just at home?"
Raizen smiled slightly.
"Mostly."
For some reason, that answer made her even more curious.
Across the courtyard, Daigo watched the conversation.
And his competitive instincts flared even stronger.
Inside his mind Astra spoke again.
"Rivalry scenario confirmed."
Raizen looked at the ranking board one more time.
The academy had officially begun.
And in a place like Kumogakure…
Competition was only the beginning.