Assessment Begins

Seeing Hyuga Momona's reaction just now, Hyuga Kazuya believed he had already won her over.

Before long, the two arrived together at the Ninja Academy's Main Training Ground.

There were many students graduating today, over a hundred of them. Including students from the other grades of the Ninja Academy, more than a thousand students from the entire school had gathered in the Main Training Ground, lined up by class.

Though there were many people, they all stood waiting, with few whispering among themselves.

The Ninja Academy of this era was unlike the one in Naruto's time, where mastering the Three Body Techniques was enough to graduate. At this time, Chunin came to assess the academy's graduates.

After all, a few years ago, Cloud had attempted to kidnap the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Kushina. Ordinary civilians might not have known about it, but Konoha's higher-ups had already caught the scent of war.

Peace had lasted for over a decade. No one knew how long it would be before the next war arrived, but without question, every senior official believed it was not far away—at most five or six years, at soonest perhaps even tomorrow.

Therefore, it was only natural to raise the difficulty of the Ninja Academy graduation assessment.

The assessment itself was simple. As long as they demonstrated a certain level of ability before the Chunin—whether intelligence, Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or anything else—they could graduate as long as they earned the Chunin's approval.

Likewise, this meant the examiner's personal opinion carried tremendous weight. If an examiner had an eccentric personality and strict standards, there had even been cases where an entire class failed.

Was this the Ninja Academy teaching its students from the very beginning that luck was also part of one's strength?

Of course, Hyuga Kazuya was not worried about that, because he was confident he could defeat an ordinary Chunin examiner.

But what about Hyuga Momona? After thinking it over and over, Hyuga Kazuya had no solution. He could only leave it to fate.

Even if she failed to graduate, others might point fingers at Hyuga Momona and say unpleasant things.

But Hyuga Kazuya would not, because in his eyes, there was nothing good about an "ordinary person" becoming a ninja.

With war drawing near, if it broke out and she went to the battlefield, she might suddenly die one day.

Hyuga Kazuya did not care about other people, but Hyuga Momona was the wife he had already decided on. Naturally, he hoped she would remain safe and sound.

Back to the graduation exam—it was rather strange, really. At the Ninja Academy, they learned all kinds of knowledge concerning the human body, traps, geography, disguises, tracking and counter-tracking, assassination, intelligence gathering, and so on.

And then there was the most, most, most important brainwashing about the "Will of Fire."

Yet for the graduation exam, one only needed sufficient strength to graduate.

Perhaps the higher-ups believed that for graduates, having the strength to survive came first. As for everything else, they could experience it firsthand later. After all, being taught a thousand times was no substitute for walking the path oneself.

Hyuga Kazuya soon found his class instructor and checked in.

Since today was the Ninja Academy graduation exam, the graduating students had all arrived early. Hyuga Kazuya and Hyuga Momona, the only two who had arrived on time, had instead come the latest.

After checking in with their instructor, Hyuga Kazuya and Hyuga Momona walked over to their class's formation.

As in history, every year's school graduation would have the Hokage come to the Ninja Academy to give a speech about the "Will of Fire."

This time was no exception.

As Hyuga Kazuya returned to his class's line, he suddenly spotted an "acquaintance" in the neighboring class's formation.

"That person with the signature bowl cut and green jumpsuit—is that Might Guy?"

"Wasn't he only seven this year? Why was he taking the Ninja Academy graduation assessment already?"

Though Hyuga Kazuya was full of questions, he was not very familiar with Might Guy, so he did not go over to ask.

He simply could not remember such minor details from his previous life.

Hyuga Kazuya had always believed there was no need to deliberately befriend so-called plot characters. How would that differ from those opportunists who fawned over anyone with money or power?

Therefore, his philosophy toward making friends with "plot characters" was simply to let nature take its course.

Besides, what would befriending them even accomplish? Obtaining the Eight Inner Gates Formation? What use was that?

Anyone who had watched Naruto knew about "that kick that nearly kicked out the ending," but from beginning to end, it was not the Eight Inner Gates Formation that was powerful. It was Might Guy.

In a sense, it was not the Eight Inner Gates Formation that made Might Guy. It was Might Guy who made the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

He had reached the pinnacle of that technique, even surpassing it.

The Gentle Fist combined with extraordinary Ninjutsu already kept Hyuga Kazuya busy enough. There was no need to deliberately scheme for the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

Of course, if he had the chance, Hyuga Kazuya would not mind observing the Eight Inner Gates Formation.

But there was no need to resort to underhanded means to obtain it.

Just one glance at Might Guy's bowl cut had made him think of so much. Hyuga Kazuya could not help shaking his head. Though twelve years had already passed, seeing characters from an anime appear before his eyes still left him somewhat dazed.

It was as though everything were a dream, giving him a faint sense of detachment from this world.

By the time Hyuga Kazuya came back to himself, the Third Hokage and several other high-ranking officials had arrived at the Ninja Academy.

They stood on the raised platform at the front of the field.

The current Third Hokage had black hair and a small mustache. Standing straight in his Hokage Robe, he still looked like a middle-aged man, not yet the white-bearded old man he would become in Naruto's era.

"Where the leaves dance, fire burns without end. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout..."

The Third Hokage's gentle voice slowly carried down from the platform.

Although it was all worn-out rhetoric, Hyuga Kazuya knew better than to question the leader in front of the leader.

At the very least, he could not openly oppose the leader, right?

So Hyuga Kazuya displayed the same enthusiasm as the other students, the same fervor, and the same admiration for the Will of Fire and the First Hokage.

At the Ninja Academy, one could be bad at anything else, but if one had any objections to the "Will of Fire," someone lurking in the shadows would truly take action.

His six years at the Ninja Academy had also given Hyuga Kazuya decent acting skills, so everything appeared harmonious and normal.

But what he truly thought in his heart was known only to himself.

Soon, the speech on the "Will of Fire" came to an end.

The Third Hokage then announced, "The Ninja Academy graduation examination officially begins today."

"I am Chunin Kanishi Tokushi, and I am also the examiner for your graduation exam. The assessment is very simple. As long as your intelligence, strength, Genjutsu, or any other ability has at least one aspect that satisfies me, you will pass this exam and become Genin."

A sturdily built man wearing a Chunin flak jacket stood before Hyuga Kazuya's class. A scar on his face made him look especially fierce.

Then, without waiting for the students to react, he pulled a student roster from his ninja tool pouch.

"First. Aburame Tomomi."