Graduation Exam

Year 37 of Konoha, rain fell without letup.

A gloomy curtain of rain shrouded the skies above all of Konohagakure.

The air was thick with the mingled smells of damp earth and rust—the scent of war.

The Second Shinobi World War was raging fiercely. Casualty reports from the front poured back into the village like snowflakes, bringing with them fresh names on the Memorial Stone and forcing the Ninja Academy to hold its graduation exams early.

On the Ninja Academy training ground, a group of children around ten years old waited in line for their tests.

"Next, Nishikawa Tetsu."

The Chunin proctor, Teacher Daikoku, frowned as he held a score sheet with rain-soaked edges. His voice carried an unmistakable note of fatigue and indifference.

A black-haired, dark-eyed boy stepped out from the crowd.

He had delicate features and a somewhat slender build.

Unlike the other children his age, who trembled with nerves, Nishikawa Tetsu's gaze was as calm as a stagnant pool, even carrying a hint of scrutiny beyond his years.

"Here."

Tetsu's voice was quiet, but clear.

He walked to the throwing line and took three Shuriken from his Ninja Tool Pouch.

"This is the graduation exam. How come that kid isn't nervous at all?"

"Please. He only got a perfect score on the written test. Everyone knows how little Chakra he has in practical class."

Whispers rose around him.

Tetsu paid them no heed. He wasn't staring fixedly at the bull's-eye. Instead, he raised his gaze slightly and studied the treetops slanting in the wind, feeling the force and rhythm of the raindrops against his cheek.

The wind was coming from the northwest at about force four. Humidity was at ninety percent, and the dense raindrops would increase drag. The target was twenty meters away. Given the Shuriken's weight and shape, he needed to compensate for wind drift and drop.

His former life as a researcher set his mind working on instinct.

In this world, filled with the subjective energy known as Chakra, he still insisted on using science to break down Ninjutsu.

He didn't tremble nervously like the other students, nor did he use any flashy throwing stance.

He raised his hand, flicked his wrist, and let go.

His movements were as simple as a textbook illustration, without a trace of Chakra coating—pure muscle power and angle calculations.

The three Shuriken traced strange arcs through the air.

The Shuriken had been flying straight, but a crosswind pushed them off course. They seemed about to miss the bull's-eye, yet at the last moment, it was as if an invisible hand corrected their trajectory, using the wind to speed up their spin.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

Three muffled impacts rang out. The three Shuriken formed a Triangle Formation around the bull's-eye, hitting the red mark with pinpoint accuracy.

"Perfect score."

Teacher Daikoku raised an eyebrow and glanced at the usually taciturn student in surprise. "Interesting. You actually know how to use the wind. Your throws are a little weak—you couldn't drive them three inches into the wood—but you're pretty good for a Genin."

"That was scientific calculation," Tetsu silently corrected him. Out loud, he simply nodded politely. "Thank you, Teacher."

"Don't thank me yet. Next is the Ninjutsu test." Teacher Daikoku pointed to the testing device and the wooden substitution post nearby. "Use the Ninjutsu you're best at, for either attack or defense."

This was the real test.

In this world, no matter how good your throwing technique was, it was useless without Chakra.

Tetsu took a deep breath and formed Hand Seals.

Boar—Snake—Tiger.

"Clone Technique!"

After a puff of smoke dispersed, two clones identical to Tetsu appeared beside him. However, anyone with sharp eyes could see that their forms were somewhat hazy. One of them even had a left leg that flickered in and out of sight.

The anticipation in Teacher Daikoku's eyes instantly turned to disappointment. He made a heavy mark on the score sheet.

"Your Chakra control is passable, your hand-seal speed is 0.8 seconds, which is standard, but..." Teacher Daikoku shook his head. "Your Chakra reserves are too low. Your total Chakra is probably around the average for your age, maybe even a little below. Maintaining two clones is already your limit, isn't it?"

Tetsu felt an emptiness in his internal pathways. It was the sign that his Chakra had run out. He released the technique and nodded, looking a little pale. "Yes."

As a transmigrator, he didn't have the Sage Body of the Uzumaki Clan, the Red Eye of the Uchiha, the white-eyed vision of the Hyuga Clan, or even a system.

In this world, where bloodlines reigned supreme, he, Nishikawa Tetsu, had been handed the standard nobody's Script.

"Nishikawa Tetsu, you passed."

Teacher Daikoku handed him a metal Forehead Protector. There was little congratulations in his voice; instead, it held a trace of cruel pity. "You passed, but I have to warn you. On the battlefield, the enemy won't give you time to calculate the wind direction. If you can't increase your Chakra reserves, you'll die quickly once you're caught in a prolonged fight."

"Evaluation: Mediocre."

The teacher wrote those two words in the comments section.

Tetsu took the Forehead Protector and rubbed his fingertip over the cold Konoha symbol. The corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

Mediocre?

For someone trying to survive on this cruel battlefield, that was the highest praise he could ask for.

Cannon fodder that was too weak died young. Geniuses that were too strong drew concentrated fire. Only the mediocre could find a chance to survive in the cracks—and have time to put the "scientific theories" in his head to use in this world.

"Next, Namikaze Minato!"

At the teacher's shout, the crowd instantly stirred.

A boy with dazzling blond hair and a smile as warm as sunshine stepped forward.

As he passed Tetsu, he nodded in a friendly manner, showing two rows of white teeth.

"Your Shuriken throwing is amazing. How did you make that arc just now?" Namikaze Minato asked quietly, his bright blue eyes brimming with genuine curiosity.

"Instinct," Tetsu replied, making something up on the spot.

Minato smiled and walked up.

The next two minutes belonged to a genius.

He hit every target with instantaneous Shuriken throws. Several even struck one another in midair, changing course to hit blind spots.

His Ninjutsu test was even more impressive. His Body Flicker Technique was so fast that even Teacher Daikoku couldn't follow it. His Chakra reserves, though not as great as those of the Uzumaki Clan, far exceeded an ordinary person's.

"A genius! An absolute genius!" Teacher Daikoku exclaimed, trembling with excitement.

On the other side, a black-haired boy stood with his arms crossed, watching it all coldly, his expression arrogant.

An unmistakable Uchiha Clan Crest, a red-and-white fan, was embroidered on the back of his clothes.

In the corner, Tetsu tied the Forehead Protector around his arm, while his mind drafted another blueprint.

"Low Chakra reserves really are a serious weakness," Tetsu mused.

"Since the 'software' won't cut it, I'll have to make up for it with 'hardware.'"

"A chemically improved formula for Explosive Tags, the alloy ratio for Chakra Conductive Metal..."

A feverish glint flashed in his eyes.

"Shinobi World, are you ready for a scientific revolution?"