The Examination Begins

Hokage Office

Konoha's top brass had gathered there: the Third Hokage, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Shimura Danzō. A month ago, the Third Hokage's hair had only been slightly gray, and he had still looked hale and hearty. Now, a month later, his hair had turned completely white, and he looked every bit his age.

"Everyone, I'm sure you know why I called you here. Kumogakure, in the Land of Lightning, has invaded ten of our towns and villages in the Land of Fire. We've lost many shinobi, and it'll be difficult to take them back. Should we ask the Land of Wind or another village for help?" The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe before speaking.

"Ask the Land of Wind? But we only just defeated them, and they suffered heavy losses during the Third Shinobi World War. They're in even worse shape than Konoha is now. Even if they don't lend a hand in our time of need, making things worse for them now could have serious consequences for the future," Mitokado Homura said. Every shinobi village had suffered some losses in the Third Shinobi World War. After the Battle of Kikyo Pass, Sunagakure in the Land of Wind had been hit hardest, followed by Iwagakure in the Land of Earth. The Land of Water had suffered about as much, while Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning had suffered the least. Naturally, they wanted to secure a greater share of the spoils.

"But isn't this exactly when allies should face hardship together? Otherwise, what's the point of forming an alliance?" Utatane Koharu said.

Danzō spoke up. "An alliance is just a piece of paper. It can be torn up at any time. In the end, Konoha has to rely on itself to get through this crisis. If enemy agents slip in among our allies while Konoha is vulnerable, our losses will be even greater—and we'll make ourselves look weak."

"Oh? Then what do you propose, Danzō?" Utatane Koharu immediately asked, challenging his rebuttal.

"Aren't there plenty of trainee shinobi at the Ninja Academy? Send them out to make up for our shortage of shinobi," Shimura Danzō said.

The Third Hokage's expression darkened. "They're still children. They're the future of the village!"

"Yes, the future. But if the village falls, what future will they have? In our day, four-year-olds were already sent to the battlefield, their hands stained with blood. Or do you think a peaceful Ninja Academy can produce powerful shinobi? Shinobi grow fastest in battle."

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu fell silent. Danzō's words seemed heartless, but they weren't wrong. It was common throughout the Shinobi World for children as young as four to take part in combat, especially in their era, when war raged everywhere and children had to go to the battlefield. Konoha wasn't in as dire a situation as it had been back then, but it was already struggling badly to fill its ranks. If things continued, the village would lose even more.

"No. I still don't agree," the Third Hokage said.

The Hokage Office fell silent. No one spoke for a while. At last, Shimura Danzō opened his eyes. "Fine. Then let's do it another way. Your main concern is the students' strength, isn't it? The Ninja Academy has a three-year program. We can exclude first-year students who have just enrolled. Students who have been enrolled for at least two years must take the Genin exam, while those who have been enrolled for at least one year can apply to take it early. Anyone who passes can take on shinobi missions. What do you think?"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu found Danzō's proposal reasonable. The Ninja Academy had no shortage of talented students; some children were so gifted that they could rival Chunin at a young age. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was one such prodigy. Kakashi, who had been only six at the time, had already attained the rank of Chunin—a rare talent.

The Third Hokage furrowed his brow and pondered Danzō's suggestion. He had seen plenty of prodigies: his student Orochimaru; Jiraiya's student, the Fourth Hokage; the Fourth Hokage's student, Kakashi; and many others who had shown extraordinary talent from a young age.

Even among the Ninja Academy students he had recently heard about, two Uchiha clan children, Uchiha Ye Han and Uchiha Itachi, had exceptional talent. They were even stronger than ordinary Chunin.

At last, the Third Hokage sighed. "Fine. I have no objection to second-year students taking the exam. Anyone who's been enrolled for at least one year must apply of their own free will. They can't be forced, and I'll personally observe the examination." Konoha was in crisis, and there was no choice but to rely on the children at the Ninja Academy. But he wouldn't send anyone who wasn't strong enough to the battlefield; their chances of surviving would be far too low.

"Of course," Shimura Danzō said coolly.

Three days later, Ye Han arrived in class. Ever since the rumor about the Uchiha clan had spread a month ago, the other students had barely spoken to Ye Han or Itachi. Their four close friends still treated them as they always had, but the rest of the class clearly kept their distance.

Ye Han and Uchiha Itachi didn't mind. Ye Han actually preferred it when these brats didn't talk to him. Itachi seemed unaffected, as usual. The other students had already tended to avoid him and rarely spoke to him, so nothing had really changed.

A little while later, their homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hino, entered the classroom and walked up to the lectern. His expression was serious as he began, "There won't be any lessons today. I have an announcement to make. Many cities in the Land of Fire have been occupied by shinobi from other villages. The incident a month ago dealt our village a heavy blow, and many shinobi lost their lives."

"The other villages took advantage of that and launched attacks. More shinobi have died, and we're now desperately short of them. We need to fill the gaps with students from the Ninja Academy. Second-year students will all take the examination. First-year students may apply, depending on their circumstances. Here are the application forms. When you get home, discuss with your family whether you want to take the exam. Bring the form tomorrow when you come to school. Those who apply will be scheduled for the exam."

Ye Han raised an eyebrow as he listened to his teacher, Nakamura. He hadn't expected the exam to come so soon. Konoha's situation really must be dire. But he was in danger himself, too. This exam was an opportunity for him—a chance to become a true shinobi.