A year was neither short nor long. Over the course of it, the students in the preparatory class had all grown in different ways. But those two figures loomed over them like towering peaks, weighing heavily on their shoulders...
Today was a very important day for these children.
The first round of Konoha's seventy-third Genin qualification exam was being held on the largest training ground at the Ninja Academy.
The atmosphere was far more tense than it had been during the graduation exam. The air seemed frozen, thick with a genuine, suffocating tension. The judges' seats were no longer occupied only by school instructors. Several Chunin examiners from Anbu, the Jonin Commander's office, and the Mission Assignment Office were there as well, their gazes sharp as eagles' as they scrutinized every candidate on the field.
Kakashi Sakuya and Hatake Lian stood among the candidates, surrounded by their classmates: Kazamatsuri Yamanaka, whose palms were sweating with nerves; Chiba Akimichi, trying hard to look composed; Shikano Nara, still as languid as ever but with a focused gaze; and Nadeshiko Haku, standing a short distance away, her posture straight and her expression cool.
Naruto Uzumaki wasn't present for this basic exam, but everyone knew the final results would inevitably be reported to him.
The chief examiner was Shino Aburame. He pushed up his sunglasses and spoke in an even, emotionless voice, yet carried an authority that commanded respect. "The Genin qualification exam's first round begins now. Test: practical application of the Three Basic Techniques. This is not a simple test of transformation. It will assess your proficiency with basic jutsu, your ability to adapt, and your performance under pressure."
He paused, then continued. "The format is one-on-one combat. Examiners will randomly assign the techniques each candidate must use. One candidate will attack with the Transformation Technique. The other must evade with the Substitution Technique, then immediately create a distraction with the Clone Technique and counterattack or defend. The cycle will continue until one candidate makes a clear mistake. Scores will be based on hand-seal speed, the stability of the transformation, tactical application, and timing. You don't have to defeat your opponent to pass. Demonstrating your skills with technique thoroughly, smoothly, and precisely is also part of the assessment."
When the rules had been announced, a low murmur rippled through the children. This was much harder than their usual practice! They had to be fast, switch techniques fluidly in combat, and use whichever techniques were assigned to them!
The candidates were tested one pair at a time. Some made mistakes with their hand seals because they were nervous, producing crooked, misshapen forms. Some were a beat too slow with the Substitution Technique and were lightly "hit." Others made too few clones and were exposed at once.
"Next pair: Hatake Lian and Chiba Akimichi."
Lian took a deep breath and stepped forward. Chiba puffed out his chubby cheeks, doing his best to look fierce.
"Hatake Lian, use the Clone Technique. Chiba Akimichi, use the Transformation Technique."
Shino gave the order.
Lian quickly formed the hand seals. "Clone Technique!" Three identical copies of Lian appeared on the field and scattered in unison.
Chiba immediately formed his own hand seals. With a poof, he transformed into a giant... Shuriken? Its edges looked round and chubby, even a little cute. It wobbled toward one of the "Lians" and swung at him.
The targeted clone vanished with a poof. At the same time, the other two Lians formed hand seals. "Substitution Technique!" One Lian's position was instantly replaced by a wooden post, while his true body appeared on the flank. "Transformation Technique!" The Lian who had appeared on the flank transformed into a swift black cat, landing lightly and crouching in preparation to pounce.
The whole sequence was smooth and natural. Chiba's transformation was a little comical, but Lian's response was textbook-perfect: swift movements and clear thinking. The examiners made notes on their papers.
"Pass. Next pair..."
Soon, it was Sakuya's turn. "Kakashi Sakuya versus Nadeshiko Haku."
The atmosphere on the field tightened slightly. This was the first official match between two rookies widely recognized as "monsters."
The two stepped into the center of the field. Haku's icy blue eyes burned with fighting spirit, while Sakuya's deep purple eyes remained calm and still.
"Kakashi Sakuya, use the Substitution Technique. Nadeshiko Haku, use the Clone Technique."
Haku's hand seals were astonishingly fast, almost too quick to follow. "Clone Technique!" Four lifelike copies of Haku appeared and charged at Sakuya from four directions, moving in perfect unison and bearing down on him.
Sakuya stood where he was, as if he couldn't react in time. Just as the first "Haku" was about to strike him with a hand chop—bang! His struck body turned into a wooden post. His true body appeared behind the four Hakus in their blind spot, untouched, like a phantom. "Transformation Technique," he murmured. In an instant, he transformed into a sturdy rope that swept low across the ground toward all four Hakus' legs!
The unexpected change in tactics caught everyone by surprise! Instead of using the Clone Technique to create a distraction, he had used the Transformation Technique to counterattack directly!
The four Hakus reacted swiftly and leaped back to dodge. But the moment they landed, three of them vanished with a poof—they were clones too! Haku's true body had already formed hand seals again as she leaped! "Substitution Technique!" In midair, Haku's true body switched places with an inconspicuous pebble on the ground, evading the rope's sweeping attack. At the same time, the Haku in the pebble's place finished forming hand seals. "Clone Technique!" Another Haku appeared, diving down through the air!
Offense and defense shifted several times in the blink of an eye! The pair's hand-seal speed, the stability of their techniques, and their ability to adapt on the spot far surpassed those of every other candidate. Even some of the examiners nodded to themselves.
The students watching were dumbstruck. Luye's eyes opened a fraction. "Those two..."
At last, Shino called out, "That's enough. You pass."
Sakuya and Haku stopped at the same time and dispelled their techniques. Haku breathed a little heavily, and her eyes shone even brighter as she looked at Sakuya, thrilled to have found an equal opponent. Sakuya only gave her a faint glance before turning and walking back to the line.
The exam continued. After Sakuya and Haku's high-level demonstration, the other students seemed inspired and did their best to impress the examiners.
After the last student had completed the test, Shino Aburame and the other examiners spoke quietly for a moment.
Finally, he stepped forward to address all the anxious candidates. "I hereby announce that the first round of Konoha's seventy-third Genin qualification exam, the Three Basic Techniques practical application test..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across every young face. "Everyone passes!"
"Yeah!" After a brief silence, a tremendous cheer erupted across the training ground! The children jumped up in excitement, high-fiving and hugging one another. Some even cried with joy. Even Luye, who was usually so lazy, wore a relieved smile. Chiba Akimichi was so happy he nearly pulled out some snacks to celebrate.
Sakuya and Lian stood amid the cheering crowd, seeming somewhat out of place. The corners of Lian's mouth lifted slightly in a relaxed smile. Sakuya still showed little emotion, but as he looked at his excited classmates—especially Himawari Uzumaki, whose smile was especially radiant now that she had passed—the depths of his ice-cold eyes seemed to thaw, just a little, with an almost imperceptible warmth.
When the Forehead Protector bearing Konoha's symbol was placed in his hand, he gripped the metal protector tightly. He gazed simply ahead. He knew that only now had he truly set foot on the path of a ninja!
And what truly mattered was the Chunin Exams a year from now!
Before you continue