Ino-Shika-Cho and Minato Namikaze

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire also burns on."

"As long as there is a place where the leaves dance, the fire will burn. The shadow of the fire will illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."

"I know that most of you chose to apply for the graduation exam early to contribute to the village, but becoming a ninja means fulfilling the responsibilities of a ninja."

"Before the exam begins, those who wish to withdraw may do so. The Will of Fire is not meant to lead you to blind sacrifice."

"Students who choose to withdraw should not be mocked. The peace and future of Konoha require every generation to guard them with courage and responsibility."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood before the crowd, flanked by the prominent high-ranking officials of Konoha.

His voice was steady yet piercing, reaching the ears of every child waiting for the exam and every official present.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a golden halo over the Hokage.

After a moment of waiting, over a dozen students who doubted their own abilities chose to withdraw, including the one who had wet his pants earlier.

However, the remaining students looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with firm gazes, signaling that they would never back down.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes fell upon the children once more, filled with expectation. "Remember, you are the new sprouts of Konoha, the inheritors of the Will of Fire. As long as the fire in your hearts does not extinguish, Konoha will never fall!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue.

The children's faces beamed with excitement and pride, their previous tension and fear long since vanished.

A flash of displeasure crossed the depths of Shimura Danzō's eyes.

Ninjas are nothing but tools; why be so sentimental? It's a waste of time!

Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand to quiet the applause, and his voice rang out once more: "Since no one else is withdrawing, I announce—today's graduation exam officially begins!"

"Exam format: 120 students, randomly divided into 24 groups of five."

"Each group of five must face a Jonin, whose strength will be suppressed to the Chunin level. From today on, those who pass the exam will officially become ninjas of Konoha!"

After Hiruzen Sarutobi finished his speech, a Jonin stepped forward, holding a document, and said with a stern expression:

"The exam begins now. Those whose names are called, step forward immediately."

"..."

Unlike in the era of Naruto, where passing a simple E-rank Three Body Technique was enough to qualify, the focus of the exam at this time was primarily on actual combat.

Bai Lin glanced at it and lost interest, for it was far too boring.

It started with shuriken, a charge, the Jonin using the Substitution Technique—hah! Smack! One person was eliminated, while the others, seeing this, hid behind trees to wait for an opportunity.

The knowledge taught at the Ninja Academy was quite comprehensive: the Three Body Technique, taijutsu, and theoretical knowledge.

The Three Body Technique went without saying.

Chakra was the energy that supported the use of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu; it was the fundamental energy for a ninja's combat and survival.

At the same time, it could strengthen the body and raise the ceiling of one's physical functions.

Taijutsu was the rational use of chakra to amplify the body's capabilities, including wall-running, leaping, and blocking attacks.

Theoretical knowledge covered intelligence gathering, terrain utilization, teammate coordination, and an understanding of genjutsu.

Every aspect was important. The first group of students was actually quite decent; it was just that the first student likely thought it was a game of house at the academy, got careless, and failed to dodge!

Hiruzen Sarutobi and the high-ranking officials watched the battle between the six in the arena with varying expressions.

His gaze fell upon the student who had been instantly eliminated, and he shook his head but said nothing. The path of a ninja was inherently cruel; carelessness and underestimating the enemy were the most fatal weaknesses.

It was normal that most people were eliminated before they could even show their strength.

"Hmph! A complete waste of time. I'd rather go back and study how to deal with Hanzo of the Salamander," Shimura Danzō snorted, expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Enough. They are the future of Konoha!" Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly.

The battle in the arena ended quickly.

The Jonin was clearly holding back, keeping his strength suppressed to the Chunin level, yet he remained at ease.

"Next group."

"..."

This group was actually quite commendable; at least a few of them were able to apply the knowledge taught at the academy to actual combat.

Time passed quickly, and except for the final group, all students had been eliminated.

"Final group."

"Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara." The stern voice of the examining Jonin rang out.

(Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, Shikaku Nara: Konoha year 25, 26 or so: 9 years old)

"Yay! It's finally my turn," Kushina Uzumaki's excited voice rang out.

"Wait, Kushina, we should discuss a strategy with our teammates," Minato Namikaze stopped Kushina.

Except for Kushina, the reckless one, the other four were all serious and earnest, treating this with the utmost importance.

"Hello, I'm Inoichi Yamanaka, I specialize in sensory perception and intelligence transmission," a boy with yellow hair in a ponytail walked over, followed by a chubby boy and a thin, sleepy-looking boy.

"I am Choza Akimichi, crunch, crunch." Choza Akimichi held a bag of potato chips, stuffing them into his mouth as he introduced himself.

"Good grief, what a drag! I am Shikaku Nara, and I specialize in formulating strategies." Shikaku Nara stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression lazy, yet his eyes scanned the Jonin they were about to face with sharp precision.

Not far away stood the Third Hokage, the upper echelons of Konoha, and their own clansmen.

The three of them were heirs to their respective clans; if they performed too poorly, they would not only lose face for their families but also be looked down upon by their future colleagues.

"I am Minato Namikaze." Minato flashed a gentle smile and reached out his hand, "I'll be counting on everyone from here on out!"

Kushina also reined in her recklessness, patting her chest as she introduced herself, her red hair swaying, "Don't worry, leave the frontal assault to me; I definitely won't hold you back!"

The five of them quickly formed a circle. Shikaku Nara spoke first, his tone still lazy but possessing an unquestionable logic: "The examiner is the Jonin Tanakamura. I've observed him; he excels in Taijutsu. Although he is suppressing his level to that of a Chunin, his combat experience far exceeds ours."

"..."

The group quickly discussed their tactics and stepped forward one after another.

The examiner Tanakamura did not show any sign of impatience; instead, he looked at them with an expression of admiration: "If you are ready, the examination begins now!"

The ensuing battle made everyone's eyes light up, as the strength they displayed was clearly far superior to the previous 23 teams.

Tanakamura was caught in a three-sided pincer attack, and for a moment, he was caught off guard.

He had intended to break through the encirclement by relying on his combat experience, only to find that the coordination of these five children was like that of teammates who had worked together for years.

Inoichi's information relay had zero delay, and he utilized his clan's secret Mind Transfer Technique with incredible proficiency, requiring constant vigilance; one moment of carelessness would result in an immediate combo attack.

Shikaku's tactical adjustments were precise and efficient, and his clan's secret Shadow Possession Technique effectively provided control and restraint, forcing Tanakamura to step into their traps through his positioning.

Choza's containment was as steady as a mountain, and whenever an opportunity arose, he would unleash the Multi-Size Technique to launch an attack.

As for Minato Namikaze, his speed was immense, allowing him to handle most unexpected situations.

Several times, Tanakamura tried to quickly take one of them out, only to be blocked by Minato Namikaze.

While Shikaku Nara appeared to be the tactical core of the group, Minato Namikaze possessed a strategic awareness that was in no way inferior to his.

If he could not break through Minato Namikaze's defense, it would be difficult to eliminate any one of them with only Chunin-level strength; in fact, he was forced to use a small portion of his Jonin-level speed just to barely escape.