The Samurai Examination

Hyuuga Nen wore a samurai sword at his waist. With one hand resting on its hilt, he strolled leisurely toward his destination.

Before long, he arrived in front of an imposing building. Two samurai stood at the entrance, watching the crowd gathered outside.

Hyuuga Nen surveyed the people waiting and saw that most were teenagers, though some were adults. They had all come to take the samurai examination.

Hyuuga Nen moved to one side and waited quietly.

He had considered whether to train on his own or take the samurai examination.

Training alone would give him complete freedom over his schedule, and no one would disturb him. If he passed the samurai examination, however, he would have to carry out missions for the Land of Iron, leaving him with less time to arrange as he pleased. Still, there were benefits:

First, he could gain experience in real combat.

Second, he could earn money to fund his training. Although his father had provided him with some resources, they had already run out, and Hyuuga Nen would have to find a way to support himself.

Third, he could gather information about the Shinobi World more easily. If he tried to do so as an ordinary person, he might arouse suspicion.

After weighing the pros and cons, Hyuuga Nen decided to take the samurai examination.

"Samurai missions aren't that demanding, so they won't affect my training too much." Just as Hyuuga Nen was thinking this, a voice interrupted him.

"Quiet!"

Hyuuga Nen turned and saw a middle-aged man in armor walk out. He looked sternly at the crowd. At his words, the people, who had been somewhat noisy, fell silent.

"I'm a samurai named Yamamoto Yuuichirou, and I'll be in charge of your examination today. The first test: anyone who hasn't learned to refine chakra may leave."

At this, the crowd grew noisy again. Some people, looking disappointed, slowly stepped out of the line and trudged back the way they had come.

"Why? Does that mean you really can't become a samurai without chakra?"

A boy about the same age as Hyuuga Nen—around eleven or twelve—ran to the front of the line and challenged Yamamoto Yuuichirou indignantly.

Yamamoto Yuuichirou frowned and looked down at the boy.

"You can certainly be called a samurai without chakra. But today's examination is for the New School Samurai. The first thing you need to become one is control over chakra."

"In the Land of Iron, far too many people want to become samurai, and there are plenty without chakra. You can find samurai like that everywhere. Even if you were a farmer and called yourself a samurai, no one would laugh at you. So why take today's examination?"

Yamamoto Yuuichirou didn't mean to scold the boy. If anything, there was a touch of sympathy in his voice.

"Even without chakra, I can still become an excellent samurai!" the boy shouted. Then he pushed through the crowd and ran off, eyes red. After he left, more than half of the people followed him.

"All right. The second test is a swordsmanship demonstration. Line up and take your turns, one at a time," Yamamoto Yuuichirou continued.

Hyuuga Nen watched the others demonstrate their swordsmanship. At last, it was his turn.

He walked to the center of the training ground, gripping the scabbard with his left hand and the hilt with his right. Slowly, Hyuuga Nen drew his samurai sword, assumed a starting stance with the blade pointed ahead, and began his demonstration.

He chopped, swept, lifted, brushed, checked, parried, and thrust. Hyuuga Nen moved fluidly, his actions flowing together seamlessly. He kept his strength and speed somewhere between those of a child and an adult. Soon he had finished the routine, ending with a graceful spin of the sword before sheathing it.

Watching Hyuuga Nen's movements, Yamamoto Yuuichirou nodded approvingly. "The final test is a sparring match. When I call your name, step forward for a one-on-one fight. If your performance is satisfactory, you'll pass. Begin."

After a while, it was Hyuuga Nen's turn. His opponent was a boy of sixteen or seventeen. They met in the middle of the training ground, crossed swords, then stepped back a few paces. Hyuuga Nen watched his opponent without making the first move, waiting for him to attack.

They stared at each other for a moment before the boy lost patience. He charged at Hyuuga Nen, raising his sword over his head and bringing it down in a powerful strike.

Facing the incoming blade, Hyuuga Nen retreated a step and dodged the attack. Then he slid to the left and swung his sword hard at the boy's waist.

The boy hurriedly raised his sword to block the attack, but the force drove him back two steps.

After swinging once, Hyuuga Nen didn't follow up. He stood where he was and waited for the boy. Seeing him stop, the boy grew angry and charged again with his sword raised.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang!" The two swords rang out with every clash, but Hyuuga Nen deflected every one of the boy's attacks.

"My turn," Hyuuga Nen said. The instant he spotted an opening, he raised his sword in both hands and brought it down with such speed that it whistled through the air.

With a sharp clang, the boy managed to lift his sword over his head and block at the last moment. But the difference in speed and strength sent him crashing down onto his backside.

Hyuuga Nen lowered his sword, its tip pointing toward the ground, and watched the boy in silence.

"I'm not beaten yet!" the boy cried. He sprang to his feet, gripping his sword tightly in both hands and clenching his teeth, as if gathering strength for something.

A layer of blue light began to spread over the blade of the boy's sword. Before long, it covered the entire weapon.

"He's coating his sword with chakra! I can't believe someone so young can already do that!" an onlooker exclaimed.

Seeing this, Hyuuga Nen raised an eyebrow. Looks like I'll have to show a little more of what I can do. As the thought crossed his mind, he gathered chakra. Soon, a brilliant blue glow coated his sword as well.

The boy stared at Hyuuga Nen's chakra-coated sword, his face filled with disbelief. But there was no time to dwell on it. He shouted, raised his sword high, and charged.

Their swords met with a ringing clash, and Hyuuga Nen blocked the descending blade. When the boy saw his attack had been stopped, he pressed down harder, trying to overpower Hyuuga Nen with sheer strength.

Feeling the pressure increase, Hyuuga Nen smiled faintly and eased up against it. He turned his wrist slightly, angling his sword tip toward the ground at forty-five degrees. Then he stepped to the left and used the Coiling-Head Sword technique. The boy's sword slid down along Hyuuga Nen's blade.

Hyuuga Nen's sudden shift in force threw the boy off balance, sending him pitching forward. By the time he regained his footing, the blue-glowing tip of Hyuuga Nen's sword was already beside his neck.

"You lose." Hyuuga Nen sheathed his sword and walked off the training ground.

Only then did the spectators come to their senses. Their astonished exclamations rang out: "A genius! Unbelievable!" Their praise reached Hyuuga Nen as he returned to the sidelines.

Hyuuga Nen waited for a while. Then Yamamoto Yuuichirou stepped onto the training ground. "The third test is over. When I call your name, step forward. Everyone else may go home."

He began reading out names, and Hyuuga Nen's was among them. When Yamamoto Yuuichirou called it, he took an extra moment to study Hyuuga Nen.

Yamamoto Yuuichirou looked at the fewer than ten people who had remained. "Congratulations. You've passed every test, and from this moment on, you're official samurai of the Land of Iron. I hope you'll remember the honor of serving as samurai of the Land of Iron, carry out your duties diligently, improve yourselves, and contribute to the Land of Iron. Do you understand?" he asked loudly.

"Yes!" answered everyone who had passed, including Hyuuga Nen.