Chapter Summaries

Che and the other children observed how the Konoha Police Force registered and handled Ninja Academy records, learning how safety notices and performance evaluations could be interpreted. Che left with a clearer sense of how cross-checkable records could limit misreadings, though he remained wary of who controlled them.

• Shuhei explained how Academy coordination records were registered, categorized, and stored, while warning the children not to inspect personal records.
• Zhen Shu asked how quick Fire Release evaluations and advanced-training recommendations were recorded, and Shuhei described the required confirmations and guardianship arrangements.
• Che asked how a record saying his performance pacing required attention might be understood, and Shuhei advised leaving multiple records that could be cross-checked.
• The children wrote procedural retellings, and Che noted that the performance-pacing phrase could imply either speed or concealment.
• Takuya asked the children to identify steps likely to be misunderstood, and Che wrote that safety and performance records could be interpreted in conflicting ways.
• Shuhei later handed Takuya a stack of blank forms, while Che reflected that paper could protect or expose depending on how people used it.

Takuya taught the children to retrace and draw a route, but Che’s encounter with Uchiha Itachi brought future fears and unanswered questions into the exercise. Itachi left without answering Zhen Shu’s question about village missions, and the children redrew the route with him marked as an encounter.

• Takuya had the children walk a route once and draw only what they had actually passed.
• Che and Kiyo encountered Itachi speaking with Shuhei in the rear corridor, and Che paused before continuing the route.
• Che recorded that he had paused because he had made Itachi seem too large, and Itachi told him they were not acquainted.
• Zhen Shu asked whether Itachi would take part in the village’s missions, but Itachi told him to draw the road he had walked accurately instead of answering.
• Takuya had everyone redraw the route, and Zhen Shu marked Itachi with the words, “Met. Did not answer.”

Che and Zhen Shu practiced handling unanswered questions without letting them distract them from the task at hand. The chapter ended with them repeating the exercise more calmly, while Itachi’s unanswered question remained unresolved.

• A gust blew Zhen Shu’s route sheet onto Che’s desk, and Zhen Shu trusted Che when he said he had not looked at it.
• Takuya asked everyone to write an unanswered question and record how it had returned; Zhen Shu wrote about Itachi’s silence, while Che wrote about his urge to predict Itachi’s habits.
• Takuya paired Che and Zhen Shu for a windy training exercise, where they had to flip wooden pieces without letting paper blow away or stepping over a line.
• Che and Zhen Shu learned to finish the task before tending to the paper, and Takuya added their creased sheets to the master record.
• The next day, Che and Zhen Shu wrote plans for handling unanswered questions and repeated the exercise with less panic.

Che and his classmates learned that a post-disaster ninja academy transition assessment would take place in three days, and began preparing for its six areas. The notice left Che facing a public test and the prospect of being seen by more people.

• Kiyo found the assessment notice posted on an old board, and Takuya took the children to read it that afternoon.
• Che read the six assessment areas, admitted to Nao that he was a little scared, and she warned him not to reveal everything when people asked how prepared he was.
• Takuya rewrote the six assessment items on the blackboard and told the children to steady what they had already learned over the next three days.
• An older clan member criticized Uchiha children's chakra perception, and Che distracted Kiyo and Zhen Shu so the group could leave.
• Zhen Shu said adults spoke as though someone had already lost, and Che told him not to lose for himself before the assessment.

Takuya trained Che, Kiyo, Morita Yu, Zhen Shu, and Keisuke to sense the ground through their feet and control chakra without relying too heavily on sight. Che improved at separating what he saw from what he physically felt as the three-day assessment preparation continued.

• Takuya had the group walk lime-marked lines barefoot and describe the ground without looking down for too long.
• Che accurately reported the lines but admitted that some of his details came from sight and some from touch, and Takuya told him to distinguish between them.
• The group practiced applying chakra through their soles, and Takuya taught Che to notice why the lime powder moved or stayed still.
• Takuya moved the next round to a wall and had the trainees close their eyes for three steps before reporting what they had felt.
• Che reported only the conditions his feet had touched and clarified that he had seen a wood chip but had not stepped on it.

Mine had the students test how their chakra affected a patched paper lantern, and Che confronted his habit of deliberately controlling what others saw. After Che and Zhen Shu adapted to the lantern’s scorched patch, Che ended the day recording his aching hand honestly.

• Mine introduced a chakra-sensing paper lantern, and Kiyo, Morita Yu, and Zhen Shu tested it in turn.
• Zhen Shu’s chakra made the lantern glow red too quickly and wrinkled its patched paper, while Che deliberately dimmed his own first attempt.
• Che tried again without correcting the fading light and recorded that his palm hurt and that he had not compensated.
• Mine showed the class that the lantern could still be used despite its damage, and Zhen Shu practiced holding back his chakra near the wrinkle.
• Che lit only the lantern’s unwrinkled half and suggested letting that part glow first when explaining the damage.
• Nao wrapped Che’s aching hand, and Che kept his record stating that he should write down when his hand hurt.

Takuya taught Che and the other students to prepare for the Clone Technique by identifying how a false body could betray its original through habits, posture, emotions, and pauses. Che admitted he was only half ready for what lay ahead, and Zhen Shu showed that he had been closely observing how Che chose his answers.

• Takuya explained that Clone Technique preparation focused on position, posture, and flaws, and the students described what could make a false body seem unreal.
• During paired imitation exercises, Kiyo’s hunger gave him away, Keisuke copied Zhen Shu’s mannerisms, and Zhen Shu struggled to imitate Che’s unjoking admission that he feared the assessment.
• Che realized that his habitual jokes had become a recognizable shell, and he wrote that a false body would have trouble imitating him when he did not joke.
• Zhen Shu asked whether Che’s fear was real, and Che admitted that the assessment meant more to him than a simple test.
• Takuya had the students imitate pauses, and Che changed “I’m ready” to “I’m half ready” because neither claiming readiness nor denying it felt honest.
• Zhen Shu observed that Che was choosing the answer with fewer lies, while Kiyo and Morita Yu argued over whether Kiyo could truthfully say he was not hungry.

On the night before the Ninja Academy evaluation, Che prepared his papers and equipment while his family helped him face his nerves. He went to bed resolved to show what he could do without either pretending or hiding himself completely.

• Che sorted his records and chose to bring only the copied notice, Mine's note, and his latest self-record to the evaluation.
• Nao reminded Che that he could acknowledge his fear without revealing it to everyone, while Sosuke gave him old wrist guards to wear.
• Kiyo admitted he was nervous, and Morita Yu gave him a copy of the evaluation schedule.
• Che practiced tying the wrist guards, and Sosuke showed him how to wrap them properly and told him not to rush or deliberately slow down.
• Che returned inside and went to sleep, intending to act neither as others expected nor to conceal himself entirely.

Che and his friends arrived at the Ninja Academy assessment, where staff checked their belongings and registered their names. As the first event was about to begin, a mistaken name call unsettled the children, and the chapter ended with the assessment starting.

• Che tied on Sosuke’s old wristguard while Kiyo, Morita Yu, and Nao prepared for the assessment.
• Che and his friends walked to the assessment site, where Zhen Shu and Keisuke joined them.
• At registration, Che explained that his wristguard protected an old injury, and the teacher checked his name off the list.
• The children lined up for the first event, and Che studied the chalk line and uneven ground before running.
• A registration teacher called the wrong child, but Shuhei caught the mistake and had the list rechecked.
• The chief examiner sent the first group back to the starting line, and the assessment began.

Che and the other children completed a running-and-observation assessment, where they had to manage their pace and report changes in the ground. After reflecting on whom they had blamed for mistakes, they waited for the next event, a paper-lantern assessment.

• Zhen Shu started too fast, scraped his foot on a stone, and reported the loose chalk, stones, and stopping point to the examiner.
• Kiyo took a wide detour around a dry leaf, scattered chalk on his return, and admitted he had overthought the obstacle.
• Che ran carefully, reported the ground conditions he noticed, and explained which details he had observed before and during the run.
• Takuya checked Zhen Shu's shoe and helped him remove a grain of sand before the children wrote down whom they had nearly blamed.
• Mine collected the children's reflections, and the teacher called the next batch as the new paper lantern was set out for the second event.

Che and the other children completed an assessment with a new sensing paper lantern, recording how their chakra responses triggered and changed its light. Afterward, they prepared to begin studying the Three Basic Techniques.

• Teacher Hyuga assessed the children with the sensing lantern, recording their reactions and control.
• Zhen Shu triggered a rapid red glow, then withdrew abruptly when it neared his control limit.
• Morita Yu produced a faint yellow glow, while Kiyo triggered a brief, nearly colorless light before surprise made it vanish.
• Che held a steadier red glow but did not correct a slight shift caused by his wrist guard rubbing his wrist, and he explained his choice to Teacher Hyuga.
• The children wrote one-line records of their results, and Mine collected them without comment.
• Che noticed the wooden placards for the next assessment on the Three Basic Techniques and resisted scratching his itchy wrist.

The children completed a preliminary Three Basic Techniques assessment by identifying flaws in false-body arrangements and explaining how they would correct them. Che passed after choosing the false body’s misplaced feet over a suspicious drag mark, and the group moved on to record recitation.

• The examiner tested the children on six wooden plaques depicting problems with false bodies, shadows, and posture.
• Zhen Shu and Keisuke identified the incorrect shadow and the false body’s misplaced center of gravity, and Zhen Shu agreed with Keisuke’s observation.
• Kiyo initially misidentified a plaque, then corrected himself by pointing out mismatched toes and shoulders.
• Che identified the false body looking toward the gate and its feet set half a step back, while treating the drag mark as a clue to remember rather than an answer.
• Che passed by correcting the false body’s feet first and explaining that feet revealed flaws more clearly than shadows.
• The children recorded what they had learned, ate beneath the eaves, and gathered for record recitation.

The children completed their transition assessment by reciting training records and answering questions about their decisions. Che spoke honestly about his fear and the limits he set on what he would disclose, then waited with the others for the results.

• Zhen Shu recited the paper-lantern record and said that being unable to hold back was the problem, not being fast.
• Morita Yu and Kiyo recited their records, with Morita Yu explaining how Che's early joke revealed pressure and Kiyo admitting he had treated a door as something that had to be opened.
• Che brought the copied notice, Mine's note, and his self-record, explaining that too many papers would tempt him to hunt for evidence and expose things he wanted to keep private.
• Che answered Shuhei and the chief examiner with specific facts about his training and admitted that he was afraid but could keep answering.
• The teachers withheld the assessment results and told the children to wait under the eaves while class-placement recommendations were registered separately.

The children learned the results of their placement assessment: Che completed it but was assigned record verification at the Konoha Police Force the next morning, alongside several others. He returned home with Nao, where Kiyo and Morita Yu discussed what the results meant, leaving Che to face tomorrow’s verification.

• The chief examiner announced that Zhen Shu, Keisuke, Kiyo, Morita Yu, and Che had completed the assessment, while Che and several others required record verification.
• Shuhei gave Che a notice instructing him to attend the Konoha Police Force side gate with his guardian the next morning.
• Che and Nao left the courtyard as people questioned the children about their results, and they saw a notice saying the assessment results would be registered separately.
• Che, Nao, Kiyo, and Morita Yu discussed the thin receipts and Che’s upcoming verification at home.
• Morita Yu offered to be nearby the next morning, and Che put away his completion receipt and verification notice.

Che and Nao verified his assessment records at the Konoha Police Force side door, negotiating how his caution and cooperation would be described. Che left with a stamped receipt and learned that the academy would post temporary enrollment groups the next day while keeping detailed recommendations restricted.

• Kiyo asked whether the Konoha Police Force would provide breakfast, and Morita Yu returned Che's procedure sheet with a warning about the scope of records.
• Nao reminded Che to keep his receipt and verification notice separate as they arrived at the side door with Zhen Shu, Keisuke, and their guardians.
• Shuhei reviewed Che's assessment records and drafted recommendations describing his need to clarify the scope of questions and his tendency toward excessive avoidance.
• Che asked Shuhei to add that he could cooperate in recounting facts after clarifying the scope, and Shuhei recorded that future practice could include mild external interference.
• Nao and Che signed the verification, and Shuhei explained that temporary enrollment groups would be posted publicly while detailed recommendations would be access-controlled.
• Shuhei stamped the back of Che's receipt, and Che left with Nao as Zhen Shu asked what the record said.

Che and his friends read the temporary list and learned they had been placed together in School Transition Group Two. They prepared to begin at the Ninja Academy’s East Corridor the next morning, with Che planning to find his seat after checking the bell.

• Che found himself listed in School Transition Group Two alongside Kiyo, Morita Yu, Zhen Shu, Keisuke, and Saori.
• Takuya and Mine gave the children pre-enrollment instructions and told them their group would assemble at the Ninja Academy’s East Corridor the next morning.
• Che and the others walked the route to the East Corridor, where Che said he would find his seat if the old map distracted him.
• Saori gave Che a drawing of the knotted bell rope to help him remember to check the bell before looking at the map.
• Che packed the briefing sheet, Saori’s drawing, and his supplies for the next morning while Nao reminded him to prepare his clothes.

On the final day of the clan preparatory course, Che and the others chose records to submit while keeping the originals they still needed. After walking their old route and seeing the classroom’s stored training materials, they left for the ninja academy, knowing the old classroom would remain open for future visits.

• Mine collected selected training records for the master record, and Che submitted copies of four notes while keeping their originals.
• Takuya led the students along their old route, where Zhen Shu paused at the place where Itachi had left a question unanswered.
• Takuya told the students to go to the ninja academy’s east corridor the next day and said they could return to the old classroom to check records by following procedure.
• Takuya showed the students the repaired paper lantern and other saved training materials, and Zhen Shu said the lantern could still be used.
• Sosuke gave Che his old wrist guards and told him to bring them without treating them as his hands.
• Che tucked the wrist guards and papers into his schoolbag, looked back at the open classroom door, and caught up with Kiyo and Morita Yu.

Che and his classmates began their post-disaster transition period in East Corridor Group Two, where Teacher Mizuno established that evaluation recommendations would shape training but not their right to attend. The day ended with their new classroom and routines still unfamiliar, but the children had a place at the desks.

• Kiyo reached the east corridor just before the bell, and the group entered Classroom Two for their first day in transition.
• Teacher Mizuno explained the group’s schedule and assured the children that evaluations would not affect their right to sit in class.
• The children copied seating charts and village signs, including evacuation assembly points, while Che spoke briefly with Aoki Haruka.
• Teacher Mizuno collected Kiyo’s note and told him to write facts rather than guesses if he passed notes again.
• The group headed to the field for afternoon training, and Che reflected that the new classroom and routine had simply given them a place to begin.

Che and his classmates practiced observing and recording what their classmates brought, then checked how those objects had changed by afternoon. The chapter ended with Che noting the doll ear and Aoki Haruka’s pencil without adding a judgment about them.

• Teacher Mizuno asked the students to record only the visible items their classmates had brought, and Che wrote about Aoki Haruka’s pencils, Saori’s doll ear, and Zhen Shu’s booklet.
• Teacher Mizuno led the class along the East Corridor to read door signs, and Che admitted that he wanted to look inside the unlocked equipment room.
• At afternoon training, Teacher Mizuno had the students check whether the morning’s items were still visible and record any changes.
• Che noted that Saori’s doll ear was visible in the morning but not in the afternoon, while Aoki Haruka found his short pencil in his sleeve cuff.

Che and his classmates completed a private three-line writing exercise and practiced chakra palm adhesion, while Che kept his troubling third line folded away. The chapter ended with Che placing the paper atop his old wrist guard, leaving its chalk marks untouched.

• Teacher Mizuno asked the students to write one thing they still held, one thing already handed over, and one thing they did not want others to see; Che wrote about his old wrist guard, the paper lantern copy, and seeing bad things before they happened.
• Che paused during arithmetic, and Aoki Haruka quietly offered him an answer, while Zhen Shu and Keisuke noticed the exchange without commenting.
• Teacher Mizuno returned the papers, and Che kept his third line unchanged; Saori gave him a gray-blue scrap of cloth to wipe away dust.
• At the training ground, Che held a wooden chip steady for three breaths, but Aoki Haruka distracted him during a repeat attempt and made it fall.
• Nao respected Che's folded paper and did not look at the hidden line; before bed, Che placed the paper on top of his old wrist guard without brushing away the chalk dust.