Konoha, year's end.
The written examination for teacher certification.
The area before Konoha University's brand-new teaching building had long been swallowed by a dense sea of people.
The air was filled with the scent of paper, ink, and a peculiar atmosphere blended from tension and anticipation.
The examinees came from varied backgrounds:
A considerable number were promising young talents carefully selected by the various shinobi clans. Most of them looked composed, carrying the weight of their families' missions;
Though fewer in number, the commoner-born examinees all had blazing eyes. Their fingers clutched their study materials so tightly that their knuckles had turned white, regarding this as the gateway to changing their fate.
Uchiha Sora wore simple dark-blue casual clothes, deliberately concealing the Uchiha clan crest, and stood quietly among the crowd waiting to enter.
He had applied for two highly challenging fields:
Genjutsu instruction and the fundamental theory of wartime command.
The former relied on the Uchiha's innate advantages, while the latter stemmed from his own interests and his family's future considerations for participating in high-level strategy.
"Silence! Enter in order according to your examination admission numbers!
No noise, and no items unrelated to the examination!"
The proctor maintaining order spoke in a booming voice, carrying unquestionable authority that instantly suppressed the clamor at the entrance.
The crowd began moving slowly and orderly like flowing water.
The examination hall was spacious and bright, with new desks and chairs set far apart, effectively eliminating any possibility of peeking.
There was more than one invigilator. They paced back and forth, their gazes sharp.
Sora found his seat, took a deep breath, and neatly arranged his admission slip and writing supplies.
He could feel the occasional looks cast his way—curiosity, scrutiny, even faint competition and wariness.
The Uchiha identity was difficult to ignore