Today was the day that would decide the fate of the ninja students.
When Luo Yu learned that his sister wanted to come to school to watch him compete, he initially refused.
Until Luo Qingyu unleashed a pretty girl's innate skill!
Acting cute and coy!
"Be a good little brother and let your big sister come along."
"If you agree, I'll wear the black stockings you bought me today."
Speaking in a sugary voice, Luo Qingyu swayed Luo Yu's arm back and forth.
How could Luo Yu's little arms and legs possibly stand up to his sister's long legs?
Helpless, he could only submit to the black-no, to his sister's will.
Fuck! (A type of plant.)
When had his imposing sister turned into this?!
Ever since she discovered she couldn't beat him in a fight, she had been growing gentler and gentler!
Was this the joy of growing up?
That morning, Luo Yu and Luo Qingyu first went to Tengyang No. 3 Middle School to have his stats tested.
Only those whose two stats both reached 10 qualified for the afternoon's Apprentice assessment.
As the two stepped through the gates of Tengyang No. 3 Middle School, they saw that quite a crowd had already gathered in the school plaza.
After all, today was special, and many people had arrived earlier than usual.
On one side stood neat ranks of ninja students.
On the other were the parents who had come to watch, all discussing how their children were doing.
"Go find your class. I'll wait in the stands for you to make me proud."
Smiling, Luo Qingyu ruffled Luo Yu's hair, then headed toward the parents' area before he could return the favor.
After looking around for a while, Luo Yu soon found his class.
As he joined his class's line, a classmate beside him poked him and asked with a grin, "Was that hot Older Sister in black stockings your girlfriend?"
Clearly, he had seen Luo Yu arriving with Luo Qingyu.
But the other students all overheard his question.
"Older Sister? Where?!"
"Luo Yu has an Older Sister girlfriend! Holy crap, guys! Breaking news!"
"That's some serious game! Luo God, teach me a trick or two!"
"No wonder Luo God keeps turning down girls at school. So that's his type!"
Seeing the rumors spiral further and further out of control, Luo Yu explained helplessly, "Stop making things up. She's my honorary big sister."
He always kept a low profile in class, so no one knew about his family situation.
Aside from being pursued by plenty of girls because he was handsome, there was nothing particularly memorable about him.
Avoiding misunderstandings was also why he hadn't wanted his sister to come to school.
He hadn't expected someone to spot them anyway.
While Luo Yu was doing his utmost to clear things up, no one noticed a pretty, innocent-looking girl staring at him resentfully.
Well, well. He's already calling her his sister. No wonder he wasn't interested in me. So this is the type he likes.
She was Liu Jiajia, Tengyang No. 3 Middle School's famous beauty and top student, as well as the class monitor of Luo Yu's Class One.
Back then, attracted by Luo Yu's looks, she had taken the initiative to ask him out, expecting him to be flattered and accept.
Instead, Luo Yu had coldly turned her down!
It had dealt a severe blow to Liu Jiajia, who had always been confident in her charm.
Now that she heard Luo Yu had a girlfriend, she felt even more indignant.
Someone as outstanding as me lowered herself to make the first move. Luo Yu should be grateful!
How dare he hook up with some other shady woman!
Shameless!
"Quiet!" Liu Jiajia said, her expression icy.
Hearing their class monitor speak, everyone who had been enthusiastically discussing Luo Yu's mysterious girlfriend immediately fell silent.
Liu Jiajia nodded in satisfaction, then put on a gentle smile and moved closer to Luo Yu.
"Yu, how has your training been going these past few days?"
"Are you confident you'll pass the test?"
Seeing that it was the class monitor asking, Luo Yu smiled. "Anyone with hands could do it."
Liu Jiajia paused at Luo Yu's confident expression, then forced a smile. "That's good. Honestly, I'm pretty envious of you."
"Your grades usually aren't great, so just passing today's test will make you happy. You don't even have to think about the assessment."
"It's different for me."
"I worked day and night, and I've only reached Novice Rank Three."
"Even if I pass the test, there's nothing to be happy about."
"But if I fail the assessment, I'll have to wait until next year."
With that, Liu Jiajia let out an anguished sigh.
The nearby students felt like punching someone.
Was humblebragging really this popular now?
If our class monitor weren't so good-looking, I'd go over and give her a couple of punches.
Our classmate Luo Yu was stunned too.
Novice Rank Three was a level many people would never reach.
Yet she made it sound like such a shame.
Good grief. If I didn't have the system backing me up, she really would have shown me up.
Just then, the white-haired Principal Wu stepped onto the podium to speak.
"Since the assessment starts this afternoon, we must finish all testing this morning. Time is tight, so I won't say much."
At his words, the students' eyes lit up, and thunderous applause erupted.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
They had already braced themselves for a battle of endurance. Who would have thought the principal wouldn't drag things out this time?!
Looking at the eager eyes of all the students, Principal Wu smiled faintly and began his performance.
Two hours later.
Having finished his speech, Principal Wu solemnly announced the start of the test.
The students applauded even more loudly, their faces sour.
Then, led by their homeroom teachers, the classes split into five lines, forming long queues outside five classrooms temporarily serving as testing areas.
Some students approached their turns brimming with confidence, while others hung their heads.
Clearly, they already knew what their results would be. After all, for most average students, three days was merely a drop in the bucket.
As the first batch of students entered the testing areas, the large screen in the center of the school plaza began displaying the results.
The school's loudspeakers also began announcing them.
"Student Li Cheng! Chakra: 5. Stamina: 5. Affinity: fire."
"Fail!"
As the announcement ended, a pale-faced boy emerged from Testing Area One.
At the same time, in the parents' waiting area, Li Cheng's parents lost their composure upon hearing the news and collapsed to the ground, their eyes vacant.
Although having both stats at 5 wasn't particularly bad, it was safe to say that Li Cheng was unlikely ever to become a ninja.
In this age of ninjas, becoming a ninja was the most promising way for commoners to get ahead.
Otherwise, they could only muddle through their lives as ordinary people struggling to survive.
Soon, third-year high school students were filing in and out of the testing areas.
Test results kept appearing.
Some rejoiced, while others despaired.
Not everyone who was happy had passed. Some were close to qualifying, with chakra and stamina scores of eight or nine.
They would need a few more years of training to become Apprentice Ninjas.
But that still gave them considerable hope.
Of course, the same applied to those who had barely passed. Having base stats at Apprentice level and actually becoming an Apprentice Ninja were two different things.
As in previous years, anyone wishing to become an Apprentice Ninja would also have to undergo tests of the basic Three-Body Technique and their ability to respond in combat during the Trainee Exam.
But this year, the assessment had been reformed and made harder. Who knew what other challenges awaited them?
Before you continue