Ninja Academy

Lin Ze's talent for ninjutsu was actually far from poor. He simply had too little chakra to sustain it.

For instance, Lin Ze had learned the Clone Technique shortly after Nonō taught him, but the clones he produced were just like Naruto's in the original story, collapsing and dispersing as soon as they appeared.

Ultimately, his body simply did not have enough chakra.

Lin Ze actually had a solution to this: a tailed beast!

The vast swarms of clones Naruto produced in the original story were possible thanks to his Uzumaki Sage Body and the nine-tails chakra inside him.

The tailed beasts in Hokage World were like enormous power banks. Almost all jinchūriki possessed a virtually inexhaustible supply of chakra; the only difference was whether they could control the tailed beast inside them.

If he could find a way to get a tailed beast to serve as a power bank-the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, plus a tailed beast!

Lin Ze pictured that scene and thought it sounded like a good idea. But for now, he could only dream...

It was April of Konoha Year 38, when cherry blossoms fluttered through the air.

Today was registration day at the Ninja Academy. Nonō brought Lin Ze and three other children to the school to enroll.

Along the way, Nonō explained to the children what they needed to watch out for during the Ninja Academy's Entrance Exam. She said little to Lin Ze, though; she had complete confidence in him.

Most children in Konoha entered the Ninja Academy at around six years old, but some enrolled earlier. Kakashi, for example, had enrolled at four and graduated at five.

At the Ninja Academy gates, Lin Ze studied the bustling crowd, silently analyzing the scene before him.

According to the original story's setting, Konoha's Ninja Academy Entrance Exam was usually divided into two parts: a basic fitness test and a chakra sensing test.

For orphans from other villages, the tests might be stricter. After all, the Konoha High Command would not readily trust outsiders. There was also a preliminary background check to determine whether there was anything suspicious about their identities.

But Lin Ze had been in Konoha for almost a year. Since he was standing here, he assumed he had already passed that covert screening.

Lin Ze looked around, his gaze settling a short distance away, where Kurenai Yuhi stood holding hands with a gentle-looking woman.

The woman was about thirty, with long black hair pinned up behind her head. Her features bore a strong resemblance to Kurenai's, but with greater maturity and fuller beauty. Dressed in a pale purple kimono, she exuded elegance with every movement.

Is that Kurenai's mother? Lin Ze wondered. She never seemed to be mentioned in the original story. It looks like this world does differ from it in some ways.

As though sensing Lin Ze's gaze, Kurenai turned her head. Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she waved. Lin Ze smiled faintly and nodded in greeting.

"Lin Ze, are you nervous?" Nonō gently patted his shoulder, a trace of concern in her eyes.

"Not really." Lin Ze smiled faintly. "It's just going through the motions, anyway."

Nonō nodded and looked over the other children. "The same goes for all of you. Relax and just do your best," she said gently.

Just then, Kurenai Yuhi and her mother walked over.

"Nonō, it's been a while." Kurenai's mother greeted her with a smile. Her voice was so soft and gentle that she sounded every bit the devoted wife and loving mother.

"It has. The last time we met was at the hospital, wasn't it?" Nonō replied.

Kurenai's mother looked at Lin Ze with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "You must be the Lin Ze Kurenai mentions so often?"

Lin Ze nodded politely. "Hello, ma'am."

Standing beside her mother, Kurenai's cheeks reddened slightly as she said quietly, "Lin Ze, you'll definitely pass today!"

Lin Ze smiled. "Of course."

Kurenai's mother stroked her daughter's head and said to Lin Ze in a slightly teasing tone, "Kurenai rarely takes such an interest in anyone. It looks like you two get along quite well."

"Kurenai's very sensible. We often train together," Lin Ze hurriedly replied, his heart giving a jolt.

"Oh, so you're together often..."

As they spoke, the school gates slowly opened. A chunin instructor walked out, holding a list.

"All children registering for enrollment, line up in the order your names appear on the list! Parents, please wait outside the gates!"

The crowd immediately stirred as the children stepped forward to line up. Lin Ze nodded to Nonō and Kurenai's mother, then led the other children from the orphanage over.

While lining up, Lin Ze noticed that most of the children around him were well dressed, clearly natives of Konoha. They looked at his group with a measure of contempt, and some even muttered, "More orphans from other villages. What talent could they possibly have?"

Lin Ze sneered inwardly. Sure enough, there are people who reject outsiders everywhere.

Soon, the tests began.

The first was a basic fitness test, which included running, push-ups, and reaction speed.

This was child's play for Lin Ze. Half a year of Hell Training, combined with the enhancements from the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, had already put his physical fitness far beyond that of his peers.

"Next group: Lin Ze, Ryota Uchiha, Yuzuki Natsu, Fujimaru Kaito!" After the instructor called their names, the four stepped forward.

"Running test! Five laps around the field. Your time starts now!"

Lin Ze took a deep breath and set off. Rather than sprinting at full speed, he maintained a steady pace, keeping firmly at the front of the group.

By the third lap, the other children were panting, while Lin Ze's breathing remained even.

"Is this guy a monster? How can he run so fast without getting tired?" Ryota Uchiha exclaimed from behind him.

Lin Ze ignored him, analyzing the situation inwardly. At this speed, I should get an above-average score. I won't stand out too much, and I won't be eliminated either.

In the end, Lin Ze finished the running test in first place, but only slightly ahead of Ryota Uchiha in second.

With Lin Ze deliberately holding back, the subsequent push-up and reaction tests went much the same way.

"Lin Ze, overall grade: A-Rank. Passed!" A flicker of surprise crossed the instructor's eyes as he announced the result.

The second test was chakra sensing. This was the part Lin Ze worried about most; after all, his chakra reserves were pitifully small.

The test was simple: inject chakra into a specially made Sensing Stone. How brightly the stone glowed indicated the amount of chakra and the user's control over it.

"Next, Lin Ze!"

Lin Ze stepped forward and placed his hand on the Sensing Stone, concentrating on mobilizing the chakra inside him. However, the stone only lit up slightly, its glow extremely faint.

The instructor frowned and said flatly, "Insufficient chakra reserves. Excellent control. Grade: C."

"He really is useless. What good is being physically fit?"

"Exactly. What good is strong control?"

Snickers rose around him.

Lin Ze's expression remained calm, but he sighed inwardly. Sure enough, chakra is still my major weakness. But that's fine. I have the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon. Taijutsu is where I shine.

In the end, with the results of both tests combined, Lin Ze still barely met the enrollment requirements.