Seeing the three brats being so sensible, Izanami nodded her head in satisfaction. It seems even though she hadn't been in Konoha for a while, these three brats still knew to respect their elders.
"Alright, everyone, sit down before we begin the examination. There are some things we need to speak to you about.
Firstly, due to my orders, the examination for this year's graduation has changed. And I am your chief examiner for this exam. Unlike last year's, this year's graduation exam would be completely different. " Izanami's words rang through every student's ears, making them stunned. What did they hear? Their respected lady, Izanami, is now their chief examiner, and what's more, she is the one who changed the graduation exam.
This news was so shocking that most students were unable to process it for a second. And among this crowd, three people's expressions turned extremely ugly. These people were none other than Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata. When they heard Izanami was their chief examiner, they almost fainted from fear.
As people who were repeatedly tortured by Izanami's exams, they knew what awaited them was nothing but hell. This is especially for Naruto, as, unlike Sasuke and Hinata, who are only considered half-disciples due to Hinami and Kyomi being there to supervise their training, he had to pay the full brunt of her training. And this also included the surprise exams she would conduct from time to time.
And let me tell you, Naruto gets nightmares even now just remembering those situations.
"As an examiner, I hope everyone is ready for this. Oh, and don't bother complaining about this sudden change. You should all know, as ninjas, we should be ready for any sudden changes, no matter the situation. After all, you can't wait for death just because things don't go according to plan. "Izanami's words instantly shut down the students who wanted to complain. There was also something Izanami didn't mention, and that was that, as a ninja, they need to understand that, no matter what their thoughts are, they must obey the command of the higher-ups.
Even if they were sent on an impossible mission, these guys would have to grit their teeth and accept it. Otherwise, they would be branded as traitors and would be hunted down.
"Okay, since there are no questions, let's come to this year's graduation exam. Before we talk about the exam, there are some things I want to say to all of you. Remember, during the examination, all the knowledge you learned in the past 4 years will be useful.
Also, during the examination, you should all remember that you will be tested not just for your theoretical knowledge. Your thinking patterns and your comprehension are also being tested. So students remember it doesn't matter if you know all the answers to the question; what is important is the answers you have written for the questions.
And lastly, this is just a friendly reminder from me: try not to get too attached and forget reality. Though most of your actions would probably affect reality, " and with Izanami's words, all the students suddenly began to feel a sudden sleepiness. And before they knew it, they all collapsed onto the tables, sleeping unconsciously.
Though some people tried to struggle, unfortunately, the teachers who were on standby quickly intervened and knocked them down.
After everyone was knocked unconscious, Izanami clapped her hands and spoke, " Well then, let the graduation exam begin. "
With her words, a huge screen appeared in the classroom, and accompanying it were numerous small screens. If one were to look closely, one would realize that all these small screens show the first-person view of each student.
"Let these brats feel the terror of the Sengoku era and truly understand what it is to become ninjas, " Izanami said, no longer hiding her evil smile. As an old ancestor, she wanted these young ones to feel the true taste of despair.
Okay, jokes aside, the true reason why Izanami did this was, as she mentioned before, to allow these greenhorns to understand what it is to truly become a ninja. Konoha protects its young ones too much, and this has led to a significant loss of young genin losing their lives due to being unable to survive in this world.
Konoha truly embodies the saying of 'Heroes are born in war, and peace breeds weaklings.' In Konoha, those who are in Naruto's generation don't know what being a ninja is really like. Especially during Sarutobi's era, he didn't let these children know the cruel truth. In fact, he heavily glorified being a ninja to these brats, making them believe that, other than being a ninja, there is no other profession suitable for them.
And with this, that madman did nothing but create powerful fools who are brainwashed by the Will of Fire and die rather than break this false illusion of being a ninja. In simpler terms, a group of cannon fodder who would rush towards their death.
And although this is the same situation for all the other ninja villagers, Izanami didn't find most of them wrong. Those guys are just trying to include new blood into their armies, but at the very least, those guys knew their limits. They didn't instill the idea that anyone should be ninjas and make those innocent civilians and low-talent children go to the battlefield.
But Hiruzen, this beast didn't even let these people go. He would send these untalented children to Root and make them serve Konoha with their lives. After all, even though they are untalented, they could still be of use as death soldiers.
And Izanami didn't want this. After those children died, they would come to her place and take up too much space, as most of them were filled with resentment for this world. And so Izanami, not wanting to work overtime, decided to take things into her own hands and decided that from now on, these young children would understand the risks of being a ninja and make the decision on becoming a ninja or not.
After all, she is sure most of these kids are still living in their dreams and have not recognized reality yet. After they go through this test, they will understand what kind of life they would have to live in the future and then decide whether they truly wish to become a ninja.
….
The first thing that hit him wasn't the pain, but the smell: charred pine and raw copper. And most importantly, the smell of blood.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open, but his vision was a blurred smear of orange and black. The sky—usually a muted blue—was choked with thick, oily smoke that blotted out the sun. He tried to sit up, but his lungs burned, rejecting the soot-heavy air.
"Move! If you value your head, move!"
A violent hand gripped his shoulder, hauling him upright. A man stood over him, his face a mask of dried blood and frantic desperation. He wore the flak jacket bearing the Uchiha clan emblem, his forehead missing the metal plate Sasuke expected to see.
Sasuke stumbled, his boots splashing into a puddle that felt too warm to be water. The ground trembled as a massive explosion of fire blossomed nearby—the work of a Fire Style jutsu far more potent than anything he'd seen.
A massive fireball bloomed over the neighboring compound, turning the horizon a hellish orange.
"The perimeter is lost!" a scout screamed, leaping over a pile of smoldering rubble. "Regroup at the shrine! Fall back and counterattack! If we don't hold them here, the clan is finished!"
"Move, kid! Unless you want to meet the Shinigami!" The man shouted, and then, without even wasting any more time, he dashed forward towards the enemy ninjas who were rapidly coming in this direction.
****
Author's Note: Hey everyone! If you're enjoying the story and want to support my journey through university, consider checking out my Patreon. Every bit helps with my tuition, and you can get up to 20 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/Nauty_Manu