The village's leadership and noble clans understood the importance of this ninja academy exam far better than the students. Whether it was Advisory Elders like Danzō and Koharu Utatane, the Sannin like Tsunade, or prominent clans like the Hyūga, all were compelled to get involved.
Such was the state of affairs!
In the Battle of the Grass Village, the Akatsuki had demonstrated terrifying strength, capable of overwhelming a major ninja village. The Five Great Shinobi Villages had lost their former dominance, where only they could challenge each other.
Now, they could only barely suppress the Akatsuki by banding together.
But everyone knew this suppression wouldn't last. The formidable Akatsuki was bound to spark a upheaval that could reshape the shinobi world!
To prepare for this inevitable turmoil, the Hidden Leaf had to act early, cultivating powerful shinobi to ensure the village's survival and protect its interests.
Of course, if that were the only issue, such an exam wouldn't be necessary. They could simply focus on nurturing someone like the Fourth Hokage, as they did before the Third Shinobi World War.
What prompted this decision was the sudden surge of prodigies in the academy, leaving the leadership unsure of who to center their efforts on.
For instance, Tsunade backed Yakumo as the next core figure, Jiraiya saw immense potential in Naruto, Kakashi leaned toward Sasuke, and Koharu Utatane openly supported Shinji.
Complicating matters, all these candidates were tied to the Hokage's mentorship lineage.
Yakumo and Naruto were disciples of the Sannin, with Naruto being the Fourth Hokage's son, firmly part of the Third Hokage's lineage.
Sasuke, though an Uchiha, was mentored by Kakashi, a disciple of the Fourth, making him part of the Hokage's lineage as well.
Koharu, a disciple of the Second Hokage, became Shinji's mentor, loosely tying him to the Hokage's lineage through the Second's line.
This was why the Advisory Elder Council had no choice but to back Shinji.
The emergence of prodigies like Yakumo, Sasuke, and Naruto had bolstered the Third Hokage's lineage, threatening the council's influence. After much deliberation, they could only pit Shinji against them.
This academy exam was born from that context.
For the Hidden Leaf, having too many prodigies and struggling to choose a core figure was a sweet dilemma.
Thus, an exam was the most acceptable method for all factions. The three-man squad format tested not only the prodigies' individual strength but also their teamwork and leadership.
A top-down competition began brewing in the village.
While the streets hadn't yet buzzed with discussion, the leadership and clans were already strategizing and mobilizing.
At a training ground,
Sasuke, hand on hip, looked at an excited Naruto across from him. "Let's see if you've made any progress!"
Naruto wiped his nose. "Don't be shocked later!"
Sasuke chuckled lightly, thinking, Me, someone who's saved the shinobi world, shocked by an idiot like you?
On the sidelines,
Watching Sasuke and Naruto spar, Sakura felt both anticipation and worry.
She hoped Naruto would perform well and not drag Sasuke down, but feared if he shone too brightly, she'd become the team's weak link.
Whoosh, whoosh.
Amid the sound of rushing air, both struck simultaneously.
Thud!
Their forearms collided with a dull thud, followed by a flurry of intense taijutsu combat.
Sasuke grinned. "Not bad strength!"
Naruto's expression hardened. "Sasuke, you better watch out!"
Sasuke's face darkened. "What makes you think you can warn me?"
Naruto didn't waste words. Leaping back, he instantly underwent Tailed Beast transformation, cloaking himself in an orange-red Tailed Beast chakra coat.
"What!?"
Sasuke was startled, instinctively sensing danger.
Naruto held nothing back, launching an assault. With the Tailed Beast chakra, his speed and strength surged dramatically, quickly overwhelming Sasuke in his normal state.
Sasuke's heart raced. Is this… the Nine-Tails' power?
Naruto pressed on with full force.
To him, Sasuke was the academy's genius, an unreachable pinnacle for a "dead last" like him, so he gave it everything!
On the sidelines,
Sakura's jaw dropped. "Is this… really Naruto?"
At another training ground,
Under Tsunade's orders and clan pressure, Yakumo was seriously preparing for the exams.
Kimimaro, her teammate, needed no concern, so she called Shion out, intending to train her and boost her strength.
Yakumo lectured, "Shion, this exam is real combat. Even with proctors, it's dangerous, so you need to improve quickly! Ninjutsu and genjutsu are hard to advance short-term, so today we'll focus on taijutsu…"
Across from her, Shion's mind wandered.
She studied Yakumo, comparing her to "B" and "D." The build doesn't match. "B" and "D" must've used the Transformation Jutsu, maybe even a sealing technique to alter their chakra signature.
She mused further, It's probably "D." "B" is a Mangekyō Uchiha, but Yakumo only has the Koryugan, not a Mangekyō. That Prajna-masked spirit might be a special Koryugan ability. Tsk, Yakumo's hiding deep!
After talking for a while, Yakumo asked, "Shion, are you listening?"
Shion nodded eagerly. "Of course! Can we start now?"
"Alright, try attacking me!"
Yakumo assumed a starting stance.
Shion grinned mischievously, took a deep breath, and pushed her Water Breathing to its limit. Combined with her priestess physique, she shot forward like a phantom with a whoosh!
"What!?"
Yakumo, even with her Koryugan, barely reacted.
Thud, thud, thud.
The two figures clashed, engaging in a fierce taijutsu battle across the training ground.