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On the morning of the second day, the eastern sky was adorned with magnificent morning glow, and wisps of cooking smoke rose from the rooftops of the village. The air was filled with a light, gauzy mist.
Stepping through the morning mist, Uchiha Tōshirō slowly entered the courtyard. In a corner of the yard, on the large stone sphere built two years ago for Meditation, sat a graceful young girl, Uchiha Mika.
Two years of Meditation, though it had not yet enabled her to sense Natural Energy, had brought obvious benefits. It made her mind peaceful and stable, and her energy more abundant. The most noticeable improvement was in her ability to control her mental energy, physical energy, and chakra.
Six months ago, after setting up a new training ground, Uchiha Tōshirō strongly recommended that Uchiha Mika also take up this practice.
Unable to resist Uchiha Tōshirō's persistent persuasion, after trying it for three months, she found that her control over chakra and the execution of Medical Ninjutsu had significantly improved.
Every day, she would spontaneously engage in this 'strange' form of training. After all, which girl wouldn't like a form of training that didn't require sweating and getting all stinky?
Yep! The 'True Fragrance' rule applies everywhere.
Uchiha Tōshirō wasn't worried about any accidents. Without the Toad Oil from Mount Myōboku and its unique environment, it was almost impossible to simply sense Natural Energy and lose control, turning into a stone statue.
As for the idea that Uchiha Mika was a one-in-a-million genius who could easily sense Natural Energy while practicing Senjutsu (Sage Techniques), he found it hard to believe.
Unloading his weights, Uchiha Tōshirō stepped outside. He leaped onto the roof of the house on the right. A large skylight had been opened on the roof. Opening the skylight, he saw a hard, sharp wooden pole, about three to four meters long and as thick as an arm, fixed inside the indoor training hall, its top reaching the roof. This was where Uchiha Tōshirō practiced Meditation every morning.
He didn't believe that without the techniques of the three sacred places, he couldn't master Sage Mode. If it took a year, he'd spend three; if it took three years, he'd spend five, ten, or twenty. One day, he would thoroughly understand the methods of Senjutsu (Sage Techniques).
After the Meditation session ended and breakfast was over, at the entrance of the Uchiha compound.
"Tōshirō, do you really not want your sister to accompany you to the Ninja Academy?"
"Really, no need, Mika-nee. You should focus on your new medicine. The entrance examination is a piece of cake!" As he spoke, Uchiha Tōshirō waved and set off with the other children gathered at the clan's entrance, heading for the Ninja Academy.
The Ninja Academy was located in the central area of Konoha, surrounded by various official institutions. To the north, about five hundred meters away, were residential areas and markets. To the east, a few hundred meters away, was the Hokage's Office and the famous Hokage Rock.
Walking through the large red gate, the spacious square was teeming with people. It was the start of the school year, and many parents were giving their children last-minute instructions. The square was filled with a cacophony of voices.
A huge banner hung on the teaching building: "Enrollment Ceremony."
Uchiha Tōshirō, who had been in school for 16 years, was no stranger to such scenes.
Tōshirō, familiar with the routine, followed the various signs in the school, leading the orphans from the clan through the crowd of adults with the advantage of their small stature, and quickly found the administrative office handling new student information.
After a long wait in line, they reported their names to the two green-jacketed Chunin handling the enrollment procedures and each received a health examination form. Under the surprised gazes of the officials, he led the group of children to the school's medical office.
Becoming a ninja wasn't that simple. Physical, mental, reaction, and willpower were all essential. Moreover, it wasn't wartime, so the Ninja Academy didn't need to cultivate so many cannon fodder.
Leading the clan's children, he ignored the odd looks they received along the way. Finding the medical staff who had come to help, the process became quite simple. They lined up to test their vision, hearing, sense of smell, chakra sensitivity, and other items. After submitting their forms, they returned to the school square and waited quietly.
Time passed, and about an hour later, a young ninja holding a list arrived at the square.
"Next, I will call out the names of those who need to gather at the school's playground for the Physical Test!"
On the playground, a scar-faced, green-jacketed, and fierce-looking black ninja was waiting for them.
"Brats! I am the examiner for this Physical Test. Starting from here, run 60 laps around the playground!"
"That's so far, how can we possibly run that much?"
"The number of laps is too high. With the size of this playground, 60 laps would be at least several kilometers!" Complaints arose from the crowd.
"What are you waiting for? For a ninja, following orders and completing tasks is the top priority. Now, immediately, start running!!!"
A group of children began to run slowly on the playground. This was the main content of the entrance examination, testing physical strength and perseverance.
Here, the difference between the descendants of ninjas and ordinary civilians was very evident. The large group of children slowly split into two groups, with the gap between them growing wider.
Tōshirō naturally belonged to the faster group. Having undergone physical training early on, his current physical condition was better than most children from ninja families.
It wasn't long before Tōshirō had taken the lead. Compared to the children struggling behind him, Tōshirō seemed to have plenty of energy to spare. Running was one of his most basic forms of training, and for a ninja, sprinting long distances was a common task.
So, while running might seem ordinary and only build endurance, endurance was also a crucial requirement for becoming a ninja.
In this aspect, Tōshirō was significantly ahead of others.
His performance clearly caught the examiner's eye, who nodded continuously. By the end of the test, Tōshirō remained far ahead, standing out among all the participants.
As for hiding his abilities, Tōshirō saw no need. The relationship between the clan and the village had not yet deteriorated to the level it did after the Nine-Tails Uprising.
When the last candidate crossed the finish line, the exam officially ended.
All children who gave up during the test were eliminated, and those who successfully reached the finish line, even the slowest, passed the exam.
(End of Chapter)