Chapter 68: Stable
After finishing his rather unconventional interpretation of Kong Rong Giving Away the Bigger Pears, Asuka returned home and began reviewing material for the Academy entrance examination.
Although he was fully confident he could overwhelm a group of six-year-olds...
He still studied that evening.
Before crushing others, first crush yourself.
As he flipped through the Ninja Academy entrance textbooks, Asuka couldn't help clicking his tongue.
A lot had changed in the few years since he graduated.
When he had taken the entrance exam, academic subjects barely mattered. They accounted for perhaps one percent of the score; everything else was physical testing.
But now...
He stared at the unfamiliar titles stacked before him.
Why Is Konoha So Strong? (by Hiruzen Sarutobi)
The Road of an Ordinary Ninja's Rise (by Jiraiya)
The First Lesson for Ninja Academy Students (by Tsunade)
"..."
Asuka tilted his head in confusion.
Has the Academy entrance exam really become this outrageous?
And Tsunade...
When did that gambling addict find time to write a book?
Back when he had taken the entrance exam, the Second Shinobi World War had still been raging.
Above the Academy gates hung a slogan in enormous letters:
«"Master one skill, and it can overcome a hundred. Memorize a hundred skills, and you'll master none."»
Thanks to overwhelming strength, he'd effortlessly taken first place.
Now...
Students actually had to compete academically.
"Hiss..."
Asuka casually opened The Road of an Ordinary Ninja's Rise, only to inhale sharply after reading a few pages.
It was...
Surprisingly straightforward.
Surprisingly sincere.
«It isn't passionate.
It isn't dramatic.
It won't amaze the world overnight.
But for people like you...
It is a path you can actually follow.»
«For the overwhelming majority of ordinary people—those born without talent, influence, or support—studying hard at the Ninja Academy is one of the greatest investments they can make.»
«It is the ladder that allows you to climb higher and see the ninja world from a broader perspective.»
«I was always an ordinary person.»
«Hardworking...»
«But untalented.»
«When I was young, my friends and I played ninja together.»
«We endlessly talked about the First Hokage and the Second Hokage, imagining how incredible they were.»
«We copied their poses and dreamed of becoming people like them.»
«Only after entering the Academy did I realize how ordinary I truly was.»
«No...»
«I ranked dead last.»
«No one performed worse than I did.»
«There was the genius Orochimaru...»
«The beautiful and brilliant Tsunade, whose strength overwhelmed everyone...»
«And the seemingly ordinary boy destined to become the Toad Sage.»
«As for me...»
«I had nothing.»
«No reputation.»
«No connections.»
«An empty house.»
«Nothing at all.»
«Sometimes I'd look at those geniuses...»
«Then look back at myself.»
«Eventually...»
«I realized I had no choice but to succeed.»
"..."
After finishing the book, Asuka's lips twitched.
He tossed it aside.
"Nothing but clichés."
"And they're cleverly disguised clichés."
"Jiraiya..."
"You shameless fraud."
"You never explained how you actually became the Toad Sage."
---
June 17th, Konoha Year 51.
The weather was clear.
Filled with confidence, Asuka arrived at the examination venue.
The moment he stepped inside, he instinctively felt someone watching him.
Turning around...
He found Kurenai smiling at him while giving him a thumbs-up.
Tch.
Today...
I'll show you what a perfect score looks like.
Returning the smile, Asuka walked to his seat and calmly closed his eyes to rest.
The moment the examination paper landed on his desk...
He knew victory was guaranteed.
For example—
---
(Excerpt from The Road of an Ordinary Ninja's Rise)
1. What does "Rise" represent in the title The Road of an Ordinary Ninja's Rise?
2. According to the original text, which of the following statements is incorrect?
---
Rise...?
Combining it with the content of Jiraiya's autobiography...
The meaning couldn't have been more obvious.
It referred to his journey from an ordinary nobody to one of Konoha's legendary Sannin.
Wasn't it simply...
A story of someone building himself up from nothing?
As for Question Two...
Asuka lowered his eyes toward the options.
A. As long as ordinary people endure enough hardship, they will certainly become outstanding individuals.
B...
C...
D. Throughout ninja history, whether genius or ordinary person, everyone's path is filled with hardship rather than smooth sailing.
Some lose their way.
Some stop halfway.
Some turn back entirely.
Only those ordinary people who continue moving forward one step at a time will eventually surpass those who once called themselves geniuses and stand before everyone else.
Did this question even need answering?
The words "as long as" and "certainly" were far too absolute.
Whenever an exam option contained absolute wording...
It was usually the wrong answer.
After glancing over the remaining three unremarkable choices, Asuka decisively selected A.
Still...
He looked down at the exam paper before glancing around at the children busily writing.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Do children really study material like this before even entering the Academy now?
He clearly remembered that before starting school, most civilian children could barely write their own names.
Only children from ninja clans received any real education beforehand.
"Forget it."
He shook his head and continued reading.
---
How would you challenge someone stronger than yourself?
"..."
There was actually a question like this?
After thinking for a moment...
Asuka calmly wrote three characters:
Quicklime.
What tricks could children possibly use?
If you wanted to overcome someone stronger...
Using dirty tactics honestly seemed far more practical.
Tap.
After checking his answers once more, Asuka handed in his paper.
He became the first student to leave the examination hall.
---
Leaning casually against the wall outside, Kurenai immediately spotted him.
The first person to finish...
...was the Uchiha child she had become unusually interested in.
"How was the exam?"
"Not bad."
For once, Asuka answered her in an entirely normal tone.
Kurenai smiled.
"You looked very confident."
"Your answers came quickly."
"And your knowledge seemed solid."
As expected of an Uchiha.
"Oh, right."
Asuka suddenly remembered those unusually difficult questions and asked curiously,
"When did the entrance exam become like this?"
"Last year."
Kurenai gently touched her lips as she explained,
"After the Might Duy incident, Lord Third decided the Academy shouldn't evaluate students based solely on individual combat ability."
"Cultural education should matter too."
"Enrollment can no longer focus only on talent, chakra, or ninjutsu aptitude."
"To make things fair..."
"The examination scope was announced an entire year in advance."
"Of course..."
"The written exam still only counts for twenty percent."
"The remaining eighty percent is physical testing."
"I see."
Asuka nodded.
"Thanks."
After thanking her, he turned and left.
Even if they've studied for a whole extra year...
First place is still mine.
---
Once the written examination ended...
Kurenai, serving as one of the graders, immediately searched for Uchiha Ri's answer sheet.
Looking down at it, she nodded subconsciously.
The handwriting was exceptionally neat.
Much cleaner than most students'.
She had already begun seeing him as an excellent scholar.
An Uchiha...
Outstanding handwriting...
Excellent academic habits...
Surely...
This paper would receive full marks.
With that expectation, she picked up the answer key in one hand and a red grading brush in the other.
She began marking.
A few moments later...
Kurenai quietly sniffed.
A trace of exhaustion appeared in her eyes.
At first...
She thought she'd graded it incorrectly.
So she marked it again.
Then...
She borrowed another answer key from a different teacher.
She checked it a second time.
Then...
A third.
Only then did she finally accept reality.
This so-called model student...
Aside from beautiful handwriting...
Hadn't answered a single question correctly.
Score: 0