Chapter 5 — Entering the Academy
Four years old. I knew I was ready.
From early morning, the Academy buzzed with noise. Hundreds of children and their parents crowded around the gates as if it were market day. Some were crying, others proudly listing off their clan legacies and achievements.
I stood off to the side. Alone. No escort. Nothing with me — except determination.
I walked up to the registration desk.
"No escort?" The kunoichi behind the table raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"No." My voice was calm.
"Name?"
"Raigatsu Kiemi."
She ran her finger down the list.
"Group A. Good luck, kid."
She kept watching me as I walked down the corridor.
Written Exam
The classroom buzzed with chatter. Kids whispered, some tried to sneak glances at others' papers, others chewed nervously on their pencils.
The proctor entered — a middle-aged shinobi with a small scar on his cheek.
"Time limit: forty minutes. Subject — basic history of the village and chakra. Anyone caught cheating is out immediately. Understood?"
I sat silently. Took the exam paper without rushing.
The questions were familiar. Not too difficult, but they required real preparation:
— In what year did the First Great Ninja War end?— Name two primary sources of chakra.— Why was the Academy created?— What is a clan?— Who was the First Hokage?
Some squirmed in their seats. Others peeked at neighbors' answers.I just wrote. Quickly. Precisely.
By the twentieth minute, I stood and turned in my paper.
"Already?" one of the proctors whispered. "She didn't even double-check..."
Chakra Presence Test
A wide hall. One by one, students stepped forward as the examiner placed a hand on their abdomen — where the chakra center should be. He silently marked the result next to each name.
"Hyūga Nari — stable. Byakugan not yet awakened.""Uchiha Saya — high chakra, but unstable. Emotionally disrupted.""Uchiha Masaki — excess volume, unrefined flow.""Obito Uchiha — unstable, but powerful. High potential.""Yamanaka Seiya — average. Weak control.""Aburame Ken — precise and clean. Excellent self-discipline."
Then my turn came.
The examiner laid his hand gently. His fingers twitched. His eyes widened slightly.
"Full chakra capacity... no distortion... pure structure. Natural stability. Excellent..." he murmured under his breath.
Whispers rippled through the room:
"She's not from any clan?""How is that possible?"
Physical Test — Endurance Run
The task: twenty laps around the training field.
Lap 5 — Nara dropped out.Lap 7 — Yamanaka gave up.Lap 9 — Akimichi Tora collapsed.Lap 12 — Kurenai stopped.Lap 15 — Asuma stumbled and fell by Lap 16.Lap 17 — Uchiha Saya tripped and couldn't continue.
Only two remained: me and Hatake Kakashi.
He never looked back. His pace was steady, breath calm.I matched his rhythm.We finished side by side.
Results
A crowd gathered around the announcement board — parents, children, shinobi observers.
"First place?" someone whispered. "Raigatsu Kiemi... who is she?"
"No clan..." a jōnin murmured in disbelief.
"Top in theory, chakra, and endurance? And she's not even from a shinobi family?"
Top 10 — Group A (Elite Class):
Raigatsu Kiemi
Hatake Kakashi
Sarutobi Asuma
Uchiha Saya
Hyūga Nari
Aburame Ken
Uchiha Masaki
Yūhi Kurenai
Yamanaka Seiya
Akimichi Tora
The remaining students were assigned to Groups B–J (30 students per class).
Arrival of the Hokage and Sakumo Hatake
As the crowd began to disperse, the Third Hokage himself approached the board.
He looked at the name in first place. Then — at me.
"Raigatsu Kiemi... no clan, yet the highest score of all."
Beside him stood Sarutobi Asuma. The Hokage turned to him.
"Asuma... learn from those like her. Looking forward — that's the shinobi way."
Asuma lowered his head silently.
Behind them stood Sakumo Hatake, eyes moving from his son to me.
"Kakashi," he said softly, "remember this girl. No backing, no clan — and she still took first place. That's strength. Don't lose sight of people like her. She may walk beside you... or ahead."
Kakashi looked at me.
For a brief second, his gaze sharpened — focused. Then he gave a small nod.Not as a rival. Not as a superior.
As an equal.
I stood in front of the board. My name — at the very top.
But I felt no pride.
Only a quiet steadiness inside.
This was just the beginning.