The buzz from the endurance race hadn't died down when Principal Kanzō stepped forward, his voice cutting through the courtyard like thunder.
"Before we begin the next trial, I will review the results of the first exam."
The crowd hushed. Kanzō raised a scroll and read the finishing order in deliberate cadence:
1. Raizen
2. Reina
3. Karui
4. Samui
5. Daichi
6. Tetsuo
7. Omoi
8. Mizue
9. Aika
10. Atsuro (Kamizuru)
11. Kaien (Mabui)
12. Riku (Funato)
Then he announced the points. "Elite and General Class are scored separately. The top of each class earns ten points. Second place earns nine. Third place earns eight, and so on. All who finish outside the top six receive three points. Eliminated students earn nothing."
He rolled the scroll shut with a snap.
"Raizen and Daichi, as top of your classes, both receive ten points. Reina and Mizue, nine. Karui and Aika, eight. Samui and Atsuro, seven. Tetsuo and Kaien, six. Omoi and Riku, five. Everyone else, three."
A ripple of whispers moved through the ranks. To be leading in points now was one thing—but with four exams left, no one could afford to stumble.
⸻
The Weapons Accuracy Test
Kanzō's tone sharpened.
"The second exam is weapons accuracy. Each student will throw five kunai and five shuriken at three targets: one at ten meters, one at twenty meters, and a final moving target at thirty meters. Precision and consistency are what matter. Begin."
A row of proctors raised tall wooden targets, each with a painted bullseye.
Tetsuo went first. Still seething from his loss in the race, his movements were sharp and angry. At ten meters, his throws punched dead-center, five kunai and five shuriken sinking into the bullseye like nails into wood. At twenty meters, he showed off—hurling his weapons in clusters so they ricocheted and accelerated into the target. Only one shuriken glanced wide. At thirty meters, against the moving target, his accuracy only slipped twice. Final tally: 28/30. Gasps rose from the crowd; few could hope to beat that.
Omoi followed. He spent long moments calculating angles, watching the sway of the moving target, muttering to himself about wind direction and velocity. At ten and twenty meters, his precision was clean. But the time he wasted overthinking cost him rhythm on the moving target. His final score: 26/30.
Samui was all composure. No wasted motion, no flourishes. Just steady hands and steady breath. Every throw was efficient, controlled. She ended with 25/30.
Karui attacked the exercise the same way she did everything: aggressively. Her first set at ten meters was excellent, but at twenty meters her impatience showed—she rushed, landing several just outside the rings. Against the moving target, she fought to keep up, missing often. Her final: 23/30. She clicked her tongue in frustration, glaring at the targets as though they had betrayed her.
Reina went next. Her throws were sharp, efficient, and deliberate—less raw talent than Tetsuo, but more discipline than Karui. She finished with 24/30.
Finally, Raizen.
He stepped forward, kunai in hand. His pulse thudded. Weapons weren't his strength—he knew that—but if he could just stay above last place, he could still hold a solid spot in the Elite standings.
He angled his good eye, steadying his breathing. At ten meters, his throws were perfect: every kunai, every shuriken striking the center. The crowd murmured. At twenty meters, he repeated the process—inhale, exhale, throw. Another clean set. 20/20 so far.
Then came the moving target at thirty meters.
Raizen flexed his wrist, eyes narrowing. But before he could throw, voices rose from the sidelines.
Reina's drawl. "Careful, Raizen. Don't miss like you did last time."
Karui's sneer. "Blind boy couldn't hit a barn if it moved."
The crowd stirred. Until now, no one had spoken during another student's test.
Raizen froze, knuckles whitening around the kunai. They're trying to break me.
His first throw went wide, missing completely. His second skewed off-course, clattering to the dirt. Snickers rippled from the crowd. Reina's smirk widened.
Raizen's chest tightened. This is bad. If I fall apart here, everything I've worked for…
He closed his eye, inhaled once, then exhaled slowly. Precision, not anger. Block them out.
He opened his eye again, calm now, and let the kunai fly with the rhythm of his breath. The next two strikes hit clean. He followed with his shuriken—two missed badly, laughter rising, but he ignored it. His final three sank into the target with solid thuds.
Final tally: 26/30.
Not perfect. Not spectacular. But enough.
As he stepped back, Karui scowled—he hadn't collapsed. Reina pursed her lips. Raizen returned to his place, chest tight, but fire burning inside. They won't break me again.
One by one, the general students stepped up to the throwing line. For most, the results were sloppy—missed kunai, shuriken wobbling wide, nerves breaking under the proctors' stares. But a few stood out.
• Mizue moved like she'd been preparing for this day. Each throw was measured and deliberate, her sharp eyes reading the target's rhythm. At ten and twenty meters she was flawless; at thirty, she adapted fast, landing most against the moving target. Final: 27/30.
• Aika shocked even herself. Though known for slacking in class, she had natural coordination and quick instincts. Her first sets were solid, and though she missed more at thirty meters, she still landed above average. Final: 25/30.
• Atsuro (Kamizuru clan) was calm and technical. His clan's background in precision insect control seemed to carry over—his aim was steady, and his chakra flow smooth. He nailed bullseyes at ten and twenty, and scored consistently at thirty. Final: 26/30.
• Kaien (Mabui clan) attacked the test with speed and confidence, hurling weapons in fluid combinations. A few went wide at the longest distance, but his rhythm carried him through. Final: 25/30.
• Daichi struggled compared to the others. He had raw power, but his throws lacked polish. At ten and twenty meters he managed to keep respectable, but the moving target exposed him—too much force, not enough accuracy. Still, his resilience showed; he didn't collapse. Final: 22/30.
• Riku (Funato bloodline) kept a steady pace, never spectacular, but reliable. His form wasn't refined, but his adaptability carried him through the moving target with decent results. Final: 23/30.
By the end, Mizue, Aika, and the clan heirs had placed themselves firmly near the top of the general rankings. Daichi held steady in the middle—disappointed, but not out of the running.
⸻
Updated Scoreboard After Exam 2
Elite Class Standings
(using race + weapons results)
• Tetsuo — 6 pts (Race) + 10 pts (Weapons 1st) = 16 pts
• Raizen — 10 + 8 (26/30 tied 3rd) = 18 pts
• Reina — 9 + 7 (24/30 5th) = 16 pts
• Samui — 7 + 6 (25/30 4th) = 13 pts
• Karui — 8 + 5 (23/30 6th) = 13 pts
• Omoi — 5 + 9 (26/30 2nd) = 14 pts
⸻
General Class Standings
• Mizue — 9 (Race) + 10 (Weapons 1st) = 19 pts
• Aika — 8 + 8 (Weapons 3rd tie) = 16 pts
• Atsuro (Kamizuru) — 7 + 9 (Weapons 2nd) = 16 pts
• Kaien (Mabui) — 6 + 8 (Weapons 3rd tie) = 14 pts
• Daichi — 10 + 6 (Weapons 5th) = 16 pts
• Riku (Funato) — 5 + 7 (Weapons 4th) = 12 pts
Next was the most exciting part of the exam the taijutsu evaluation.
Kanzo announced the next exam with would be a taijutsu tournament. The general classes tournament would be much longer than elite classes so they would go over that tournament first.
The courtyard buzzed as the General Class students filed into the sparring ring. Proctors stood with clipboards, drawing names and calling matches. The rules were simple: no chakra techniques, no weapons — just taijutsu. Victory came by knockout, submission, or when the proctor stepped in.
Dozens of nervous faces lined the edges. For most, this was the first time they'd fought in front of the entire Academy.
⸻
Match 1: Mizue vs Civilian Boy
Mizue bowed lightly, eyes already sharp, studying her opponent. The boy across from her trembled, fists raised too high, feet unsteady.
The proctor signaled. "Begin!"
The boy charged with a wild haymaker. Mizue sidestepped neatly, her expression calm. She extended two fingers and tapped a nerve cluster in his forearm. His punch died mid-swing, arm going slack.
Before he could recover, Mizue swept his legs out and pressed her knee to his chest, pinning him. The proctor called it.
"Mizue, winner!"
The crowd murmured in approval — clinical, efficient, no wasted effort.
⸻
Match 2: Aika vs Civilian Girl
Aika stepped into the ring, bouncing nervously on her heels. She wasn't known as a studious kid — half the general students expected her to flounder.
Her opponent rushed her immediately, fists swinging.
Aika's instincts took over. She ducked, pivoted, and lashed out with a kick that cracked against the girl's ribs. The girl stumbled back, shocked.
Before she could reset, Aika closed in with another spinning kick, catching her in the shoulder and sending her sprawling. The proctor raised his hand.
"Aika, winner!"
Aika blinked, then grinned sheepishly at Mizue and Daichi on the sidelines. Maybe she wasn't so hopeless after all.
⸻
Match 3: Daichi vs Civilian Boy
Daichi rolled his shoulders as he stepped forward. Unlike his friends, there was no nervousness in him — just calm focus. His opponent was taller, wiry, and smirked like he thought this would be easy.
The proctor's hand dropped.
The boy swung fast, jabbing at Daichi's face. Daichi didn't move his feet. He raised his guard, absorbed the blow, and let the boy throw two more strikes into his forearms.
Then Daichi countered. One step forward, one heavy punch to the chest. The boy flew backward, hitting the dirt with a thud that knocked the wind out of him.
The proctor waved it off instantly.
"Daichi, winner!"
The crowd buzzed louder this time. His strength was undeniable — simple, brutal, effective.
⸻
Aftermath
One by one, the "fodder" students were eliminated. The bracket thinned, leaving only the standouts: Mizue, Aika, Daichi, Atsuro of the Kamizuru, Kaien of the Mabui, and Riku of the Funato.
The real fights were about to begin.
The proctor held up the updated bracket board. The quarterfinals were set. The crowd leaned in, eager — the next matches would decide who truly had the skill to rise above the rest.