The Academy training grounds were transformed.
Not with banners or decorations—those were luxuries this world rarely bothered with—but with a heavy, thrumming tension that clung to the air like charged chakra. Even the sky seemed sharper, the morning sun cutting down through clear blue like a kunai.
Today was the start of the Academy Exams.
And even though these were "just" the mid-year evaluations, everyone knew what they really were:
A sorting mechanism.
A ranking system.
A silent declaration of who would someday be a shinobi worth remembering… and who wouldn't.
Ethan felt it all before anyone said a word.
Naruto buzzed beside him like an overcharged battery.
Sasuke stood with that rigid, ice-perfect posture, eyes forward, jaw set.
Iruka and Mizuki waited at the front, clipboards ready.
Ethan exhaled slowly.
This was where timelines could begin to diverge if he wasn't careful.
---
Gathering of Rivals
Students clustered into small groups:
• Sasuke's orbit — girls whispering, fanclub fawning, jealousy simmering.
• Kiba's rowdy crew — boasting, loud, competitive.
• Shikamaru and Choji — relaxed, eating chips, functioning like the calm in the storm.
• Naruto — alone at first, until he sprinted up to Ethan with an enormous, hopeful grin.
"Ethan! Today's the day! I'm gonna CRUSH this exam!"
Ethan smiled. "Good. Keep that energy."
"I'm gonna beat Sasuke! Just watch!"
"…Maybe keep that energy slightly controlled."
"I DON'T KNOW HOW!"
Sasuke shot Naruto a disdainful half-glance. Naruto puffed up like a runaway balloon.
Ethan sighed.
This was definitely going to be a day.
---
The Exam Breakdown
Iruka stepped forward and the chatter died instantly.
"Listen up, everyone. Today starts with:
1. Basic Ninjutsu Demonstration
2. Shuriken and Kunai Accuracy Test
3. Chakra Control & Rotation Evaluation
4. Movement Course
5. Optional Sparring Rounds for Extra Credit"
Naruto pumped his fists.
Sasuke stayed stone-still.
Ethan rolled his shoulders, letting chakra settle.
The Panel flickered subtly in his peripheral awareness.
---
[NARUTO NODE — PATH STABILITY CHECK]
Mainline Threat Level: Low
Instability Factor: 3% (Naruto's progress accelerating due to Ethan's presence)
Note: Manageable.
Recommendation: Let Sasuke match the pace. Keep balance.
---
Ethan inhaled through his nose.
He could do that.
Maybe.
Probably.
Hopefully.
---
1. Basic Ninjutsu Test
Iruka called the names one by one.
Sakura: Perfect clone, perfect transformation, perfect smug aura.
Ino: Solid clones, neat technique.
Kiba: Loud clones, overconfident grin.
Shino: Clones that were suspiciously crisp and weirdly bug-flavored.
Then—
"Uzumaki Naruto!"
Naruto gulped, but his determination flared bright.
He formed the seal. Focused hard.
Poof—
Three clones appeared.
They were lopsided, awkward, and one of them had its face pressed into the dirt… but they were solid.
Not illusions.
Actual, physical clones.
Iruka froze, eyes wide.
Naruto blinked. "Did… I do it?"
Ethan grinned. "You did."
Naruto screeched with joy, immediately tackling Ethan in a hug until Iruka pried him off.
Sasuke's brow twitched.
Yeah, he noticed.
---
2. Shuriken & Kunai Accuracy
Sasuke: Bullseyes. Multiple. Effortless.
Sakura: Respectably accurate.
Shikamaru: Lazy but somehow effective.
Naruto: …painfully average, but he tried so hard he almost passed out.
Ethan stepped up last.
He exhaled, guided chakra through his arm, and let instinct guide the throw.
Every kunai and shuriken landed exactly where he wanted.
Not bullseyes stacked on top of each other—Ethan wasn't trying to be flashy—but a demonstration of absolute precision.
The other kids stared.
Sasuke stared harder.
Naruto started bragging about him to literally everyone.
---
3. Chakra Rotation & Balance Test
This was where Ethan knew things would tilt.
Naruto's rotation had improved dramatically since training with him and Sasuke. Iruka watched with the expression of someone witnessing a minor miracle.
Naruto managed a clean, stable clockwise rotation.
His counterclockwise sputtered, but it held.
Kids gasped.
Naruto looked ready to cry from pride.
Sasuke stepped up next—eyes sharp, chakra moving like cool blue fire under his skin—and his rotation was flawless, crisp, and fast.
Then Ethan went next.
His chakra sphere formed instantly.
Rotation reversed perfectly.
Release was clean, silent, almost artistic.
Iruka blinked slowly, already writing extra notes.
The Panel buzzed.
---
[ACADEMY METRIC UPDATE]
Ethan Cross — Rank: High-Jōnin-level control (Academy scale equivalent)
Deviation Risk: +1%
Naruto's Motivation: +12
Sasuke's Rivalry/Curiosity: +9
---
Yeah. Things were heating.
---
4. Movement Course
Naruto blasted through the obstacle course like a feral orange missile.
Sasuke cleared it with razor-sharp footing and perfect form.
Ethan?
He used chakra flow through his soles, balanced perfectly on each surface, and completed it in one fluid, polished run.
Not the fastest.
Not the flashiest.
But the cleanest.
Even Iruka stared at him.
"…Ethan, your balance is exceptional," he said, dead serious.
"Thank you, sensei."
Naruto whispered, "He means you're OP."
Ethan choked on air.
---
5. Optional Sparring
Most kids passed.
Only a few volunteered.
Naruto did, obviously.
Sasuke did to prove a point.
Ethan did because he needed to maintain equilibrium.
Sasuke beat his opponent with calm, brutal efficiency.
Naruto won his fight with chaotic enthusiasm and pure heart.
Ethan won his match by redirecting momentum, never harming the other kid, earning murmurs of respect across the yard.
Even Mizuki paused mid-writing.
---
After the Exams
When Iruka dismissed the class, a swarm of students surrounded Ethan.
"How'd you do that?"
"You're crazy good!"
"Teach me!"
"Are you secretly from a clan?!"
Naruto shoved his way through the crowd.
"BACK OFF! HE'S MY TEACHER FIRST!"
Sasuke approached quietly, hands in pockets, eyes unreadable.
He stopped in front of Ethan.
"Don't get lazy," Sasuke said softly. "You're strong. But don't fall behind."
Ethan smiled a little. "You too."
Sasuke's lips twitched—almost a smirk—before he walked away.
Naruto clung to Ethan's sleeve.
"DID YOU SEE ME TODAY?! I DID IT! ETHAN! I DID IT!"
"You did great," Ethan said, ruffling his hair.
Naruto beamed like the sun.
The timeline pulsed gently around them.
Ethan breathed out.
The exams were only the beginning.
The next stage—the stage where kids start becoming shinobi—was coming fast.
And Ethan would have to manage every step.
Because both boys were rising.
Fast.
And the world would feel it.