Konoha Year 49, July 1st—Graduation Day.
The sun hung high in the sky, blazing down mercilessly. The gates of the Ninja Academy were tightly shut, while parents who had come to accompany their children to the exams gathered in small clusters outside.The scorching sunlight only intensified the restlessness in their hearts.
Some parents fixed anxious gazes on the academy gates, while others casually struck up conversations with nearby strangers in an attempt to ease their nerves. Even seasoned shinobi who had faced life and death countless times found themselves stripped of their usual calm on a day that would determine their children's futures.
A middle-aged man wearing a ninja flak vest stood with his arms crossed. His hair jutted out like a hedgehog, and greasepaint marked his face, which was currently twisted with irritation. Watching his restless companion bounce around beside him, he finally lost his patience and barked,"Grey Fang, stop jumping around. Stay still."
The large dog—built like a wild wolf—froze at its master's reprimand. With a wronged whimper, it slunk back to his side and sat down obediently, looking utterly dejected.
A sword-bearing ninja nearby chuckled and said,"Inuzuka Yu, you're the one who's anxious. Why take it out on Grey Fang? Besides, what are you even worried about? If your little Aya can't graduate, then there won't be many students graduating today at all."
Hearing the praise for his daughter, the middle-aged man laughed heartily and hurriedly replied,"Your Hayate isn't bad either. He's just a bit frail—needs more training!"
The swordsman shook his head. Hayate's problem wasn't a lack of training at all.Sigh… was it really the right choice to let Hayate walk the path of a shinobi?
While the parents were deep in conversation, the graduating students inside had already completed the first round of testing and handed in their papers. They remained seated, waiting for the next—and final—exam: the ninjutsu assessment.
After all, this was the path of the shinobi. Being good with a pen meant little; having a strong fist was what truly mattered.
Soon, a chūnin examiner entered the classroom holding a roster.
"Next is the ninjutsu assessment. When I call your name, follow me to the classroom next door. If your name isn't called, remain seated."
"Yagyū Ichirō!"
A boy wearing a green headband stood up.
"Hyūga Ryō!"
A pale-eyed boy with cloudy pupils rose to his feet.
"…"
"Uchiha Aozora!"
The moment Uchiha Aozora stood up, every gaze in the classroom focused on him.
Like most members of the Uchiha clan, he had black hair and sharply defined features. Unlike other Uchiha, however, his eyes always seemed half-lidded with sleep, and a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, giving him an air of harmlessness.
"The ten of you—come with me!"
The examiner turned and left the classroom, and the students whose names had been called hurried after him.
As soon as the examiner was gone, the more restless students began whispering among themselves. At first, they quietly discussed possible test questions, but soon they were openly speculating about the scores of the first ten examinees.
A chubby boy with a bowl-cut haircut stood up smugly and declared,"I bet Hyūga Ryō will pass!"
Judging by his tone, anyone who didn't know better would think he was Hyūga Ryō himself.
The girl sitting behind him slammed a fist into his back, knocking him back into his seat. She planted her hands on her hips and snapped,"What nonsense are you spouting, fatty? If Hyūga Ryō hadn't been injured during the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, he would've graduated last year."
The bowl-cut boy was about to retort, but when he turned around and saw the greasepaint on her face, he immediately switched gears and said obsequiously,"You're right, boss!"
Inuzuka Aya ignored his fawning completely. She turned instead to the pale-faced boy beside her and asked,"Hayate, how many of those ten do you think will pass?"
"Ahem—!"Gekkō Hayate raised a hand to cover his mouth and coughed lightly before answering,"They should all pass."
"Oh?" Aya murmured doubtfully, then asked tentatively,"Hayate, do you think the graduation standards will be relaxed again this year, like last year?"
Gekkō Hayate nodded in agreement.
Inuzuka Aya laughed twice before shaking her head."Even so, I don't agree with you."
"Is that so?" Gekkō Hayate said gently. "Aya, let's hear your analysis."
Aya hummed thoughtfully, then began listing them off while shaking her head,"Hyūga Ryō, Yanagawa Ichirō—they'll definitely pass. Yoshino and Keiki also have a chance. Their taijutsu is decent, at least."
"But why should that squinty-eyed Uchiha Aozora pass?"
"Taijutsu? Just look at his skin—he probably never leaves his house.""Ninjutsu? He only refined chakra this year.""Genjutsu? Maybe he actually knows some—after all, he trains in his dreams every day!"
Inuzuka Aya wasn't a prodigy, but she was undeniably one of the top students and the class leader. As she spoke, the rest of the classroom couldn't help but listen in.
At the mention of "training in dreams," the boys grinned knowingly, while the girls bristled and immediately sprang to Aozora's defense.
"Aozora's not that useless—he's first in ninja tool throwing, okay?""Aozora's a really nice person!""You're just jealous. Don't slander our Aozora!"
"…"
Under the resentful stares of her female classmates, Inuzuka Aya rolled her eyes.
Konoha had been established for forty-nine years—so why had there never been a female Hokage? If all female shinobi were as superficial as them, how could any of them become truly powerful?
She, Inuzuka Aya, was different. She was destined to become a great kunoichi like Princess Tsunade. Male beauty meant nothing to her.
Feigning an apology, she said,"Sorry. I forgot—Aozora is still quite excellent. He does still have a chance to pass."
Just as the girls' expressions softened into gentle smiles, Aya added,"After all, he's so pretty. If he just smiles, maybe some male examiner won't be able to resist and give him a passing score!"
"Ah, Inuzuka Aya…"Gekkō Hayate shook his head lightly, no longer paying attention to the classroom argument.
His gaze passed through the window, following the ten students heading toward the exam hall—lingering on Uchiha Aozora, who trailed at the very back.
Among the ten, he understood the strength and background of the other nine clearly. But Uchiha Aozora—the class's perennial bottom student—was someone he couldn't see through.
Aozora's older brother was the most outstanding genius of the Uchiha clan. When Aozora first entered the Academy, every move he made had drawn attention. Yet over six years, he had shown nothing remarkable.
He spent his days slumped over his desk, sleeping. His taijutsu training was half-hearted. He surrendered immediately during sparring classes. He only refined chakra in his sixth year. Aside from inheriting the Uchiha clan's knack for ninja tool throwing, he was utterly unremarkable.
It seemed that aside from his handsome face, he was completely useless.
And yet, Gekkō Hayate felt that this classmate of his was anything but simple—if for no other reason than a swordsman's intuition.
He felt that Uchiha Aozora was dangerous.
Gekkō Hayate wasn't wrong.
This year was a special one. Although the village's destroyed buildings had been rebuilt, the shinobi who had died could not be brought back. Even with the mass promotions from the previous year, Konoha still faced a severe shortage of ninja—and would continue to do so for years to come.
As a result, this year's Academy graduation exam was unusually simple.
Whether ninjutsu, taijutsu, or genjutsu—so long as a student possessed at least one usable skill, they could graduate.
Uchiha Aozora entered the examination hall unhurriedly. His narrowed eyes opened slightly as he took in the entire environment at a glance using only his peripheral vision.
The chief examiner, Yamanaka Kiyotsuki, brightened as he appraised the graceful young man. A faint smile curved his lips as he said,"Next is the ninjutsu assessment. Uchiha Aozora, please prepare yourself."
Uchiha Aozora stepped into position directly before the two examiners and nodded calmly.
"Please demonstrate the Clone Technique, the Substitution Technique, and the Transformation Technique—in that order."