The day of the entrance exam was bright and clear.
Crowds of children gathered at the Ninja Academy, flanked by parents and a large swarm of villagers who had simply come to watch the spectacle. In Konoha, where entertainment was scarce, events like the Entrance Exam, the Graduation Exam, and the Chunin Exams were grand festivities that drew the entire village.
Parents huddled together to watch the proceedings. A few were shinobi wearing forehead protectors, but the vast majority were civilians.
Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the bustling stands, puffing silently on his pipe. He enjoyed these scenes, his eyes crinkling behind a smile as he looked around.
After the Second Hokage's passing, Hiruzen had formally taken the mantle of Hokage. At the time, he was under immense pressure from both the ongoing war and the various shinobi clans. Tobirama Senju had been mortally wounded during the treacherous ambush by Kumogakure's Kinkaku Force. Since the Second Raikage had also died in that incident, the muscle-brained Cloud Village had stubbornly pressed on with the war.
As the newly appointed Third, Hiruzen hadn't yet gained full control over Konoha's resources. He'd been forced to adopt aggressive strategies, graduating large numbers of civilian ninjas early and throwing them onto the battlefield. They paid for the victory with their lives, eventually forcing the Cloud to surrender.
That victory gave Hiruzen the prestige he needed, but it severely damaged his power base. Among the Konoha shinobi who survived the war, half belonged to the clans. Even worse, three-quarters of the Chunin and ninety percent of the Jonin were clan-affiliated.
With such a staggering numerical advantage—especially among the high-ranking elite—the clans naturally seized power, effectively sidelining the Hokage.
But a Hokage is still a Hokage, and Hiruzen held the moral high ground in political struggles. He adopted a "divide and conquer" strategy. The clans led by the Ino-Shika-Cho trio were the first to join his camp, becoming the core of his influence.
Beyond clan support, Hiruzen expanded the authority and size of the Anbu. He recruited elite Chunin from the clans, seeking to win their loyalty by reshaping their ideologies through Anbu training.
This policy effectively clawed back power for the Hokage, but it also gave the clans a chance to infiltrate the Anbu. Consequently, Hiruzen authorized Danzo Shimura to establish an "Anbu Training Department"—the Root. By recruiting orphans and clan outcasts, they ensured that at least a portion of the Anbu remained free from outside influence.
Under the leadership of these two, the Anbu and Root worked in tight coordination. They used every tool at their disposal, both overt and covert, to win over young shinobi and push dissenters out of key positions. Finally, Hiruzen held the reins of power once more.
Of course, during this process, both the Anbu and Root grew rapidly. The problem was that under the brooding Danzo, the Root's methods were becoming increasingly dark.
With his power consolidated, Hiruzen was ready to make his move.
"I propose we double the number of students admitted to the Academy this year," Hiruzen said quietly, tapping the ash from his pipe.
"Agreed," came the four-part response.
Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, Danzo Shimura, and Akimichi Torifu spoke in unison.
While seventy percent of the ninjas in the stands were from clans, the ratio of clan-affiliated examinees wasn't nearly that high. The clans didn't enroll all their children at once. Instead, they sent their most brilliant and their most mediocre. The geniuses were sent to win glory; the mediocre were sent to find a career path for themselves.
Even the most "mediocre" clan child had received basic training at home. Their foundation far exceeded that of civilians, and their test scores were almost always in the top tier. They were guaranteed to pass.
Doubling the intake meant that the vast majority of new slots would go to civilian children. In a few years, the ranks of the Genin would be flooded with civilian ninjas.
"Oh? How interesting," Orochimaru suddenly spoke up. "We've been spotted."
"It seems to be an Aburame child. Sharp perception. Does he have a sensory talent?"
"Perhaps not," Orochimaru said, his eyes narrowing. "What a fascinating little bug."
Today, Aburame Tetsumaru was an eye-catching sight. Stuck to the top of his head was a jelly-like Slime.
Squishy, bouncy, candy-colored, and translucent with large, watery eyes—the slime was the literal definition of "cute." By extension, the slime's "mount" became the center of attention.
Tetsumaru was focusing intensely, scouting the security ninjas stationed around the exam grounds while completely ignoring the awkward stares. He was identifying the hidden ninjas one by one and gauging their strength: Genin, Chunin, and a few suspected Jonin.
Tetsumaru had discovered his sensory abilities over the past two days. His Grand Chakra Circulation was incredibly stable; by using Insight to monitor the loop, he could detect subtle interference in his own chakra. With a little practice, he could analyze the source of that interference—calculating the frequency, intensity, amplitude, and angle to gain information on the source.
Finally, his "Slime" confirmed the visual. Its large eyes possessed infrared and dynamic vision, along with a telescopic function. Once Tetsumaru sensed a chakra source and got a rough lock, he used an Aburame secret technique to link with the slime's vision and see exactly who it was.
The Slime was something Tetsumaru had discovered in the Aburame clan's forest.
The Aburame had been playing with bugs for centuries. They had collected countless species from all over the world and released them into their woodlands. Under the constraint of the clan's secret arts, these insects were crowded into less than five square kilometers. The competition for survival was brutal. Any bug that survived long enough for Tetsumaru to find it had a special trick.
To Tetsumaru, the forest was a treasure trove. He could stumble upon insects that held the potential to change his destiny.
When he first found the Slime, it was only the size of a grain of rice—a squishy, amoeba-like creature that looked like a mutated slug. Because he found it at night, he was able to confirm that it possessed both night vision and dynamic vision. He had been ecstatic.
What were the strongest Bloodline Limits in Konoha? The Byakugan and the Sharingan. Tetsumaru wasn't going to awaken either, but he could make eyes for himself.
Through selective breeding, the amoeba grew larger, its eyes became rounder, and its vision sharpened significantly. It could even adjust its focus by changing its shape. Since it looked more and more like a certain mascot monster, Tetsumaru named it "Slime."
Using the Slime as a starting point, Tetsumaru devised the "Eye of Truth" Project, shamelessly copying a certain "Wizard's Mask" upgrade plan from a story he remembered. The Eye of Truth would eventually combine telescopic vision, X-ray vision, dynamic vision, chakra sensing, infrared, ultraviolet, low-light vision, Genjutsu attack, and Genjutsu defense.
The final version would even incorporate supernatural vision for electromagnetism, gravity, sub-atomic particles, vibrations, and souls.
Currently, the Slime on his head had successfully integrated night vision and telescopic zoom, along with the dynamic vision equivalent to a single-tomoe Sharingan. He was only missing the X-ray vision of the Byakugan to complete Phase One.
Tetsumaru lowered the frequency of his Insight to sense further out. He spotted several powerful ninjas watching from rooftops and trees before sensing a massive chakra presence coming from the direction of the Hokage Rock.
Eight distinct chakra signatures overlapped, shining as bright as the sun.
Tetsumaru was stunned. He had never seen such powerful ninjas; they clearly surpassed his mental benchmark for a Jonin. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he ordered the Slime to use its telescopic vision. The slime wiggled its body, squeezing its large eye into an oval shape, and the source of the chakra came into focus.
Eight people were arranged in three rows. At the very front was the Third Hokage, unmistakable in his hat and haori.
In the third row were his three students. The traits of the "Yellow, Gambling, Poison" (Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru) trio were very familiar and easy to recognize.
In the second row were four people. Three of them were the Hokage's advisors, though they looked quite different from the decrepit old fossils in his memories.
Holy crap, Danzo is actually a handsome middle-aged guy.
Even Koharu didn't look too bad, though she already had a sharp, mean look about her. Both of them were going to take a serious hit from the "aging" debuff in a few years; time was going to be very cruel to them.
The middle-aged man with glasses was likely Homura Mitokado—fairly unremarkable. There was one more person he didn't recognize, but that round, portly figure was iconic of the Akimichi. That had to be Akimichi Torifu.
Tetsumaru quietly compared his own chakra volume to these eight. He was horrified to discover that his reserves were equivalent to one-tenth of the Third Hokage's.
Tetsumaru knew his chakra was growing fast—he'd even spent time researching how to hide it—but he didn't have a real yardstick for how much he actually had. He'd guessed he was on par with a Senju or an Uzumaki, but he had no reference. The strongest person he could observe was his father, and he'd surpassed that Chunin level long ago.
As an Aburame child, it wouldn't be hard to find a Jonin in Konoha, but what Jonin would stand in front of a kid and refine their chakra at full power just so the brat could study them?
Until today. With the Hokage seemingly using some unknown jutsu, Tetsumaru finally had the chance to observe the chakra of the "strongest" ninja. In theory, the Hokage was the peak of Konoha. Hiruzen was famous for his massive-scale combo ninjutsu, meaning his chakra reserves far exceeded the average Jonin.
If Tetsumaru's reserves were ten percent of Hiruzen's, it meant his raw volume had already reached the baseline of a Jonin.
Cold sweat broke out on his back. Thank god his Grand Circulation reduced his chakra "leakage" to one-fortieth of its normal levels. Otherwise, the moment the exam started, he would have been exposed. If people found out he had more chakra than a Senju or an Uzumaki, who knows what kind of trouble it would bring? A certain "God of Shinobi" (Danzo) would definitely try to recruit him.
The worst part was that the Aburame clan might not even refuse. It was a tradition for the clan to have dozens of ninjas serving in the Root.
As Tetsumaru's mind raced, the Slime suddenly sent an "Aimed Gaze" alert. The warning stacked eight times in an instant.
The Slime warned him by sending bio-electric pulses to his auditory nerves, creating a hallucination of sound. To increase the warning level, it doubled the voltage. Tetsumaru had never tested what eight-fold voltage felt like.
The voltage was so high it bypassed "sound" and went straight to "electric shock." Tetsumaru's hair stood on end and his head buzzed. He hurriedly snatched the Slime off his head.
With the link severed, Tetsumaru felt the physical weight of those oppressive gazes.
Seriously? I can't even look?
In reality, looking was a big deal. Ninjas are hyper-sensitive combatants; staring is a dangerous provocation and incredibly rude. People had started wars or committed murders for less.
The Hokage, the Sannin, and the four elders were all staring at him to teach the brat a lesson. They wanted to make sure this little "reckless devil" didn't get himself killed later for peeking at the wrong person.
The heavy gazes only vanished when it was time for Tetsumaru to take the field. He quickly adjusted his mindset. He'd promised Elder Shiki he'd get into Class A; today was his day to shine.
He soothed the Slime and let it stick back onto his head, reconnecting the chakra link. I need to upgrade the warning system to variable frequency. Doubling the voltage hurts like hell, he noted, mentally recalculating the priority list for his next Slime experiment.
The Academy entrance exam was simple: a long-distance run, a written test, and an optional combat portion for extra credit.
Tetsumaru's physical stats were far beyond his peers. During the ten-lap, five-kilometer run, he finished two full laps ahead of the second-place runner.
The afternoon written exam was even easier. It was designed to filter for civilian geniuses, so it couldn't be too difficult. Any civilian child with a decent score was considered gifted, given their lack of educational resources.
Tetsumaru finished early and sat under a tree in the schoolyard to wait for the combat portion. He took the Slime off, checking its status and feeding it.
As a newly developed ninja bug, the Slime required a fifteen-day "imprint" period where it had to be carried at all times and constantly fed the user's secret arts. Otherwise, there was a high chance it would fail to develop the connection needed to respond to Tetsumaru's chakra. Since it cost 90,000 Ryo to breed, Tetsumaru had no choice but to bring it to the exam.
The combat portion wasn't mandatory, but clan children who performed poorly wouldn't get into Class A, severely limiting their future prospects. The combat ring was a stage for the clans to show off. A brilliant student represented a strong future; a poor performance reflected a family in decline—a source of great shame and potential loss of status.
When the time was right, Tetsumaru began his warm-up. He got his body into peak condition and walked onto the field with confidence, scanning his fellow examinees.
There weren't many students participating in the combat test. It was soon Tetsumaru's turn.
"Aburame Tetsumaru, to the floor!" "Inuzuka Takeshi, to the floor!"
As the two boys stepped up, the cheering from the sidelines intensified.
"Tetsumaru, go for it! You're the best!" "Takeshi! Takeshi! You're the strongest!" "@#￥%&!!"
Tetsumaru's father, who usually tried so hard to look dignified, was screaming for him until his voice cracked. Tetsumaru wasn't moved; he was just incredibly embarrassed.
According to the rules, students couldn't use controllable ninja beasts, insects, or summons. This included the Kikaichu, so Inuzuka Takeshi didn't have his dog with him. The rule existed because these creatures acted independently—a summon could potentially have Jonin-level combat power, making the test of the child's own ability meaningless.
By graduation, these things were allowed. But for now, it was a "no-bug" Aburame versus a "no-dog" Inuzuka. A battle of lightweights.
Takeshi: Perfect. It's that jerk Tetsumaru. He can't use his dirty tricks here. I'm going to get my revenge!Tetsumaru: This poor sap really thinks I'm helpless without my gear.
"Both sides... Seal of Confrontation!" "Begin!"
Takeshi dropped into a low crouch and began running on all fours, circling in a wide arc to try and get behind Tetsumaru. Tetsumaru raised his hands to chest height to guard his face and pivoted his feet, keeping his front toward his opponent.
After half a circle, Takeshi suddenly accelerated. Moving faster than Tetsumaru could turn his body, he sprinted into the boy's blind spot and lunged.
The smug Inuzuka didn't notice that while Tetsumaru's body hadn't turned fast enough, the Slime on his head was watching him like a hawk.
The moment Takeshi lunged, Tetsumaru spun. He stepped forward, closing the gap and invading Takeshi's "safe zone" before the other boy could react.
Takeshi found himself too close to attack effectively. He instinctively tried to stop and lean back to create space, throwing a right-handed strike in desperation.
Tetsumaru had timed it perfectly. He caught Takeshi's right wrist with ease, used the boy's own momentum to pivot left, and drove his right shoulder hard into Takeshi's chest. The impact forced Takeshi to use his left hand to brace himself.
Tetsumaru felt Takeshi lose his center of gravity. He adjusted his footing, yanked the boy's right arm down under his armpit, and used a powerful twist of his hips and a shove from his legs to perform a clean shoulder throw.
THUD.
Tetsumaru slammed Takeshi into the ground. Keeping the arm-lock tight, he pressed his entire weight onto the boy. The impact was enough to knock Takeshi out cold.
"Aburame Tetsumaru is the winner."
The proctor announced the result tonelessly and signaled the medical ninjas to carry Takeshi away.
Tetsumaru's parents were cheering wildly, but the rest of the crowd was quiet. Because there was no back-and-forth exchange, the fight wasn't "exciting." Tetsumaru was simply too strong; he'd dropped Takeshi in a single exchange without giving the boy a chance to show off.
Takeshi was actually quite skilled, but luck wasn't on his side. In the Shinobi World, luck is recognized as a part of strength. Many powerful Jonin died in the last war simply because they ran into someone even stronger or got hit by a stray arrow. Luck matters.
Tetsumaru had held back. When he caught the wrist, he could have followed up with an elbow strike or a knee to the ribs, or twisted the arm into a break. Even with the throw, he had ensured Takeshi landed flat on his back to avoid breaking any ribs.
He went on to win two more matches with ease. Finally, he was up against his most formidable opponent: Hyuga Tokuma of the Noble Hyuga Clan.