Chapter 24: The Genin Exam

[Shinji's POV]

The second year of the Academy had finally come to an end, and this time, seven students from my class were eligible for the graduation exam—the highest number of second-year graduates in a single year. All thanks to me.

Training my group to become competent shinobi had been an additional goal of mine, and surprisingly, out of all my friends, Akane had shown the most growth. She even copied me and began using Wind Chakra with her sword, making her attacks incredibly dangerous. Of all chakra natures, Wind was undoubtedly the best for bladed combat due to its sheer cutting power. Lightning came second, excelling in one-on-one duels with its paralyzing effects.

Anyway, now we were all standing before the exam center, ready to take the next step toward becoming full-fledged ninja.

"Are you excited? In a few days, we'll be real shinobi!" Fumiko said, practically bouncing on her feet.

"You have to pass first," Shigeo replied, looking more serious than usual.

"Don't ruin my excitement, Shigeo!" she huffed, smacking him on the head.

A teacher stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Behave properly. You will now enter the exam hall. The elders of the village will be present, so do not test their patience. Some of you could fail without even taking the exam."

Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes. "Which elders will be overseeing the exam?"

'Just don't be Danzo…' I thought grimly. He should be busy with his Sharingan hoarding at this time, so it would likely be the others.

As the door opened, my eyes locked onto Elder Koharu, sitting alongside none other than the Hokage himself.

'What's he doing here? Is he that free?'

I was genuinely shocked that Hiruzen Sarutobi had come to observe a simple Genin Exam. I internally laughed but kept my expression neutral, not wanting to make a fool of myself. Then, as if sensing my thoughts, the Hokage's gaze landed on me.

"This year, we have quite a few promising ninja," Koharu said, smiling in that typical grandmotherly way of hers.

"Yes, this year is different," Hiruzen agreed. "And we even have a special ninja among them."

I took my seat with the others as an instructor stepped forward, handing out exam papers. "You have two hours to complete this test. There are no additional rules—simply solve the problems within the time limit."

I scanned the test. Ten questions, ranging from physics, mathematics, and biology to ninja strategy and basic sealing formulas. It was far more difficult than a standard Genin Exam.

'Let's see how the others handle this… and how the instructors react.'

I finished my exam in under an hour and left the hall, but instead of waiting outside, I slipped into my shadow and reentered the room unseen.

Kuruto was using his Byakugan to peek at Akane's answers, while Akira was doing the same with his Sharingan.

'Those two have it easy.'

The instructor pretended not to notice, which confirmed my suspicion—the Academy allowed ocular jutsu in written exams. It explained why Gaara's Third Eye had gone unnoticed during the Chunin Exams.

Fumiko stared blankly at Shigeo, then blinked, her expression shifting as she suddenly began writing. Mind Transfer Jutsu.

Aoi, surprisingly, was writing non-stop, and from what I could see, his answers were mostly correct.

''I guess Aoi also have high IQ'

Satisfied that my team was doing fine, I left and headed to the next test site, where Hiruzen and Koharu sat, eating dumplings while debating something.

"You're early, Shinji. Finished with the written exam?" Koharu asked, noticing me.

"Yes, it was all covered in the Academy's curriculum," I replied calmly.

"For the practical exam, we usually test students on the three basic jutsu, but Hokage-sama has prepared something different for you," the instructor explained.

I frowned slightly. "Different how?"

"You must demonstrate three C-rank jutsu since you had early access to them in your second year."

'What's Hiruzen up to? He should already know about my abilities from Jiraiya-sensei. Does he suspect I'm hiding something?'

The instructor asked again, "Are you ready?"

I nodded, stepping forward. I wasn't sure what Hiruzen wanted, but I had no choice but to comply.

I performed the Fireball Jutsu, executing it with just one hand seal, producing flames large enough to engulf three people.

Next, I used Water Shuriken Jutsu, forming rotating projectiles of water and launching them at the target dummies with deadly precision.

Finally, I performed Great Breakthrough Jutsu, sending a powerful gust of wind that shattered the wooden targets upon impact.

The instructor and Koharu were visibly stunned. Hiruzen, however, observed me with a calculating gaze.

"Can you perform jutsu above C-rank?" he asked casually.

'Ah. I see now. Danzo snitched on me, didn't he? He's trying to gauge my abilities.'

I smirked internally. 'You won't find anything, old man.'

"I know a few higher-ranked techniques," I admitted, "as well as Fūinjutsu, all taught by Jiraiya-sensei. Would you like me to demonstrate?"

Hiruzen studied me for a few moments, then shook his head. "No need. If Jiraiya trained you, then I have no further questions."

He smiled. "You pass, Shinji. Report here tomorrow to meet your Jonin sensei and your assigned team. Good luck—and become a strong ninja for the village."

"I will, Hokage-sama," I replied before leaving.

[Hiruzen's POV]

Koharu laughed. "He's a sharp one."

I sighed. "What can I do? The moment he mentioned Jiraiya, questioning him further would mean questioning my own student."

But this confirmed something—I was now certain he was hiding something. Maybe Danzo was right, and I needed to keep an eye on him. But if my suspicions were baseless, I could lose his trust entirely.

[Flashback: The Previous Day]

Danzo entered my office and sat down.

I didn't look up. "What now, Danzo?" I was already burdened with enough problems.

"I'm not here about Itachi."

I looked up, surprised. "Then what?"

He smirked. "You should already know—the Yamanaka girl who used Mind Transfer Jutsu on him. She claimed she saw something worse than the Nine-Tails lurking in his shadow."

I frowned. "Jiraiya is handling it. I trust him."

Danzo leaned forward. "You should have detained that boy by now. How can you let such a danger walk freely in Konoha?"

"Get to the point, Danzo," I said, my patience thin.

He folded his hands. "Put a Root agent as his Jonin sensei."

I immediately refused. "No."

"At least assign Kinoe now that he is in Anbu," he pressed. "His Wood Release could control Tailed Beasts if Shinji ever lost control."

I hesitated, I wanted to refuse at first and trust Jiraya to take care of him, but Jiraya also have other responsibilities and Kinoe or Tenzo was a good young man with a heart to save people and it will good to have someone near Shinji who could control him.

"I'll decide after I see Shinji's exam."

Danzo left, and I sat there, wondering if I was making a terrible mistake.