Exam

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Time flew by like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed. The entrance exam for the 39th class of the Konoha Ninja Academy had begun.

Akio didn't participate personally—instead, he stood off to the side with Sakumo, observing as a bystander.

The exam was divided into three parts. The first, "Nin" (Ninjutsu), was the simplest. It mainly tested chakra extraction efficiency. Of course, to score high, students needed to demonstrate proficiency in the Three Basic Techniques—something that was quite difficult for five- to six-year-old children.

The second part, "Tai" (Taijutsu), was purely a physical fitness assessment. The standards differed between boys and girls, with the bar set slightly higher for the boys.

The third part, "Gen" (Genjutsu), was an illusion test. Naturally, the children weren't expected to perform Genjutsu, but rather to test their resistance to it and assess their aptitude for learning it in the future.

"Sakumo, what are the passing criteria for the exam?" Akio understood the structure but was unclear on the specific grading standards.

"Each section is worth ten points. An average passing score across all three will suffice," Sakumo replied.

Akio nodded. "So they're evaluating overall ability. What if someone excels in just one area?" He immediately thought of Guy.

"If someone scores a perfect ten in one section, the other two can be overlooked."

Akio let out a sigh of relief. That meant Guy should be fine.

"But it's very hard to get a perfect score," Sakumo added. "Even Kakashi might only get a ten in Ninjutsu. For the other two, he'll probably score just eight or nine."

Akio frowned. Kakashi had been training under Sakumo since he was little—his Taijutsu should already surpass Guy's. And even he couldn't get perfect scores?

"It's that strict?"

Sakumo nodded. "The Hokage doesn't have much of a choice. Over 150 students registered for this round, but only about sixty will be admitted."

Akio understood. He also knew that failing this round didn't necessarily mean the door was closed. The upper age limit for Academy entry was nine, and many of the applicants were just over five.

Of course, the five-year-olds were clearly confident in themselves. Those who attempted entry at such a young age were usually the most talented.

"Sakumo, where's your little prodigy?" Students were steadily entering the testing grounds, but Akio hadn't spotted Kakashi.

"Kakashi is scheduled to go last," Sakumo said, his expression a bit stiff.

"Saving the best for last? Or trying not to intimidate the other kids?" Akio teased with a grin.

"Probably both." Sakumo was already immune to Akio's teasing; he didn't even flinch anymore.

Akio looked over the kids at the front of the line—none of them seemed familiar. It seemed the more promising candidates had been deliberately placed near the end.

The three proctors overseeing the tests were all elite: a jonin from the Nara clan for the Ninjutsu test, a Hyuga jonin for the Taijutsu test, and surprisingly, Uchiha Kagami himself for Genjutsu.

Akio gave it a thought and understood. Genjutsu, if mishandled, could leave lasting effects on a child's development. At the moment, Kagami was likely the strongest Genjutsu user in Konoha.

"They're not messing around. All three examiners look like tough customers," Akio muttered.

But to his surprise, the Genjutsu section—the one he expected to be the hardest—was being passed easily by the kids. None of them seemed deeply affected or showed signs of struggling.

"Is Kagami going easy on them?"

Sakumo hesitated, then leaned in and whispered, "Word is, Elder Kagami's daughter-in-law is pregnant. He's probably in a good mood."

Akio shot him a sideways look, chuckling. "When did you become so gossipy?"

"Wait—Kagami's grandson?" Akio paused. Wouldn't that be Uchiha Shisui?

"What's wrong, Elder Akio?"

"Nothing…"

Given the current state of the Uchiha clan, Shisui's birth wouldn't cause much of a stir—though Akio was very curious about those eyes.

He turned his attention back to the test. Sure enough, the children at the front of the line weren't anything special. No scores were being announced aloud, but Akio could guess—most of them wouldn't pass.

"I wonder who the first familiar face will be?"

He felt a flicker of anticipation.

Half a minute later…

"Ha! Of course it's Guy…" Akio said with a helpless smile. "What was I expecting? I should've known."

"He's Might Duy's son, right?" Sakumo asked.

Unlike in the original timeline, Duy was now a jonin in Konoha, so Sakumo naturally knew him.

Akio nodded with a grin.

Sakumo hesitated. Knowing how strict the exam was, he frowned. "At this rate, he probably won't pass."

Akio waved it off. "It's fine. He'll pass for sure."

Akio had forgotten that in the original series, Guy had been admitted as a special case. He only remembered that Guy was in the same class as Kakashi—so it didn't seem possible for him not to pass.

Sakumo hesitated but said nothing more.

Ten minutes later, Akio's mouth twitched. He didn't know the exact grading standards, but if he were the examiner, Guy wouldn't make it.

"Don't tell me he really won't pass?"

After the test, Guy walked off confidently, unfazed.

More familiar faces began to enter, distracting Akio from Guy's results.

"That one… I think that's Morino Ibiki. He doesn't have the scar yet."

"And that's Ebisu, right? The one who ends up tutoring Konohamaru. Didn't expect him in this batch…"

"Hayate Gekkō and Yugao Uzuki—they're in this group too."

"That kid with the straw in his mouth—Genma Shiranui, the sarcastic one."

"Rin Nohara, huh? Obito's childhood crush."

"Speak of the devil—there's little Obito, my first time seeing him."

"Kurenai Yuhi passed the Genjutsu test alone? The first student so far to score a perfect ten."

"Asuma Sarutobi—he looks so innocent now. Just a little kid…"

As more students filed in, Akio's scattered memories came flooding back. Altogether, he recognized at least thirteen or fourteen kids from this class.

Finally, Hatake Kakashi entered, a short sword strapped to his back. The all-day entrance exam for the Ninja Academy had come to an end.

Kakashi could already use the Three Basic Techniques with ease, but instead of starting with his best subject—Ninjutsu—he tested the other two first, and didn't manage perfect scores. His eyes reflected a hint of disappointment.

Akio hesitated, then turned to Sakumo with a question that had baffled him for a century: "Why does Kakashi wear a mask even as a child?"

"Because he's handsome. Like me."

Sakumo turned and walked off.

Akio stood there, stunned—then realized…

He'd just been trolled.

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