The children were herded into the exam halls, where rows of desks awaited them. The air was thick with tension as they took their seats, their eyes darting around the room. Satoru, Tatsuo, and Dai were seated a few rows apart, each of them feeling the weight of the moment.
When the exam proctor handed out the question papers, Satoru quickly scanned through his. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 'Easy,' he thought, recognizing all of the questions from his extensive study sessions. Tatsuo, seated a few rows behind, had the exact same thought as he began writing with confidence.
Dai, however, was a different story. As soon as his eyes landed on the paper, his face went pale. The questions stared back at him like a cruel joke, and he felt a wave of panic rise in his chest. He started sweating profusely, his earlier bravado about "destroying" the exam evaporating in an instant.
He had thought he could coast through the written exam, perhaps even cheat a little if necessary, but now he realized just how unprepared he was.All around them, the Academy teachers and proctors were watching closely.
Every now and then, a child would be caught trying to cheat, their attempts met with swift punishment. The unlucky ones were immediately escorted out of the exam hall.
Dai saw one of the students being thrown out and gulped hard. The thought of cheating crossed his mind, but the fear of getting caught made him reconsider. 'I can't cheat,' he thought, his hands shaking slightly as he picked up his pencil. 'If I get thrown out, it's all over.' he answered questions as best as he could. He wasn't sure about most of them, but he gave it his all, relying on what little he remembered from Tatsuo's explanations and the bits he managed to pick up during his study sessions with Satoru.
Two hours passed, the sound of pencils scratching against paper filling the room.
Finally, the proctor called for time. "Put down your pencils and pass your answer sheets forward."Satoru and Tatsuo handed in their papers ,while Dai wasn't sure if it was enough.
The students were told to remain in their seats as the proctors collected the answer sheets and began the grading process. The room was filled with a nervous silence as everyone waited for the results.
Thirty minutes passed, though it felt like an eternity. Satoru kept his calm, knowing that his preparation had paid off. Tatsuo seemed relaxed as well, confident that he had aced the exam. Dai, on the other hand, was fidgeting in his seat, anxiously waiting to hear his fate.
The proctors finally returned to the front of the room, holding a stack of graded papers. The atmosphere in the hall grew tense as they prepared to announce the results.
After the written exams were graded, the students were called into a room one by one, based on the roll numbers on their hall tickets. Satoru, sitting quietly, observed the process calmly.
He quickly deduced that this was likely where they would learn whether they had passed the written exam and perhaps even undergo a brief interview. Over the span of 15 minutes, he watched as 30 to 35 students were called into the room, leaving only a few, including him, waiting their turn.
Finally, his name was called. Satoru took a deep breath and stood up, feeling a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. He walked into the room, where a familiar face awaited him—the woman who had come to the orphanage with the Academy teacher and the masked ninja.
She was sitting behind a desk, her expression warm and welcoming."Please, take a seat," she said, gesturing to the chair in front of her.Satoru sat down, his mind racing.
'This is it,' he thought. 'I need to know if I passed.'Without wasting any time, he asked, "Did I pass?"The woman's smile widened, and she nodded. "You did," she said warmly. "With flying colors. Your performance in the written exam was exceptional, Satoru. You should be proud of yourself."Relief washed over him, and he allowed himself a small smile. 'At least I've made it this far,' he thought, feeling a bit more confident.
The woman continued, "But the exam isn't over yet. The next step is the physical test, which will take place on the playground. Head over there now and give it your all."Satoru nodded, standing up from his seat. "Thank you," he said politely before turning to leave.
he made his way out of the room and toward the playground. He had passed the academic portion of the exam with ease, but now came the physical test. Despite his physical limitations, he knew he had to give it everything he had. He owed it to himself, to Aunty Hana, and to the memory of his grandmother.
The playground came into view, filled with children who were already preparing for the physical test.
Satoru stepped onto the playground, immediately noticing that only about 60% of the children who had taken the written exam were present. The realization hit him hard: the others must have failed.
His eyes scanned the area, searching for familiar faces, particularly Dai and Tatsuo. He was confident that Tatsuo would have passed, but the thought of Dai not making it filled him with worry.
As he continued searching, he spotted Tatsuo talking to a boy with striking white hair. Satoru approached them quickly, his concern evident on his face.Tatsuo's face lit up when he saw Satoru. "You passed!" he exclaimed, clearly relieved.
Satoru nodded, but his thoughts were elsewhere. "Have you seen Dai? Did he... did he pass?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.Before Tatsuo could respond, the white-haired boy spoke up. "Do you mean the boy in green clothes?" he asked, glancing toward a corner of the playground. "He's over there, doing pushups."
He pointed toward a tree where, sure enough, Dai was down on the ground, pushing himself up with youthful grunts. Satoru felt a wave of relief wash over him. Dai had made it.
"Thank you," Satoru said, turning to the white-haired boy. "I'm Satoru."The boy smiled and extended his hand. "Sakumo Hatake," he introduced himself. "It's nice to meet you."Satoru shook his hand, appreciating the boy's friendly demeanor.
"It's nice to meet you too, Sakumo. Thanks for letting me know about Dai.""No problem," Sakumo replied, glancing over at Dai. "He's really determined, isn't he?"Satoru smiled slightly. "Yeah, he is. He never gives up."
A man's voice boomed across the playground, catching the attention of all the children present. The man, looked middle-aged , stood with an air of authority that commanded respect.
His presence alone was enough to silence the chatter as the children lined up, ready to listen."Form two groups!" the principal ordered, his voice firm. "We will assess your skills through sparring matches. Remember, this is your chance to show what you're made of."
The children quickly divided into two groups, each eager and nervous about the upcoming sparring sessions. The trioSatoru, Tatsuo, and Dai found themselves waiting for their turns, watching as the matches unfolded before them.
Dai was the first of the trio to be called. His opponent, a boy slightly taller than him, seemed confident, but that confidence quickly shattered as Dai charged forward. With a few well-placed strikes, Dai sent his opponent tumbling to the ground. It was over in seconds, and Dai stood victorious, a wide grin on his face.
Next up was Tatsuo, His match was less about raw power and more about strategy. He dodged his opponent's attacks with ease, before finally locking his opponent in a chokehold. The match ended swiftly, with Tatsuo's opponent tapping out in surrender.
Satoru watched his friends' matches intently, his mind racing. 'Dai relies on his strength, Tatsuo on his strategy… What should I do?' he thought, his heart pounding in his chest. The idea of sparring in front of everyone made him anxious, and it didn't help that he knew he was physically weaker than most of the other students.
Suddenly, Sakumo's voice broke through his thoughts. "Are you prepared, Satoru?" Sakumo asked, noticing the slight tremble in Satoru's hands.Satoru tried to brush it off, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. Just thinking about my strategy."But before he could say more, his name was called.
"Satoru, step forward!" the principal's voice rang out.Satoru's heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, trying to steady his nerves. But just as he was about to focus on his match, he heard another name being called from the other group."Sakumo Hatake!"
Satoru's eyes widened in surprise. Sakumo gave him a nod and a reassuring smile before stepping forward as well. The two friends now stood on the field .
The air in the playground felt heavier as Satoru and Sakumo squared off, a palpable tension surrounding the two young combatants. The other students watched in anticipation.
"Begin!" the principal's voice signaled the start of the fight.
Sakumo immediately closed the distance between them, his speed blurring the edges of his movements.
He led with a quick, sharp jab aimed at Satoru's face. Satoru's eyes widened, barely managing to sidestep the blow. He raised his arms in a defensive stance, his mind racing.
'He's fast,' Satoru thought, already feeling the pressure.Sakumo didn't let up, pressing forward with a flurry of punches. Satoru ducked under one punch, pivoting to avoid another, but he was clearly struggling.
Sakumo's fist grazed his cheek as he dodged, the impact sending a shock of pain through his jaw.
Satoru tried to counterattack, throwing a quick punch at Sakumo's midsection, but Sakumo easily deflected it with his forearm, using the momentum to spin and deliver a low kick aimed at Satoru's legs.
Satoru barely hopped back in time, his balance shaky.Sakumo followed up with a powerful kick aimed at Satoru's ribs. Satoru crossed his arms in front of his body, blocking the kick but feeling the force of it reverberate through his entire frame.
He stumbled back, his arms stinging from the impact.'He's not just fast—he's strong too,' Satoru thought, his confidence wavering.
Sakumo pressed his advantage, launching a spinning back fist that whistled through the air. Satoru ducked under it, but Sakumo was already moving, pivoting on his heel to send a sweeping kick toward Satoru's legs.
The kick connected, and Satoru's legs buckled, sending him crashing to the ground.For a moment, it seemed like the fight was over. Sakumo stood over him, a hand extended, as if offering to help him up.
But Satoru wasn't finished yet.As Sakumo reached down, Satoru grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it into Sakumo's eyes, catching him completely off guard.
Sakumo recoiled, blinking furiously to clear his vision.Seizing the moment, Satoru scrambled to his feet and threw himself at Sakumo. He landed a quick punch to Sakumo's side, then another to his shoulder.
The hits lacked power, but the shock of actually landing blows gave Satoru a surge of confidence. He pressed forward, aiming another punch at Sakumo's midsection.
But Sakumo was done playing.
Wiping the dirt from his eyes, Sakumo's expression hardened. His playful smirk disappeared, replaced by a cold, focused glare.
As Satoru's next punch flew toward him, Sakumo sidestepped it with ease, catching Satoru off balance.In one smooth motion, Sakumo spun around Satoru and delivered a devastating punch to Satoru's gut.
The impact lifted Satoru off his feet, all the air forced from his lungs. Before he could even react, Sakumo followed up with a quick, powerful uppercut that sent Satoru crashing to the ground.
Satoru's vision blurred as pain radiated through his body. He struggled to stay conscious, but the world around him began to fade.
The last thing he saw before everything went black was Sakumo standing over him, his expression no longer serious, but concerned.
The match was over.