"Shin'ō Academy."

"Registration this way, turn left ahead."

A wooden sign stood in the middle of the road.

Naruto Uzumaki stared at the words and took a deep breath. Ahead wasn't a mountain of blades or a sea of fire—just a school that trained Shinigami. There was no punishment for failing the entrance exam; there was always next year to try again. But Naruto had no good memories of schools.

The last time he had been in a school was three years ago, in another world, attending the Ninja Academy in a village called Konoha. Back then, he was the village outcast, a failure who no one wanted as a friend. Not a single teacher liked him. The same treatment extended outside the academy—no one in Konoha welcomed him, except for the Ichiraku Ramen shop, the only place that would serve him.

So, Naruto didn't like schools. But he had no choice; he had to enroll in this one.

This world was different from Konoha. It was a place called the Soul Society, where souls resided after death. Naruto hadn't experienced a "soul burial" like others, but he understood what it meant: "I'm already dead."

For most people, death was terrifying. But Naruto didn't mind it so much. He quickly grew to like this place—there was no one to curse him, no one who bore inexplicable malice toward him. Shops welcomed him as long as he had money, and many people wanted to be his friend.

Most importantly, being dead meant he was finally in the same world as his parents.

The only bad news was that souls arrived randomly in any of the 360 districts of the Rukongai. The chance of being in the same district as his parents was just one in 360.

Naruto had searched for them in his district for three years but hadn't found them. So, he had to become a Shinigami. He needed to become someone as powerful as a Captain, with an entire squad at his command to help him search. Or perhaps, if his name became known throughout the Soul Society, his parents might find him.

Naruto walked through the academy gates with the crowd and filled out the registration form. Under the guidance of an upperclassman in a blue-and-white uniform, he entered a gymnasium. They waited until the number reached 200, then the doors closed.

"Spiritual pressure is the foundation of a Shinigami," explained a Shinigami in black robes, his sword at his side. He addressed the group of applicants. "Only souls with spiritual pressure can qualify to enter the Shin'ō Academy."

The test was simple. Each person placed their hand on a crystal ball, and based on the light it emitted, the Shinigami would announce a grade.

Most people received a cold "Not qualified." Those who passed were typically graded as "seventeen" or "eighteen," numbers that didn't please the Shinigami. Only a few people scored "eleven" or "twelve," which softened his expression.

The lower the number, the better.

Naruto arrived late and was near the end of the line. Watching as many failed and a few barely passed, he clenched his fists, his knuckles white. He recognized many of the people ahead of him. Some he had fought and won or lost against. Most of them either failed or barely passed with a score of "eighteen" or "nineteen."

Some of them were well-known, like the woman who could manipulate spiritual energy to turn soil into sand. Yet, even she only received a "twelve."

It was all about talent.

But Naruto didn't believe he had any talent. If he did, he wouldn't have been despised at the Ninja Academy. He would have been like Sasuke Uchiha—loved by teachers and classmates, even with a perpetual scowl on his face.

At least a score of "twenty!" he thought. I just need to get into the academy.

Finally, the Shinigami called his name: "Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto took heavy steps forward and placed his hand on the crystal ball like everyone before him. The Shinigami glanced at the ball, ready to record another "eighteen," "nineteen," or "Not qualified."

But then, something different happened. The crystal ball emitted a brilliant, blinding light. It was so intense that it felt scorching.

The upperclassman dropped his brush in shock, unaware that it had left a stain on the floor. The previously indifferent Shinigami stood up, wide-eyed. "Five! Five grades!"

The gym buzzed with excitement. None of the applicants knew what "five" meant, but they had seen that no one before Naruto had scored higher than "ten." The Shinigami's reaction only confirmed that this was extraordinary. The previously unremarkable blond boy suddenly stood out.

"Test paused," the Shinigami quickly regained his composure. He turned to the upperclassman. "I'm taking Naruto Uzumaki outside. Maintain order here."

The upperclassman straightened up. "Yes, sir."

The Shinigami grabbed Naruto by the wrist and used Flash Step to move outside the gym.

"A grade of five—is that talent?" Naruto asked as the wind whooshed past his ears, the force of their speed pulling at him.

The Shinigami chuckled. "Talent? That's an understatement."

"You're not just talented. You're different from all those rough stones waiting to be polished."

They arrived at a door. The Shinigami knocked respectfully.

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

The Shinigami opened the door eagerly, even before stepping in. "Director Hogang, a genius has appeared in the entrance exam. A grade five spiritual pressure!"

Inside, a middle-aged man with a kind face stood up. "Grade five?"

"This is Naruto Uzumaki," the Shinigami said, gently pulling Naruto into the room. He repeated the result with emphasis, "Grade five spiritual pressure. I saw it with my own eyes."

Then he turned to Naruto with a grin. "This is the director of the Shin'ō Academy, Hogang Kazuyoshi."

"You're wondering about your talent?" the Shinigami asked.

Naruto nodded.

The Shinigami continued, "A grade five spiritual pressure means that with just a little training at the academy, you could easily reach the director's level."

Naruto was shocked. The director's level?

The director must be someone really impressive. He thought of the only comparison he had—the principal of the Ninja Academy in Konoha. Wasn't that the Third Hokage? Could he really become someone as great as the Third Hokage?

The Shinigami chuckled. "It takes at least a grade twenty to barely qualify as a Shinigami. At grade ten, you can become a low-ranking officer, like me. Grade eight and above, and you can become a high-ranking officer, like Director Hogang."

"Before becoming the director, Hogang Kazuyoshi was grade six and served as the Third Seat of the Ninth Division. A grade five spiritual pressure meets the requirements for a Vice-Captain."

"But even that doesn't fully capture your talent," the Shinigami added, his gaze intense with admiration. "In the past century, not even a single student has graduated with a spiritual pressure above grade eight. Even the current Captains of the Third and Ninth Divisions, Rojuro Otoribashi and Kensei Muguruma, graduated with a grade six."

Naruto listened, absorbing the long explanation and distilling it into a simple question: "So, I'm a genius?"

Hogang Kazuyoshi laughed heartily. "You're not just a genius—you're a once-in-a-century genius."

"And you're still young."

"No wonder you were brought to me," Hogang added.

Naruto didn't respond immediately. He looked at the two people celebrating him, and deep within, something seemed to crack—a rigid "preconception" was shattered.

(End of Chapter)