An hour later, Izumo appeared at the classroom door, his presence commanding the attention of the students. "Class 3, follow me," he said with a nod, turning quickly on his heel without waiting for further acknowledgment.
Inoiki, Ishida, and Rishu exchanged quick glances before heading toward the door. They fell in line behind Izumo as he led them through the village, but there was something deliberate in his pace. Izumo moved just fast enough that they couldn't quite catch up to him, yet slow enough that they wouldn't lose sight of him entirely. It was a test, one that forced them to keep up but left no room for error.
After a while, they arrived at the training ground. Izumo stopped abruptly, and his three students reached the clearing a few moments later, panting from the exertion—at least, two of them were. Ishida and Rishu were hunched over, hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath, clearly tired from the extended run. Inoiki, however, stood tall, breathing steadily, his expression calm and focused.
Izumo observed their condition, his eyes lingering on Ishida and Rishu with a hint of disappointment. Their stamina needed work. But when he turned to Inoiki, his expression shifted to quiet approval. Inoiki had kept up without showing any signs of exhaustion—a clear indication of his physical conditioning and discipline.
"Alright," Izumo began, addressing the group. "I know your names, but I want each of you to introduce yourselves."
Ishida, still recovering from the run, straightened up and spoke first. "My name is Ishida, and I want to become Hokage in the future!"
Next was Rishu, who echoed a similar dream. "My name is Rishu, and I also want to become the Hokage of Konoha one day."
Izumo couldn't suppress a small sigh. It was a typical answer, one he had heard countless times from students fresh out of the academy. Everyone, at some point, dreamed of becoming Hokage—he had once been just as naive. Over time, reality had a way of tempering those grand ambitions.
Then, it was Inoiki's turn. He stood confidently, his eyes calm but resolute. "My name is Yamanaka Inoiki," he began, "and I don't care about becoming Hokage. I just want to be powerful enough to protect my family and my friends."
Izumo's expression softened at Inoiki's words. Unlike the lofty dreams of his teammates, Inoiki's goal was grounded in something deeper, something personal. It wasn't about fame or glory—it was about responsibility, about protecting the people he cared about.
Izumo nodded thoughtfully after hearing their introductions, his expression unreadable. "I won't be introducing myself today," he said, his tone deliberate. "And there's a reason for that, which you'll understand tomorrow. Tomorrow, you'll face your survival test—conducted by me. Only if you pass will you be considered true Genin. If you fail, I have the authority to send you back to the academy."
Ishida blinked in confusion and immediately protested, "But we all passed the Genin exam. Why do we need another test?"
Izumo's gaze sharpened. "Yes, you passed the Genin exam, but that doesn't mean you're ready to serve the village as full-fledged ninja. Passing the academy test shows that you have the basics, but it's up to us, the team leaders, to determine if you have what it takes to be a true shinobi. This survival test is where you prove your worth. So instead of complaining, I suggest you focus on preparing for tomorrow."
With that, Izumo dismissed the team for the day and turned to leave, his words hanging in the air like a challenge.
As he disappeared from sight, Ishida grumbled, "He didn't tell us anything about himself. How are we supposed to trust him?"
Inoiki, who had remained quiet until now, spoke up calmly. "I know who he is," he said, his voice low but clear. "Izumo values intelligence gathering above all else. I'd suggest the two of you start collecting information about him. If he didn't introduce himself, it's likely part of his test—a way to gauge our ability to gather intel."
Ishida and Rishu exchanged uncertain glances, but Inoiki's tone carried authority. He wasn't trying to be generous for no reason—he simply didn't want his teammates to fail the test and drag him down with them. If they couldn't rise to the occasion, it could jeopardize their chances of becoming Genin.
Inoiki continued, "Start paying attention. Look for anything that might tell us more about him. Tomorrow, he won't just be testing our survival skills—he'll be testing our ability to think like ninjas."
With that, Inoiki left the training ground, his mind already strategizing for the day ahead. Ishida and Rishu, left to reflect on his words, realized that the real test had already begun.
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