"Shin'o Academy."
"Registration Office, turn left ahead."
A wooden sign stood in the middle of the road.
Naruto Uzumaki stared at the words and took a deep breath.
What lay ahead wasn't some hellish trial, just a school for training Shinigami. Failing the test wouldn't result in punishment, and he could always try again next year.
But... Naruto didn't have a good impression of schools.
The last time he had anything to do with a "school" was three years ago.
Back then, he was still in another world, attending the "Ninja Academy" in a village called Konoha.
He was the "dead last" that everyone hated. Nobody wanted to be his friend, and not a single teacher liked him.
Of course, it wasn't just in school—outside of it, his experience in Konoha was the same.
Even shops and convenience stores weren't welcoming. They refused to do business with him—except for Ichiraku Ramen, the one place that would serve him.
So, Naruto didn't like schools.
But now, he had a reason he couldn't ignore, one that forced him to enroll.
This was a different place from Konoha—another world altogether, known as the Soul Society, the place where the souls of the dead reside.
Although he hadn't experienced what others called the "Konso" (soul burial), Naruto understood the truth: "Being here means I'm already dead."
Death frightened the living.
But Naruto accepted it easily.
He quickly grew fond of this place—there was no one to curse or scorn him, no malice aimed solely at him. The shops welcomed him as long as he had money, and plenty of people wanted to be his friend.
And most importantly...
In the Soul Society, all souls eventually end up in the same world, meaning he was finally in the same realm as his parents.
The only bad news? The place of reincarnation in the Soul Society wasn't fixed.
There were 360 districts in the Rukongai (wandering soul districts), and the odds of being born in the same district were just 1 in 360.
Naruto had spent three years searching in his district but hadn't found his parents.
So... he had to become a Shinigami.
He needed to become someone great, like a captain, with an entire squad at his disposal to help him search—or become so famous that the entire Soul Society would know his name.
That way, he was sure to find his parents.
Naruto walked through the school gates with the crowd and filled out the registration form.
Following the guidance of a senior in a blue and white uniform, he arrived at a gymnasium.
Once the number of candidates reached 200, the gymnasium doors shut.
"Spiritual pressure is the foundation of a Shinigami," said a formal Shinigami dressed in black, with a sword at his side, his demeanor far removed from the students around him. He introduced the test to this group of candidates. "Only souls with spiritual pressure can qualify to study at Shin'o Academy."
"Step forward when I call your name."
"The rest of you, wait."
The test was simple.
Each person placed their hand on a crystal ball. Based on the light it emitted, the Shinigami would announce the candidate's "grade."
Most received a cold "unqualified."
Those who passed were usually rated at levels like "seventeenth grade" or "eighteenth grade," which didn't excite the Shinigami at all.
Only a few managed to get grades like "eleventh grade" or "twelfth grade," which brought a slight smile to the Shinigami's face.
Clearly, the lower the number, the better the grade.
Naruto, having arrived late, was at the end of the line.
As he watched the string of "unqualified" results, with the occasional "qualified" thrown in, he clenched his fists so tightly that his fingers turned red and his knuckles stood out.
He recognized many of the candidates.
Some were people he had interacted with before, with mixed outcomes. These individuals either failed outright or barely passed with grades like "eighteenth" or "nineteenth."
Others, though unfamiliar, were well-known.
One woman, who could already manipulate basic spiritual energy to transform soil into sand, only received a grade of "twelfth."
So, this was about talent.
But...
Naruto found it hard to believe he had any "talent."
If he did, he wouldn't have been hated back at the Ninja Academy. He would have been like Sasuke Uchiha—admired by teachers and peers, even if he always wore a sour expression.
"Twenty grade!"
Naruto told himself. "At least twenty grade! I just need to get in."
Finally, the Shinigami called his name: "Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto stepped forward with heavy steps.
Like everyone before him, he placed his hand on the crystal ball.
The Shinigami glanced at it lazily, ready to record an "eighteenth," "nineteenth," or "unqualified."
But then, something unprecedented happened.
The crystal ball erupted in dazzling, brilliant light.
Blinding and searing.
The senior responsible for recording froze, his eyes wide. His brush fell to the ground, spilling ink, unnoticed.
The once-apathetic Shinigami stood up abruptly, alert and astonished. "Fifth grade!" he exclaimed.
The gymnasium erupted in shock.
None of the souls, who hadn't even become students yet, understood the significance of "fifth grade." But the fact that none of the previous 100 candidates had surpassed "tenth grade" made it clear how extraordinary this was.
The Shinigami's intense reaction only confirmed its rarity.
Could that unremarkable blond boy... really be this exceptional?
"Testing is paused," the Shinigami quickly composed himself and instructed a senior, "Take care of the group. I'm taking Naruto Uzumaki outside."
"Yes, sir," the senior straightened and responded.
The Shinigami grabbed Naruto's wrist and used Shunpo to leave the gymnasium.
"Fifth grade... does that mean I have talent?" Naruto asked, the rushing wind and centrifugal force jolting him awake.
The Shinigami chuckled. "Talent? That word doesn't do it justice."
"You're not just a rough gem; you're unlike any I've seen."
They stopped before a building. The Shinigami knocked respectfully on the door.
"Come in," a voice answered.
Before fully entering, the Shinigami eagerly announced, "Dean Hōka, we've found a genius in this year's entrance exam—fifth-grade spiritual power!"
The dean, a kind-looking middle-aged man, stood up. "Fifth grade?"
"Naruto Uzumaki," the Shinigami gently brought Naruto in, emphasizing the result, "Fifth-grade spiritual power. I saw it myself."
Turning to Naruto, the Shinigami grinned. "This is Dean Ichiki Hōka of Shin'o Academy."
"Still doubting your talent?"
Naruto nodded.
The Shinigami continued, "Fifth-grade spiritual power means that with basic training here, you'll easily reach the dean's level."
Naruto was stunned.
The dean's level? Wasn't the dean someone incredible?
He thought of the Hokage from Konoha. Could he really become someone like the Third Hokage?
The Shinigami chuckled. "It takes at least twenty-grade spiritual power to barely become a Shinigami. Tenth grade qualifies you as a low-ranking officer, like me."
"Eighth grade and above makes you a high-ranking officer, like Dean Hōka, who was once the Third Seat of Squad Nine with sixth-grade spiritual power."
"But fifth-grade spiritual power? That's enough to meet the requirements of a lieutenant."
Naruto's head spun. "So... I'm a genius?"
The dean laughed heartily. "Not just a genius—a once-in-a-century prodigy."
Naruto didn't respond. He simply watched the two men celebrate his potential.
Deep within him, something cracked—an old "prejudice" against himself shattered.
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