Chapter 15: Drill
"Oh!"
Seimei was brought back to his senses by Mizutani Shizuko's voice. He shook his head slightly. "It's nothing."
After a brief pause, Seimei continued from where he'd left off. "My goal is to awaken the Sharingan and become a powerful ninja."
Though he said this aloud, Seimei didn't truly regard it as his actual goal.
Why? Because with the Reflection Technique continuing to level up, awakening the Sharingan was just a matter of time.
And with the proficiency panel assisting him, growing into a powerful ninja was practically guaranteed.
Therefore, that could hardly count as a "dream."
If he had to name a true goal, it would be this—transcend this world and see a broader horizon.
No matter how vast the ninja world seemed, it was still just a tiny star in the boundless universe.
The existence of chakra, after all, only came about because the Ōtsutsuki clan planted a tree.
Since the Ōtsutsuki clan existed in the universe, there was no reason to believe they were the only ones.
To witness more, to gain even greater power—that alone would make his journey through this world worthwhile.
But for now, such thoughts had to remain hidden. He couldn't tell anyone. So he casually used the Sharingan as a cover for his "dream."
"Sharingan? What's that?"
Ryoji asked in confusion, while Mizutani Shizuko also looked over, curious.
They were still children. Precocious, perhaps, but full of natural curiosity about anything outside their understanding.
Before Seimei could reply, Furukawa spoke up. "The Sharingan is the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai. Any ninja who awakens it is at least chūnin-level in strength. The strongest…"
He paused, turning his gaze toward the direction of the Valley of the End. After a moment, he added, "The strongest could rival the God of the Shinobi."
The existence of Uchiha Madara wasn't a secret to the older generation of jōnin. But among the younger shinobi, few knew the full story.
However, the title "God of the Shinobi" was well-known to all.
This was largely thanks to the Hokage Rock.
Anyone aspiring to the Hokage position would naturally study the lives of past Hokage, especially the First Hokage.
And upon learning that the First Hokage ended the Warring States era and founded Konohagakure, admiration would naturally follow.
Thus, Senju Hashirama's fame was inescapable.
But now, to suddenly hear that someone else could match him—it was only natural for people to be shocked.
Even so, Furukawa didn't dwell further on the topic.
While Uchiha Madara wasn't exactly taboo in Konoha, speaking of him too much was risky. Stirring up trouble was always a possibility.
He had only said that much because Seimei's so-called dream triggered his thoughts.
Though Furukawa didn't know much about the Uchiha clan, he was well aware that the fact Seimei had been placed under his command meant there was little expectation of him awakening the Sharingan.
Otherwise, the Uchiha clan would've appointed one of their own jōnin to mentor him.
Thus, awakening the Sharingan was likely just a distant, unreachable dream for Seimei.
Still, Furukawa wouldn't say that aloud. Having a goal was better than none—it kept students from slacking off.
After about half an hour of rest, Furukawa clapped his hands. "Everyone rested? If so, let's move on to the next test."
"Huh? There's another test?"
Ryoji sat up straight, visibly shocked.
Beside him, Mizutani Shizuko looked equally dismayed.
Seimei, on the other hand, had little reaction.
In fact, he had already guessed this would happen.
Though each jōnin had different approaches when conducting pre-deployment exercises, it was never going to be as simple as what had come before.
So Seimei had already anticipated more trials.
Now the question is—will it be about teamwork, or mental resilience?
He pondered silently but wasn't particularly worried.
Unless the test was something extreme—like Kakashi's trauma-driven exams—it likely wouldn't be too difficult.
More importantly, Konoha was currently in desperate need of manpower. If they rejected everyone and sent them back to the academy, what was the point of early graduation?
And even if Seimei was sent back, he wouldn't mind.
In fact, that might be better.
If he could use the extra year to keep a low profile and grow stronger, then when he did go to war, his survival odds would be far higher.
But Seimei knew—that was impossible.
As for intentionally failing to repeat a year?
You think Konoha's higher-ups are that easy to fool?
Just one glance from a Byakugan would expose the trick instantly—if your chakra reserves are massive but your actual ability is average, that's a clear red flag.
At that point, being branded a deserter would be the lightest consequence. If they suspected you of being a spy, that'd be real trouble.
So, better to go with the flow.
"That earlier part was just a basic assessment," Furukawa said. "Now comes the real test."
He paused slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a smile that spelled trouble. "Also, I have some news for you."
Gulp—
Ryoji swallowed hard at Furukawa's 'menacing' smile and cautiously asked, "What news?"
"If you fail the upcoming test, you'll be sent back to the ninja academy… to repeat the year."
"What?!"
Ryoji jumped to his feet in shock.
Clearly, to him, returning to school for another year was an unbearable outcome.
"Furukawa-sensei, you're joking, right?"
He asked, half-laughing, half-anxious.
"Hehe~"
Furukawa chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a scroll from his robes.
"Your task is to take this scroll from me. As for the time limit…"
He looked up at the steadily rising sun. "Before noon."
"But Sensei, you're a jōnin! We're just genin! How could we possibly take the scroll from you in two hours?"
Ryojiprotested, fully aware of the gap between their levels.
Three genin against one jōnin? Even thirty wouldn't stand a chance—how could three possibly succeed?
Furukawa glanced at the disheartened Ryojiand said, "Hold on, I'm not done yet."
"I won't attack you first. And I'll only use techniques at the genin level. See that mountain in the distance?"
Seimei and the others followed his gaze and saw a tall mountain peak, about an hour's journey away.
"I'll head there shortly. Whether you ambush me, sneak up, or rush in head-on—whatever works. If you get the scroll from me before noon, you pass."
"Oh, well, that might be doable…"
Ryoji rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pretending to think deeply.
Seimei rolled his eyes inwardly. Where's this confidence coming from? The three of us are just basic genin. Even if he limits himself to genin-level strength, the difference in combat experience is very real.
Still, he didn't say any of that aloud.
Seimei understood that Furukawa wasn't trying to make things unnecessarily difficult.
From the way the test was structured, it was clear this was designed to simulate actual combat and evaluate their field readiness.
At the same time, it would allow Furukawa to observe their behavior, identify strengths and weaknesses, and lay the groundwork for tailored guidance in the future.
[End of Chapter]
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