As time ticked by, Naruto and the group found themselves dumbfounded by the massive crowd ahead—so tightly packed that not even a needle could fit through. The line was inching forward slower than a turtle crawl, and because of an earlier delay, they hadn't been able to head out early.
"Tch, miscalculated..." Fugaku muttered to himself, frowning. "Looks like this year's crowd is a third larger than last year's. At this rate, there's no way we'll make it in time to register today."
Though Fugaku could technically use his position as clan head to pull some strings—or rely on Naruto's strong backing from the Third Hokage's special consideration—to secure spots for both Naruto and Sasuke even if they turned back now... he didn't like that option.
Missing the entrance ceremony would make it harder for the kids to integrate with the rest of the class. That went completely against his original goal of persuading Naruto and Sasuke to enroll in the first place. On top of that, Naruto's eyes had started to wander—his gaze growing uncertain, almost as if he was having second thoughts.
Fugaku's patience thinned.
'No helping it, then. I wanted them to experience the excitement and maybe make a few friends before school started… but it looks like we'll have to head straight there and rethink things later.'
Having made up his mind, Fugaku took the lead. He turned slightly, signaling the others with a glance, and then—gracefully—leapt up, escaping the noisy human sea. With practiced ease, he redirected the family onto a much clearer path reserved for ninja.
Oh, right—this so-called "special path for ninja" was really just… running across rooftops.
Let's be honest: even the original Naruto, who wasn't even a Genin at the time, could leap down from the Hokage Rock with no safety net and still land in one piece. Enhancing mobility by focusing chakra into one's feet to leap and sprint across rooftops had long been standard ninja practice.
So while the rooftops of the Hidden Leaf Village varied wildly in height—some drops steep enough to seriously injure or kill an average person—they posed no threat to a trained ninja. Over time, this mode of travel, inaccessible to normal citizens, naturally became the default "ninja-only" route.
Even the weakest member of the group, Izumi, was already a fully enrolled student at the Ninja Academy. Thanks to her Uchiha heritage and a solid upbringing from the village's strongest clan, her skills far exceeded those of the original Naruto, who couldn't even perform a proper Clone Technique at age twelve.
Thus, one after another, the family vaulted into the air and followed Fugaku with ease and grace.
Compared to the congested streets, this direct, obstacle-free ninja path multiplied their pace several times over. Like children at play, they moved with joyful abandon—each light step propelling them across distances of several meters, even tens of meters. Before long, they soared past the heads of the crowd and landed within the grounds of the Ninja Academy—well within the time limit.
Unbeknownst to many, this was actually part of the academy's unspoken entrance test.
Obviously, the only ninja school in the entire Hidden Leaf Village couldn't possibly accept every single applicant, regardless of talent or background. If nothing else, the school buildings simply didn't have enough space for every kid in the village.
That's why, each year, beyond the official entry exam requirements, the academy secretly added hidden tests to help screen applicants.
This year, the first hidden test was a simple one: a basic strength assessment. In a way, the moment you stepped out your front door, the test had already begun.
Even before registration officially opened, the academy sent out public notices announcing a major change: instead of the usual full week for student intake, the time window had been cut down to just three days. Only those who arrived between 8:30 a.m. and noon would be eligible to take the official exam and secure a spot.
Naturally, the crowd swarming the registration site was full of… hidden tricks.
Among the seemingly anxious crowd were several ninja skilled in the Multi Shadow Clone Technique, who had been planted there in advance. By combining that with the Transformation Jutsu, they easily created the illusion that this year's applicant numbers were up by a third—and growing.
The goal? To pressure applicants into rushing over rooftops using the ninja-exclusive path, allowing hidden examiners to quietly identify which kids made it to the school using their own strength, without relying on their parents.
Of course, it wasn't impossible to register by standing in line on the main road—so long as you got there early enough.
What's that? You say you camped out the night before? Sorry—this year's new policy was announced a month ago.
Within just an hour of the announcement, the front of the tightly closed academy gates had become a sea of tents, pitched by parents with the same idea. The sight of endless camping gear stretching out of view persisted for an entire month—until today, when the academy's iron gates finally opened to officially begin admissions.
Whether or not someone from the academy helped make the queue more unbearable? That's anyone's guess.
This grand scene wasn't just the result of the new limited-enrollment format. It also stemmed from a previous incident, where the academy quietly began admitting students a few days before the posted registration date. When parents who followed the instructions arrived, only a handful of spots remained.
When they protested, the academy's principal famously replied:
"You can't even bring yourselves to camp out overnight and let your kids tough it out a bit? What right do you have to complain?"
Blunt. Ruthless. But they got away with it—because when you're the only option in town, you can do whatever you want.
To be fair, the students admitted that year faced one of the toughest curriculums in academy history. According to Naruto, every single year felt like preparing for college entrance exams. Only a few students graduated on time; most had to repeat at least once. Their performance was so strong that even dissatisfied parents were eventually silenced.
In other words, if you want to take a different route and beat the system by camping early… one night won't cut it. You'd better be ready to eat, sleep, and live in front of the academy gates for an entire month.
Not convinced? That's fine. You're free to enroll your kid somewhere else.
Because when you're the top dog, you really can do whatever you want.
Oh—did I forget to mention? The Hidden Leaf's Ninja Academy doesn't just offer the best ninja education in the Land of Fire. It's arguably the best in the entire ninja world.
After all… what other village can afford to throw around Jōnin like they're cabbages—so much so that even fresh-out-of-school Genin get personal, full-time mentorship from elite instructors?