The students gathered at the edge of Training Ground Nine, buzzing with excitement. Today wasn't lectures or sparring it was their first mock mission.
"Listen up," the instructor barked. "This is a retrieval exercise. You'll be split into teams and tasked with recovering a marked scroll hidden somewhere in this training field. Treat this as if it were a real mission. You succeed; you pass. You fail, you repeat."
The other students whispered nervously, glancing at one another.
Reiji stood apart, tightening the straps of his gear pack. His pack was heavier than anyone else's. Extra kunai. Wire. Smoke bombs. Explosive tags. A week's worth of ration bars.
They'll think I'm insane for bringing all this. Let them. This isn't a game. This is my first test.
If he wanted out of the academy, he needed to prove it. He wasn't content to shuffle along at the same pace as the others. Every moment stuck here was a moment wasted.
If I can outperform them here, the instructors will see it. He'll know I don't belong in these halls anymore.
"Reiji," the instructor called. "You're with Anko and two others. Make it work."
Anko sauntered over, smirking as usual. "Looks like we're teammates again, quiet boy."
Reiji said nothing, already scanning the tree line.
She leaned toward him. "You know this is just a practice run, right? You don't need all…" she gestured to his overloaded pack, "…that."
"Preparation," he said simply.
"Paranoia," she corrected with a grin.
He didn't argue.