Chapter 95: Beginning of the Fifth Year
Now entering Souta's fifth year in the Ninja world, on the first day of the first month of his fifth year, Souta began with quite the surprising news: this was the year of the Genin Exam Preparations.
The morning sky was gray, shrouded in thin clouds that seemed to hide the sun. The air felt colder than usual, as if to signal that this year wouldn't be as easy as before.
Inside the Academy hall, the sound of students' hurried footsteps echoed softly on the old wooden floor. Souta sat in the back row, his eyes unblinking as he stared at the noticeboard that one of the teachers had just put up.
Because the Ninja Academy students would be facing their Graduation Exams in their sixth year, this made Souta a little anxious.
Souta's heart beat a little faster. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched unconsciously, while his gaze remained fixed on the written schedule and outline of the preparations. Souta felt as if an invisible thread was entangling his neck, slowly tightening as he realized that time was running out.
Although he had prepared for the exam, the ninja world, or Naruto's world in general, was a dangerous one.
Every lesson Souta had gone through so far seemed to replay in his mind: the wounds on his hands from kunai practice, the muscle aches from physical training, and the screams during the battle simulations. The ninja world wasn't a playground. Behind every technique, there was the possibility of death. And the Genin Exams weren't just a paper exam.
But aside from a few brief moments of shock and anxiety during the first month, nothing else happened.
The days continued as usual, albeit with a more tense atmosphere. In class, the joking voices began to diminish. Some students seemed to be keeping to themselves, staring at their notes or clutching their exercise scrolls as if they wanted to swallow them whole.
Souta began his training that day by focusing on advanced Chakra control—specifically, extending the duration of Jutsu. One example is maintaining the wind attack form of the Kamaitachi no Jutsu, especially when the technique is performed using a fan.
The training took place in an open area—a flat expanse surrounded by a sea of sand and large boulders. The wind blew fiercely, howling from all directions, acting as both friend and foe. The smell of dry earth and dust lingered in the nose, while the flying grains of sand touched the skin like fine needles.
A female student stood nearby. Her legs were spread wide, her body leaning slightly forward. She tightly gripped a large fan—its surface covered in scratches and small wounds that bore testimony to her relentless training.
As she swung it with full force, a sharp gust of wind swept out, ripping through the air with a gentle roar, shaking the dry undergrowth and even sending a few small pebbles flying.
However, unlike fans that rely on props, wind attacks generated directly from the hands tend to be more stable. Wind blades created from pure hand swings can stay in the air longer, as the chakra is not dispersed by additional media.
Souta stood on the other side of the field, trying to imitate the technique—barehanded. He took a slow breath, calming his heartbeat and allowing the chakra to flow smoothly from the center of his body. Then, with a swift and decisive movement, he swung his right hand forward.
In a split second, a thin blade of wind emerged from his palm, almost invisible, like a transparent knife moving in a straight line. The blade shot out, slicing through the air with a distinctive hissing sound. Several rocks in the distance shook. Souta gave a small, faint, calm smile, though his temples were now beaded with sweat.
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Chapter 96: Learning the Introduction to Hand Seals
While the fourth year of the Academy focused on strengthening Chakra for basic Ninjutsu, the fifth year was all about how to maintain Ninjutsu for longer—by using Chakra as efficiently as possible.
Their teacher, an elderly shinobi with silver hair tied back, stood observing from the sidelines.
The old man's voice was deep yet calm, imbued with decades of experience on the battlefield. He continually emphasized the importance of controlling breathing and Chakra flow.
"A ninja who wastes Chakra," the teacher said, "is like a torch in a storm. It burns brightly, but quickly goes out."
This was followed by more complex Ninjutsu training, practicing variations of Ninjutsu.
They were introduced to new Jutsu, from the Futon Jutsu, to mini-vortexes and horizontal waves. Some students began to show natural skill, but Souta himself had to try again and again until his hands felt heavy and his eyes could barely focus.
Having previously been taught the Kamaitachi no Jutsu (Fighting Technique): Daitoppa, or Fūton: Daitoppa, in their fifth year at the Ninja Academy, they were now taught a new ninjutsu: Fūton no Jutsu: Daitoppa.
Daitoppa is a powerful blast of wind. When Souta first uses it, he is thrown backward, unable to balance the force.
His body is slammed into the ground, and his face is covered in dust. But when he finally manages to control it, the wind he creates is strong enough to knock a wooden training statue two meters away.
Just like in their fourth year, they train outside the village, in a place where any accidents won't damage Academy property or the public.
The place smells of wet earth and dry leaves. The sounds of wild birds can be heard in the distance. Occasionally, a small explosion from a failed technique is heard, followed by laughter or groans of frustration from the students.
For three months, Souta and the other students learn everything they've learned from these two lessons.
Three months that feel like a year. Days filled with fatigue, failure, and the occasional heart-pounding success. Sometimes night would fall without them realizing it, and their bodies would nearly collapse as soon as they hit the mattress.
...
...
...
Now entering the fourth month, Souta and his students began learning the introductory and more complex hand seals.
As is commonly known, to use a Jutsu, one must use hand seals, which are used in many ninjutsu, genjutsu, and other Jutsu besides taijutsu.
The lesson took place in a dimly lit but neatly arranged indoor training room, with the tatami floor slightly warm and smelling of dry straw, creating a comfortable yet solemn atmosphere.
Before them, a teacher dressed in dark ninja robes with loose sleeves demonstrated lightning-fast hand gestures—Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, and so on—his fingers dancing in a rhythm he had mastered over the years, casting faint shadows on the wall in the sunlight shining through the window.
As the students tried to follow along, their hands stiff and palms sweating, their faces tense, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the teacher's every movement. Some even bit their lips or stuck out their tongues slightly, as if it aided concentration.
They were designed to aid in summoning and forming the chakra necessary to perform a Jutsu. There was a different sequence of hand seals for each Jutsu, requiring memorization.
Each student held a small scroll of notes—some crumpled at the edges, full of rapid, panicked scribbles. Some scribbled the seal sequences in the air with trembling fingertips, as if trying to trace an invisible pattern.
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