Chapter 4: Defying the Odds
Arata stood in the exam room, his heart pounding as the Uchiha examiner's words cut through the air. He hadn't even gotten a chance to show what he could do, and this guy was already kicking him out? The unfairness burned in his chest, but he kept his face steady, glancing at the other two chunin examiners. They looked uneasy, shifting in their seats.
One of them, a chunin with a kind face, spoke up carefully. "Uh, Lord Fuzen, isn't this against the rules?"
The Uchiha, Fuzen, sneered, his voice cold. "Rules? I'm here to make sure this academy produces real ninjas, not dead weight. The Land of Rain's itching for a fight, squeezed by the other nations. Konoha could be at war any day. We need warriors, not some branch family kid hiding behind his clan's name, leeching off their victories."
Fuzen's eyes raked over Arata, full of disgust. Arata got it now—this wasn't just about him. Fuzen wanted to keep him out to prove a point, to rub dirt in the Hyuga's face. The other examiners hesitated, clearly not wanting to cross an Uchiha chunin, especially one with Fuzen's attitude. If Arata wanted a shot, he'd have to fight for it himself.
Then, out of nowhere, Arata laughed—a sharp, defiant sound that made everyone freeze.
Fuzen's face darkened. "What's so funny, kid?"
Arata locked eyes with him, his voice steady but biting. "You're scared, aren't you? Scared a Hyuga like me will outshine your precious Uchiha. That's why you won't let me test."
Fuzen's jaw tightened. "Say that again."
"You heard me," Arata shot back. "Konoha's top clan is Hyuga, not Uchiha. If I get into Class A, it'll make your clan look weak. So you're blocking me before I can even try."
The room went quiet. Arata's heart raced, but he kept his face calm. He knew begging wouldn't work—Fuzen would just laugh. But hitting his pride? That might. If he could goad Fuzen into giving him a chance, even out of spite, he'd take it. Sure, it'd make Fuzen hate him more, but Arata was out of options. Failing here meant failing the Hyuga, becoming a nobody in this world. He'd rather die than let that happen.
The other two examiners exchanged nervous looks. Everyone knew the Hyuga and Uchiha didn't get along, but this was next-level. If things got worse, it could drag in the higher-ups, and even these chunin would catch heat.
The kind-faced examiner, Ino, cleared his throat. "Lord Fuzen, maybe we give him a shot? If he fails, we cut him. No harm done."
Fuzen's lip curled. "Test him? That's an insult to me."
The other chunin jumped in, voice low. "It's the academy's rules, sir. It won't take long."
"Waste of time," Fuzen muttered, but his eyes glinted with something mean. "Fine. Show us what you've got, kid. Prove you're trash."
Arata's face stayed blank, but inside, he was fuming. Trash, huh? Watch this. He could feel Fuzen's plan—pass or fail, this guy was going to make it hard. But Arata wasn't here to lose.
The other examiners looked at him with pity, like he was already done for. They knew Fuzen wouldn't pass him unless he pulled off something incredible. A crane's tail didn't stand a chance, not against an Uchiha with a grudge.
Arata took a breath, steadying himself. "First off," he said, voice clear, "I've awakened my Byakugan."
The room froze. Veins bulged around his eyes, his white pupils alive with power. The air seemed to shift as his Byakugan activated, showing him the world in sharp detail—every corner of the room, every movement. He could see the chakra paths in the examiners' bodies, glowing points where their chakra flowed. The kind-faced chunin had about twenty release points in his arms and legs. Fuzen? Thirty, with faint flickers in his eyes—probably his Sharingan, hidden but ready.
The chunin by the door gasped. "He opened his Byakugan? Without seals?"
Fuzen's eyes widened, his smug look cracking. He knew bloodline limits like the Byakugan took years to master, especially for precise control. Even Hyuga prodigies didn't pull it off this young without effort. And a kid like Arata, the clan's so-called failure? Impossible.
"Impressive," the door chunin muttered, almost to himself. "Controlling a bloodline limit like that at his age…"
Fuzen's shock turned to disbelief. "No way," he growled. "A crane's tail like him? Opening Byakugan?" But the proof was right there, staring him down.
The kind-faced chunin, Ino, spoke up cautiously. "Lord Fuzen… does he pass?"
Fuzen's face twisted. "Pass? Him?" He couldn't deny the Byakugan—Konoha's rules were clear: any kid with an active bloodline limit got into the academy, no test needed. It's why those Ino-Shika-Cho kids outside were so cocky. But Fuzen wasn't done. He leaned forward, a sly grin spreading. "Sure, he's got Byakugan. But I heard your eyes are broken, kid. Defective. Only good as normal eyes, right? How far can you see with those?"
Arata's stomach dropped. How did Fuzen know? Had the Uchiha been spying on the Hyuga? He kept his voice steady. "Yeah, my Byakugan's not perfect. I can only see ten meters."
Fuzen laughed, loud and cruel. "Ten meters? That's nothing! Useless!" He leaned back, satisfied, thinking he'd won. A defective Byakugan wouldn't get Arata a free pass.
The other examiners looked disappointed, like they'd hoped for better. Arata didn't know about the bloodline rule—he thought he still had to prove himself. And he wasn't done yet.
"But," Arata said, his voice cutting through Fuzen's laughter, "I can do a C-rank ninjutsu."
Before anyone could blink, he focused his inner vision, guiding his chakra without a single seal. Boom! He vanished, reappearing across the room in a flash.
The examiners' jaws dropped. Fuzen's smug grin melted away, his eyes wide with shock. "Body Flicker… without seals?" he stammered.
Arata stood tall, his Byakugan still active, staring them down. He wasn't trash. And he'd just proved it.
(End of Chapter)
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