Ren found his name halfway down the board.
Beside it, written in bold black ink, was the name of his opponent for the practical combat assessment.
Ren versus Hyūga Daichi.
His eyes narrowed.
Only minutes earlier, Daichi had boasted that members of the Hyūga clan were trained from childhood. Now Ren would have the opportunity to experience that training for himself.
The Byakugan, the Gentle Fist, and the Hyūga clan's control over chakra pathways made Daichi one of the worst possible opponents for an ordinary academy student.
Ten days ago, Ren would have considered the pairing a guaranteed defeat.
Now, however, a quiet anticipation stirred inside him.
Daichi noticed where he was looking and folded his arms.
"This is unfortunate," the Hyūga boy said. "I was hoping for a more challenging opponent."
Ren smiled. "Then you should finish the match quickly."
Daichi had expected anger or an excuse. The calm response left him momentarily speechless.
Before he could recover, the classroom door opened again.
Might Guy charged inside with enough energy to make it seem as though he had not already run several hundred laps that morning. He threw two rapid punches into the air, spun on one foot, and finished by raising his thumb toward Ren.
His teeth flashed beneath the classroom lights.
"Good morning, Ren! Today is the day of our final assessment! Are you prepared to set your heart ablaze and release the full power of youth?"
"I can't set anything ablaze," Ren replied. "I used up all my fire practicing yesterday. You'll have to burn by yourself."
Guy nodded as though Ren had offered profound wisdom.
"Then I shall burn brightly enough for both of us!"
He punched the air again, generating a sharp whistle.
Several students turned toward them.
More familiar faces entered the classroom soon afterward.
Asuma Sarutobi arrived with his hands buried in his pockets and his hair arranged with great care. Despite being only eight, he had already perfected the expression of someone determined to look bored by everything around him.
Ebisu and Aoba Yamashiro followed close behind.
Ebisu wore dark glasses even indoors, while Aoba carried himself with the serious air of a bodyguard despite being no larger than the other children. Together, they gave Asuma the appearance of a young clan heir arriving with his personal attendants.
Kurenai Yūhi walked beside them, smiling at something Asuma had said.
When she noticed Ren and Rin, she raised one hand in greeting.
"Good morning."
"Morning, Kurenai," Rin replied.
Ren nodded to her as everyone moved toward their seats.
Kurenai's crimson eyes briefly paused on him. Like Rin, she seemed to notice that he had grown taller, but the arrival of more students prevented her from asking.
The classroom quickly filled with conversation.
Some students crowded around the combat board to inspect their opponents. Others compared notes for the written assessment or argued about who would receive the highest score.
Ren sat beside the window and observed them.
At first glance, they were simply noisy academy children.
However, Ren knew what many of them would become.
Asuma would rise into the Guardian Shinobi Twelve before becoming the leader of Team Ten. Kurenai would become one of Konoha's foremost genjutsu specialists. Guy would develop taijutsu powerful enough to nearly kill the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki. Obito would influence the fate of the entire world.
Even Ebisu and Aoba would eventually become respected elite shinobi.
This classroom was filled with future Jōnin, clan leaders, teachers, heroes—and at least one future international criminal.
Ren sometimes wondered whether Instructor Oki understood what kind of students had been entrusted to him.
The academy bell rang.
Conversation faded as Instructor Oki stepped to the front of the room, carrying several lesson plans beneath one arm.
He tapped the blackboard.
"Settle down. I'll explain today's assessment one final time."
Everyone returned to their seats.
"The examination contains three major sections," Oki continued. "Academic subjects, the Three Basic Techniques, and practical combat. Your score in each section will be included in your annual evaluation and used to determine whether you qualify for next year's graduation examination."
Several students exchanged nervous looks.
"The written portion and ninjutsu demonstrations will proceed according to the established order. Practical combat will use the pairings displayed on the board."
His gaze swept across the room.
"The purpose of this assessment is to measure your judgment and improvement, not to encourage reckless behavior. You will stop immediately when an instructor orders you to stop. Deliberately injuring a classmate will result in disqualification."
Daichi glanced toward Ren.
Ren met his gaze without reacting.
Instructor Oki continued explaining the rules, but the classroom door suddenly slammed open with a thunderous bang.
Every head turned.
Obito stood in the doorway, doubled over and panting. His goggles sat crookedly across his forehead, and several dead leaves clung to his hair.
"R-Reporting for class!"
A vein pulsed at Instructor Oki's temple.
"Obito."
The room went silent.
"Why are you late again?"
Obito straightened and scratched the back of his head.
"On the way here, I met an elderly woman who was lost. I had to help her find her house."
A few students immediately began snickering.
Instructor Oki pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many lost elderly women have you encountered this month?"
"I didn't count."
"This is the third time this week."
"Konoha has a lot of elderly people!"
Laughter spread through the classroom.
Obito looked desperately toward Rin, perhaps hoping she would defend him. She offered him an encouraging smile but did not interrupt the instructor.
Oki pointed toward the back wall.
"You'll stand there until this lesson ends."
Obito's shoulders sank.
"Yes, sir."
He shuffled to the back, though not before stealing another glance at Rin.
Instructor Oki tapped the board again.
"As I was saying, the assessment begins at ten. Until then, review quietly and prepare yourselves."
He delivered several final warnings before leaving to help arrange the examination field.
The moment the door closed, the classroom erupted.
A broad-shouldered boy turned toward Obito with a grin.
"Be honest. You overslept again, didn't you?"
"I did not!" Obito shouted. "The old woman was really lost."
"Was she the same woman you helped cross the road two days ago?"
"No!"
"What about the lost black cat from last week?"
"That cat was real too!"
Another student joined in. "Every time you arrive late, Instructor Oki spends at least one minute scolding you. There are more than twenty students here. You've stolen over twenty minutes of our time!"
"That isn't how time works!"
"You should compensate us."
"With what?"
"One coin for every minute."
"Why would I pay you?"
More students gathered around, offering increasingly ridiculous calculations of how much Obito owed the class.
His face turned red.
"I know every elderly person in this neighborhood! Ask Uncle Murata—he saw me helping people!"
"So now there's an uncle too?"
"He exists!"
The room filled with laughter.
Ren watched Obito argue and shook his head.
The others assumed he was making excuses, but Ren knew Obito's habit of helping strangers was genuine. He was reckless, loud, jealous, and desperate for attention, yet he possessed an instinctive kindness that few people recognized.
That kindness was what made his eventual fall so tragic.
"Hmph. How childish."
Asuma sat beside the window with one elbow resting on his desk.
"The assessment is about to begin, and you're wasting time arguing. Are all of you that confident?"
The laughter quieted slightly.
Asuma glanced toward the covered examination materials at the front.
"I heard the student ranked last today might be held back."
Several faces paled.
"Held back?" one student repeated. "Is that true?"
Ebisu immediately adjusted his glasses.
"Asuma is the Third Hokage's son. His information is obviously reliable."
Asuma looked pleased, though he tried not to show it.
Ren suppressed a smile.
Ebisu's instinct for attaching himself to influential people had developed remarkably early. It was no surprise that he would eventually become Konohamaru's private tutor.
Across the room, Daichi rose from his seat.
"It doesn't matter whether the rumor is true," he declared. "No one from the Hyūga clan would ever place last."
His pale eyes swept across the students.
"I'll prove during today's practical examination that the Hyūga are Konoha's strongest clan. First place belongs to me."
Obito immediately forgot the argument about his lateness.
"The strongest clan?" he shouted. "Don't make me laugh! The Uchiha are the strongest in Konoha!"
Daichi turned coldly toward him. "You're the worst-performing student in the class."
"That has nothing to do with the Uchiha clan's strength!"
"It has everything to do with yours."
Obito pointed at him. "I'll defeat every one of you! Then I'll beat Kakashi, earn the Third Hokage's recognition, and become Hokage myself!"
Asuma's eyebrow twitched at the mention of his father.
Before the argument could escalate, Guy suddenly leaped onto a desk.
"This passion!"
Everyone looked at him.
Guy raised both fists, his entire body trembling with excitement.
"I can feel the flames of rivalry burning within all of you! This is the true power of youth!"
"No," Ren said. "Whatever you're about to suggest, don't."
Guy ignored him.
"Let us begin with five hundred laps around the academy!"
He launched himself through the classroom door.
The corridor echoed with his retreating footsteps.
Silence followed.
Ren covered his face with one hand.
Guy had actually gone to run.
The assessment was less than an hour away, yet he had decided that five hundred laps constituted an appropriate warm-up.
Teaching this class must have required more endurance than most B-rank missions.
Ren glanced around the room again.
An Uchiha who arrived late because he helped strangers.
A Hyūga determined to prove the superiority of his clan.
The Hokage's son pretending not to care about anything.
A taijutsu fanatic who responded to every emotion by running hundreds of laps.
This was not an ordinary academy class. It was a room full of future legends—and every one of them was completely exhausting.
---
At ten o'clock, the students gathered on the academy training ground.
The winter sun had risen above the rooftops, but the air remained cold enough for their breath to appear as pale mist.
The examination area had been divided into multiple sections. Wooden targets stood along one side of the field for the weapons test. A wide ring had been marked in the center for practical combat, while an open platform near the academy wall had been prepared for ninjutsu demonstrations.
Instructor Oki stood beside Himura, the homeroom teacher from the neighboring class. Several academy assistants waited nearby with clipboards.
Guy returned at the last moment.
His breathing was heavier than usual, but his eyes remained bright.
Ren stared at him. "Did you really finish all five hundred laps?"
"Of course!"
"You understand that the assessment hasn't started yet, right?"
Guy gave him a brilliant smile. "Now my youth is fully awakened!"
Ren decided there was no point asking further questions.
Instructor Oki clapped his hands.
"Quiet!"
The students formed uneven rows.
"I explained the rules this morning, so I won't repeat them. The written assessment has already been completed. We will now begin the practical portion."
He raised his clipboard.
"The first event is the Three Basic Techniques."
A murmur passed through the students.
"Those whose names are called will step onto the platform and perform the requested technique. Everyone else will remain in the waiting area."
Instructor Oki began reading.
"Asuma Sarutobi. Hyūga Daichi. Nara Shin. Kurenai Yūhi. Ren…"
Some students looked excited. Others became visibly nervous.
For clan heirs, the Three Basic Techniques were merely foundations beneath far more advanced family arts. For ordinary students, these techniques might remain the core of their abilities for years after graduation.
One by one, the examinations began.
Asuma went first.
With Kakashi already graduated, Asuma consistently held the highest practical score in their class. His transformation was clean, his clones were stable, and his substitution was executed with precise timing.
His performance earned approving nods from both instructors.
Daichi followed with equally polished results. He left the platform with his chin raised, briefly glancing toward Ren as though warning him of what awaited during their match.
Kurenai's chakra control was excellent, and her Clone Technique received particular praise.
More students stepped forward.
Some succeeded.
Some produced distorted transformations or pale, unstable clones. One student panicked during the Substitution Technique and emerged from behind the wrong practice post, causing laughter throughout the waiting area.
Then Instructor Oki looked down at his clipboard.
"Ren."
Conversation faded.
Rin gave him an encouraging smile. Guy raised both thumbs. Obito watched curiously, while Daichi folded his arms and waited for Ren to embarrass himself.
Ren walked onto the platform.
Ten days earlier, his performance would have been painfully average.
Today, the Transformation Technique's favorability had reached fifty-eight. The Substitution Technique had granted him Sealless Instant Release. Even the hostile Clone Technique stood only one point away from becoming Friendly.
Instructor Oki gestured toward the center of the platform.
"Your first test is the Transformation Technique."
A familiar chime sounded inside Ren's mind.
The black-haired avatar of the Transformation Technique appeared at the edge of his vision, smiling with unmistakable confidence.
[Transformation Technique: "It seems everyone is watching us."]
[Transformation Technique: "Shall we show them what perfection looks like?"]
Ren brought his hands together.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Transformation."