Chapter 8: The Ninja Examination
The Uchiha Clan Warehouse.
Uchiha Ren nodded his thanks to the guard and took the scroll handed to him.
After awakening the Sharingan, one gained access to several unique ninjutsu.
Even the single-tomoe Sharingan had its own special technique.
Sharingan Windmill: Triple Great Blade.
This was a C-rank ninjutsu.
When performed, the kunai and shuriken thrown first were a feint.
The real attack was hidden in the boomerang.
This technique was essentially exclusive to the Uchiha, as it required the Sharingan to predict the enemy's movements.
After getting the scroll, Uchiha Ren didn't have time to study it. He had to hurry to the Ninja Academy to take his examination.
Stephen Fang: "Now we're becoming more and more like ninjas!"
Uchiha Ren threw a bucket of cold water on his enthusiasm. "The Windmill Triple Great Blade requires you to prepare three bladed weapons yourself. Never mind if you have the money for them, do you even have a storage scroll?"
Stephen Fang scratched his head. "Well, no..."
Pirate Ren Arakawa didn't forget to chime in, "I can't even manage the Great Fireball Technique over here, so I reckon it's pretty tough on your end too..."
Stephen Fang nodded meekly. "I've noticed that too. It seems like any abilities you guys sync to me get weakened significantly..."
Pirate Ren Arakawa comforted him, "It's related to the power scaling of our respective worlds. In the world of Hokage, even a genin's combat power can rival a S.H.I.E.L.D. special agent..."
"Of course, the Marvel universe has had its share of storylines where Earthlings fight cosmic aliens... Look on the bright side, you can at least beat Black Widow now, right?"
"Black Widow..." Stephen Fang thought it over carefully. "In a one-on-one, with the Gene Lock plus the Sharingan, I should be able to hold my own... Speaking of which, the Gene Lock gives me a far greater boost than the powers from you two. Is it because the world of *Terror Infinity* is closer to Marvel? Should I also go experience a near-death state to improve my Gene Lock abilities?"
Uchiha Ren, panting heavily, stopped in front of the Ninja Academy. "I'll leave that question for you to consider yourself. I have to take my test first."
"Good luck!"
"Go for it!"
Ever since the Second Hokage, Tobirama, established the Ninja Academy, the related systems had been undergoing continuous reform.
By today, it had gradually matured.
The promotion path for a ninja was: Enrollment — Basics — Practice — Application — Graduation — Genin — Chunin — Special Jonin — Jonin.
An average student needed to study for five years, passing the exams for every course to graduate, be promoted to a ninja, and receive a forehead protector.
Of course, there was no shortage of geniuses who passed all the assessments in a very short time.
For example, Itachi took one year.
Kakashi, on the other hand, entered the academy at 4, graduated at 5, and was promoted to Chunin at 6.
It sounded ridiculously exaggerated to anyone who heard it.
Returning to the Ninja Academy examination.
What Uchiha Ren was currently facing was the "Practice Class" exam, which came before the "Application Class."
If he was fast enough and everything went smoothly, Uchiha Ren had a good chance of passing the Ninja Academy's final assessment by early next year.
He would then receive his very own forehead protector and become a true ninja of the Leaf Village.
Of course, this was only possible after unlocking the Gene Lock. If based on his original body...
Even if the Uchiha clan was wiped out, he still wouldn't have obtained a forehead protector.
This was because he couldn't pass the Three Body Technique test, one of the final exams.
Through diligent practice, he had only managed to learn the Clone Jutsu and the Substitution Jutsu.
As for the Transformation Jutsu, he could never get it right, no matter how he formed the Hand Seals.
To call it a transformation would be a stretch; it didn't look like one at all.
By the time Uchiha Ren arrived at his classroom, his classmates had already begun showing off their academic achievements one by one.
"Ahh! Koizumi Ya's Transformation Jutsu is amazing! It's almost indistinguishable from the real thing!"
"He's so incredible! I feel like he could graduate next year!"
"Ah! I don't want to be separated from Koizumi Ya! I really don't!"
"Then let's work hard too! Let's try to get into the same class as him!"
As several girls were loudly scheming, a dissonant voice cut in.
"Tch! It's just the Transformation Jutsu. I can do it too!"
"Arai Masato! Shut your mouth! Who doesn't know you're the super dead-last!"
"I am not!" Arai Masato retorted, glaring. "I'll show you right now!"
"Transformation Jutsu!"
"Poof!"
A puff of white smoke dissipated. Amidst everyone's expectant gazes, Arai Masato appeared in a jonin uniform.
But his face hadn't changed at all; he still looked the same as ever.
"Hahahahaha! As expected of the dead-last! After studying for so long, you still haven't improved!"
"Tch! I'm just a commoner. Even Uchiha Ren of the Uchiha clan can't figure out the Transformation Jutsu, so of course I can't either!" Arai Masato said defiantly, hands on his hips.
Uchiha Ren happened to hear this as he walked back to the line.
He gave Arai Masato a wry smile, deftly slipped into the line behind him, and muttered, "That's true."
Then he fell silent.
Arai Masato, looking proud, pouted at the girls from before. "See? I was right. If someone from a great clan can't do it, it's perfectly normal that I can't either!"
"Tch, you're the one who's not normal! You enrolled before us, so this is your second year taking the exam, isn't it?"
"Hmph! When it's my turn, I'll definitely pass!"
The students shuffled forward.
It was the turn of Arai Masato, who was in front of Uchiha Ren. The guy strutted forward with great self-importance and launched into a long self-introduction, rambling on for ages with titles like "super invincible ninja handsome guy."
Then he performed a transformation worth 0 points.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Unconvinced, the guy wanted to try again.
However, the ninja teacher, Izumo Kamizuki, waved him out of the testing area.
"That guy is so embarrassing!"
The students were all talking amongst themselves. Uchiha Ren just smiled helplessly.
Actually, this passerby named Arai Masato was doing alright.
Naruto took this exam for three whole years. Now *that* was a true dead-last.
"Next."
When it was Uchiha Ren's turn to go up, the entire class's attention focused on him.
Due to the influence of his past life, Uchiha Ren seemed out of place with those around him even before he regained his memories.
While everyone else revered the Will of Fire, he was the one who liked to sing a different tune, emphasizing that the Will of Fire must first serve the public before ninjas would willingly sacrifice themselves for the Village.
Fortunately, a child's words are not taken seriously.
But if any adult ninja had such thoughts, Ibiki would have already captured them to study their brain.
"Here comes the weirdo to cause trouble again."
"He's not going to pass, is he?"
"One of the Uchiha clan's rare commoners!"
"Look at his tattered clothes. He doesn't look like he's from a great clan!"
"What do you guys know? He doesn't have parents to look after him!"
"Oh! Is that so? Then that's understandable!"
The students' discussions reached Uchiha Ren's ears. He gave these little brats a faint smile, then asked Izumo Kamizuki a question.
"Examiner, I just need to demonstrate what I've learned, right?"
Izumo Kamizuki spat out the foxtail grass he was chewing. "Yep."
Uchiha Ren nodded with a slight smile, and his hands began to move.
Izumo Kamizuki's brow twitched. 'This opening stance is... Not good!'
He flickered to Uchiha Ren's side in an instant.
At this moment, in the chat Space, Pirate Ren Arakawa quipped:
"The thought of letting this bunch of kids watch the Great Fireball Technique makes me want to laugh!"
(end of chapter)