Chapter 14: Pass or Die

Chapter 14 - Pass or Die January 1st—the entrance exam day for the Academy. The entire Academy grounds were packed with children and their parents, filling the air with constant chatter and excitement. The nervous energy was especially noticeable among the civilian students, who had never been exposed to shinobi training before. Many were eagerly guessing what kind of tests they would need to pass to secure their place in the Academy. Even though the exam was just a formality for many, cliques had already started forming. Ren stood back, quietly observing the divisions. On one side were the clan children, standing in distinct groups according to their alliances The Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans stood together, forming the next generation of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. The Aburame and Inuzuka clans stood nearby, their quiet and wild natures contrasting but still aligned. The Hyūga and Uchiha clans stood alone, calm, composed, and indifferent, treating the exam as a mere formality. This was understandable, as clan children were almost always guaranteed entry unless they were truly talentless—those cases were rare, and such children were usually excluded from their clans long before this stage. However, there was also a third, smaller group—even fewer in number than the clan kids. These were the children of shinobi families, those whose parents or relatives were active ninja but weren't part of a recognized clan. Ren stood within this group but didn't engage in conversation, as he didn't know anyone here. His father, Juichi, had dropped him off early in the morning but hadn't stayed, knowing that Ren's acceptance into the Academy was guaranteed. Many others who were certain to pass also didn't bring their guardians, treating this as a routine step. As time passed, the Academy gates finally opened. A shinobi in a Jōnin vest stepped out, followed by several Chūnin. The Jōnin was Shindō Sarutobi, the Hokage's representative in the Academy. He was responsible for overseeing daily operations on behalf of the Hokage, ensuring the Academy ran smoothly. Behind him were the Academy instructors, the ones who would soon be evaluating the students. As the noise in the area settled down, it was finally time to begin. The Academy gates stood open as Shindō Sarutobi stepped forward, his presence commanding instant attention from the excited students and their watchful parents. With a calm but firm voice, he addressed the crowd. "Welcome to the entrance exam of the Academy. My name is Shindō Sarutobi, today, you will be undergoing a series of tests to determine your eligibility for entry." "Upon entering the Academy, you will separate into two groups. If you have already unlocked your chakra, move to the right side. If you have not, proceed to the left side." Shindō continued without pause. "To the parents—this process will take some time. You are free to leave, but for those who wish to stay, we ask that you do not interfere." Ren stood among the group of students who had already unlocked their chakra, his eyes calmly scanning the area. After the principal's introduction, the students were separated into two groups: those who had unlocked their chakra were directed to the right side, while the others were sent to the left, where their chakra would be unlocked before any further tests. Ren, being in the right group, followed the line of students to an adjacent hall. The hall was orderly and simple, with ten identical crystal balls placed on a long table. Standing before them was a stern-looking chūnin who introduced himself. "My name is Utakata Ito," he began, his voice calm but authoritative. "You are to call me Utakata-sensei. I will be your instructor for the next six years if you pass the test and qualify for the Elite Class." His gaze swept across the students. "The first test you will undergo is a chakra measurement. These crystal balls have a limiter that will glow when you reach the required amount of chakra for Academy entrance. Your score will be determined by the number of seconds it takes to light the limiter. The faster the ball lights up, the higher your chakra reserves." The students listened intently as he continued. "The qualification for the Elite Class is less than a second. If it takes you more than four seconds, you fail. And remember—stay in front of the ball for no longer than ten seconds. Exceed that time, and you will be banned from ever taking admission." His expression turned serious. "Form lines of twenty students each, and do not make a ruckus. If you disrupt the process, I will personally throw you out. Understood?" "Yes, Sensei!" the students responded in unison, quickly forming neat lines" Ren stood in the third row, positioning himself in the middle of the pack. The line moved quickly, with each student getting only a few seconds in front of the crystal ball. When it was Ren's turn, he stepped forward, his expression calm. Placing his hand on the crystal ball, it lit up instantly, glowing brightly within a fraction of a second. This was bound to happen. With high Genin-level chakra, Ren far exceeded the threshold for the test. The instructor behind simply said, "Pass," his face betraying no reaction or surprise. Ren quickly stepped back, moving to the ground outside as instructed. He joined the line of students forming there, waiting for the next part of the exam. As Ren stood on the training ground, his thoughts briefly drifted to Itachi Uchiha. He hadn't seen the "Clan Killer" among the members of 'clan who got killed by a kid' taking the entrance exam. "He must have been allowed to skip the exam. Makes sense—there are already talks around the village about how much of a prodigy he is. No surprise the Academy would make an exception for him." His train of thought was interrupted as Utakata-sensei stepped in front of the line. The instructor's voice carried across the field, loud and firm. "It looks like the left-side group isn't done yet, so you will move on to the second level of the exam first." His gaze swept over the students, measuring them silently before continuing. "This test will measure your endurance and willpower." He pointed toward the running track. "Start running. Keep running until you collapse or until an instructor tells you to stop. If you drop before 30 minutes, you fail." There was no countdown. "Begin." As soon as the test started, some students rushed ahead, trying to prove their superiority. "First ones to fail," Ren thought to himself. Some others tried to conserve energy by barely jogging, moving at a pace just slightly faster than walking. They were immediately punished, as the instructors threw small stones at them—a silent but clear warning to increase their speed. Ren, however, kept a steady, controlled pace, one that allowed him to maintain his stamina. Honestly, this test was too easy for him—even if he had taken it two months ago, it wouldn't have been a problem. "I've run around the entire village multiple times in three hours. A simple track like this is nothing." But while he was fine, many others were struggling. By the 20-minute mark, the students who had sprinted at the start were the first to drop. Their exhaustion hit all at once, and they collapsed on the track, breathing heavily. By the two-hour mark, only 50 students remained. Ren was ahead of most by two to three laps, still maintaining the same speed he had started with. His gaze casually flickered to the side, and he spotted a familiar face. The thief from yesterday. The boy was still running—and surprisingly, he didn't look like he was on the verge of collapse. "Huh. So he wasn't just some random pickpocket—he's got stamina." As time continued, more students started slowing down, barely hanging on through sheer willpower. At the three-hour mark, only 20 students remained. Most of them looked exhausted, their bodies screaming at them to stop. Then, they looked up—only to see a blue-haired boy running past them effortlessly. Ren had already lapped them by more than five times. Their despair was almost visible. As soon as the three-hour mark was reached, Utakata-sensei shouted: "Stop. The second test is over." The students immediately halted, some collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion. The instructor didn't even wait for them to recover before continuing. "I will now call the names of those who can skip the third test and move on to the theory exam. The rest of you will follow another instructor for the next challenge." Utakata pulled out a scroll and began reading names. "Ren Takahashi." Ren smirked slightly and crossed his arms. "Takeda Uchiha." His eyes flickered toward the stoic Uchiha, standing with his arms folded, showing no signs of exhaustion. "Hitoshi Aburame." The calm and silent Aburame barely reacted. "Eiji Nakamura." It was the pickpocket who was trying to keep his breath steady The list continued until 50 names were called. Ren took a deep breath, feeling satisfied with his performance. He had cleared the first two tests with ease, and now it was time to move on to the final stage. Utakata-sensei turned to the 50 remaining students and spoke in his usual calm but firm tone. "I'll get the theory exam ready. Wait here for 15 minutes and get some rest." The moment he said that, most of the students collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the endurance test. Ren, however, wasn't tired at all. With some free time, he decided to use [Observe Panel] on the students around him, as these were the most likely candidates for the Elite Class. Most of them were between Level 5 and 6, with the top ten mostly being Level 7 or 8. Only two people had reached Level 10—Takeda Uchiha and Hitoshi Aburame. "As expected. Those two are probably the strongest in the group." His gaze then shifted to the thief from yesterday. Surprisingly, the boy was Level 9—an impressive level for a civilian. "He's definitely worth remembering. That kind of progress without a clan backing him means he worked hard for it." Soon, the 15-minute break ended, and Utakata returned. "Follow me." Utakata led the students to a classroom, where exam papers and pencils were already neatly arranged on the desks. As the students took their seats, he gave a simple instruction. "Start. You have one hour. Even if you finish early, you cannot leave before the time is up." Ren flipped over the exam sheet and scanned the questions. Most of them were basic shinobi knowledge, nothing too complicated. A few complex questions were sprinkled in, but nothing that required serious effort. One of the highest-scoring questions was an essay on the Will of Fire. "Hah. Typical. Konoha sure loves its ideology." Ren finished his paper in 20 minutes and rested his head on the desk, waiting for the time to pass. Utakata glanced at him briefly but didn't say anything. When the one-hour mark hit, Utakata gave his next instruction. "Stop. Put your pencils down. If I catch anyone writing, you fail." The students immediately obeyed. "All of you here have passed the entrance exam—at least, you would have if you didn't perform like trash on the theory exam. Come back tomorrow morning to check your class arrangements." With that, he turned toward the door. "Someone will come to lead you out. Goodbye." As promised, another instructor arrived and led the students back to the Academy entrance. As soon as the last student stepped outside, the doors closed, leaving the waiting parents frustrated with unanswered questions. The students briefly explained what had happened, but most of them quickly left with their families. As Ren stretched his body, he muttered, "Well, that was easy." Some students who overheard him grumbled something about "another genius," but none of them said it to his face. Ren simply smirked and left the area. The test hadn't taken much time, and he wasn't tired—so there was no reason to waste the rest of the day. Training awaited. {A/N: The Academy arc starts now, didn't want to stretch it out so finished the test in one Chapter only} {Comment random letters if you want but just do because I don't know what you guys think about this fic}