"Everyone, line up for the evaluation exams," Kenta announced.
"Remember, give it your best. This exam determines your class placement for the next two years," he continued. "Right now, you're in the lowest-ranked class, but strong performance can earn you a promotion. Also"—he paused for emphasis—"the exam is being supervised by the Hokage. This is your chance to leave a good impression."
Hiruzen? Raito thought as the class formed a line and headed toward the academy training grounds.
The training field was bustling. All four classes stood assembled before a raised podium. Beside it sat the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, observing quietly.
Interesting… such dense Yin chakra among these children, Hiruzen mused, his eyes scanning the crowd before briefly lingering on Raito.
Kenta stepped forward to explain the rules. "Each match will be a single round. Once you lose, you're out—so be careful and fight seriously."
"You're allowed to use ninjutsu, but do not cause irreversible harm. Light injuries are acceptable. A match ends only when I declare it over or when one participant concedes."
The battles proceeded swiftly. Unsurprisingly, Kuro won all of his matches.
Then came Raito's first real fight.
He had effortlessly defeated the other orphans, just like Kuro, until he was matched against a student from another class—a clan kid.
"Raito vs. Khaz. Begin!"
Khaz stepped forward, clenching his fists. "My hands are reinforced with chakra, making them as hard as iron. You don't stand a chance. Give up now."
Trying to provoke me, Raito assessed, drawing his only kunai.
Khaz responded by pulling out ten kunai and hurling them forward. Raito deflected each one easily—they were too slow.
He dashed forward with explosive speed, startling Khaz, but his attacks failed to land effectively.
His technique doesn't just harden his fists—it reinforces his whole body. Physical attacks won't penetrate.
I'll have to approach this differently.
Raito formed a sequence of hand seals. Due to the recent war, the academy had taught nearly every student at least one D-rank jutsu. Raito's choice was Gale Technique, a simple wind burst.
His mastery of the Gale Technique… that's at least genin level! Kenta observed, pleasantly surprised.
Even Khaz was taken aback. That moment of hesitation was all Raito needed.
He accelerated again at top speed, pressing his kunai against Khaz's neck.
"Winner: Raito."
Raito exhaled, forehead slightly damp with sweat. If I didn't have those huge rocks in my shadow, this would've been much easier, he thought.
Afterward, he calmly ate a couple of rice buns and ignored the remaining matches. Once the evaluation ended, it was announced that both Raito and Kuro would skip ahead and be promoted to the second year.
Interesting. Are they really this desperate to fill the gaps left from the Third Great Ninja War? Raito wondered as Kenta advised them.
"Don't get complacent. Train harder," Kenta said. "Your combat is solid, but you lack offensive jutsu. However, don't worry—you now have access to the jutsu library."
That caught Raito's attention. He had no intention of revealing his Ten Shadows Technique yet—not until he had reliable cover. He only won today due to overwhelming physical advantage and the lack of competitive spirit among the other children.
Kenta then walked off to console those who didn't achieve high evaluation scores.
"I didn't think you had it in you, Raito!" Kuro laughed, wrapping an arm around him as they walked toward the upper floor. "I thought you were just some emo kid, but turns out you're a strong emo kid!"
Raito ignored him and kept walking.
"You're proving my point! Emo kid confirmed!" Kuro shouted after him.
"I do not give a flying crap," Raito replied without looking back.
________________________________________________________________________________________
As they arrived at the classroom assigned by Kenta, Kuro pushed the door open and both stepped inside.
The students briefly glanced at them, only to promptly lose interest and resume their conversations as if nothing had happened.
The instructor, Genta, flushed slightly at his class's indifference."Welcome! Kuro and Raito, correct?"
"It's Kuro, not Puro," Kuro muttered irritably.
"Right, right, Kuro. My mistake," Genta said with an awkward chuckle, clearly embarrassed.
"I greet the instructor," Raito said calmly.
Genta blinked, caught off guard. "I… greet the student?" He sounded genuinely surprised; apparently, he wasn't used to even this much respect from his class.
"Well then," he continued, quickly straightening his posture, "please take your seats. Congratulations to both of you—you've officially advanced to the second year in just six months!"
He cleared his throat and shifted into lecture mode.
"In the second year, we focus on the fundamentals of genjutsu, chakra sensing, core taijutsu principles, the formation mechanics of ninjutsu, and hand seal proficiency," Genta explained.
"Only once you can demonstrate mastery over these areas will you be eligible to advance further."
Kuro and Raito headed to the back of the classroom, taking the empty seats beside a Nara clan kid and an Akimichi boy who was leisurely eating from a bag of chips.
"Yo! How's it going? I'm Kuro," Kuro said energetically, leaning toward them.
The Nara kid gave a lazy nod. The Akimichi boy continued chewing, then casually held out the bag. "Want some?"
"Nah, I'm good. I don't eat junk," Kuro replied, flexing slightly.
"Respect. I'm Choka Akimichi. Nice to meet you," he said with a grin.
"Haha! I'm Kuro! Nice to meet you!" Kuro repeated for what was clearly the third time today.
The Nara boy didn't bother hiding his look of curiosity as he turned to Raito. "Is he… special?"
"Probably," Raito replied without looking up. "Feels like ADHD."
"Shikai Nara," he introduced himself with a simple nod toward Raito.
"Bankai Raito," Raito said casually, a faint smirk forming.
Shikai stared at him for a moment, then pointed toward the podium where their names had been called earlier. "That's not your name. Didn't they announce you as Yagami Raito?"
'Ah. They wouldn't get it,' Raito thought. 'Even if they did… that joke was tragic.'
"Yeah, just kidding," he said with a half-hearted laugh.
That's the fakest laugh I've ever heard, Shikai thought as he continued to study Raito.
"Dude, when we first entered the academy," Choka cut in, looking at Raito, "Shikai spent three whole days trying to find a 'Yagami'. Looking everywhere."
Raito's face remained neutral, only offering a silent nod. But internally—
There isn't a Yagami anywhere else. Not in my class… definitely not here either. So why was he looking for me?
His eyes widened slightly, realization dawning. Could it be…?
Instinctively, he glanced toward his shadow.
_______________________________________________________
After classes ended, Raito made his way to the academy library. The quiet atmosphere greeted him as the librarian offered a polite nod of welcome.
Inside, he spotted Kenta shelving scrolls. Sensing familiar presence, Raito hurried over.
"Sensei, I need your help," he said without hesitation.
Kenta turned to him calmly. "What kind of help?"
"Today we learned taijutsu, but… what if the opponent isn't on the ground? What if they're above us or even airborne?" Raito asked, his expression serious.
Kenta paused, considering. "Fighting aerial opponents is difficult, no matter how strong you are," he said slowly. "There are three main solutions. One is to learn to fly yourself, which is nearly impossible even with advanced techniques."
"Two, restrict their movement. If flight is their primary advantage, robbing them of it puts you back on even ground."
"And three," Kenta continued, "use wind or lightning-based jutsu. Wind disrupts airborne balance. Lightning stuns. Both work especially well against enemies in the air."
Raito nodded intently.
Kenta squinted slightly. "Why the sudden curiosity? Don't tell me you're expecting your classmates to start flying."
"It's just hypothetical, sensei. Thank you for explaining," Raito replied before stepping away.
He spent the next few hours deeply immersed in scrolls, absorbing new techniques, studying strategies, and expanding his arsenal of knowledge.
As night approached, he headed home. Without delay, he moved to the empty training space behind his house.
With one boulder stored in my shadow space, I can still move normally. If I remove it, I'll be even faster, he thought. Among all his strengths, his taijutsu stood above the rest.
Channeling chakra into his body, a faint bluish aura coated his skin. He began striking the trees—each punch sharper than the last. Every time the chakra layer faded, he reinforced it with twice the amount, continuing until his reserves nearly ran dry.
If I deplete my chakra down to minimal levels and let it recover naturally… my total capacity should increase. It's practically a cheat code, he thought with satisfaction.
The only cost: the intense strain that came with low chakra.
Suddenly, a familiar notification echoed in his mind.
[Congratulations. Megumi Fushiguro Template Progress: 20%][Reward: Sword of Darkness – A weapon that grows stronger by absorbing darkness. Currently sealed. Once unsealed, its power will be immense.][Reward: Shadow Sense – You can perceive nearby shadows and gauge their strength to a certain degree.]
A black blade materialized in his hands, dark and unnaturally seamless. Its darkness did not cast a shadow. Rather, the sword's shadow was his own.
Raito could feel it, an eerie resonance, as if the sword recognized him.
It's powerful… but I have no swordsmanship. I'll save this for after graduation, he thought before storing it in his shadow.
He knelt and touched the ground. Instantly, he sensed at least ten distinct shadows nearby.
Shadow Sense… useful. If I can detect an ANBU someday, this will prove invaluable. For now, it's a good start.
He stood, dusting off his hands.
I should begin formulating strategies against aerial targets. To execute my future plans, I must reach at least chunin-level strength.
The next day, after the academy ended, he returned to the library—not to learn jutsu this time, but to study the history of Konoha. The stories of war, loss, and survival.