The Ninja Academy of this era was different from the one depicted later in the original canon.
In the future Academy system, students were divided into grades according to age. But at this point in time, the system was still imperfect.
There was no concept of grades yet.
That was precisely why extraordinary cases like Hatake Kakashi, who graduated at the age of five and became a Chūnin at six, could occur.
For practical ranking examinations like this one, as long as a student achieved a sufficiently high placement, they could apply for early graduation.
However, children who had only joined the Ninja Academy for less than a year almost always chose to forgo participation in such combat ranking exams.
Geniuses like Hatake Kakashi were exceedingly rare. Most students still needed to follow the standard path—studying and training steadily for several years.
Even so, the total number of participants in the practical ranking examination was still enormous.
During the later Fourth Great Ninja War, the Allied Shinobi Forces numbered nearly eighty thousand. If the Ninja Academy did not have a massive student base, where would such numbers come from?
Because of the high number of participants, the practical ranking examination was conducted across five training grounds simultaneously.
All students were first paired through a lottery system. After each match determined a winner and loser, winners would face winners, while losers would face losers.
This folding-style bracket continued until an overall ranking could be established.
At the beginning, four subsidiary fields were used. After several rounds, the top performers would advance to the fifth— the main arena, where the next stage of battles would be held.
And in the main arena, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, would personally preside!
This alone showed how seriously Hiruzen Sarutobi valued the cultivation of the village's future shinobi during this era.
Naturally, the opening ceremony of the practical ranking examination was hosted and inaugurated by Hiruzen Sarutobi himself.
Under the respectful gazes of countless shinobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi—dressed in the Hokage robes—slowly stepped onto the platform.
The moment he appeared, all the students erupted into cheers.
The atmosphere instantly became fervent.
In Konohagakure, the Hokage was without question the most respected and revered existence.
Although Hiruzen Sarutobi was not tall, there was not a single trace of contempt in the countless gazes upon him—only reverence.
Because he was the Third Hokage, the strongest shinobi in Konoha at present.
Looking at the children of the Ninja Academy before him—faces filled with admiration, awe, and excitement—a warm smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
He raised his hand slightly, and the entire venue fell silent.
"Konohagakure inherits the Will of Fire," he said.
"The future of the village lies in your hands."
"The Will of Fire will be passed on by you—these newly sprouted green leaves. So, children, strive forward! For the prosperity of the village, and for the inheritance of the Will of Fire!"
With just a few simple sentences, Hiruzen Sarutobi lifted the atmosphere to an entirely new peak.
Among the crowd, students—including Namikaze Minato—felt their blood boil with passion.
Yuya stood among them as well, watching Hiruzen Sarutobi's impassioned speech with a hint of reflection in his eyes.
The Hokage…
Children of this world—including Namikaze Minato—undoubtedly regarded Hiruzen Sarutobi as their ultimate goal.
If Yuya were not a transmigrator who knew the future, perhaps he too would have been stirred by these words and set his sights on becoming Hokage.
But in Yuya's heart, while the Hokage was distant, there were existences even further beyond.
Senju Hashirama. Uchiha Madara… Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
Those were the true goals buried deep within Yuya's heart.
Of course, they were unimaginably distant.
Yuya clenched his fist, determination and resolve flashing in his eyes.
No matter how distant or difficult the path, he would not give up.
And to grasp his dreams, he needed to firmly seize the present.
…
After the Third Hokage's rousing address, the practical ranking examination officially began.
The students were guided to the four subsidiary arenas.
Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others headed early to the main arena, waiting for the victors to emerge.
The battles in the subsidiary arenas were naturally not worth the Hokage's personal attention.
Only those who reached the main arena were worthy of his notice—the elite of the elite, the future pillars of Konoha.
Yuya was assigned to the third subsidiary arena.
By coincidence, Uzumaki Kushina was also in the same arena. She didn't care much about her own results—she only cared about whether Yuya could achieve a good ranking.
She was even more nervous than Yuya himself.
Watching him silently, she cheered for him in her heart.
You have to make it into the main arena.
…
Third Subsidiary Arena
Though called an arena, it was essentially a spacious training ground, overseen by two examiners and four ANBU maintaining order.
Yuya's first opponent was a student from the same class.
The moment the boy realized he had drawn Yuya's name, his face fell into despair.
If there were two opponents everyone least wanted to face, one was Namikaze Minato, and the other was Yuya.
Minato constantly ranked first, leaving others utterly hopeless.
Yuya, on the other hand, had displayed terrifying power during his battle with Uchiha Izuna, striking fear into countless students.
"I… I surrender!!"
The student originally intended to try fighting, but the moment Yuya clenched his fist—white light, faint yet terrifying, flickering around it—he shrank back and surrendered outright.
The memory of Uchiha Izuna being shattered with a single punch—bones broken and tendons torn—was enough to chill anyone to the bone.
The examiner was momentarily stunned, then helplessly shook his head and announced Yuya's victory in the first match.
Even Yuya hadn't expected his opponent to surrender without fighting, but it made sense. This was, after all, the Ninja Academy—everyone here was still just a child.
Those with minds as mature as his or Minato's were exceedingly rare.
The next several matches played out similarly—either the opponent surrendered directly, or Yuya ended the battle in a single move.
He didn't even need to unleash much strength; it was a complete sweep.
The spectacle sparked waves of astonishment.
"He's too strong."
"Yeah… after awakening a Kekkei Genkai, Yuya's strength completely overturned everything."
Many students who once looked down on Yuya now watched with expressions filled with envy.
They too wished to awaken a Kekkei Genkai and gain power like his.
But such bloodline limits were never easy to obtain.
All they could do was watch helplessly.
Even the examiners and ANBU nearby exchanged looks of surprise, their gazes carrying faint approval.
Kushina's beautiful eyes sparkled as she watched, filled with excitement and joy.
Either surrender or instant defeat—soon, Yuya reached his fourth match.
Once again, there was no suspense.
Although the fourth opponent was slightly stronger, he was still inferior even to Uchiha Izuna—utterly no match for Yuya.
Moments later, the examiner's voice rang out across the field, filled with admiration.
"Yuya—victory in the fourth match!"
The instant those words spread—
Silence engulfed the arena.
Then, the entire third subsidiary field erupted in earth-shaking cheers.
"That's amazing!"
Kushina couldn't help but jump up and cheer, her face glowing with happiness.
Because four consecutive victories in a subsidiary arena meant overall victory.
And that meant qualification to enter the main arena.
Yuya had secured it effortlessly.
All the children in the third subsidiary arena looked at Yuya standing in the field with expressions of deep, unhidden envy.
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