The Academy entrance exam was… well… underwhelming. With how Masanori went on and on about the competition posed by the applicants and the grueling testing criteria t, I was expecting more. Even Madara hyped up the Academy.
The oral test, (oral because a vast majority of four year olds are incapable of reading with enough fluency to actually sit a test), was frustratingly easy.
My examiner asked me if I knew what a ninja was, if I understood the responsibility a ninja possessed, if I understood the hierarchy that existed and recognized the importance of the faces carved into the cliff. She asked me to solve simple math problems, to tell her which number, shape, matrix followed the pattern. She asked me what the color of blood was, how many organs are in the body, how much force would it take to break a finger? Point to ten vulnerable points on this model. Do I know how to handle any weapons? Do I know what jutsu is? Do I know how ninja perform jutsu? Et cetera, et cetera.
Each question seemed to increase in difficulty but the examiner didn't venture beyond common knowledge or personal skill questions.
When I answered enough questions to satisfy the examiner I was sent to complete a physical exam with a small group of other applicants, which was also super easy. We were told to run for as long as we could without stopping or until the examiner told us to stop.
When we did stop we were sent out of the training yard to wait for our results, which were to hung from the bulletin board by the primary entrance of the building.
Shinobi born kids had a clear advantage in all areas of the entrance exam. I wasn't surprised when the majority of accepted students came from ninja backgrounds. I was surprised when so many civilian kids were accepted though. Actually, I was surprised with how many children were accepted, nearly 50%.
I didn't realize how large the entering class would be.
I glance at the three faces staring down at the village, and pretend I'm not eavesdropping on the parents' rumbles, "war is coming."
Madara reminds me, "Children are expendable."
It's impossible to say if the excitement at being accepted outweighs the dread coiling in my stomach, but the cheerful faces of the other applicants is adequately distracting, and war is a foreign concept to me. Surely with one of the most powerful shinobi ever at my back, I would be alright.
Maybe Masanori would cook eel for dinner in celebration! Yes, better to think of the good things for now.
"Masanori-san!" I cheer, banging down the stairs, feet pounding on the wood loud enough to warrant aggressive intervention from my caretaker. I skid into the kitchen, and catch a heavy cookbook. Masanori turns back to the neatly situated bento boxes in front of her as if she hadn't just attempted to dent my face.
"What do you want."
I walk over to her, footsteps silent now that I had Masanori's attention. "Today is my first day at the Academy," I remind her, swiping a bento from the counter.
She quirks an eyebrow at me and slides her intricately braided hair over her shoulder. "And?"
I roll my eyes. "Wow, really? Nothing? Everyone else is going to initiation with their families and stuff…" I trail off hoping she gets the hint so I don't sound like an idiot.
She shrugs, and I deflate a little, "You don't have a family, Natsuki, and I have work to do." Masanori frowns at me and brushes past me to hand out bento's to a few of the other children as they run through the kitchen.
"Yeah but you sort of count. You could come." I follow her, sticking a leg out to trip one of the boys as a barrels past me. "Bully the parents or something. It'll be fun."
"Why would I enjoy that," she says.
"You mean you wouldn't?" It's my turn to quirk an unimpressed eyebrow, "You didn't leak killing intent at the civvy woman yesterday when she was taking too long to pay?"
"No."
"Or threaten that shopkeeper with fancy knife tricks when he refused to give you a discount?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorts.
"Or 'accidentally' set fire to the—"
She pushes a hand over my mouth. "Arson is always accidental," she claims "but I'm still not coming with you."
I step away from her hand, batting at her fingers when she moves to yank my hair. "Oh come on, why not."
A sharp look enters her eye for a moment before she sighs and looks away. "Natsuki, I know you pay very little attention to the other children here, but did you know you are currently the oldest resident?"
"I thought you were," I snigger.
"Once you enter the academy, you are expelled to make room for incoming orphans." She ignores my attempt at humor. "After today you have a week to remove yourself from the building. After today I am no longer your caretaker. You will be moved to the Academy dorms and spend the rest of your time as a student there."
I frown. Of course I knew this. Even if I only paid minimal attention to the others, Madara noticed the older children leaving and put the pattern together. "All the more reason for you to come today. Maximize the last of our time together and all that."
The other woman sighs at my continued stubbornness. "The parents are invited to gauge the potential of the other students. It's not a social call. It's to inform their children who they should befriend. Now get out of here, before you're late."
With that comment she breezes past me, leaving me to begin the trek to the Academy by myself.
What a great start to my day. A reminder of my imminent ejection from my home and social shortcomings. Ah, gotta love how Konoha treats its orphans. I'm pretty sure I get a stipend though. So at least I'll have some money.
"Don't whine," Madara interrupts my train of thought.
"Shut up," I fire back, dropping precariously from balcony to balcony to reach the ground level before breaking into a run to make it to initiation on time.
"Life's hard, the sooner you get over it the better," he says.
"I'm not complaining," I lie, and push him away from the surface as I approach the Academy gates, dodging around a few families that still linger outside. Madara doesn't respond but he's still paying attention to our surroundings.
See that Masanori? I do have a mean old guy paying attention to my competition. I don't even need you.
The training yard is swarming with all sorts of different people, though none are familiar to me. I ignore them and weave my way towards the front of the crowd where a temporary stage has been constructed under the building; several official looking individuals are milling around, chatting quietly. I park myself just to the left of a small civilian family.
The mother, a stout woman in her early thirties has her hands clasped in of her, politely. Her knuckles are white. Her husband stands next to her, and arm on her lower back bracing her and a second on his son's shoulder. The kid, a pretty green haired boy with thick rimmed glasses and emerald eyes is beaming with excitement, shifting with bottled energy from foot to foot. He must have begged his parents to let him apply.
"Good morning everyone!" One of the officials on the stage calls. "Congratulations to the new initiates of our esteemed Academy!" The aging man's voice carried clearly across the underbelly of suspended building. "And thank you parents, who entrust us with the privilege of overseeing your talented, and hardworking children. Their life in the service of beautiful Konohagakure begins now!"
I don't clap. For all the pretty words, nearly all the children standing before the stage today will die in the service of Konoha.
"Another one?" The Academy headmaster asks Hyūga Umo from behind steeped fingers. Dark eyes are trained on the promotion form presented on his desk. The mugshot of his academy's latest prodigy is printed to the right of her name accompanied by a file detailing her resume since starting at the academy.
Umo-sensei sits in a stiff wooden chair, meant more often for misbehaving students than for teachers. Her hands are folded politely in her lap, but her eyes are narrowed, daring him to challenge her decision. Hyūga Umo has never let her will be cowed into submission by others, never taking to obedience training unlike many of her branch house cousins She is deliberate in all of her movements and choices, as if an order is never an order and more of a suggestion she chooses to agree with. Miyamoto Kira has always liked that about her. He knows that her choice to recommend Narukami Natsuki for early graduation is well deliberated.
"Yes, sir" Umo says.
The man twists in his large desk chair to gaze out the window behind him. His beautiful village of Konoha, the lush forest grown by the Shodai himself is alive with the hustle and bustle of civilians and shinobi alike. He knows every shinobi that swings past his window, all of them having graduated since he received the honour of his position as the headmaster at Konoha's most esteemed ninja Academy nearly 40 years ago.
He considers his options carefully. Narukami would not be the first child brought before him to graduate early. He has seen talents sprint the Academy halls, devour her knowledge, and destroy her obstacles with all the apathy of ANBU. Children are voracious and ruthless, and the smart ones, if left unattended, stagnate and self-destruct often at the cost of his other students.
In fact, this wasn't even the first proposal he's received this year. Another child, Hatake Kakashi, received approval for his early graduation just last month. That Hatake boy was a very different circumstance though. For one, he was a clan child, despite his orphan status. The Hokage himself was responsible for his progression through the ranks. Two, he was a known protégé, and thanks to his father, already in the public eye. Holding him back would surely be noticed. Three, Kira didn't particularly like the child, and if the boy thought he was prepared for the responsibilities of a genin, well it certainly isn't Kira's fault if Hatake sent himself to his own premature death.
Narukami, however, is not claimed by a clan despite his suspicions on her heritage. Kira has not been in his position so long that he has forgotten to stay up to date on the bingo books and shinobi rosters. Narukami is a uniquely Kumogakure name. Bloodlines are fickle and so rarely do they develop with a conflicting genome, hence why selective breeding is so essential for the survival of a clan. Thus, outcast, as a clanless child Narukami is removed from the gossip sphere and could remain in the academy for as long as Kira sees fit.
Though, there is no personal benefit in holding her back.
The only reason he could see not to promote her was her age. She had only turned 5 a few months ago. Kira suck a deep breath in, irate. Citing her age is insufficient reasoning to prevent Umo-sensei making her case. He would listen unbiased.
"You realize this is unprecedented. Hokage-sama will not be pleased."
"No, Kira-sensei. He never is when children are pushed to graduate so young," Umo-sensei responds.
"And yet you still wish to promote her. You aren't her current sensei," he reminds her, "Nor has she completed the required curriculum."
"Yet," Umo-sensei tacks the word onto the end of his sentence. "Narukami-san has not been under my care for three months now, and yet she has maintained her pace in climbing through the ranks of the academy. She is not rushing herself—"
"Of course she is," Kira argues.
"No. She is not." The Hyūga's voice is firm, "She has advanced one level every two months. Consistently. Hatake-san was not as controlled, he simply advanced through the levels as he gained enough proficiency. He is openly recognised as a prodigy. "
Kira-sensei turn to face Umo-sensei again, a resigned expression on his face.
Umo-sensi continues, "Narukami-san, I believe, chooses not to advance a level until she believes she has already mastered the content. Think of this request as a proactive recommendation rather than a suggestion that she placed immediately on a team."
"You will allow her to complete the course at her own chosen pace then?"
She nods, "Should Hokage-sama permit it, yes."
Kira-sensei flips open the child's file and skims the contents. "Narukami Natsuki, age 5. Joined the Academy last year. And you say she's been moving up a level every 2 months," Kira says, "How have her grades held?"
Umo humours him, hoping to soften him up for her following request. "She hasn't yet dropped a mark. She will be ready for the graduation exam in 3 months, should she maintain her pace."
The man rubs a weary hand over his eyes slowly, flipping through the remaining pages quickly. "She's an orphan."
"Which is why I am approaching you now instead of waiting," Umo-sensei explains. "She doesn't have a guardian to sign off on her early graduation. And Hokage-sama isn't as aware of her as he was of Hatake-san."
"Very well," he says, glancing at the request form. Umo-sensei has already collected the required number of signatures. All that's left is for him to take Narukami's case before the Saindame, who would scowl and argue all the same points he just discussed with Umo-sensei, but ultimately relent. Konoha needs soldiers, after all. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Umo-sensei. You may go," He dismisses the woman, and grows annoyed when she remains.
"I have another request of you, Kira-sensei," she begins. Kira doesn't respond, but Hyūga Umo is a good chunnin and a better teacher, so he listens. "As you know, Hatake-san graduated only a month ago."
"Of course."
"He was placed immediately into a team of genin less skilled than he, and he meshed poorly with them. He was reassigned only a few weeks later to the same effect. He is currently between genin squads and only a month out of the Academy," she says.
Kira straightens and holds up a hand. "I am not letting one of my best sensei's resign just so that she may take on an apprentice," he says. "You have a duty first and foremost to Konoha, and her people benefit most strongly with you teaching the future generations."
Umo-sensei's lips quirk in amusement, the first sign of emotion since she stepped foot in Kira's office. "I thank you for the compliment, but you misunderstand."
"Ah," Kira relaxes.
"You are correct, however, to think of an apprenticeship." Her face smooths over again. "I believe Narukami will benefit most from this arrangement, I would like you to raise it with Hokage-sama when you present my recommendation to him. She has no other advocate for her skills."
Kira's almost ever-present frown settles back only his lips, and he drags a large calloused hand through his salt-and pepper hair. "It is… unlikely that a kunoichi will be available or willing to take her on as an apprentice. She is of dubious blood and carries a Kumo clan name."
"Then recommend a shinobi take her." Umo doesn't waver, but she also refuses him the right to retort as she gracefully stands. "This is the reign of the Nindaime, kunoichi have proven themselves the equals of shinobi." There are no signs of discomfort from the wooden seat. "Thank you for your time, Kira-sensei." She bows slightly, enough to be polite, and makes her way for the door. She disappears with a breeze before touching the handle.
The headmaster sighs, before adding his signature of approval at the bottom of Umo-sensei's recommendation letter. There is no harm in his asking, and Umo is an intelligent woman. She knows the likelihood of Narukami receiving a team is higher. He roughly arranges the child's file in front of him, ignoring the bright gapped-tooth smile stamped on the child's page.
He tries not to feel guilty, condemning his second child in less than a month to the cruel life of a ninja, and wishes, not for the first time, that children were not in such a rush to grow up.