Madara remains indifferent to the cacophony of banging and shouting emanating from the room behind the registration desk. Leaning nonchalantly against a nearby wall, he twirls his bo staff around his wrist with an air of boredom.
The clamor erupted ten minutes earlier when three men in sharp black suits burst into the room with barely concealed fury in their eyes. They likely hold high positions in the HPSC hierarchy, given their authoritative entrance and expensive attire. Now, a total of eight individuals are huddled within, engaged in a heated discussion concerning the case of Arano Junichi's participation in the exam—an outrageous, yet still legally sound situation.
Madara sighs impatiently, increasing the speed of his staff's rotations. The initial amusement he found in the receptionist's reaction to his presence has long since dissipated, and the curious gazes he receives from the HPSC staff and hero students present with him in the entrance hall are starting to irritate him. He's well aware of his appearance, and how it lacks the average build of a hero. It's not just his height, though; as Izuna likes to say, Madara has a babyface, complete with chubby cheeks and all. In this life, even more so than his last. A consistent and ample food supply, along with the absence of harsh, hunger-stricken winters, has done wonders for a healthy layer of fat, it seems.
Madara silently laments the absence of Izuna and Obito, who were not allowed to accompany him into the testing building. At least with their company, waiting for the HPSC higher-ups to conclude their impromptu crisis meeting would be somewhat entertaining.
Fifteen more dull minutes pass before the door finally clicks open, and a group of flustered individuals storms out. Several of them shoot Madara withering glances, seemingly unfazed by the fact that he's a mere twelve-year-old. The receptionist, the same one who had initially reprimanded Madara for his supposed prank on the HPSC, beckons him over.
Madara's expression remains deadpan as he deftly catches his staff midair and secures it on his back. He then retraces his steps to the front desk.
The man clears his throat with a touch of awkwardness, adopting a more polite and less condescending tone than the first time they talked. "I apologize for the delay, Mr. Arano. However, I hope you understand that this situation is far from ordinary. We've never had a participant as young as you, but after consulting with the legal department, we've come to the conclusion that you are correct; there is truly no age restriction, and you are legally entitled to partake in this exam."
Madara fixes the man with a cold stare. His tolerance for useless chatter is wearing thin, especially after having waited fifty minutes for what amounts to essentially nothing. "Can we proceed then?"
The man continues uncomfortably, "Yes, of course. Please sign this form, take a number from the stack, and wait in Room 205 for further instructions. The exam will begin shortly."
"At last." Madara huffs, accepting the piece of paper he is handed none too gently.
.
.
Attaching a sticky label with the number 0784 to his chest and upper arm, Madara heads to his assigned room, utterly indifferent to the hushed whispers that surround him. Upon entering, he finds himself immediately assaulted by animated chatter, overly bright colors, and the palpable nervous energy of hundreds of aspiring heroes. Young adults, clad in exuberant costumes, huddle together in small groups throughout the giant room, visibly trembling with pre-exam jitters. Notably, only Madara stands alone, devoid of ex-classmates, acquaintances, or friends.
His attire also sets him apart, consisting of unadorned dark fabrics lacking eye-catching embellishments or other superfluous additions. His coat is plain, a deep Uchiha blue with the characteristic high collar and wide sleeves, secured by a robust leather belt capable of accommodating multiple weapons and heavy equipment, although it currently remains empty. Gloves of the same leather snugly cover his hands, and his legs are swathed in unassuming black pants, with white bandages securing them at his calves and ankles. On his feet, he wears simple sandals. The sole speck of color on him is the red Uchiwa fan stitched onto his upper back, partially concealed beneath his unruly hair. Amidst the sea of flashy costumes, his pragmatic shinobi attire, designed with practicality and discretion foremost in mind, stands out like a sparrow in a flock of hummingbirds.
Madara discreetly moves away from the entrance door, positioning himself at the room's periphery to avoid drawing attention while closely observing his fellow examinees. The specifics of their Quirks elude him, but he can't help but take note of their weaponry, or lack thereof. Those few who are armed wield non-lethal, incapacitating weapons. A few carry staffs akin to his own, some brandish tonfa or escrima sticks, and he even spots someone with a whip. But there is not a single knife, sword, or naginata is in sight, neither openly nor concealed. In stark contrast, Madara has a holster filled with razor-sharp throwing knives and various blades of diverse shapes and lengths strapped to his limbs beneath his coat. And while their quality is inferior to the gear surrounding him, they will suffice until he can acquire a proper set of kunai and shuriken.
His observations are abruptly interrupted when an elderly figure, clad in samurai-esque black armor with a blood-red cape, strides onto the front stage. The students, perceptive enough to catch the unspoken cue, fall into a hushed silence by the time the hero reaches the central microphone.
"Greetings, future heroes," the hero's resounding voice fills the room. "I am Pro-Hero Yoroi Musha, and I have the honor of guiding you through today's events. Firstly, I wish to commend each of you for the tremendous courage displayed in standing here before me-"
Madara can't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in a silent prayer for patience. Of course, there would be an opening speech - how delightful.
.
.
Yoroi Musha eventually concludes his protracted speech and proceeds to explain the first stage of the exam, which unsurprisingly turns out to be a written test—a fixture that remains constant throughout different iterations of the exam. While the practical segments vary drastically from year to year, a written test of some kid is a necessary component.
It's easy enough, though. The test consists mostly of questions concerning hero history, Japanese legislation relating to heroics, ethics, and morals. Madara effortlessly breezes through the former two sections, his Sharingan-assisted memory recollecting entire textbooks. As for the ethics and morals section, he opts to write down responses Hashirama would agree with. - Madara is aware that his honest answers to questions like "How would you handle a situation in which a family member is involved in a case you're investigating?" and "When is it appropriate to use force as a pro-hero?" will raise eyebrows in the best case and get him arrested in the worst.
While he is among the first to complete the test, he takes his time to review his answers once more and deliberately changes a few to ensure he achieves an above-average score rather than a perfect one.
After the test's conclusion, the participants are afforded no break; they are promptly shepherded back to room 205 for the explanation of the next segment of the exam. Yoroi Musha has returned to the stage. Instead of coming to the point, the hero is once again prattling on about honor and courage and other useless drivel that Madara couldn't care less about. At this point, he is beyond bored.
"-and now, onto the second phase of this examination!" Yoroi Musha finally proclaims. "In this stage, you will demonstrate your heroic abilities in a treasure hunt! Pay heed, the rules will be explained only once!
Two teams, each consisting of 50 randomly selected participants, will compete against each other in this hunt set in an arena that mimics a city environment. The goal of each team is to find and steal the opposing team's treasure chest and bring it to your own base before the rivaling team does the same. Both team bases are small office buildings located at opposing sides of the arena. It's strictly forbidden to enter the base of the opposing team. Before the start of the hunt, you will hide your own treasure chest within your designated half of the arena. You have the freedom to choose the exact location, whether it involves burying it, suspending it from a height, or leaving it in plain view. The only restriction is that it must reside in your half of the arena; it goes without saying that it cannot be inside your base.
Your treasure chest will then stay stationary for the entire exam; transporting it after the start signal is not permitted.
The hunt begins with both teams in their respective halves of the city, but once the signal to start is given, all restrictions are lifted, and you are free to move wherever, whenever.
Incapacitating and hindering the enemy team is allowed by any means necessary, as well as defending your own treasure by using any strategies you deem fit. Medics are on standby.
Additionally, each participant will be provided with a small flag that you are required to attach to your back. This flag symbolizes your 'freedom'. Should it be taken from you by an opponent, you are deemed 'captured' and no longer allowed to participate in the hunt. In this case, you will exit the arena without further interaction with either your own team or the enemy team. Naturally, the more opponents you capture, the easier it will be to search for the treasure. However, there's still a chance to regain your freedom once it's lost. Your allies can liberate you by stealing a key from the enemy team. You can use each key exactly once to free a teammate of your choosing, whenever you see fit. Each team is given a total of twenty keys that they are required to hide before the start of the hunt; same as the treasure they will stay stationary. However, this time they need to be hidden on a person. The number of keys an individual carries is at your discretion, but all twenty keys must be distributed among your team members and carried outside their bodies; swallowing them is not permitted. Concealing them within pockets or other suitable places is allowed.
The exam's duration is two hours. If neither team manages to bring a treasure chest to their base within this time, the team with the highest count of 'free' members emerges as the victor.
Now, before I answer any questions," the hero continues, "the team allocations will be projected onto the screen behind me. If anyone encounters difficulty locating their name, kindly raise your hand-"
Madara tunes him out, having already committed the rules to memory. He shifts his gaze to said screen, which flickers once before showing an extensive list of names. Fortunately, finding his name is a straightforward task, as it appears near the very top:
Arano Junichi, Team Green
At least things are starting to get interesting.
.
.
Following some initial logistical challenges, all members of both Team Green and Team Red finally find themselves within their designated bases, located on opposing sides of the arena, each participant sporting a triangular flag in their team's color firmly attached between their shoulder blades. A short announcement over the loudspeakers has already signalled the beginning of the 45-minute preparation period, and, as expected, an immediate struggle for leadership erupted within Team Green. With 50 individuals to organize and coordinate, and the pressing need for a viable strategy in the next few minutes, numerous candidates stepped forward, each eager to assume the leadership mantle.
With no preexisting hierarchy or significant differences in experience, and most participants only knowing two or three of their fellow teammates, the process of selecting a leader quickly devolved into a chaotic shouting match. Each aspiring hero displaying unwavering self-assuredness, bordering on overconfidence, in their leadership abilities and determination to prove their worth.
Madara doesn't bother with the heated discussion. While he knows he is undoubtedly the most qualified for a leadership role, his teammates seem to have already dismissed him due to his childish and unassuming appearance, resolutely ignoring his entire presence. Moreover, Madara has no genuine intention of winning this hunt. Victory holds little importance to him; what truly matters is making a lasting impression on the watching HPSC observers in those two hours and convincing them of his competence as a hero, no matter what. If he can do so without having to herd a bunch of children, then all the better.
He remains on the sidelines of the room once more, diverting his attention to the cityscape beyond the windows of their base. The simulated city is eerily realistic and detailed, with even garbage littering the alleys, looking just like a mixture of different cities in Japan. Were there humans roaming the streets, there would be nothing to tell the difference from an existing city.
"-everyone with a defensive quirk, over here, and those with aggressive quirks, assemble on this side! Whoever doesn't fit into either category, stays in the middle!" A young boy, wearing a mostly blue costume with short blond hair and white markings on his cheeks, shouts orders from his position in the centre of their group, flanked by two girls, one who seems to have a dog-like quirk and the other sporting neon blue horns on her head.
It appears the question of leadership has been resolved, and a strategy decided upon already, which surprises Madara. He had thought it would take longer. Color him impressed.
Without missing a beat, Madara moves to the 'aggressive' side. He has an inkling of what the boy is getting at with this, and he has no intention of staying among the defenders.
His suspicion is confirmed when Blondie explains his strategy. Twenty members of Team Green will guard their treasure chest, while another twenty will form the scouting and attacking squads, tasked with locating the enemy's treasure. The remaining members will act as the support group, reacting to enemy movements and serving as reinforcements, which will be a challenge to pull off, considering they have been given no means to communicate with each other and had to leave their phones behind.
Madara hopes that the defense squad knows how to conceal themselves effectively; otherwise, they will just end up being a shining beacon, leading the enemy straight to their treasure. Nonetheless, it's a solid strategy, if somewhat predictable. Madara suspects the enemy team will adopt a similar approach since there is simply no time to iron out any more complex battle plans. With two parallel strategies in play, the eventual outcome of the hunt hinges solely on the individual skills of the participants. Statistically speaking, both teams should be more or less evenly matched, effectively setting the stage for a stalemate. Considering they all entered this exam blind, with little to no information about their allies or the enemy, it will be extremely difficult to break that deadlock within the allocated two-hour time frame. In other words, it will be impossible.
Blondie, still standing in the middle of the room, proceeds to appoint himself as the commander of the offense squad – Madar rolls his eyes; obviously - and designates dog-girl to oversee the defense team, while neon-horns will lead the support group.
Following this, he instructs the twenty individuals under his command to split into smaller groups, which will later spread out over the city to cover more ground faster.
Those who are remotely familiar with one another quickly form three to four-person cells, all while continuing to disregard Madara's presence altogether. Contemplating whether to just move out on his own, Madara is abruptly interrupted by the approach of an unfamiliar figure.
"Hey, you're on the offense too, right? Do you want to form a team with me and my friend?" A boy, likely in his late teens with the number 0223 on his chest, asks matter-of-factly. His lazy demeanor can't conceal his keen curiosity, though, as he openly scrutinizes Madara. "I'm Augury, by the way."
Augury, with shoulder-length ash brown hair, tanned skin, and dark eyes, wears a surprisingly pragmatic hero costume—a pair of deep green trousers with a generous number of pockets and a loose sleeveless black top, subtly accented in a lighter shade of green, that nearly concealed the underlying chest armor. His knuckles are tightly wrapped in bandages and adorned with brass knuckles, which match the matte silver armguards on his bare arms, well-defined with wiry muscle. His posture is straight, despite his relaxed stance, emphasising his above-average height.
Before Madara can respond, another individual with the number 0224 approaches them, presumably the friend Augury mentioned. The girl, significantly shorter than Augury, has short, chopped gray hair that reminds Madara of a rainy day. Her lemon-yellow eyes contrast with her skintight sky-blue bodysuit, overlaid with white plated armor on her chest, upper arms, and outer thighs. Two boomerangs, of all things, are dangling off her hips.
"My name is Comeback," she introduces herself, her tone carrying a more tentative undertone compared to her laid-back companion. However, she seems to trust Augury's judgment, despite her own uncertainty.
Madara raises an eyebrow. "You want to form a team with me?"
"Yeah, man." Augury replies nonchalantly, slipping his hands into his pockets. "My quirk is called intuition, and it does exactly what its name suggests. I have an enhanced, highly reliable intuition, and it tells me I should team up with you. Comeback here is along for the ride."
An intriguing quirk, Madara thinks, useful. He wonders about its exact mechanics. As a shinobi, he knows better than most that trusting instincts and gut feelings can save one's life. What exactly is Augury's intuition telling him about Madara?
"Hrm. Very well." He can work with this, Madara decides. It's an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to collaborate with fellow heroes, which should be advantageous for him. "I will team up with you."
"Sweet." Augury grins idly. "So, what do we call you?"
Ah. He has forgotten about that. He sighs resigned, slightly annoyed with himself. "…Call me Madara."
"Huh, never heard a hero name like that. Which school are you from? We're from Isamu Academy High School."
"None. I'm homeschooled." Due to his only very recent healed injuries, Madara doesn't say, neither that he is too young to attend any High School anyway. Shifting the conversation, he turns to Comeback. "What's your quirk?"
She answers without hesitation. "It's called Boomerang. I can make small objects I've recently touched return to me."
Madara nods, finding her weapon choice now more logical. "And yours?" She inquires in return.
"Susanoo. I can form a protective shield around me."
Comeback furrows her brows. "A shield? Shouldn't you be on the defense team, then?"
"While my quirk is defensive in nature, my skills are better suited for an offensive team," Madara explains. However, his answer seems to be less than satisfactory to Comeback.
Augury pats his friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry; he's where he is supposed to be. I can feel it."
