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Chapter 4
today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten
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64年1月28日
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At last, the day arrived.
Akuto arrives at the gate of the Academy with ten minutes to spare until the written exam starts. It's being held in the Ichinenkan, spread across all classrooms. The Academy still doesn't have a classroom big enough to accommodate roughly two hundred fifty students, and the Rokunenkan doesn't have enough classrooms without being too cramped.
Hoshigaki and Not-Uzumaki are waiting.
"Get a life," he says, but doesn't brush past them. "Nervous?"
Hoshigaki snorts. "Lovely as always. And nope."
"Neither am I," Not-Uzumaki says.
"Good, 'cause if you weren't, this'd be pretty embarrassing for me."
Hoshigaki laughs. "Come on, get off your high horse, idiot."
Akuto shoves her, fails, and then walks ahead to hide his blush. "What's your exam lookin' like?" he asks when they catch up and he feels his cheeks cool. They're walking to the Chūōkan, where everyone is supposed to gather to take attendance for the exam.
Even the kachū.
"Written and physical exam. Pretty straightforward," she says with a shrug. "Maru told me 'bout yours already. Sucks."
Akuto shrugs as well. "Eh, could be worse."
"Thank Zabuza," Not-Uzumaki agrees wryly.
They arrive at the registration desk. Munashi Masaki, Budō Hotaru, and four other teachers are standing behind it, ticking off names and taking attendance. He gets in line in front of Budō, his class's former kenjutsu instructor.
Not-Uzumaki snorts and stands behind him. Hoshigaki goes to a different teacher altogether, by the looks of it a Kinkan— dull purple hair, grey eyes, and a square face. A ninjatō rests on his hip. He looks bored.
"Name?" Budō asks.
"Sanbokan Akuto."
"Well, well," Munashi sneers, the nosy bastard. "Who kicked the bucket and made you show up on time?"
Akuto summons all his ten-year-old maturity. "Your mum."
Budō rolls her eyes. "Sanbokan, you're in room 1-A." She ticks off his name, then shoos him away.
"Name?" he can hear her ask as he walks to Hoshigaki. A few moments later, Not-Uzumaki joins them and they're off, heading towards Ichinenkan. They stop at the door. "This is us," Akuto says. "What room'd they dump you in?"
Hoshigaki snorts. "2-C. I'll swing by when I'm done."
"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," Akuto sniffs. Not-Uzumaki softly elbows him in the ribs. "Enjoy your sham exam."
"Good luck, Shizuki."
She grins. "Thanks! Good luck to you, too."
They watch Hoshigaki walk away, then head off to classroom 1-A. It's pretty far up in the building and offers a nice view over the training grounds. A few classes— fourth and fifth-years only, as everyone else has the day off— are out, doing all sorts of exercises.
The New Graduation Exam consists of a written test, a physical test, and a ninjutsu test. Akuto takes his seat, casts an area-of-effect genjutsu, and peeks at the questions. The written exam is on ninja codes and ethics, general history and Kiri's history, basic anatomy, use of environment, poison and herbal knowledge, weapon proficiency, basic jutsu knowledge— what jutsu are common where, counter techniques, basic water techniques, et cetera, et cetera— tactical communication, maths and physics.
"You may begin," the supervising chūnin says.
For a second, their eyes meet, and Akuto knows he's been made. He shrugs and properly opens his exam. Spins his biro. Akuto jots down names, dates, and events, and writes what the teachers want to hear and none of what Okan and Fuguki-oji teach him and Nanami at home.
Based on the principles established during the foundation of the Shinobi system, describe how the ethical guidelines influenced the behaviour of ninja during the First Great Ninja War, particularly in their dealings with allied and enemy villages.
He taps his biro against the table. During the First Great Shinobi War, the ethical guidelines influenced ninja by emphasising loyalty to one's village and the importance of maintaining alliances. These guidelines directed ninja to act honourably towards allies and avoid unnecessary cruelty towards enemies. The principles also encouraged espionage and secrecy to protect village interests, which played a pivotal role in how villages interacted and negotiated during the war.
The First Great Ninja War marked a significant shift in shinobi mobilisation and village alliances. Discuss the role Kirigakure played in this conflict and how it differed from its strategies in the Warring States era.
Kirigakure played a crucial defensive role in the First Great Shinobi War, utilising its geographical advantage of dense mist and harsh terrain to conduct guerrilla warfare. Unlike its strategies during the Warring States era, which were more openly aggressive and territorial, Kirigakure focused on forming strategic alliances and strengthening internal defences to sustain itself against multiple aggressive neighbours.
He flicks the page.
In the context of Kirigakure's misty and aquatic environment, explain the importance of understanding local flora for survival. What are the key characteristics of medicinal and poisonous plants that one must be able to identify?
Akuto thinks of the few times Okan took him out to the woods and had him collect plants to eat and writes, In Kirigakure, recognising local flora is vital due to the dense and diverse environments. One must know, for example, that bright berries often indicate toxicity, while broad-leafed plants in wet areas are usually medicinal. Identifying characteristics such as leaf shape, plant height, and flower colour are crucial for using plants for healing wounds or creating poisons for missions. He almost ate tutsan berries that day.
He sighs, lists some poisons and describes them, then flicks the page again.
Describe the differences in maintenance requirements between a kunai and a ninjatō. What specific steps must a ninja take to ensure their weapons remain combat-ready in the humid conditions of Kirigakure?
He thinks of his ninjatō and all the hours of cleaning that's gone in it. A kunai, being smaller and often used as a throwing weapon, requires regular sharpening and oiling to prevent rust, especially in humid conditions. A ninjatō, on the other hand, needs more thorough care: regular cleaning to remove debris, oiling to protect the blade from moisture, and careful storage in a dry place to prevent the humid air from dulling the blade or causing rust.
Given Konohagakure's well-known expertise in Fire Style jutsu, detail the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. Discuss how this technique can be applied in combat scenarios as well as in practical, non-combat situations within the village.
Akuto grins and writes, The Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu is a fundamental technique where the user generates a ball of fire from their mouth after performing the necessary hand seals. In combat, this jutsu serves multiple purposes: it can be used to attack an opponent directly, create a diversion, or alter the battlefield by setting the surroundings ablaze, potentially blocking enemy movements.
In non-combat situations, this jutsu can be utilised for practical purposes such as signalling, clearing debris or undergrowth with controlled burns, or even for cooking during extended missions. Mastery of this jutsu requires control over one's chakra to regulate the size and intensity of the flame, making it a versatile technique for Konoha-nin in both daily life and during missions.
He goes on and on in this section, completing it in record time, then flicks to his favourite section.
Discuss the significance of coded messages and signals in Kirigakure operations, particularly in conditions of heavy mist. Provide an example of a simple coded signal that might be used during a stealth mission and explain its meaning.
In Kirigakure operations, coded signals are vital for coordinating moves without alerting the enemy, especially in heavy mist. A simple coded signal might be a series of three short bird calls to indicate the approach of an enemy. This signal is easy to mimic and can be quickly recognised by team members, allowing for immediate and silent acknowledgement of changing situations.
At last, he ploughs through maths and physics. Then, he looks through his questions one last time, gives the exam to the chūnin, and goes outside.
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Two hours later, Akuto stands at the starting line of an obstacle course. It's located in the far back of the training grounds, and students are forbidden from entering it before the graduation exam— if caught, they get expelled.
Four other students flank him: a lanky boy with brown hair and brown eyes, a Terumī boy, a Yuki girl with curly black hair and brown eyes, and a short boy with tousled black hair and dark eyes.
Another chūnin proctor, a Setoka by the looks of it— dirty blond hair, pale pink eyes, lean and an angular jaw— stands a few paces ahead of them. Another proctor stands at the end of the course. "Ready?" he asks, arm in the air. "Set… go!"
His arm drops—
Akuto dashes forward. He pushes chakra into his legs, speeds ahead, and lets his body's instincts guide him through the mist. It's thick and dense in a way that's entirely unnatural— if he wasn't a shinobi, he might've choked on the sheer amount of chakra in it. He dodges traps and jumps over wire.
A large wall greets him when he leaves the mist. He hesitates, gulps, then pushes the chakra into his feet instead and starts the climb. It goes pretty well, all things considered. He slips a few times, almost drops back down and behind the Yuki girl when he channelled too much chakra in one foot and caused the wall to explode, but then caught up again when he slid down on the other side at breakneck speed.
The next two parts are hardly a challenge. His body is perfectly sized for the net crawls and random pop-up targets he has to dodge or duck under and, to be honest, if he'd failed the following water walking challenge, he wouldn't have deserved to call himself a Kiri-nin.
He's head to head with the Yuki girl and Terumī boy during the sprint finish, so he pushes and pushes and pushes, until his calves burn, his sides hurt, and his lung is starving for air. The other chūnin proctor frowns at him, likely deducts some points, but that's fine—
Akuto came in first.
He leans over, hands on his knees, drawing in large, gulping breaths of air. His face is flushed from the exertion, sweat beads on his forehead. He needs to work on his stamina, especially if he needs to run large distances at great speeds. Another thing to add to his list.
The Terumī boy comes over, slaps his back, then sprawls across the ground. He, too, is panting, his chest heaving up and down rapidly. "You're fast," he says, breathless. "I'm Terumī Hayato, class 6-G, you?"
Akuto sits down next to him. "Sanbokan Akuto, 6-F."
"You really ought to pace yourselves." A third person says. Akuto arches his head back sharply, his chin tilting upwards. The Yuki girl stands behind him. Her cheeks are pink but otherwise, she seems to be fine.
Akuto smirks. "Yeah, but at least I didn't come in third."
Yuki rolls her eyes. "Yuki Kahyō, 6-G. A pleasure meeting you," she says, joining them just as they mutter quiet 'Nice to meet you too's.' Together, they watch the rest of their group go through the obstacle course.
Not-Uzumaki is in the last batch. His stamina and speed are miserable; he's left behind as soon as the proctor's arm drops. "He's never been all that good at taijutsu, has he?" Yuki asks, eyebrows drawn together. "I sparred with him once; he wasn't allowed to yield."
"He's not a big fan of it," Akuto says conversationally, his eyes never leaving Not-Uzumaki. Not-Uzumaki struggles a lot with the wall, causing explosions often, and even once has to use his hands— he'll definitely get points deducted for that. The rest of the course, he manages well, if slowly. He arrives at the finish line, just barely passing, then promptly faints.
The proctor catches him, quick as lightning.
"How long d'you think a jōnin'd need?" Terumī asks.
Akuto shrugs. "Few seconds, tops."
"I agree," Yuki says.
Akuto stands and walks over to Not-Uzumaki who, by the sounds of it, is already waking up. "You alright?" he asks, holding out a hand for him to take. Not-Uzumaki does, so Akuto pulls him up.
"How embarrassing…" he mutters. He glances at a couple of students watching them, giggling.
Akuto flips them off. "Ignore 'em."
He drags Not-Uzumaki over to Yuki and Terumī, until it's time to spar against one of the instructors; though they don't have to win, they should land at least one hit to pass. He glances at Not-Uzumaki. He passed the obstacle course, if barely, and if he passes the kenjutsu exam, he could fail the spar without consequences.
"You any good with kenjutsu kata?"
Not-Uzumaki sighs. "Good enough to pass."
Yuki nods at Not-Uzumaki, Terumī pats him on the back. They watch as student after student is called up, made to choose a sword of their liking and perform a series of kata, then having to spar the Setoka chūnin. When it's Akuto's turn, he struts over to the proctors, reaches for the ninjatō without a second thought, then runs through a few sets of kata; some more complex than others.
Then comes the hardest bit. He has five minutes to land a hit on Setoka, just one to pass, and despite his efforts, Setoka doesn't make it easy. He's pretty sure he'll have massive bruises tomorrow. Akuto dodges, attacks, defends. He pulls back, an idea dancing at the edge of his mind—
Akuto lets Setoka swipe him off his feet, rolls off the fall, and casts a minor genjutsu to hide the sand and dirt in his hand. He moves to attack, feints, and throws the sand—
Setoka grunts, shuts his eyes, and Akuto uses that split of a second to land a hit—
The alarm rings—
"Pass," the other chūnin says, bored, scribbling something on his clipboard.
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The rest of the day passes relatively uneventfully in comparison. Terumī and Yuki both pass, while Not-Uzumaki doesn't even try after the kenjutsu test. Hoshigaki comes by as promised and stays with them until it's time for the last bit of the exam.
It's well in the afternoon, by then.
"Sanbokan Akuto."
Akuto sighs, closes his book on chakra theory, and walks toward the Setoka chūnin, who leads him into a small room in the Chūōkan he never saw before. They were supposed to wait until they're called up, then follow Setoka into that room. Yuki and Terumī were among the first.
The room is almost empty. A large built-in cabinet stands behind scattered books and a row of desks where the proctors sit. In the middle sits Moyashi Hyotaro, cousin of Lord Moyashi and headmaster, with long brown hair tied into a loose ponytail, dark eyes, and wrinkles all over. He's flanked by Munashi Masaki and Budō Hotaru. Next to them sit three chūnin, including Setoka.
Akuto tucks his hands in his pockets.
Moyashi scribbles something down. "Shall we begin?" he asks, voice gruff and bored.
For the ninjutsu part of the exam, Akuto has to show them a series of ninjutsu they learned at some point during the Academy, to show his skills and proficiency in Kiri's second of only two real specialisations— ninjutsu and kenjutsu. Most of the jutsu they want to see are E-rank or the occasional D-rank.
"Sure."
Budō smiles softly. "Alright, let's keep it simple. Show us the Water Puppetry technique."
He runs through the seals— Dog, Hare, Snake— draws water from the mist outside, and shapes it into simple forms. He moves it around, lets it dance in the air, and has it perform basic manoeuvres. In the end, he pretends to lose control just as it floats over Munashi's head.
"Apologies," he says, ducking his head to hide his grin.
Munashi grumbles but is dry within seconds. "Let's see the Water Wall Technique," he snarls.
Akuto bristles. Then, he smiles saccharinely. "Sure."
Water Release: Water Wall is a defensive low C-rank technique that creates a sturdy wall. They talked about it in class once, as an example of intermediate techniques that still serve as a fundamental for higher-ranked techniques. With knowing Water Wall, it's easier to learn Water Release: Water Shield Technique, Water Release: Water Serpent Technique, and Water Release: Protective Water Armour.
However, it's rather tedious and chakra-consuming, so Akuto only learned it for the later techniques.
Still. It comes in handy now.
Dog, Boar, Ram, Dragon. He pulls more water from the mist. He watches as vapour turns liquid until a substantial, circular wall of water stands to his right. Then, slowly, he moves it. Akuto can feel his chakra pool depleting rapidly, feel his fingers tremble, his muscles tremor, and see the lines blur at the edge of his vision. But it moves. Once it circled him, he holds it in place for another few seconds, then drops it. Just as his vision starts to blur and black spots dance across the classroom.
Munashi's mouth drops open.
Akuto grins, hides away his laboured breathing, and tucks his hands back in his pockets.
Moyashi, face unreadable, nods. "Very well, Sanbokan. You are dismissed."