Chapter 21: So it begins
On that day, at the academy, all the students were a bit more tense than usual, as it was the last test of the year, which would determine if the students were ready to become great ninjas or not. The potential of each student was assessed based on their performance. Ninjas would analyze active potential ninjas for the village's future.
Among the first-year students showing potential, there was a small list with names that would become famous one day: Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, and Ryo. This was the list that a special jounin had in his hands at that moment. As it was the last test of the year, Hiruzen sent a ninja with foresight to supervise the tests.
Ebisu adjusted his glasses while pondering the possibilities of any elite ninja emerging from these children on the list. "From what I can see, some of the clan children, I would like to see the performance of the two Uchihas in this class, but due to the state of the clan, they are not participating. What remains are some children who could have a future."
He knew that Hinata, being a Hyuga, could perform well, but since she had a more closed personality and still had the problem she had experienced with the abduction some time ago, he had already read reports stating that she did not have the best performance in the class.
"Shikamaru isn't good at many things, but his intellect is already beyond normal. Kiba has excellent physical combat skills..."
But his focus descended on some names, reaching the last one on the list, Shimura Ryo. Raising one of his eyebrows, Ebisu remembered that Hiruzen had commented on this young man and that he was supposed to evaluate him rigorously, as he was better than the rest of the class in all areas, even if only by a little.
"He asked me to assess the chakra of everyone, to know how much they can manipulate and also their current chakra level; this would give a basis for the next year and how much they are training to improve."
Ryo looked at Ebisu, who was in the center of the room reading some things in a report he had in his hands. "Wasn't he supposed to be here now? Didn't the old Hokage send Ebisu to conduct the test with the first-year academy students?" He didn't understand why a special jounin had to do this, but it wasn't like it would change anything.
"All right, students. Iruka will not be conducting the tests with you; this task has been given to me, Ebisu, a special jounin. You can expect the test to be more difficult than usual; I have read what each of you has achieved this year and know how far you can go. With that said."
He made a hand seal while a small cloud of smoke appeared on each student's desk, revealing some sheets of paper.
"The first test will begin now. You have one hour."
Many of them were confused for a few moments. Ryo paid no attention to them, immediately starting to read the theoretical test and answering the questions. After 20 minutes, Ryo was the first to hand in the test. He already had an idea of how long Shikamaru would take to finish it, based on the last tests, and five minutes later, he handed it in as well.
Moving on to the second test, instead of Ebisu asking them to perform the transformation technique, he asked the students to perform the best basic jutsu they knew, but without being an offensive one. Most of them did the transformation technique, but Ryo performed the clone technique; actually, he made three at once.
Ebisu looked at everyone without showing any reaction on his face, but he took note of all the progress of the students in the second test. Finally reaching its end, Ryo let out a sigh as he looked at it all, thinking.
"All this process, I have to go through this to become a ninja and gain access to better jutsu. But still, everyone is tense and happy with a test; the older ones can mask their concerns well, there's no way a child would know about this."
The rest of the day passed smoothly. The tests were not challenging, but Ryo did the basics to get first place in all of them, thus ending the day with the highest scores.
Ebisu then announced who had passed and who had failed, putting a list of the names of those who had passed inside their classroom. Ryo looked at his name in first place and then slowly looked down to see who else had passed, and for a moment, he thought, "Isn't he here!?" But he continued to look down, and soon found Naruto's name, who was last among those who had passed.
"The theoretical and ninjutsu tests almost made him fail the year, but the others compensated, leaving him with the minimum grade to pass." Seeing Naruto next to him, Naruto had a relieved expression while giving some tense laughs.
"Shimura Ryo." Hearing his name, he turned to Ebisu, who called him, walking up to him as Ebisu continued to speak. "The Hokage wants you to go to his office tomorrow." With the message given, Ryo left the academy and went to the training forest.
The next day, in the Hokage's office:
"His grades were indeed the best throughout the year, and Ebisu's report stated that it seemed Ryo was having an easy time on the tests, on all of them, actually. If he keeps this up, maybe I can have him graduate by the end of next year, but that will depend on him."
Hiruzen found it surprising to have such a young genin, considering Ryo's potential compared to the other classmates. Graduating him earlier wasn't uncommon in these times; Konoha was still recovering from the last great war and the attack of the Nine-Tails.
Amid his thoughts, he heard two knocks on the door with the voice of one of the ANBU ninjas informing Ryo's arrival. Hiruzen allowed the boy to enter. Ryo arrived in the office and respectfully greeted the Hokage.
"Ryo, how is the academy? I was just reading the report about you. It seems you are more advanced than your classmates already." The old man spoke with a calm tone, looking at Ryo.
"Yes, Third Hokage, I like my classmates, but I feel like I would learn more if I were one or two years ahead in the academy, as well as being able to train and learn more jutsu." Ryo spoke with a childish tone, but his words carried some weight, as Hiruzen saw in the eyes of the boy in front of him that he knew he could do more and better.
"Hohoho... So there are still more young children like him. I remember Itachi and Kakashi who graduated from the academy very early, at five years, seven years, and now Ryo at six years almost seven, but he's not ready to graduate yet; he needs a little more, one more year."
The old Hokage could feel Ryo's chakra, and for a boy his age, he already had an amount equal to a student in the last year of the academy, almost the chakra of a genin.
"I can sense that you've been training your body and chakra quite a lot; I wish we had more students like you in Konoha, Ryo. What do you say? I'll pass you two years in the academy, but I want you to try to graduate by the end of next year. If and only if you succeed, I'll personally teach you the Shadow Clone technique."
Ryo thought to himself, "Damn, it's both good and bad. The old man wants to graduate me even earlier? Konoha is really lacking competent ninjas. But the sooner I graduate, the better chance I have of acquiring more jutsu. No, no, that's not the focus now. Without the clones, I'll have to think of other ways to save Sae!"
Hiruzen noticed that the boy had a complicated expression on his face, as if he were thinking hard, but soon Ryo responded to the old man. "Alright, Third Hokage! I'll do my best then!"
With that, he talked a bit more with the Hokage, telling him about some days at the academy, some things about Naruto that the Hokage asked about since he knew Ryo was friends with Uzumaki. After a few minutes, Hiruzen looked at Ryo and spoke.
"Keep your head held high, Ryo. The Will of Fire burns within you; embrace it and grow stronger. You and your classmates are the future of Konoha. Now go."
Bidding farewell to the old man, Ryo walked out of the office. "The Will of Fire burns in me, then? The old man knows what he's talking about to the kids." Now he returned to the training center; the year was coming to an end, and a new one was coming. And along with it, an imminent tragedy.
With two months left in the year before the academy started again, Ryo trained every day in the forest near the Uchiha clan. He couldn't know the exact date, but he knew it would be at night, and since the clan was more remote, it would take some time for other ninjas to arrive.
And in this situation, Ryo found himself while training; he could hear a distant scream coming from the Uchiha clan. It was a starless night. He felt a chill running through his entire body.
"So it begins... Sae!" Sprinting towards the clan, Ryo ran, jumped, and used shunshin to arrive faster. He knew where Sae lived and how to get there faster, but he had to be quick; he had no idea how long it took Obito and Itachi to kill the entire clan. Sweating cold, he approached what could be his last night on earth. He gave a tense smile.
"Humans wouldn't reach the point where we are without people doing stupid things against every odds"
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