Kapitel 14: Chapter 14: Test

"Tiger. Snake. Rat. Ox..." Toshiro slowly displayed each seal, his hands moving with the fluidity that comes from years of practice. "These are the basic seals that every ninja must know."

Ren watched carefully, memorizing each movement. In the back yard of the store, the morning air was cool and the fog was just clearing.

"Each seal," his father continued, "guides the chakra differently, Like water flowing in different channels. You don't have to worry yet about understanding exactly how each one works - that will come with time. For now, concentrate on the form and fluidity of the movements."

'Finally,' Ren thought as he imitated the gestures. 'These is what i was waiting for.'

After an hour of practice, Toshiro stood up with a slight shudder - the wound in his abdomen still healing. "There's one more thing," he said, briefly entering the house. When he returned, he held something wrapped in a cloth.

"This, he said unwinding the cloth and revealing a worn-looking but well-maintained kunai, "was my first kunai. My father gave it to me when I started the academy, and now it is yours."

Ren took the weapon reverently. It was heavier than the wooden ones he had trained with, and he could feel residual traces of his father's chakra in the handle.

"It is not a toy" Toshiro's expression was serious. "Use it only when necessary, and take care of it as if it were part of yourself."

The day of the academy came faster than Ren expected. The morning mist was unusually light as the Mizutani family made their way to the imposing building. Toshiro, still slightly stiff in his movements, walked by his side, while Yuki held tightly to his right hand.

The entrance to the academy was crowded with families. Ren immediately noticed the different clans: the Yuki, the almost translucent-skinned Hōzuki, members of the smaller clans keeping to themselves. The tension in the air was palpable-everyone knew that not every child present that day would make it to graduation.

"Remember," his mother said, kneeling to greet him, "you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Do your best, but..."

"Keep a low profile," his father completed. "In this village, attracting too much attention can be as dangerous as not living up to it."

Ren nodded, feeling the weight of the kunai in his pocket.

"I wonder, Yuki murmured as their son joined the other students, "if we are doing the right thing."

"He is a Mizutani," Toshiro replied, but his voice betrayed a note of concern. "And he has something special. You noticed it too, didn't you? That way of looking at the world, as if..."

"As if he sees further than the rest of us," she completed.

As he entered the building, Ren felt her parents' stares on her back. 'Don't worry,' he thought. 'I'm not the helpless child you think. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to change the future enough to protect you both.'

The fog was returning, enveloping the academy in its familiar embrace, hiding for a moment the dark fate that awaited the Village of Hidden Mist.

The entrance to the academy was crowded. Families from various clans had gathered to accompany their children to the entrance tests. Ren watched carefully, mentally cataloging the various kekkei genkai present.

There was a group from the Yuki clan, masters of Hyōton, the Ice Element. Not far away, members of the Hōzuki clan were talking among themselves-their ability to turn into water made them among the most feared ninjas in Kirigakure.

He also noticed representatives of the smaller clans: the Karatachi with their affinity for coral, the Kurosuki specializing in petrification techniques, and even a couple of members of the rare Ketsueki clan, known for their ability to manipulate blood.

'So many kekkei genkai,' Ren thought with a squeeze in his heart. 'It's a pity that in a few years many of them...'

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a group of chunin examiners. One of them stepped forward to explain the tests.

"The tests will be divided into three parts," he announced. "Physical, chakra check and attitudinal. Those who fail even one test are automatically excluded."

' No welcome Speech? it's way different compared to Konoha' Ren thought.

The first physical test was held in the large training ground behind the academy. Of the 243 candidates, they were divided into groups of 20 for the tests, only the last three group had one person more each.

The endurance run was the first challenge: five kilometers through a rough course in the fog. Ren kept a steady pace, watching the other participants.

A boy from the Hōzuki clan, Hiroshi, dominated the trial with an outstanding time, his partially liquid body allowing him to glide through obstacles with unnatural ease. Immediately behind him, a girl from the Yuki clan named Yukiko created small ice bridges to overcome the most difficult areas.

' Amazing, they already have a good control of their Kekkei Genkai'.

In the test of climbing a thirty-meter rock face, the talent of a Karatachi clan boy, Shinji, emerged, using his coral to create handholds.

The basic combat saw representatives of the traditional warrior clans shine. A girl from the Jetsueki clan, Misaki, even startled the examiners with her controlled ferocity. Ren noticed that her eyes took on a reddish tinge during combat.

In the chakra control test, candidates had to complete the water drop test.

Here Aoi Kaito completely dominated, completing all the tests with a grace that made the examiners murmur. Her performance was closely followed by Jun'ko of the Tsukino clan, known for their illusory techniques.

The aptitude test revealed much about the candidates' personalities. Some already showed an eerie coldness in their answers, while others maintained an innocence that Ren suspected would not last long.

At the end of the day, the examiners announced the results. Of the 243 candidates, only 160 were admitted.

The top ten finishers were:

Hōzuki Hiroshi - Excellent in everything, particular talent in taijutsu and water ninjutsu

Yuki Yukiko - Perfect control of her kekkei genkai even at this age

Kaito Aoi - Best chakra control ever seen in such a young candidate

Karatachi Shinji - Excellent practical use of his skills

Ketsueki Misaki - Natural talent for fighting

Tsuki Jun'ko - Exceptional chakra control

Kaguya Shin - Impressive use of taijutsu

Munashi Touma - Perfect balance in all trials

Yuki Sora - Second representative of the clan, very promising

Koshima Kurara - Natural talent with weapons

Ren placed 33rd out of 160 admitted, exactly where he had planned: high enough not to raise concerns about his competence, but not so high as to attract unwanted attention.

The students were divided into eight classes of 20 students each. Ren was assigned to 3-B along with Aoi Kaito and Jun'ko Tsukino, among others.

"A good group this year," commented one of the examiners. "Although..." his gaze was lost in the fog, "I wonder how many of them will survive till the graduation."