The crowd observing the match were buzzing with excitement as the final match of the day approached.
"Next match—Akimichi Shiro versus Nara Kaito," the proctor called.
The crowd's murmurs quickly died down as two young shinobi stepped forward to face each other.
Akimichi Shiro was built in the way his clan usually was; big, sturdy, and chubby.
Not Fat. Never Fat.
Across from him stood Nara Kaito with a relaxed posture almost bored, but his gaze was sharp and calculating.
But Kaito's face gave away little emotion other than that of someone one decision away from falling asleep, as always.
''Classic Nara.'' Murakami muttered to himself as he glanced at Katsuro who wore a similar expression before shaking his head and returning his focus to the match.
Kaito's gaze slid over the Akimichi, seemingly taking in every detail of his opponent and exhaled slowly, brushing a lock of his hair behind his ear.
Shiro cracked his knuckles, his eyes narrowing as he took a stance.
To the onlookers, this match would be different from the earlier matches.
This wasn't just any fight, but one of strategy versus strength.
The crowd was curious to see how it would play out.
"What do you think of this match?" Murakami asked, looking at Katsuro.
Katsuro remained silent for a while before he sighed and shrugged. "I have no idea. They both have their strengths and I've seen them fight seriously before."
Murakami nodded in understanding. Clans were made up of numerous families. It was normal to not know every single person, and even if you did, that didn't mean they were overly familiar.
Considering the Ino-Shika-Cho team formation, many were excited to see how this would play out.
It was known that they would be on the same team upon graduating along with Yamanaka Shiori who had lost to Sakumo.
"Begin!" The proctor's voice sliced through the silence.
The instant the word left the proctor's lips, Shiro was on the move.
He lunged forward, his massive frame charging toward Kaito with startling speed contrary to his size. The ground shook slightly as he closed the distance between them.
Kaito's eyes narrowed but he didn't dodge.
With one swift motion, Kaito's hands flew through a familiar series of seals and his shadow lengthened and stretched, creeping toward Shiro like a dark wave.
The Nara clan's Shadow Possession Jutsu.
The shadow snaked toward Shiro, aiming to latch onto his shadow and restrict them but Shiro wasn't just going to fall victim to that.
He shifted his weight to his legs and twisted his body, barely avoiding the shadow that tried to latch onto his shadow.
The Akimichi didn't just rely on brute force, their strength granted them some level of speed as well.
"Not bad," Kaito murmured, his shadow receding, but his eyes sharpened as he began to prepare his next move.
Shiro, breathing steadily, had no intention of slowing down. With a quick movement, he performed his hand seals.
"Baika no Jutsu!"
A large puff of smoke surrounded him, and when it cleared, Shiro's body had swollen to nearly three times its original size, making him tower over Kaito.
The crowd gasped.
"Now that's some gigantification." Murakami said in awe. "Fucking Bloodlines." He muttered quietly. He too wanted to have that kind of inbuilt gene but unfortunately…
The Akimichi were known for their size-changing jutsu, but seeing it in action was an amazing sight to behold.
Shiro, unbothered by the effect of his Jutsu on some students, took advantage of his size and charged again.
Kaito's eyes followed the giant boy's movements as his shadow stretched wide, expanding in preparation for another attempt to restrict Shiro.
He was going to need to be quick, Shiro's sheer weight and momentum could crush him if he wasn't careful.
As Shiro lunged forward, Kaito's hand darted through the seals. "Shadow Strangle Jutsu!",
Sending his shadow toward Shiro's giant form, Kaito tried to wrap it around his limbs to restrain him.
But Shiro didn't give Kaito the time he needed.
In a swift move, Shiro's palm enlarged and slammed down toward the ground. "Great Palm Jutsu!"
The ground around Kaito cracked as the force of Shiro's palm sent shockwaves through the earth as a large wave of dirt and stone shot upward, forcing Kaito to cancel his jutsu and jump back to avoid getting hit.
Kaito landed on his feet, panting slightly. He wasn't hurt, but he was visibly more winded than he had been earlier.
His gaze remained on Shiro, who was already charging again, his movements were slow but controlled despite his massive size.
Kaito's mind raced. 'Shiro is strong, but he's overexerting himself… I have to take advantage of this. I need to make sure my next move counts.'
Forming a hand seal, Kaito whispered, "Clone Jutsu."
In an instant, two clones appeared beside him, one on either side, their eyes locked onto Shiro's movements.
Kaito threw a smoke bomb that obstructed Shiro's view, and in the next moment, three Kaitos dashed out of the smoke.
Shiro's eyes narrowed slightly as the clones approached, but he didn't panic. His fist came down with the force of a falling boulder, targeting Kaito's closest clone to his left.
The clone dissolved upon contact and Kaito who had arrived behind Shiro smirked.
'Now!' Kaito thought, and his shadow reached out, aiming to latch onto Shiro's legs.
But Shiro wasn't as distracted as Kaito hoped and with a swift twist of his body, he shook off the shadow trying to bind him, and Kaito's eyes widened in frustration.
Shiro wasn't making this easy.
Shino grunted as he landed then charged forward, this time his hand enlarged further as he aimed to slam Kaito into the dirt.
His strength was impressive, but Kaito had the advantage of speed and cunning.
Just as Shiro's hand descended, Kaito sent his last clone forward, it was an illusionary clone but enough to make Shiro focus on it for a moment.
That moment was all Kaito needed.
The moment Shiro planted his foot, Kaito's real shadow shot across the ground, racing beneath the clone's feet and snapping around Shiro's legs like a trap.
Shiro's eyes widened as his own shadow locked him in place, his balance breaking. He hit the ground with a heavy crash, the air leaving his lungs in a grunt.
He struggled, and with his strength, he might've broken free earlier.
But tired and exhausted from using the Baika no Jutsu for so long and adding to having been caught off-balance, and mid-movement, he had no leverage.
Kaito walked over and stood over him, arm extended to his forehead, his breath heavy but eyes sharp as the shadow held firm.
"Match over!" the proctor called, raising his hand to signal the end.
Kaito's shadow withdrew, and he took a deep breath, his eyes still locked on the now normal sized Shiro.
"Winner: Nara Kaito," the proctor declared.
Kaito nodded, stepping back as Shiro grunted and climbed to his feet.
"Nice try," Kaito said, offering Shiro a slight smile.
Shiro huffed but couldn't suppress a grin. "Yeah, you're not bad either."
...
The proctor gave the two a moment to recover before raising his hand.
"That concludes today's final match," he announced, his voice carrying over the murmuring crowd. His gaze swept over the gathered groups of students.
"All academy students present, your presence here was not just to spectate. I hope you all took something valuable from these battles."
The gathered students, especially the younger ones, exchanged glances.
Some had been watching purely for the spectacle, while others had studied each movement, committing tactics to memory.
"Alright, dismissed!"
With that, the crowd began to break apart.
"Class 5-A, gather up!"
The voice belonged to Daigo-sensei, the class instructor. His sharp eyes scanned his students as they hurried over, some still buzzing with excitement, while others looked more subdued.
Once they were assembled, Daigo crossed his arms, letting the moment stretch.
"Did any of you figure out why I brought you here today?" he finally asked, his tone calm.
Murakami, who was at the back, had a few guesses but kept them to himself.
A few students hesitated to speak until… "To show us how shinobi fight?" one said.
Daigo gave a small nod. "Partially."
"To show us how much we need to improve?" another guessed.
"That too," he acknowledged. His gaze flickered over the group and seeing there were no other answers, he continued.
"But there's something more important than that. This wasn't just about watching an exam. It was about understanding what's waiting for you beyond the academy walls."
A hush fell over the students.
"You will all be graduating soon," Daigo continued, his voice steady without any ripples, "and when you do, you'll be expected to take on missions. But that's not the real reason you're here."
He let his words sink in before delivering the truth.
"The village is at war."
The silence that followed was absolute.
"Many of you have heard whispers about it, but let me make it clear. This isn't a minor skirmish. This is an all-out war between the Great Nations. We are losing people, good shinobi, every day."
Some students swallowed hard. Others clenched their fists.
Many amongst them had family who were on the battlefield, some whose family were dead. Elder brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers.
"And do you know what that means for you?" Daigo asked, his gaze sharp as he looked over his students. "It means that next year, some of you will be on that battlefield. Not just as shinobi taking missions, but fighting for your lives."
A few students looked down, the reality of his words hitting them harder than they had expected. The academy had always been a place of training, but war had felt distant.
Not anymore.
Daigo's voice softened slightly. "The Hokage and the Jonin commanders aren't just throwing people into battle. They need fresh blood, but they won't send unprepared children to die."
His expression darkened. "That's why you were brought here today. To see for yourselves what it takes to stand on that battlefield. To understand that without training and skill, you're just another body waiting to fall."
The weight of his words pressed down on them heavily.
"So, I'll ask you again," Daigo said, his voice carrying a sharp edge now. "Are you ready to take your training seriously? Are you ready to put in the work so that when the time comes, you don't die the moment you step onto the battlefield?"
The response wasn't immediate. The students weren't just answering a simple question, they were deciding their futures at that moment.
One by one, they nodded.
"Good," Daigo said. "Because starting tomorrow, your training is going to change. No more treating this like a schoolyard competition. No more half-hearted sparring. We will train like shinobi. We will fight like shinobi. Because if you don't—"
His voice turned grim.
"—then you won't live long enough to regret it."
The students stood frozen as the weight of their instructor's words settled over them.
"Dismissed," Daigo finally said, turning on his heel and walking toward the academy building.
The students remained still for a few seconds before slowly dispersing, their usual chatter quieter than before. There was no doubt about it, things were going to change.
And whether they were ready or not, the reality of war had just been placed before them.