Chapter 184: This Batch of Students
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two days passed. The 39th Enrollment Exam of the Konoha Ninja Academy began.
Masahiko didn't participate personally; he stood with Sakumo as an observer.
The exam was divided into three parts. The "Nin" (Ninjutsu) part was the simplest, merely checking the efficiency of refining chakra. Of course, to get a high score, one had to skillfully use the Three Body Technique, which was very difficult for children who were just five or six years old.
The "Tai" (Taijutsu) part was a pure taijutsu assessment. There were different standards for male and female examinees, with slightly stricter requirements for boys.
The "Gen" (Genjutsu) part was a genjutsu assessment. Of course, it wasn't about asking these children to use genjutsu, but testing their ability to resist it, as well as their aptitude for learning it.
"Sakumo, what counts as passing the assessment?" Masahiko roughly understood the content of the assessment but didn't know the specific scoring criteria.
"Each item is ten points. An average score of passing (6/10) will allow them to pass," Sakumo replied.
Masahiko nodded. "Testing comprehensive ability? What if one item is particularly outstanding?" He thought of Guy's situation.
"If particularly outstanding, like scoring ten points in one item, the other items can be ignored."
Masahiko breathed a sigh of relief, thinking Guy should be fine.
"However, getting a full score is very difficult," Sakumo added. "Kakashi probably can only get ten points in Ninjutsu. The other two items might only be nine or even eight points."
Masahiko frowned. Kakashi, who had been trained by Sakumo since childhood, should have stronger taijutsu than Guy at this point. Even so, he couldn't get a full score...
"Is it that strict?"
Sakumo nodded. "The Hokage is also helpless. There are too many students taking the assessment. More than one hundred and fifty people signed up this time, but only about sixty will be admitted in the end."
Masahiko nodded in understanding. He knew that the children who were screened out weren't necessarily rejected permanently. The maximum age for entering the Ninja Academy was nine, and many children who came now had just turned five.
Of course, the five-year-olds were obviously confident, so those enrolling at five each year were usually the more talented ones.
"Sakumo, where's your little treasure?" Students had entered the venue one after another, but Masahiko hadn't seen Kakashi.
"Kakashi is the last one to take the test." Sakumo's face stiffened for a moment.
"The grand finale? Or to avoid putting pressure on other children?" Masahiko teased with a smile.
"A bit of both." Sakumo quickly developed resistance to Masahiko's words, his face not reddening and his heart not skipping a beat.
Masahiko looked at the children in the front rows. Sure enough, there wasn't a single familiar face. They must have roughly arranged the more outstanding children towards the back.
Of the three examiners testing these students, the one testing "Nin" was a Nara clan Jonin, the one testing "Tai" was a Hyuga clan Jonin, and surprisingly, the one testing "Gen" was Kagami Uchiha.
Masahiko thought for a moment and understood. If used improperly, genjutsu could have a significant impact on these children's futures. At this time in Konoha, the one with the strongest genjutsu ability should be Kagami Uchiha.
"Strict indeed. None of these three examiners look like pushovers," Masahiko muttered.
However, he felt that the "Gen" part, which he thought would be the hardest, was passed easily by the children. None of them seemed immersed in the genjutsu for long or failed to get a high score.
"Why does Kagami look like he's going easy on them?"
Sakumo hesitated, then leaned in quietly. "I heard Elder Kagami's daughter-in-law seems to be pregnant. He should be in a good mood."
Masahiko smiled and glanced at him sideways. "Since when did you become such a gossip?"
"Wait, Kagami's grandson?" Masahiko was startled. Wasn't that Shisui Uchiha?
"What's wrong, Elder Masahiko?"
"Nothing..."
Given the current situation of the Uchiha clan, Shisui's birth wouldn't have much impact. Only that pair of eyes concerned Masahiko.
Masahiko recovered and continued watching the test. The children in the front rows were indeed no geniuses. Although scores weren't given on the spot, Masahiko estimated they wouldn't pass.
"I wonder who the first acquaintance will be?"
Masahiko looked forward to it slightly.
Half a minute later.
"Heh, it's Guy..." Masahiko didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "What was I expecting? I should have thought of it earlier."
"Is he Might Dai's son?" Sakumo asked.
Unlike in the original story, the current Dai was a Konoha Jonin, so Sakumo naturally knew him.
Masahiko nodded with a smile.
Sakumo hesitated; he knew the strictness of the assessment better. "At this rate, he probably won't pass."
Masahiko waved his hand. "It's fine, he'll definitely pass."
Masahiko didn't remember the detail in the original story about Guy being a supplementary enrollment; he only remembered that Guy was in the same batch as Kakashi and felt it was impossible for him not to pass.
Sakumo hesitated but didn't say anything more.
Ten minutes later, Masahiko's mouth twitched. Although he didn't know the scoring criteria, if he were the examiner, it would be a miracle if Guy passed.
"He won't really fail, right?"
After Guy's assessment, he left the field looking confident.
Then, more acquaintances entered the field, and Masahiko temporarily put aside his concern for Guy's results.
"This guy... I remember he should be called Ibiki Morino. He doesn't have those scars on his face yet."
"This one should be Ebisu? That tutor for Konohamaru. Is he in this batch too..."
"Hayate Gekkō and Yūgao Uzuki, this couple is also in this batch."
"The one chewing on a grass stem should be Genma Shiranui, the one who loves to make sarcastic remarks."
"Rin Nohara, Obito's dream lover."
"Speaking of little Obito, here he comes. First time seeing him."
"Kurenai Yuhi passed just by testing Genjutsu? She's the first student to get a full score in one item after testing for so long."
"Asuma, this uncle-faced guy, is still a shota right now..."
As the candidates continued to enter, Masahiko recalled familiar characters one by one from his fragmented memories. Besides them, there were a few children who looked very familiar but whose names he couldn't call out. roughly estimated, there were at least thirteen or fourteen of Masahiko's "acquaintances" in this batch of students.
With the entrance of Kakashi Hatake, carrying a small short sword on his back, the Ninja Academy enrollment assessment, which lasted a full day, came to an end.
Kakashi could already use the Three Body Technique proficiently. However, instead of testing his best subject "Nin" first, he tested the other two items. He didn't pass either with a full score, and there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes.
Masahiko hesitated, then turned to Sakumo and asked a question that had puzzled him for a hundred years. "Why has Kakashi worn a mask since he was little?"
"Because he's handsome, like me."
Sakumo turned and walked away. Masahiko stood frozen for a long while before realizing he seemed to have been teased...
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