LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 5: Entering the Academy
The atmosphere of the Academy mirrored the village: lively and bustling. A long banner reading "Academy Opening Ceremony" hung proudly on the gate. A group of five six-year-old children stood in front of it, chattering excitedly.
Here, one could clearly distinguish between the clan children and the commoners. The commoners huddled together, their curiosity evident as they nervously chatted among themselves. For these children, becoming a ninja meant a chance to get ahead, to gain a different status as a Lord-Ninja. The true dangers of the Ninja World were still distant to them, and perhaps no one had ever told them about it. After all, most of the children here were war orphans.
Most of these children had not undergone any training. According to the system's standards, many of them were Level 0, which was quite low. Yet, some of them would still enter the Academy. After graduation, they might become battlefield cannon fodder. How many could rise above others to become figures like Jiraiya, Orochimaru, or the Fourth Hokage? The truth was harsh.
The children from the Great Clans stood apart, usually in small groups. They felt no pressure; the selection was just a formality for them. They were destined to enter the Academy, and most of them harboured a sense of superiority toward the civilian born. They had undergone basic Taijutsu training, with most of them ranked Level 1 and some already at Level 2.
A short while later, a stern-looking Chunin, wearing a Konoha headband, walked in and began leading the children away. Although the Academy recruited school-age children from the entire village, both clans and commoners had to pass the Academy's assessment to enroll. Not everyone was qualified to be cannon fodder; even cannon fodder had standards.
The assessment was simple: run 200 laps around the training grounds. This number of laps was significant. Chakra, the physical energy drawn from 130 million cells in the human body, was essential for fighting, which also required a strong body. Two hundred laps was a challenging number for an ordinary person, but in a world filled with Chakra, children's physical fitness was excellent. With a few years of early childhood training, they could handle it.
For Uchiha Tatsumi, 200 laps were just a basic challenge. The soft sunlight filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, casting a warm glow on the children's faces. They ran hard for their ideals. Uchiha Tatsumi was determined to get first place. Winning with a huge advantage would highlight his innate talent.
From the start, Uchiha Tatsumi surged ahead. As part of the leading group, he noticed the boy next to him, a five-year-old with brown and yellow hair and Senju Clan's emblem on his clothes. The boy turned his head, meeting Tatsumi's gaze with a spirited expression.
"Didn't expect to see Nawaki here!" Uchiha Tatsumi thought to himself.
Uchiha Tatsumi didn't mind showing off at the Academy. Given his father's loyalty to the second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, his situation in the Uchiha Clan was difficult, and he didn't want to be assigned a Jonin teacher from within the police force's clan ranks after graduation. This would limit his future development. In Konoha, Hokage was the boss, and Tatsumi intended to stand firmly on Hokage's side, just like his father. He needed to demonstrate his innate talent because no one paid attention to those without it. He pushed himself to surpass Nawaki.
Getting first in the entrance exam was the best way to stand out. Especially if an orphan from Uchiha Clan defeated the First Hokage's grandson, Senju Nawaki, it would be an impressive feat. What a great script!
Nawaki, a worthy member of the Senju Clan, had a huge Chakra reserve and superior physique. Even if he didn't inherit the First Hokage's Sage Body, he was far better than Uchiha Clan members. This was a matter of innate talent. It was this talent that allowed Senju Clan to dominate the Warring States era and eventually defeat Uchiha Clan.
Unlike Nawaki, who had many mentors, including his elder sister Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and his grandmother Uzumaki Mito, Uchiha Tatsumi had no one. He was ostracized within the clan and had to train himself.
Before adding points yesterday, Uchiha Tatsumi was no match for Nawaki in Taijutsu. The younger generation of some clan leaders also refused to be left behind. For them, it was one thing to be defeated, but if they were lapped several times, the blow would be significant. Their clans would pay much less attention to them. So they followed the pace and caught up with Nawaki and Tatsumi, raising the overall speed again.
In the initial laps, Nawaki managed to stay alongside Tatsumi using his Chakra reserves. However, as Nawaki's Chakra depleted, the distance between them began to widen.
Nawaki's physique was indeed excellent, but Uchiha Tatsumi's current Taijutsu was at Level 3. According to the system's explanation, the effects of Level 3 Taijutsu compared to Level 2 were significant improvements in endurance, physical strength, speed, and understanding of Taijutsu.
Tatsumi felt like he was about to fly. Soon, he began to distance himself from Nawaki and started leading the group. Senju Nawaki gritted his teeth to keep up, but he fell further behind and took second place. No matter how hard he tried, Tatsumi could always maintain his lead. Each time Nawaki tried to catch up, Tatsumi would speed up, increasing the gap between them.
"Has he taken stimulants? This scoundrel," Nawaki thought as he pushed himself even harder.
Uchiha Tatsumi had never felt so fast. Feeling smug, he couldn't resist a look back, savouring the determined faces chasing him.
"Foolish little students, if you want to catch me, despise me, hate me. Run, sweat... cling to your breath and jog in an unsightly way. Then someday, when you have the same speed as me, come find me."