The m sun painted Konoha in hues of gold and amber, stretg long shadows across the cobbled streets.

  The air carried the st of fresh-baked bread and sizzling skewers as merts set up their stalls, their chatter mixing with the rhythmic footsteps of children heading in the same dire.

  It was the day of the entrance exam.

  The Academy stood tall ahead, its curved roof and wide wooden gates imposi familiar.

  I had seen it from the outside many times with Grandma, watg older kids training in the yard.

  Today, I was stepping inside, not as a spectator, but as a partit.

  A rge wooden board was mounted on the wall he entranames scribbled i ink, assigning us to different rooms.

  I ran my finger down the list.

  Room 4 B – Kazeo.

  I exhaled slowly, f my breath to stay even. The moment I stepped ihe atmosphere shifted—not into silence, but into awareness.

  Dozens of eyes flicked toward me. Some curious, some indifferent, a few measuring.

  Whispers curled through the air like drifting embers. Excited murmurs from children too young to grasp the weight of what y ahead. For most, this was just aep in their expected journey. A rite of passage.

  Some bore the insignias of Konoha's great s—Uchiha, Hyūga, Nara. Their very presence radiated quiet fideheir names carrying geions of power, prestige, and expectations.

  And then, there was me.

  A h . No history. No expectations except the ones I set for myself.

  I chose a seat by the window, my gaze drifting to the training fields below. The grass swayed in the wind, undisturbed by the tension coiling in my muscles.

  The boy beside me, a slightly chubby kid with wild brown hair, tapped his fingers against the desk nervously. He g me, then at the front of the room.

  "You nervous?" he muttered, his voice low enough that only I could hear.

  I shrugged. "Not really."

  He blinked. "Really? I mean, this is the first step to being a shinobi. You're not even a little worried?"

  I gnced around. Some kids were boung their legs anxiously, others whispering to their friends, probably trying to distract themselves. A few kids sat with perfect posture, their expressions unreadable.

  "W won't ge the oute,right?" I said simply.

  He let out a breath. "Yeah, guess you're right. Still, I heard the physical exam is brutal."

  Before I could respond, another voice cut in.

  "If you think this is brutal, you'll never make it past graduation."

  We turo see a boy with sharp features and an unmistakable Uchiha crest on his back. His expression was ft, but his eyes held that same quiet superiority all Uchihas seemed to have.

  The chubby boy o me frowned. "Yeah? And what makes you so sure?"

  The Uchiha didn't even blink. "Because I trained for this. If you didn't, then you're already behind."

  The air betweeensed, but I merely observed. It was the truth. Life wasn't fair. It never had been.

  Before either of them could say more, a heavy presence filled the room.

  At the front, in proctors stood like stone pilrs, their expressions unreadable. One of them, a man with a jagged scar slig down his cheek, stepped forward. His voice cut through the murmurs, steady and firm.

  "Wele to the Academy Entrance Exam. Today, we will assess your physical aal abilities to determine if you have the potential to bee shinobi."

  A pause.

  "The exam sists of two ses—written and physical."

  "Any questions?"

  Silence.

  "Good. Let's begin."

  The room stilled.

  No one was surprised.

  Not a single child in the room.

  Everyone khere would be a written exam.

  The orphanages had made sure of it—drilliers and numbers into our heads before we even lost our baby teeth. By the time we were six, reading and writing weren't just enced; they were mandatory.

  Because even an orphan should know how to follow orders.

  A shinobi who couldn't read mission directives was useless. A soldier who couldn't write reports was a liability.

  So, as the pran handing out the exam papers, there were no gasps of shoo wide-eyed panic.

  But that didn't mean there was no fear.

  Some kids gripped their pencils so tight their knuckles turned white. Others tapped their feet restlessly, their breathing uneven.

  Some straighteheir backs. Others ched their fists.

  I simply exhaled again, grounding myself.

  Because today, I wasn't just another orphan from Konoha.

  Today, I took my first step toward something greater.

  ////////

  The Written Exam -

  Scrolls of paper were pced in front of us, filled with questiing from history to chakra theory. I took a deep breath and focused.

  Que.1 :- Who was the First Hokage?

  Easy - Hashirama Senju.

  Que.2 :- What are the five basic chakra natures?

  Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, Lightning.

  Que.3 :- What are.... ?

  Que.4 :- Who was .... ?

  The questions weren't difficult, but I could hear the frustrated scribbling of those struggling around me.

  Some sighed heavily, erasing their answers repeatedly.

  I finished early, setting my brush down and gng around.

  A boy two rows ahead g his lip, his teeth pressing so hard it looked like he might draw blood. His eyes flickered stantly, darting to his neighbor's paper in quick, desperate gnces.

  His hands twitched, fiightening around his pencil as if willing the ao appear on his ow.

  Audent sat frozen, his head buried in his hands. His shoulders trembled ever so slightly, his breaths ing too quick, too shallow.

  From the way his fingers dug into his scalp, it was clear—panic had already sunk its cws into him.

  The weight of the exam hung over the room like a storm cloud, sile suffog. The scratg of pencils filled the space, broken only by the occasional shifting of nervous bodies.

  I turned bay own exam, tapping my fingers against the desk.

  This is only the first part. The real challenge es .

  ///////////

  The Physical Exam -

  The sun had climbed higher by the time we stepped outside.

  The Academy's training ground stretched before us—marked tracks for running, wooden dummies for accuracy tests, and sandbags for endurance drills.

  "Alright, brats," one of the proctors called out. "Line up! We're testing speed and stamina first."

  "The first phase of the physical exam will begin. You have to run 5 ps oh marked iraining ground.

  Each p is around 500m.

  That's 2.5 kilometers total.

  Everyone will be monitored during this run."

  Some students let out small sighs of relief—500 meters per p didn't sound too bad.

  But then the proctor's words killed that hope.

  "I will run ahead. You will follow. Keep up, et left behind."

  He didn't wait for a response—just took off, his strides steady and powerful.

  I moved instantly.

  The air filled with the sound of poundi, heavy breaths, and the occasional curse as someone nearly tripped. A few er kids from strong s surged ahead, their pride pushing them to take the lead. Uchiha. Hyūga. Nara. Even some Akimichi, who relied on their rger builds to carry momentum.

  I didn't bother matg their pace. I knew how this would end.

  One p.

  Two.

  The initial energy started fading. Some were already slowing, their breathing ragged. I maintained my pace—trolled, effit. My heart pumped steadily, my lungs expanding and trag in rhythm.

  Three ps.

  The first oarted dropping out, clutg their sides asping for air. But I kept going.

  Four ps.

  Five.

  The ache started. Not exhaustion—I could run this dista was something deeper, a strain in my muscles, a heaviness in my limbs that shouldn't have been there. My body was reag its limit, but I didn't stop because it was my new normal in this life.

  Six ps.

  Murmurs rose from those who had fiheir tired forms slumped he edges.

  "He's still running?"

  Seven ps.

  A few of the kids—those too proud to accept defeat—gritted their teeth and forced themselves to keep up. The Uchiha boy from earlier was still going, sweat dripping down his face. A Hyūga pushed forward, his breathing uneven.

  Twelve ps.

  One by ohey started falling back. The Uchiha stumbled slightly, his legs barely responding. The Hyūga came to a sudden stop, hands on his knees.

  Fifteen ps

  Eighteen ps.

  I felt every step now. My muscles screamed, my body burned, but I didn't stop.

  Twenty ps.

  Silence.

  The few still standing just stared as I came to a halt, my breathing heavy but trolled.

  I had do.

  10 kilometers.

  Because I had to e first.

  Because I had to meet him.

  ////////

  was strength and endurance—

  push-ups, sit-ups, and a sandbag lift .

  My arms burned, sweat trig down my forehead, but I kept going because it was a regur day for me and my exhaustion .

  And I was also the st oanding in this exam.

  Whoever passed this exam was said to go with a proctor for the assessment.

  /////////

  Before exam, those who passed the earlier physical exam were said to be divided into two groups: one for those who had their chakra unlocked, and another for those whose chakra was still locked.

  Proctors stepped forward and helped unlock the chakra of students whose chakra was still locked.

  I was a little asto first, but it made sense when I thought about it.

  They had lost so many shinobi during the Third Great Ninja War and the Kyūbi's rampage.

  It was clear they were trying to cultivate as many ninjas as possible, to rebuild their strength.

  Obviously, not everyone would rise to the rank of Jōnin but even those who didn't could still serve in other capacities—used as reserve Genin or in, much like reserved private in an army.

  ////////

  The final test: shuriken and kunai accuracy -

  The wooden targets stood ahead, painted with rings like bullseyes.

  I picked up a shuriken, feeling its etal between my fingers.

  Breathe in. Focus . Breathe out.

  I flicked my wrist. The shuriken sliced through the air, embedding itself in the tral ring. Not perfect, but det. The kunai throw nded closer to the ter.

  A few students gasped when an Uchiha kid hit the bullseye every time.

  He smirked, basking iention.

  I ignored him. There was always someoer than you , I already learnt it hard way in my previous life.

  Some passed. Some failed. And just like that, the exam was over.

  ///////

  Results -

  The m, the list osted. A crowd had already gathered, jostling to see their names.

  I squeezed through, sing the part.

  There.

  Kazeo – Passed .

  I stared for a moment, letting the words sink in. A hand cpped my shoulder.

  "You made it, huh?" My both roommates aher orphans grinned. "Guess we'll be cssmates now."

  I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah. I guess we will."

  For the first time in a long while, somethiled in my chest. Not quite warmth, not quite excitement—just a quiet certainty.

  I had taken my first step toward being a shinobi.

  //////////

  Same day -

  We stood iraining yard, lined up ly uhe watchful eyes of the proctors.

  The sun hung high in the sky, its warmth settling over us, but no one paid attention to the heat.

  Not today.

  Because today, the Hokage was ing.

  The murmurs among the students had turned into full-blowement.

  Some kids bounced on their heels, others whispered animatedly, w what he'd say.

  Even the kids—usually too proud to show emotions— wore barely cealed anticipation on their faces.

  Me? I stood still, hands curled into fists at my sides. My heart wasn't pounding from excitement .

  It ounding from nervousness.

  Because uhers, I khe Hokage had specifically told me somethierday—something that still weighed on my mind.

  "Take the first pd meet me for the reward."

  I had tried my best, but was it enough to secure first pce ?

  'Did he know something?'

  ' he see my chakra level ?'

  I barely noticed when the chattering stopped, an almost unnatural silence falling over the courtyard. Then, the proctors straightened, stepping aside as an elderly figure approached.

  Sarutobi Hiruzen , The Third Hokage.

  Despite his old age, he carried himself with an air of quiet authority.

  His robes, embroidered with the kanji for 'Fire,' swayed gently as he walked.

  His ki sharp eyes swept over us, assessing.

  A hush spread over the crowd, every child standing a little taller.

  The Hokage smiled. "gratutions to all of you for passing the entrance exam. Today marks the beginning of your journey as shinobi of Konoha."

  A strahrill coursed through me as I prepared to experiehe legendary Third Hokage's spee the Will of Fire.

  I had seen its effects before—how those carefully crafted words had pushed Naruto to strive for the Hokage title,

  Even after all the disdain thrown his way.

  It had been easy for him to manipute Naruto, to feed him that ideal.

  And now, I was about to withe same speech, knowing full well he could do the same with everyone here—pnt the seed of the Will of Fire in them, just as he had doh Naruto.

  The thought was both uling and exhirating.

  ( To be tinued)...

  [Author here !

  chapter --> Will of Fire and Suspi

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