Chapter 8 - Physical Examination

Konohagakure - 31st Year of Founding, Late Winter

Shinobi Academy

Within a conference room located in Konohagakure Shinobi Academy, a group, consisting of a few Tokubetsu Jōnin and Chunin teachers at the academy, were huddled around a meeting table discussing the entrance exam. 

Their discussion was interrupted when the door burst open, following the arrival of two chunin, one of which immediately took a seat at the table, while the other delivered a report to the Jōnin leading the meeting.

Toyotomi Kinjo had been a part of the Anbu for nearly a decade, until the Hokage had temporarily transferred him to the Academy, in order to supervise the entrance and graduation exams, with the orders to pass as many students as possible, alongside scouting potential recruits for the Anbu.

After Kinjo received the report, he began to read its content and began rubbing the creases in his forehead, as he thought. 'This is going to be a long day.' 

The report had indicated that this year there were 3465 children participating in the entrance exam, and he noted there had been a remarkable increase in potential recruits the past few years since the end of the war. 

He then handed the report to the teacher sitting next to him, as one by one they each persuaded the report. Afterwards, their discussion resumed as they decided upon a course of action for the entrance exams, they decided to repeat last year's tests, and start by thinning the herd, with a physical examination.

∞​

Due to nearly three thousand five hundred children signing up for this year's exams, it took nearly two hours to process them and divide them into 8 groups of roughly 430, in order to undergo the preliminary physical examination.

Sarutobi Naoto was one of the twenty chunin assigned to lead one of the 8 groups of children for the first phase of the entrance examination. He led his group of 433 children to a pre designated training ground on the outskirts of the academy.

"The first phase of the physical examination for the entrance exam will begin. Each of you is required to run 5 laps from one end of the training ground to the other. Each lap is 500 metres, are there any questions?" Naoto asked, as he addressed the crowd of children.

Many of the children were too scared to put their hands up, until a black haired boy wearing a grey jacket with the Nara clan symbol on its back, over a green mesh armour shirt, alongside a pair of grey pants and black sandal shoes, raised his hand.

"Yes you Nara boy." Naoto said, pointing at him.

"Do we have to do more than five laps?" the boy asked in a lazy tone.

"There is the option of doing an extra five laps, but it's not mandatory." The chunin replied cryptically, causing a thoughtful look to flash across the boy's face.

Next the chunin began looking for any children asking questions until a chubby looking boy with brown hair, wearing a red knee-length shirt, raised his hand nervously. "What happens if we can't complete five laps?"

"Those who cannot complete the five laps will be eliminated and will be deemed ineligible to enrol in the academy, until next year's entrance exams." Naoto replied firmly.

"Now, are there any more questions?" he asked with a note of urgency in his voice.

No other children put their hand up to ask further questions.

"Okay then, I alongside a few other proctors will be monitoring this group for this test to ensure that none of you attempt to cheat or slack off. Chunin Inuzuka here will be running the laps alongside you to ensure that you know where to go."

  The first phase begun and out of the 433 people, everyone completed the first two laps, although by the third a few participants had to start dropping out, and by the fourth lap, almost two fifths of the group had dropped out, and by the end of the fifth lap, only 224 people remained from the initial 433 people.

"All those who were unable to complete the five laps, are eliminated from this year's entrance examination, remain behind, while the proctors take down your information, then return to your parent or guardian. But do not be discouraged if you failed, you will be able to retake the examination next year."

One of the chunin's helpers, began to take down the names and information of those children who failed, while Naoto began addressing those who had passed the initial test.

"Amongst the 224 of you that remain, two options lie before you. First is to complete another five laps, which will be counted as extra credit towards your class placements. Although, if you fail to complete these extra laps, you will be disqualified from this year's examination. 

The second is to follow an assigned proctor to the designated area where medical specialists will examine your physical condition, and deem if you are physically fit enough to become a shinobi and attend the academy, afterwards if you pass this screening, you will be guided towards the academy itself, where you will undergo the last segment of this year's entrance examination which is a written test."

In the end, only 85 of the remaining 224 children decided to undergo the second part of the test, and outside of a few outliers, the majority of the remaining children had received training from their clans, or another relative who was a shinobi. 

Naoto eyed the remaining 85 children who had decided to risk the second trial, although the conditions for the second part of the test may seem harsh, it is also a crucial step, as it separates the weak from the strong. 

The 139 children who decided against taking the second task lacked the ability and  willpower to struggle on and persevere to the end, although on some occasions in the past, there have been those who are overconfident and unable to understand their own limits.

The ability to take calculated risks, and judge one's strength, is an important trait for any shinobi. Although it might seem miniscule now, it could mean the life or death of a shinobi and his comrades while on a mission or during a war.

Naoto Sarutobi continued to watch as the Inuzuka chunin began leading the remaining group of 85 children as they began the extra five laps. He watched on as for the first three laps, they all continued on without fail, until a few children had begun to drop out within the last two laps.

A few of the 13 children who had failed the second task, cried while asking for a second chance, or hung their head in shame, as the proctor marked down the results, before the Inuzuka chunin led them away.

Naota thought, 'They misjudged their ability, either they will be motivated by this temporary setback and come back stronger next year, or crumble under the adversity, meaning they simply weren't cut out to be shinobi to begin with.'

"I present to you the same choice again, you have the option of completing a further five laps for a higher placement, although the risk of failing remains. I will give you three minutes to decide. In this final task, I will do the duty of shepherding the final group for the remaining laps, while the others will follow the proctors to the medical specialists to receive their physical examination."

Most of the remaining children decided against attempting the third task, as the fate of those who had failed in the second task, still lingered in their minds, alongside the fact many of them had already pushed themselves to their limits, and were satisfied with what they had achieved.

In the end only 11 children decided to take the third task, and the remaining children returned to the medical ward, in order to undergo the preliminary physical examination, before the final written examination.

Naoto's helpers all bar one proctor had left in order to lead the other children away, while he took the role of the Inuzuka chunin, as he ran the five laps with the remaining group of children, and unlike the previous two tasks, none of the children failed.

Izuna had completed the three tasks, and alongside a small group of other children followed their chunin towards the back of the academy, where some tents had been set up by for the medical ninja who were conducting the physical examination.

After entering one of the tents, he was greeted by the two inhabitants, a civilian medical shinobi and alongside a Hyuga clansman, who he assumed to be a branch member. 

"It's nice to meet you, I am Eisuke, my colleague and I will just be undergoing some check-ups in order to make sure you are healthy enough to attend the academy." he said with a pleasant smile, while the Hyuga stared impassively from the side.

"I am Izuna, please take good care of me." he said with a respectful manner.

Eisuke smiled, most of the children from the big clans often looked down upon civilian shinobi like himself, especially the haughty Uchiha and Hyuga, he thought as he took a sidewards glance at his colleague, who returned his gaze with an expressionless stare.

Internally sighing, he prepared his jutsu, and began inspecting Izuna's body with his chakra, and he was almost instantly taken aback, thinking to himself. 'Gods, how much do these clan kids train? Looking at the wear and tear in his muscles and tendons, you can see how brutal the training he has been enduring for quite some time, yet the boy in front of him couldn't be older than six or seven.'

Eisuke spared a sideways glanced at his college, giving a brief nod to indicate for him to activate his Byakugan, and even the blank expression on his face was momentarily replaced with one of shock, when he observed the child's body and began thinking to himself 'These damned Uchiha, the main family should be notified of this development.'

"Is everything alright?" Izuna asked with a furrowed brow, noticing the strangeness in the two of them.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine." Eisuke replied as he began jotting down his report on his clipboard.

"There seems to be no problems which would prevent you from attending the academy. So you can make your way back to your proctor, and you will be able to undergo the written examination soon. Have a good day."

"Likewise." Izuna replied, giving a nod towards each of them.