Chapter 46: The Ninja Ability Trial

In the following days, during school, Kushina would excitedly run up to Minato and show him her training progress.

Her improvement even startled Minato.

In just three days, Kushina's number of Shadow Clones had nearly reached fifteen!

When the fifteen Shadow Clones appeared before Minato, his expression froze.

Moreover, they almost got discovered by others.

After all, this was a secret between the two of them, and a school corner couldn't hide fifteen Shadow Clones.

Compared to Kushina, although Minato's chakra reserves were considerable, he could only create four Shadow Clones at most.

Any more would significantly impact his combat abilities.

However, Kushina had created fifteen Shadow Clones at once, and she appeared to be under no strain.

Seeing that she had found a suitable way to progress, Minato felt delighted. Nevertheless, he remained vigilant of their surroundings.

Apart from the Anbu previously assigned to protect Kushina, he didn't notice anyone else.

The mysterious individuals who had followed him that night hadn't reappeared.

After school each day, Minato didn't slack on his training. He found suitable techniques from the ninja scroll the Third had given him and practiced them.

To his surprise, most of the C-rank techniques in the scroll posed no difficulty when practicing them.

Whether it was the hand seals or the chakra manipulation methods, it felt as if they had been imprinted in his mind before, and he only needed to review them a few times to master them effortlessly!

Not only did he find it easy to practice Wind, Fire, and Lightning-style techniques, but Minato also seemed capable of mastering Water and Earth-style techniques with ease.

Even though he didn't have an affinity for Earth and Water, it merely meant that he couldn't use those techniques as easily.

With his current chakra reserves, he didn't need to learn too many techniques.

He only needed to choose the ones most suitable for himself and quickly increase his strength.

He had to gain the Third's approval and become Kushina's guard. That way, when they were together, she could have freedom!

For that smile, he would spare no effort, no matter the cost.

Early one morning, Minato entered the classroom, which should have been empty at this hour.

However, there was already a figure standing at the podium – their homeroom teacher, Kunio Shindō, who looked rather preoccupied, as if something was weighing on his mind.

"Good morning, Shindō-sensei!" Minato greeted his teacher as usual, intending to return to his seat after receiving a response.

"Minato, wait a moment," Shindō called out, stopping him.

Minato turned around and asked, "Is there something wrong, Shindō-sensei?"

Shindō nodded and said, "Indeed, there is. This matter concerns all of you students at the Ninja Academy."

"The village will soon hold a Ninja Ability Trial, and all the students from this school must participate," Shindō explained.

"Ninja Ability Trial?" Minato had never heard of this before, and it wasn't part of the previous Ninja Academy assessments.

"Yes," Shindō said. "As the name suggests, it's a trial to evaluate ninja abilities. Although you're not yet considered shinobi, you will all become one in the future. So, it's reasonable to assess you. However, this trial won't only involve you students." Shindō's expression grew troubled, which was the cause of his concern.

"Then who else?" Minato's eyes narrowed slightly.

"All the genin who graduated within the past year," Shindō replied.

Minato's pupils shrank involuntarily. The Ninja Academy already had a considerable number of students, and adding the genin who had graduated less than a year ago – the seniors who had graduated shortly after Minato enrolled – the scale of this trial seemed too large.

Moreover, this format was entirely unfair.

Most Academy students wouldn't be a match for those who had already graduated as genin.

At that moment, Minato recalled his previous conversation with the Third Hokage.

Could this Ninja Ability Trial be the proof the Third had mentioned?

"I don't understand what the village leadership is thinking. The participants in this trial are a complete mess. It's one thing if the Academy students lose, but the gap in skill levels is too vast. Add to that the immaturity of those genin. What if someone gets injured?" Shindō questioned.

This was the first time Minato had seen his teacher questioning the village's decisions.

Shindō's primary concern was for his students.

"Is it not possible to forfeit in advance from such a trial?" Minato asked. In assessments with extreme imbalances in strength, the weaker side was usually allowed to withdraw from participating.

"This time, the higher-ups have specifically emphasized that even injuries are acceptable. Unless it's absolutely necessary, no student is allowed to forfeit. If anyone carelessly gives up, they might face punishment from the trial staff, which could affect their eligibility for the graduation exam."

The more Shindō spoke, the less he could understand the reasoning behind this decision. However, as a mere chūnin, he could only complain here.

This rule left Minato equally perplexed. The Third Hokage shouldn't be the kind of person to deliberately make things difficult for others.

Although other high-ranking officials in the village were undoubtedly involved, the Third's approval was necessary for such a decision to be implemented.

This was highly irregular.

However, Minato also believed that since the village leadership and the Third had decided this, they must have their reasons.

The Ninja Academy was the cradle for nurturing Konoha's next generation. Considering the village's interests, they wouldn't make such an outrageous decision without reason.

Seeing his teacher's worried expression, Minato felt a warmth in his heart and said, "Thank you, Sensei, for your concern for us."

Shindō felt somewhat embarrassed and sighed, "I can only complain here. There's nothing else I can do to help."

Minato shook his head and said, "No, it's precisely because we have teachers like you that we have more motivation to perform better in the trial. Although the rules are a bit strict, we will all eventually become shinobi. Facing such challenges is inevitable."

Shindō understood this as well. As shinobi, they had to obey the rules of the Hidden Village, and even students couldn't question them.

"Moreover, the opportunity to spar with our seniors who graduated before us is a way for us to grow. And we won't lose easily!" Minato's eyes gradually regained their shine.

Regardless of whether it was for the purpose of tempering himself or gaining the Third's approval, he had to perform well in this Ninja Ability Trial.

Definitely!

(End of Chapter)