- 21 - The Test Starts

[A/n A lot of people were saying that 10 times the amount of chakra wasn't that much, so I changed it to 50 times the amount.]

The crisp morning air of Konoha carried a palpable tension as Izuna stepped onto the hallowed grounds of the ninja academy. It was the day of the entrance test, a pivotal moment for every aspiring ninja in the village.

As Izuna's gaze swept over the academy grounds where the test was being taken, he was surprised by the number of participants that were there.

He thought to himself, 'There has to be 2,500 kids here today.'

Beside him, his mother's voice cut through the awe-stricken silence and said to him, "There are more kids taking the test this year than there ever has been in the 15 to 20 years the academy has been around."

His father then leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, and speculated, "I think out of all these kids, only 300 to 400 will end up passing."

Amidst the crowd, Izuna mused to himself, 'I can't believe there are so many participants and that so many will pass. I guess Konoha can feel the rising tensions for the next war. The 2nd Great Ninja War should be starting in the next year or two.'

***

Inside the academy, in a secluded room, just before the entrance test was set to commence, the leader of the exam, Kenshin Nara, a special jounin, sat with a calm demeanor as several chunin discussed the upcoming test.

Kenshin, with his keen insight, was surprised at how many participants the Hokage had managed to get to take the test this year. It was an unprecedented turnout that he imagined even the Hokage was surprised to see.

He wasn't sure exactly why, but he thought it had to do with the suspected rising tensions between the villages.

He speculated that the Hokage was hoping that by strengthening their village, they would hopefully be able to avoid the war that seemed likely to occur soon.

***

Izuna, standing near his parents among a group of eager young faces, noticed a group of jounin, their movements as silent as the wind, walking out of the academy into the testing area.

He then heard one of the leading jounin grab everyone's attention and say, "Everyone, we will start today's test with a run. You will all follow one of our chunin here, and you have to keep up with his pace. If you can't keep up or can't finish the laps, you will fail. You will now run three laps, which are 1000 meters each."

Izuna was surprised by the ease of the test; he could now easily run 12 km at once without the use of chakra to enhance his body.

As the signal was given, the sea of children began to surge forward, following the chunin.

After the three laps were over, Izuna noticed that around 1,000 kids failed immediately, their dreams cut short, either by not being able to keep up the pace or not being able to run the three laps at all.

The lead instructor's voice cut through the air, firm and decisive, "Now, if you can continue to run three laps, then stay with the instructor. If you don't think you can continue, come form a line over here."

A palpable shift occurred among the 1,500 remaining contenders. 1,000 of them left to form the first line off to the side, a silent admission of their limits.

They watched, some with relief, others with regret, as the 500 kids who were left continued to follow the chunin for the next three laps.

The next three laps were a testament to the resilience of those who remained. Of the 500 kids, a staggering 450 of them completed the three additional laps, while the ones who couldn't manage were sent to the first waiting line.

Then, they asked the question again. This time, only 50 of the 450 kids dared to accept and attempted another three laps, and the 450 kids were sent to form a new second line.

---

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