"Students, today's exam is especially important. Hokage-sama will select three disciples from this year's students."
"This is an excellent opportunity."
"Everyone must bravely strive and show their best performance."
As his words fell, the classroom erupted in an uproar.
This year's Ninja Academy students had five classes, with sixty to seventy students in each, totaling over three hundred students in the entire grade.
In other words.
"There's no chance at all! Hokage-sama will definitely choose those with excellent grades!"
A struggling student said dejectedly.
In a sense, that was true.
"That's not necessarily the case. The selection criteria this time are based on comprehensive qualities, and your usual performance also counts."
Ogawa Masaru said.
"Isn't that even more hopeless? Hokage-sama must dislike mischievous children!"
The person grew even more desperate, his face full of regret.
"You're right."
Ogawa Masaru said with a hint of reluctance.
Suddenly, the class was filled with groans, all from the boys.
But honestly, even if they weren't mischievous, they still wouldn't have a chance.
Hokage-sama was doing this for Princess Tsunade.
Even Ogawa Masaru understood this point.
Thanks to the princess, her companions could only be children of the same age.
That's why such a good thing was happening.
Among them, Princess Tsunade would definitely occupy one spot, and the other spot would, without surprise, go to the most outstanding student in the entire grade.
Ogawa Masaru glanced at Miki.
This girl was the most outstanding student in the entire grade, if there were no surprises.
In Ogawa's opinion, compared to Orochimaru, the genius from the next class who was rumored to appear only once every few decades, Miki was far more powerful than just a little bit.
As for the last spot, it might be given to a slightly weaker genius.
But it would absolutely not be a child from a major clan like Hyuga, Uchiha, or Kurama.
Ogawa Masaru, who grew up in Konoha, wasn't just aimlessly drifting. Being in the same generation as Hiruzen Sarutobi, he believed he understood Hiruzen.
To avoid suspicion, children from the Ino-Shika-Cho and Sarutobi-Shimura clans were even less likely.
So the only choice remaining was commoners.
Orochimaru met this condition, being a commoner.
But Miki was a bit uncertain.
However, there was another possibility: to show fairness, a commoner child who wasn't very strong in all aspects but was pleasant to look at might be chosen as a disciple.
Therefore, Ogawa believed that all the commoner children in the class had a chance.
A chance to leap over the dragon's gate.
A direct line to the Hokage.
It was well known that the Hokage was passed down through a master-disciple relationship.
Without this status, there was no ticket to compete for the position.
Now, the next Fourth Hokage was almost a given.
Everyone thought so when they discussed it.
It could only be the princess.
"This is infuriating! Ogawa, why didn't you say so earlier! You made me completely unprepared!"
Hearing this, Ogawa casually threw a piece of chalk, hitting the target right between the eyebrows.
The latter cried out in pain.
Ogawa couldn't help but nod; his shurikenjutsu hadn't deteriorated.
"Who told you, you scoundrel, to only play around? Today's announcement is, of course, to show your truest level!"
"Ah ah ah ah! When does the exam start!"
A boy cried out in agony.
Seeing their grades was already painful enough for their parents; now, the pain was doubled.
"I've already kindly reminded you."
This matter of the exam, showing the grades to parents, was best to draw attention.
"If you waste your time and youth, you can't blame me."
"As for the exam, it's now, immediately!"
Ogawa patted the stack of test papers in front of him.
Groans filled the air.
"Quiet!"
Maintaining classroom discipline, Ogawa began preparing for the exam.
The first test was a comprehensive cultural assessment.
When she got the test paper, Miki read through it first.
"I haven't said the exam has started. No pre-answering is allowed! Anyone caught will immediately receive a zero!"
The questions were simple.
They covered a wide range of subjects, including national language, mathematics, physics, geography, and history.
These were relatively basic questions, with no difficulty in completing them if one had listened carefully.
The trick lay in some other hidden questions.
"What is a Hokage?"
Miki's eyes narrowed.
Normally, it should be the leader of a village who protects everyone.
Such an answer would reveal a child's pure and simple thoughts.
In short, the main point had to be positive.
"The exam begins!"
After thinking for a moment, Miki picked up her pen and wrote.
Answer: It's a manga.
Next, she looked at the second question.
"What do you think the fire will is like?"
Answer: Don't chicken out, just do it.
"How do you view your companions?"
Answer: Chat buddies.
"When you encounter a mission you cannot complete, what will you do?"
Answer: Where there's life, there's hope.
"If you were Hokage, what would you do?"
Answer: Hand out more money.
Miki happily wrote down her answers smoothly, without any pause.
These were all her truest thoughts.
Soon, she finished the test paper and immediately handed it in. The two-hour exam time was over in less than half an hour.
Miki, walking out of the classroom, felt a bit unsatisfied.
She strolled on the playground.
Hokage-sama's questions lacked substance.
Seeing Miki leave the classroom, Tsunade, not to be outdone, was the second to hand in her paper, though she herself wasn't sure how many mistakes she had made.
After that was Hyuga Hitomi. Her cultural courses were always excellent, both fast and accurate.
As for Chiri, facing Hokage-sama's questions, she was a bit too serious. If the textbook hadn't taught it, she could only think diligently on her own.
There was only one exam in the morning. After collecting the papers, they would be graded immediately and sent to the Hokage.
There was another one in the afternoon.
There was a nearly three-hour break in between.
After Miki met up with Chiri, they sat in a corner of the playground, waiting for the school's mealtime.
Because of the exam, grades two to six were already on holiday. Tomorrow would be the second-grade exam.
And the sixth-grade graduates still had six days for their final sprint.
The school seemed very quiet.
By lunchtime, the test papers had already been sent to Hokage-sama's desk.
Naturally, the first paper he looked at was Tsunade's.
Very perfect, very standard, very positive answers.
Hokage-sama took a deep drag from his pipe.
He wasn't blind; he clearly saw how Tsunade usually was, completely different from the answers. She wasn't overly enthusiastic, but she was kind, and not bullying her classmates was her greatest kindness. She had the common flaw of a princess, a little proud, but still adorable. Only sometimes, Hokage-sama would dream of Tsunade losing Konoha, and he would wake up with a start, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Then Hokage-sama specifically sought out Miki's test paper.
The bright red ninety points were a bit glaring.
Even Tsunade got a hundred points; this time's questions were already very simple.
According to her usual performance, this was impossible.
Hokage-sama didn't think he had misjudged her.
Then he carefully flipped through the test paper, and his blood pressure shot up.
Hokage-sama took a deep puff from his pipe.
Good heavens, all the questions set by the teacher were correct, but all the questions he set himself had zero points.
There were twenty questions in total, half a point each, making exactly ten points.
This girl.
She was a consistent person, inside and out.
Her personality was as unpredictable as her answers.
Her character was eccentric.
Look at these answers!
What does "hand out more money" mean?
Am I not giving out enough money?
And what is "manga"!?
What exactly is in this girl's head!?
Hokage-sama wearily rubbed his temples, thought for a moment, and indignantly crossed out the ninety points, giving her a zero.
He nodded with satisfaction, then looked at the next test paper.
His blood pressure rose again!
He carefully looked at the name...
Hyuga Hitomi!
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