Naruto: Maelstrom Of The Uzumaki

Seeing the eyes of the Third Hokage and the ninja school teacher focused on him, Raiden showed a slightly embarrassed expression.

"This person has never learned how to use shuriken? Did he come to take the early enrollment test without even knowing the basics of shuriken?"

"How embarrassing. You're actually trying to pass the test with someone like that."

The Third Hokage and the teacher remained silent, but the students began whispering among themselves. The loudest chatter came from those in Raiden's vicinity, many of whom came from prominent ninja clans with long-standing traditions.

Among them were children of bloodline clans, whose rigorous training started almost as soon as they could walk. In this area, reserved for children under six years old, most participants were from families planning early enrollment and were considered especially talented.

"Ahem!" The ninja school teacher lightly coughed, prompting Raiden to refocus.

Finally realizing the awkward silence, the teacher cleared his throat and said, "If you cannot pass the shuriken test, then you have failed the entrance exam."

He continued, "To pass the assessment, you must excel in all three subjects. The selection process for the ninja school evaluates students comprehensively."

Though Raiden had anticipated this, hearing the teacher's words still made him feel disappointed. While it made sense to seek well-rounded candidates, such a system inevitably overlooked many geniuses with specialized skills. Might Guy and Rock Lee were perfect examples of this flaw in the later years.

"It seems that to pass this shuriken test, I'll need to get creative," Raiden thought, lowering his head in contemplation.

Seeing Raiden remain silent, the teacher nodded and began calling names from the roster. "Let's start with the oldest participant. Hyuga Hizashi, you're up first."

As the teacher's voice fell, an older boy stepped forward from the over-eight-years-old group. His height made him stand out among the others.

"Hyuga Hizashi, 11 years old. Your shuriken assessment begins now!"

The teacher glanced at Hizashi's file and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Typically, children of Hizashi's age wouldn't participate in the ninja school's entrance exams. His presence on the list implied that he had been educated within the family before now.

Children from ordinary families were usually sent to ninja schools by the age of seven or eight. A prodigy like Minato Namikaze had already graduated and become a ninja at this age. The fact that the Hyuga family delayed Hizashi's enrollment likely meant they preferred private training, only sending him to school now due to the looming threat of war.

"Yes, sir!"

Hizashi bore a striking resemblance to Neji during his youth. If not inspected carefully, the differences between them were hard to spot. It was clear that Neji had inherited much of his appearance from his mother.

Hearing Hizashi's name, Raiden couldn't help but crane his neck to get a better look at the young prodigy. Despite Hizashi's cold demeanor, Raiden was curious about him.

Hizashi stepped forward with an air of confidence, pulling five shuriken from his ninja pouch. Without any noticeable flourish, he flung the shuriken at the target.

Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink!

All five shuriken hit their marks with precision, landing dead center in the bullseye.

"Wow! He hit all five targets perfectly in one go!"

"As expected from a member of the Hyuga clan!"

The students erupted in admiration, while the Third Hokage nodded approvingly. Hizashi's performance brought a satisfied smile to his face.

"Well done! A perfect score," the teacher announced. "Hizashi, you are provisionally placed in Class A of the fifth grade preparatory course."

The ninja school divided classes by both grade and skill level. The fifth grade generally accommodated 11-year-olds, with Class A reserved for the most talented students, many of whom were from ninja clans.

"What incredible skill with shuriken at his age," Raiden thought, genuinely impressed. The Hyuga clan's expertise traditionally revolved around taijutsu and their Byakugan. Hizashi's precision was a testament to his hard training.

After Hizashi, the older children continued their tests. While many nine- and ten-year-olds managed to hit the bullseye with five shuriken, most did so with less finesse, making Hizashi's performance stand out even more.

"Some people achieve perfection because that's all they're capable of," Raiden mused, "and others achieve it because perfection is the limit of the test."

It was clear Hizashi belonged to the latter category.

When the older group finished, every child had passed. The importance of mastering shuriken—a foundational ninja skill—meant no one from this group was left behind.

"Excellent. Now, onto the six-to-eight-year-old group," the teacher announced.

Raiden refocused as the next group began their tests. Despite being an ordinary entrance exam, he felt an unexpected wave of nerves.

The younger group performed worse than their older counterparts. Many failed to meet the ninja school's assessment standards and were eliminated early, most of them civilian children without clan backgrounds.

Some even scored zero, revealing their complete lack of shuriken training. These children became the targets of ridicule from the more privileged ninja students.

Watching the dejected children leave with flushed faces, Raiden felt a pang of sympathy.

In this world of ninjas, family lineage, social status, and bloodlines held overwhelming importance. The disparity was stark—ordinary children, no matter how hard they tried, struggled to match the abilities of children from bloodline clans. Exceptional civilian geniuses were rare.

Even the Seventh Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, could be considered an outlier. Although Minato Namikaze came from a civilian background, his rise to Hokage would have been uncertain without Jiraiya's mentorship and Kushina's sealing techniques.

"It's tough being a civilian," Raiden thought wistfully.

As he was lost in thought, the teacher called out, "Uzumaki Raiden, you're up first!"

Raiden jolted to attention, his name snapping him out of his reverie. The teacher pointed to the target and gestured for him to step forward.

The teacher didn't expect much from Raiden, given his earlier confession about lacking shuriken training.

However, the Third Hokage watched Raiden with keen interest, eager to see how the boy would perform.

"This child… he's grown so much," the Hokage mused.

"Mito-sama personally arranged this. He can't be just an ornamental pillow."

Raiden's striking appearance made him stand out in the crowd, and even the Third Hokage couldn't help but judge him favorably.

"The old man's gaze is so intense," Raiden thought with a shiver. "He must have some strange hobbies."

(End of Chapter)

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