Chapter 7: Genin Exam

The day of the Genin exam has finally arrived. The mood in the classroom was tense. While some students were really nervous as they weren't very confident in their abilities, others had a cocky look in their eyes and no doubt about their passing.

Yatora was pretty sure to pass the exam too, as he already knew the clone Jutsu since his first year at the academy. He would have probably been able to take the exam years earlier, but there was no need to do this. The years he was not obligated to carry out any missions were the best time to become stronger anyway. 

"You think you pass?" Yatora asked the person next to him.

"Yeah, the clone Jutsu isn't that hard." Shikamaru replied.

"And we also know our clan's secret Jutsus!" Choji added proudly.

"Ah right. You're doing well." Yatora said and sounded a little downed. He wasn't a fan of being able to master only a Jutsu everyone of his family members was specialized in as well, but it was rather advantageous to have the backing of an established and renowned clan.

"You're the person to speak." Shikamaru said halfheartedly. 

"Shikamaru's totally right. You're way stronger in combat than we are!" Choji resolutely accused Yatora, which lead him to chuckle a bit.

"That's nice to hear from a heir of the Akimichi clan."

"You think he's going to pass?" Choji asked, looking at the seat belonging to Naruto.

"There's no way." Shikamaru said and Yatora had to agree. But knowing that Naruto is the protagonist of this world Yatora was sure that the boy's going to find a way.

Iruka entered the room. Without much explanation he handed out a sheet of paper containing the theoretical part of the Test. It was no problem for Yatora, as it only contained questions about survival tactics, basic Jutsus and Chakra-Theory. The hardest questions were about the usage of Shuriken and the angle you had to throw them in in order to hit different targets, but Yatora was easily able to answer them, as he knew basic geometry from his past Life. 

After the written part had ended and the test sheets had been collected, Iruka announced the practical exam. "Listen up everyone. I'm going to take everyone of you with me to a room where the practical part of the exam will take place and your personal abilities will be assessed, starting with Shino Aburame." Iruka left the room together with the quiet kid with glasses.

After a while, Iruka returned and took the next student with him, who happened to be Choji as his clan name was the next in alphabetical order. "I'll go ahead then." Choji said and Yatora wished him good luck, while Shikamaru just said "You're going to pass."

When Yatora was called to follow Iruka, only a handful students were left, as the S in Soma wasn't really an early letter in the alphabet: Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Ino Yamanaka. 

Arriving at the exam room, there was already someone waiting. A second teacher called Mizuki. For a strange reason Yatora wasn't really comfortable around him. 

"Please make yourself comfortable. I don't want to see one of our best students failing because he was nervous." Mizuki said, as Iruka took the seat on his right. 

"Will do." Said Yatora quietly and more to himself, as he wondered what exactly Mizuki's deal was. 

"Please show us your clone Jutsu." Iruka requested.

Yatora nodded. He was able to perform up to five clones without handsigns, but decided to try to summon 7 clones with reduced handsigns. The average student was at least able to summon three clones with all handsigns, but Sasuke Uchiha and Yatora Soma already displayed incredible feats in Ninjutsu for their age. Yatora performed the Jutsu with two instead of the commonly used three handsigns.

'Ram, Snake and Clone technique' Yatora thought as he performed the handsigns and casted the Jutsu. Out of nowhere, seven perfectly copied afterimages of Yatora appeared. 

"Incredible" said Mizuki, who rarely got to saw the progress students made, that weren't from his class. "Easily the best so far" He added.

Iruka looked proud. "Of course, he is one of the best Ninjutsu users in my class." 

"So you're saying you have students as talented." Mizuki sounded surprised.

"Sasuke Uchiha and Ino Yamanaka are around the same level in the usage of Ninjutsu." Iruka replied.

[A/N: So before anyone flames me for putting Ino up there, I'm going to say that that's not my AU saying 'Oh, Ino was buffed for this fanfic'. It was revealed in the first fan book, that Ino was the only student other than Sasuke, who got an A in Ninjutsu on her Report Card. That was most likely due to her knowledge about their clan's hidden technique, but it's still Ninjutsu nonetheless. Ino's way weaker than Sasuke in actual combat]

"Ah, the Uchiha and Yamanaka clan. Of course." Mizuki sighed. 'Of course it were the clan kids.' 

"Do you wish to show us other Jutsus as well?" Iruka asked.

"Are they necessary to pass the exams?" Yatora replied with a counter question.

"Without taking the written exam into account you should have already passed. The further presentation of your Jutsus just helps us and the Hokage to assign you to the most fitting Genin squad." Mizuki answered in Iruka's stead. 

"Ah, makes sense I guess. Then, I'm going to show you the extent of my abilities." Yatora said, as he dissolved his clones. "I'm want to start by showing you the C-Rank Kenjutsu No Style: Chakra Cutter. Could on of you fire a basic Jutsu at me."

That surprised the teachers. They didn't expect to use a Jutsu themselves, but Iruka recovered quickly and proposed to cast the D-Rank Jutsu Fire Release: Fireball.

"That will do." 

Yatora drew his sword and took his basic stance. He was able to perform the B-Rank Kenjutsu: Chakra-cutting Iaido as well, which was basically the same move with an Iaido as the base. It was faster and thus higher ranked, than a Chakra Cutter based on a basic slash, which should still be able to cut through an D-Rank Jutsu.

After he mastered the basics Chakra flow, Yatora learned to cut through Jutsus and destroy the as a whole. It is, however, worth to add, that he was only able to destroy Jutsus that used an element created with chakra. That included most Fire and Lightning techniques, but wasn't applicable to any Earth Release and Water Releases, that were based on Shaping. Water Jutsus that made of use of the creation of water inside the user's body were cuttable though. Wind Release was the complete exception, as most of its attack weren't even seeable for the naked eye. 

Yatora was also able to use Chakra Cutter, while using Lightning Blade instead of the common Chakra flow. A crescent created by the Samurai Saber Technique, however, wasn't able to cut through Jutsus. Although it was still able to destroy the other projectile, if it had more power than it's collision partner and vice versa. That had nothing to do with the Chakra Cutter anymore, but was common knowledge: The stronger projectile devours the other. 

As he took his stance he led his chakra through his blade. It wasn't very effective with the low quality of the blade, but should still be sufficient enough to take on a D-Rank.

"I'm going to launch it now." Iruka performed his handsigns. "Fire Release: Fireball!" He breathed in and as he strongly breathed out a medium sized fireball launched directly towards his student, who just calmly looked at the attack.

Yatora also breathed in and expelled the air, as he performed a basic overhead slash, that split the sphere of Fire apart and dissolved the chakra and flames.

"Amazing." Mizuki said. "What else do you have to show us?"

Yatora answered, while sheathing his sword. "Now where you can grasp the extent of my Kenjutsu abilities, I'd also like to show you my Lightning Release."

"I'm eager to see it." Mizuki said, while Iruka spoke benevolently to Yatora, that he should try his best. 

"I'm going to show you the D-Rank Ninjutsu, Lightning Release: Shock."

In the first moment Mizuki thought 'only D-Rank, but then he realized, that he still just talked to a student. Only Yatora's Kenjutsu was extraordinary. 

'Shock is a valuable Jutsu. I myself am unable to use Lightning Release, but I hated to fight against its users during the Chunin exams and missions. Shock in particular was an annoying Jutsu, that was on a high level of mastery even able to compete with some B-Rank Ninjutsu, due to its paralyzing effect.' Iruka thought, reminding himself of the old days, before he became a teacher at the academy.

Yatora decided to display all handsigns, while casting his Jutsu. After completing the four handsigns, he called out "Lightning Release: Shock" loud and a aura of lightning gathered around his hands. He extended his elbow fast, launching the lightning from his hand. It flew half a meter before a structure became visible. At the tip of Shock a dragon like head arose from the lightning. The sea serpent flew in zigzag before pulverizing one of the targets, placed on the side of the room. 

"Thank you, we've seen enough." With those dull words Iruka dismissed Yatora, while secretly thinking 'That was a Chakra-Animal. While it doesn't change much from the original amount of Chakra used by a Jutsu, it takes a lot of control about one's chakra to use it without adding extra handsigns to a Jutsu. Either Yatora's control really was that good or he is just so in line with his own chakra. Whatever it was, I'm impressed. So, who's next?' Iruka chuckled as he read the name. He really had to examine his two most impressive students one after another.

Iruka left the room together with Yatora, but they had to part ways soon. While Iruka had to collect Sasuke, Yatora decided to go home. He was a little disappointed. While he was sure to have passed the exam, he was dismissed before he showed them the Body Flicker Jutsu. It would have probably been smarter to perform the Body Flicker first, as it was his most unimpressive Jutsu to watch. But he had hoped to get assigned to a Jonin, who was able to perform the Body Flicker at a very high level. That would have brought Yatora a step closer to his goal to implement the technique into his Kenjutsu. 

The next day at school, the results of the exam were announced and of course Yatora passed.

But there were also some students who failed, including to no one's, but Yatora's surprise Naruto Uzumaki. Yeah, he wasn't able to use the Clone Jutsu till the day of the exam, but still- Yatora always thought that plot armor would ensure, that the protagonist masters a technique last minute or even during an exam, but apparently he was wrong. As he saw Naruto sitting on a swing all by himself, he was glad that he had lost his ability to feel pity. Else he would've surely tried to cheer up Naruto. Not that that was a particularly bad thing to do, but he still hoped that plot would somehow take care of the situation. And interacting with Naruto at such a character defining moment was ought to change the plot. Yatora hadn't a problem with altering the plot in general, as his knowledge about it was close to zero to begin with, but Naruto not becoming a Ninja would go too far.

At the next morning, it turned out plot actually did save Naruto. Mizuki manipulated Naruto into stealing a scroll for him which enabled the boy who wasn't even able to summon one clean clone before, to cast the A-Rank Jutsu Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. It enabled him to summon thousands of shadow clones, clones with a physical body.

Naruto's passing of the exam afterwards was the hot talk during the student's last day at the Academy. Each of the students obtained a Fuinjutsu-scroll that was able to contain an amount of three cubic meters of anything someone wanted. The top three scorers in the whole class obtained an additional scroll to reward their efforts. That included Sasuke who placed first, Ino who placed third and Yatora, who placed second.

Every student without a family got an additional 2000 Ryu to prepare for their upcoming Life as a Genin. That money was absolutely necessary looking at the high prices of the most basic Ninja-Tools, kunais and shuriken. 500 Ryu for 10 shuriken or 5 kunais was an insolence in Yatora's eyes. He threw twelve shuriken within three attacks. If he had no time to recollect them, he basically threw 500 Ryu out of the window. Over the last 6 years laid low in spending the 800 Ryu he obtained every month, spending around 300 every month with some extra expenses sometimes. The amount of money currently in Yatora's possession was around 37000 Ryu. Yatora sighed as he returned home, as he already knew that there was going to be no money left, after the week, they got to prepare themselves for their time as a Genin.

Yatora looked at the headband with the sign of Konoha on it. 'I'm a graduate now, huh?'

He made his way to Sushizaki's to celebrate his graduation. As he entered the store his family already awaited Yatora. A dressed up Tomioka and a Sawada in a beautiful Kimono congratulated him for passing the Genin exam.

"Go in the room behind the counter. There is some elegant clothing with your name on it. We're going out tonight." Tomioka happily announced.

As Yatora left the room behind the bar, he wore a black kimono, similar to Tomioka's outfit. 

"It suits you." Tomioka said and Sawada reacted with a "Cute!"

Then they made their way to one of the classiest restaurant in the whole village. That didn't interest Yatora in the slightest, but he enjoyed the presence of the other two. 

"To my little guy, Yatora, who has graduated now." Tomioka said in a definitely sober condition, while raising his glass.

It was a funny evening, that Yatora really enjoyed. And that even though the climax hasn't even happened yet. 

Close to midnight, after Tomioka had just finished his 16th drink, he suddenly became serious. "Yatora, I still haven't given you your reward for graduation." 

"Isn't this Dinner reward enough?" Yatora asked.

"Oh, this dinner is a mere bonus." As Tomioka said, as he brought out a scroll and gave it to Yatora. "Open it."

As Yatora opened the scroll smoke rose, signalizing a successful summon. As the smoke faded, Yatora looked at the sheathed katana in front of him. It had a pitch-black handle and a tsuba colored in black and navy blue. 

"I made it myself. It is a full-fledged chakra blade with a portion of over 75%, the highest quality I ever made. It should be able to accompany you the upcoming years. Since we won't be able to train with and see each other as often from now on, I thought you could at least think of me every time you look at the sword." Apart from explaining techniques, Yatora can't remember to have ever heard Tomioka talk that much in one go.

"I will."

Yatora took the sword and unsheathed it ten centimeters. The blade was bright, almost white, but also possessed a slight light blue tint. As Soma looked himself into the eyes through his reflection on the blade, he thought that this had to be the best gift ever.