Chapter 9: Top Student

The first year at the ninja academy marked the arrival of the first exam, which served as the assessment for the culture class.

After the evaluation of the culture class, the teaching pace at the academy noticeably accelerated.

Initially, the school focused on imparting the common knowledge of the ninja world to the students, stimulating their minds, and laying a foundation.

However, for ninjas, cultural knowledge took a backseat to strength, which always remained the top priority.

As the results were revealed, Sato noticed a gradual reduction in culture classes and an increasing emphasis on ninja knowledge.

Outdoor classes, starting with shuriken throwing, introduced physical combat into the curriculum.

The latter half of the year brought forth a demanding course load, only marking the beginning.

According to Iruka, second-year students would undertake survival drills.

Yes, survival drills.

These drills were not limited to the graduation class; they were an integral part of the school curriculum and held in abundance.

Just as special forces must learn survival skills, ninjas, being skilled assassins, seldom engaged enemies directly. They preferred stealth and seizing opportunities.

Survival drills aimed to teach them wilderness survival, teamwork, and more.

Failure to understand the importance of these drills meant students would have to repeat them even after graduating after six years.

However, these matters held little relevance for Sato.

False ninjas had to wait for the so-called "opportunity."

A true ninja simply needed to drive forward, undeterred.

This would be Sato's future existence.

As the 54th year drew to a close, the Ninja Academy finally hosted its first significant exam.

This exam encompassed cultural subjects as well as the Body Replacement Technique, Body Flicker Technique, invisibility, shuriken throwing, physical combat, and survival exercises.

Based on the comprehensive scores from these assessments, the academy would select a grade-top student from multiple classes.

It was akin to being the top student in the previous life's first grade!

And in this grand exam, Sato emerged as the undisputed overall champion, claiming the title of top student.

Had Sato not intentionally moderated his scores, he could have achieved a perfect score in all subjects.

To avoid drawing excessive attention, similar to Uchiha Itachi, who had nothing more to learn and graduated early, Sato carefully adjusted his marks, deducting a few points from cultural courses, invisibility, and survival drills.

Even with these adjustments, Sato's comprehensive score surpassed that of the second-place student, Uchiha Sasuke, by a significant margin.

Sato's name swiftly spread throughout the first grade and even to higher grades.

The first-grade top student was neither a member of the Uchiha clan nor the Hyuga clan, nor any other prominent ninja clan. It was an ordinary individual.

Sato, who had outshone the children of these influential families and major clans, immediately earned the title of "commoner genius."

The last person to receive such a title was the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

As for Kakashi, the Hatake family did not fall under the category of commoners.

After many years, Konoha witnessed the emergence of another genius from humble origins in Sato.

If Sato could maintain the position of top student for the next five years, there was no doubt that he would capture the attention of the Third Hokage upon graduation, potentially surpassing the top nine and becoming a student of Kakashi, Sarutobi Asuma, or Kurenai

Only by becoming a disciple of an Elite Jōnin or an extraordinary Jōnin and earning their recognition could one hope to learn advanced ninjutsu.

This was the sole path for a Genin to acquire powerful ninjutsu, aside from self-study or finding a suitable mentor.