Chapter 40: The Written Test

The morning mist thickened around Kirigakure Academy, creating an almost surreal atmosphere. The exceptionally quiet main classroom housed the first-year students from all sections. The desks had been arranged in neat rows, each seat assigned with military precision.

"Begin," Fujimoto-sensei said, his voice echoing in the silent classroom.

The rustling of hundreds of papers being turned simultaneously filled the air. Ren scanned the questions quickly, a feeling of familiarity washing over him. History of Kirigakure, chakra theory, ninja tactics... nothing he hadn't already studied in depth.

'Now,' he thought as his pen glided confidently across the paper, 'I need to earn enough points to make up for the low scores I'll get in head-to-head, but without excelling.'

Around him, the scene was a mixture of concentration and desperation. Two rows ahead, Jun'ko alternated between pleading glances at Aoi and awkward attempts to peek at the answers. Her bespectacled friend, completely engrossed in the exam, seemed oblivious to her silent pleas for help.

"Psst, Aoi!" Jun'ko whispered. "What's the answer to the question about the Clan War?"

"Technically," Aoi muttered without looking up, "this behavior could be considered a violation of exam protocol..."

"But I studied!" she protested under her breath. "It's just... all these dates look the same!"

A significant cough from Fujimoto-sensei silenced her.

In the next row, Shinji was fighting his own battle against sleep. His head was swinging dangerously, while small coral crystals unconsciously formed on his desk every time he was in danger of falling asleep.

"Karatachi!" Fujimoto's voice made him jump. "Your desk is... growing."

"Sorry, sensei!" Shinji straightened abruptly, his sudden movement knocking over the small coral forest he had created in his half-sleep.

Across the room, Misaki from Section 3-A maintained a focused expression, her presence intimidating despite her young age. Beside her, Kai from Section 3-C muttered his answers to himself, while Hiro from Section 3-A looked as if he was about to tear up the paper in frustration.

Yukiko, two rows behind him, exuded her usual aura of icy calm. Her pen moved across the paper with methodical precision, each answer carefully considered before being written.

The hours passed slowly. Ren completed his exam ahead of schedule, each answer calibrated to demonstrate thorough but not suspicious knowledge.

Upstairs, the second-year students could be glimpsed through the windows of the hallway, also struggling with their exams. Among the concentrated faces, a red-haired girl stood out, her fierce gaze glued to the paper as her pen moved with deadly precision.

Further up, in the graduation room, a young woman with long brown hair finished her exam with almost regal elegance, unaware of the role that fate would reserve for her in the years to come.

"Time's up," Fujimoto announced. "Turn in your papers."

Outside the room, while they awaited the results, the group gathered in their usual spot. Jun'ko dramatically sank onto a bench.

"My brain is officially fried," she groaned. "If I see another date for the founding of Kirigakure, I swear..."

"Technically," Aoi interjected, "the founding of Kirigakure is a pivotal event that determined..."

"No!" Jun'ko covered her ears. "No more history for today!"

Ren watched the scene with studied detachment. Since his father's death, he had built an invisible wall between himself and others. The pain had not diminished, but he had learned to hide it behind a mask of cold indifference. The laughter and minor dramas of his classmates seemed to belong to another world - a world he had once been a part of, but now observed as if through fogged glass.

"Mizutani-kun," Fujimoto-sensei's voice brought him back to the present. "One moment."

Sensei led him aside. "I marked your exam. Solid work - not perfect, but shows a good understanding of the theory. Keep up the good work in the practical demonstration."

"Thank you, sensei," Ren replied, inwardly relieved that his controlled performance had worked.

As he walked back to the others, Ren thought about his strategy. The written exam had gone according to plan - a solid but not exceptional performance. Now he had to maintain the same balance in the practical demonstration.