NRaO Chapter 20 (Patreon)

Third person PoV

Fifteen students piled into the room where they were going to wait for their instructors. There were students from several grades here, which was a first for the school. No one had graduated early, so the few who were would quickly become some of the more influential people inside the village. One student picked at his nose as he actually finished his schooling but wasn’t chosen early.

It felt unfair, he knew he was good enough to graduate early so why were all these other students clearly less skilled than him here? All fifteen students caught their breaths as three shinobi walked in together. None knew who they were picking. The scariest looking one spoke first. “Alright. You, you, you, you and you. Come here.” 

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

I pointed at my selected candidates and looked over the ones Tsunade and Jiraiya selected. None were all that impressive. It looked like Tsunade targeted students who had the best chances of becoming strong medical nin and Jiraiya picked the strongest students he could get besides the ones I picked. It gave him a short term advantage over me because some of my choices might have not even graduated if they made it to the final year.

I spoke coolly. “Alright so. I’ve selected five shinobi for my squad and these two copy cats took after me as well. I don’t know how they’re going to judge their students but I’m only selecting three. If they’re like me, that means almost half of you will be eliminated… Good luck next year if you don’t make the cut.” As I spoke I could see Jiraiya having a hard time not giving away my plan.

Most of these shinobi might know the bell test or other tests other teams do. None have ever failed singular members, instead failing the entire team if they weren’t fit to be shinobi. This brought a level of randomness and unpredictability to what we were doing. It would make sense that people who selected five students would eliminate them down to the normal four man squad size. That’s what I was betting on. I take my five choices outside and get a good look at each.

Nawaki was known. He was the tallest out of the group and one of the two that were going to graduate this year and be selected anyways. He had already come to me and asked me to teach him. Tsunade compromised and said I could teach him when I became his squad leader. The future leader of the Senju clan, possible and most likely Hokage candidate because he actually wants to be Hokage for some reason. He was who I built my team around.

The little girl, Hiami Hyuga, was the smallest here and had most of her face covered by her long coat. Rail thin from lack of food and training, she had placed her forehead protector on to cover up her branch family seal. The long coat she wore had loose flowing arms that hung down making it harder to predict where she’d strike from. She was also one of the orphans raised in the Hyuga compound and didn’t have any hope of survival if she was placed on a Hyuga team as she’d be used as fodder.

The next would be the Uchiha boy. Brown hair parted in the middle, the Uchiha’s made a big deal about me recruiting him and he had to sign off on it himself. Two years from graduating he took the chance to graduate early and make a name for himself. I guess he was the son of the current clan leader. His name is Fugaku. As the next head it was important to beat some sense into the little one. I think Tsunade took his betrothed as part of her squad as well.

Gin was a normal looking student, maybe a bit too laid back and was the other final year student. The only thing that stood out was his hair color. Crimson red like the Uzumaki. They were the fourth major clan of the village but most stayed outside not moving here. As much as they like to say they’re separated, the first hokage's wife was an Uzumaki. One that still lived in the village. They were far more widespread than any other clan just because of their friendliness. Some grow up not even knowing they’re Uzumaki. Which is what happened to Gin, his widowed mother not telling him about his clan.

The final member of my squad was a literal nobody. Ami was clanless and would have dropped out next year before even making it to the genin test. Poor, of course she was poor, she was an orphan. Her ratty clothes donated by another clan and the mismatched kunai on her legs showed how little prepared she actually was. Two things stood out with her though. Her hair color was yellow. While hair color can mean nothing it sometimes relates to the type of nature they control. Her chakra control was almost off the charts. What she lacked in chakra she made up with in control. Tsunade might be mad. I snagged a possible medic nin from underneath her with this one.

We kept walking and finally made it to the training grounds to finish our test. I pulled out five bells. “So, some of you might have heard of the bell test. It’s a sort of well known secret in the village on how you’re supposed to work together to get the two bells even though there’s three of you so one will have to fail. This is the actual bell test. The first three to ring their bells get to stay in my squad. The remaining two… Better luck next year but I would really think about a future as anything else other than being a shinobi if you don’t pass.

I made the hand seals and produced four shadow clones. Each led a student to a separate area to test them all individually. My actual body was with the yellow haired girl. Her yellow hair tied up in buns she analyzed the situation as she took a stance. She began asking questions. “So. What are the rules of the competition?”

I didn’t bother taking my stance. “The first three to ring the bell get to stay in my squad. The other two fail. If three aren’t picked by sunset, you all fail and I’ll find a better squad next year.” She flung her kunai at me and I parried both easily. She looked at me again before asking. “Am I the fodder? Did you pick me because you wanted me to lose?” I could only chuckle. “I think all of you have the chance to get this bell from me.”

She looked at me like she was trying to judge if what I was saying was a lie. It only made me more happy she was thinking about things like this. She only had one beaten up kunai in her hand as she kept asking questions. “So it’s the first three to get the bell from you then… Can you just hand it over?” My smile didn’t fade. “Well I could if I was offered something worth the bell.”

She started to slowly walk towards me. Five steps away she started to pull down her robe as she said. “T-the only thing I have to offer is my body.” The quiver in her voice almost sounded real. She was a very good actress. “Your body isn’t worth the bell unfortunately. I like my women a little more mature than fresh out of diapers like you I’m afraid.” My comment almost rattled her as she closed the distance trying to grab the bell. 

Missing by a mile I jumped back. She fell to her knees and began crying. “Please! It’s not fair! I’m an orphan. Everyone else will be fine but I need this. If I don’t become a genin I’ll end up being kicked out of the academy. I’ll end up a beggar on the street or a prostitute in a whore house in a year or two. Becoming a ninja is my only way out of this life!”

It was hard not to laugh at her but I could appreciate the effort. Those were some great crocodile tears she had, if I was Jiraiya I might have fallen for it. I let out a little chuckle and it pissed her off. “Why are you laughing! I’m telling the truth dammit! The other four have all sorts of advantages but I’ve been working my ass off with almost nothing to show for it! Why do they deserve another chance over me!”

I could only smile as I tossed her the bell. “Good acting in the first part but the honesty was refreshing. Finally speaking your true mind. You deserve the bell as a reward, don't you think? Oh, and by the way. I was also an orphan so you can’t pull that woe is me bullshit going forward.”