The prestigious lineup for the Ninja Academy assessment surprised all the parents. The patriarchs of several major clans in the village had actually come to serve as judges, and even Hokage Namikaze Minato personally oversaw the assessment as an instructor.
Such circumstances excited everyone.
This assessment conveyed a clear message—Konoha's leadership highly valued the admission process of the Ninja Academy. For parents, this was excellent news.
As word spread, some ninjas who had originally planned to train their children privately might reconsider and instead enroll them in the academy.
However, these concerns had nothing to do with the children taking the test. They only knew one thing—their examiner was the Hokage!
"Oh, oh, oh! Hokage-sama is conducting the assessment himself!"
"Alright! I have to do my best in front of Hokage-sama!"
Even though they were still young, the title "Hokage" was already deeply imprinted in their minds. At this age, their admiration for heroes was pure and unwavering.
"Hey, everyone, I am your examiner for this test, Namikaze Minato."
"I hope you all give it your best and showcase your true strength."
"I'm looking forward to sparring with you."
Even when addressing children, Minato maintained a humble stance. His gentle encouragement captivated the young students, and his calm and elegant demeanor left a lasting impression.
"This assessment will be graded by three judges."
"Scoring will be based on three categories: physical skills, ninjutsu proficiency, and combat strategy!"
"Each category is worth 100 points, making a total of 300 points."
"Everyone, do your best!"
As soon as Namikaze Minato finished speaking, Iruka introduced the test details. He then pulled out a list from his hand, waved it slightly, and continued:
"The assessment order will be determined by the results of the earlier shuriken test. The first student to participate is the top scorer in that exam—Senju Karin!"
"The rest of the students, please move to the sidelines and stand by!"
Iruka called out Karin's name loudly, then left the playground, clearing the central area. The designated battle zone was not very large—only a few hundred square meters—but for children of this age, it was quite spacious.
"Yo, Karin-chan~"
"Long time no see."
Namikaze Minato spotted Karin emerging from the crowd and greeted her with a warm smile.
"Long time no see, Uncle Minato."
"Please guide me!"
Karin bowed slightly, then fell silent and took a combat stance. Facing Minato, she held nothing back. With full confidence, she reached into her ninja pouch and quickly hurled three shuriken at him. As she launched the attack, she gripped a kunai in her right hand and charged forward.
As the battle between Minato and Karin began, the three judges seated on the sidelines exchanged quiet remarks.
Among them, one was from the Uchiha clan, another from the Hyuga clan, and the third from the Nara clan.
Each judge focused on different aspects—ninjutsu, physical skills, and combat strategy. Though they had individual scoring responsibilities, they still shared observations.
"Senju Karin—is she Senju Nawaki's daughter?"
"Her shuriken fundamentals are solid!"
Uchiha Fugaku crossed his arms and attentively observed the match between Minato and Karin. Even though this was just an entrance exam for the Ninja Academy, none of the three judges took it lightly.
Others might not know, but the village leaders understood one thing very well—
The future Ninja Academy was destined to be the cradle of elites. Every child graduating from it would become Konoha's backbone!
This was the true beginning of the academy's reform!
"Oh!"
"Oh!"
In the arena, despite being only six years old, Senju Karin's small fists struck Minato's arm with a muffled thud. Even Minato, a Hokage, could feel the force behind them.
"This punching style… Could it be?!" Hyuga Hiashi's expression shifted as he turned to his fellow judges. He quickly formed a seal with one hand, activating his Byakugan.
Under the Byakugan's vision, Hiashi clearly saw chakra condensed around Karin's small fists, converging from within her body.
This method of chakra manipulation—
"Super Strength! This little girl is attacking Minato with Super Strength!"
Hiashi let out a low exclamation, completely stunned. A six-year-old, freshly enrolled in the academy, was already capable of using such advanced chakra control? This was a skill far beyond the reach of most children her age!
"What?" Nara Shikaku glanced at Hiashi with surprise before shifting his gaze back to the battle.
Minato, Karin's opponent, could sense her astonishing talent firsthand.
"Oh!"
Another sharp impact rang out as Minato effortlessly deflected Karin's attack. With a swift motion, he lightly brushed her aside, sending her tumbling backward.
Karin's reaction was quick. As soon as she lost her balance, she instinctively shielded her face, rolled twice upon landing, and then sprang back up, locking eyes with Minato.
Although her strength was impressive, it was still relative—among children of her age, she was undoubtedly the strongest, but at the end of the day, she was still just a child.
"Karin-chan, I've seen your level in taijutsu—it's quite good."
"Using Super Strength at your age… Even for me, this is only the second time I've seen it."
"Have you mastered any ninjutsu? If so, use it as well. It will benefit you."
Seeing that Karin had paused her attacks, Minato smiled and spoke.
But instead of attacking right away, Karin asked curiously, "Second time? Then who was the first person you saw, Uncle Minato?"
Karin was highly confident in her talent. Ever since she began training as a ninja, both her parents and her aunt Tsunade had praised her as an unprecedented genius. These compliments had naturally fostered a bit of pride in her.
So now, hearing that someone else had achieved the same feat piqued her curiosity.
"Huh? Didn't Nawaki ever tell you?"
"Your uncle, Uzumaki Raiden—at your age, he had already mastered Super Strength. Back then, he was strong enough to take down a Chunin."
"Karin-chan, you're exceptional, but don't let it go to your head!"
Minato smiled as he shared this information.
"Uncle Raiden?"
A look of realization flickered in Karin's eyes. Of course, she had heard of him. Her parents had spoken about him many times. However, they had never mentioned this particular detail. This was the first time she was learning about it.
"He was already capable of defeating a Chunin at my age? He really is someone worth admiring."
"But I won't lose either!"
Karin's heart raced. Since her opponent was Namikaze Minato, there was no need to hold back!
With that thought, she clenched her small fists and took a deep breath.
"Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison!"
Karin's crimson hair fluttered despite the lack of wind. A powerful surge of chakra erupted from her body. Suddenly, four small holes opened in the ground around Namikaze Minato, and thick wooden pillars shot upward. In an instant, they closed in, attempting to trap him.
"What?!"
Namikaze Minato's pupils shrank in shock as he watched the wooden pillars lunge toward him.
(End of Chapter)