I

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  Arc I Chapter 10

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  Mother and daughter were wandering through the academy yard. Asami chose to ignore any unproductive activities, such as engaging other children in conversation. A terrible idea. They did not understand her, and she did not understand them.

  Asami did what any sane person would have done in her stead, she observed the crowd, scanning for intriguing individuals. Her superior chakra sensitivity helped her in that regard.

  “...” Little Asami scrutinised the other examinees, assessing their strength. Her conclusion, none of them represented a credible threat. Judging by their negligible chakra levels, her competitors were completely harmless.

  The girl with the blue bob haircut and white eyes was the epitome of shyness. She was hiding inside her jacket, avoiding her gaze the second their eyes met. The girl was weak, pitiful, without any sense of self esteem whatsoever. Asami pitied her. The girl sorely needed a protective hug.

  The trio under the tree. An Akimichi boy, a blonde girl, and a bored boy with a ponytail. Their parents accompanied them. Apparently, they knew each other well, and so did their children ...

  “...” Asami halted. Her senses detected a strong chakra presence of incomparable proportions ... The chakra she sensed was different ... It was an immense primordial force that lurked beneath the surface like an ominous shadow. The strength of the chakra piqued her interest.

  Her gaze was drawn to the mysterious source of the energy, curious as to who emitted such a powerful presence. Was it a veteran ninja, or possibly even the Hokage himself? Neither.

  “...” Asami was met with disappointment. Her disappointment was immeasurable. It was just a boy, a lone blonde boy sitting on a swing. His furious eyes were glaring at everyone, including her.

  As it turned out, the strongest chakra in the village belonged to a brat barely her age, whom she could defeat with a single pinkie finger in her sleep. Such a disappointment ... So much wasted potential ... So much wasted power that lay dormant deep inside him, and yet he was nothing but an utter failure. The boy was not worth her time ...

  “...” Asami halted, sensing a foreign gaze upon her. Apparently, her actions had gained her a secret admirer. The boy’s prying eyes did not go unnoticed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed that the boy was watching her.

  “...” Asami merely giggled and turned her head. Her swift motion surprised her observer, her attention catching him off guard. Her admirer was a black haired boy, barely a few years older than her. Probably a freshly promoted genin.

  “...” Their stares interlocked. Asami and the boy, they were both staring at each other, inspecting, analysing, observing each other. Her black eyes met his black eyes. Neither of them blinked. The boy’s face was carved out of granite. He was good. The boy stood his ground. He did not budge in the slightest. A difficult opponent.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “...” Asami narrowed her eyes, examining the rest of his family. His father and little brother were standing nearby. They all wore a stylised fan on their back, which meant that they belonged to the infamous Uchiha clan.

  The bell rang, and her little staring contest ended in a draw. The academy opened its gate, and the entry exam was about to commence. It was time to say goodbye.

  “...” Asami gave her secret admirer a little parting gift, waving at him, armed with her suavest smile. The boy’s reaction amused her.

  “…” The boy stiffened visibly in response. Her little wave had taken him once again by surprise.

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  “...” A boy was sitting in front of the academy, grumbling. Sasuke was waiting for his older brother to take him home, but he was annoyed, irritated, furious. The reason for his anger was a certain girl, a certain girl named Asami. He disliked her. He disliked Asami.

  He had been training day and night for this particular day. He had been training hard to make his older brother proud. He always wanted to be like Itachi. His brother was perfect, and he wanted to be just as perfect. Sasuke aimed to the best of his year, but a certain annoying girl humbled him. Her superiority was indisputable. It all started with the theoretical portion of the exam ...

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  Sasuke sat down on his place, now waiting for their examiners to arrive. He prepared himself mentally for the upcoming written test. His mind was sharp and his pencils ready ... Suddenly, however, a girl entered the room. The girl attracted not just his attention, but the attention of everyone.

  The girl was clad in silk, wearing an ostentatious kimono embroidered with gold and silver brocade. Elegance and regal demeanour accompanied her every step. Her presence alone commanded respect. It was clear that the girl enjoyed playing princess and that she was well aware of her appearance ...

  In the end, however, it did not matter. Sasuke ignored the girl, although he had to admit that she was quite ... pretty. Not that he blushed a little bit. The girl was one among many.

  The examiners finally arrived and all the whispering died down. The following written test was not much of a challenge, at least not for him. The questions were easy. A mere formality.

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  The last kunai connected, barely hitting the outer edge of the target circle. The steel point embedded itself in the wooden practice target. It was not a miss, but neither a good hit.

  “Good work, Takumi.” The examiner, a chunin, clapped his hands, writing down the results on his list. “The next one is Uchiha Sasuke . It’s your turn.”

  “Hai.” Sasuke stepped forwards. The written test had ended and the practical portion of the exam had begun. They had been ordered to move to the training yard. An enthusiastic crowd of parents had been awaiting them there. They were cheering for their children.

  They had been sorted into different groups and assigned an examiner for the coming tests. The first test was easy, classical target practice. They received a set of kunai and a wooden target.

  Sasuke gripped his kunai. He would give his best, would be the best. Especially, now that he was sorted into the same group as their little princess. He met the girl again, and he was determined to show her what a real ninja was like.

  He threw his kunai and hit the bull’s eye directly. It was a perfect throw.

  Even the examiner praised him. “Excellent work, Sasuke. A perfect score on the first attempt. Now the next one.”

  “Huh ...” Sasuke was confused. “...” This was far easier than he had expected. His father was right when he said that the academy standards were not exactly that high ... They never were ... They accepted everyone they could get ...

  The examiner shouted. “Minami Asami.” A girl stepped forwards. It was the girl in the kimono. Judging by her name and contrary to his expectations, the girl was a mere civilian. She did not hail from any clan, and yet her aura was strong.

  The girl took her kunai in a flippant and uncaring manner. It was time for their little princess to prove herself ...

  The kunai hit the bull’s eye with a speed that took them all by surprise, their eyes barely able to discern the kunai’s flickering silhouette. The kunai ... A flash of steel crossed the ground ...

  The examiner, however, was overjoyed. “Oh, another perfect score. Excellent, this is a good group.”

  Sasuke narrowed his eyes.“...” The girl was good ... It seemed like the little princess was an opponent who had to be taken seriously.

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