Kazeo had decided to graduate this year because there was nothing new left to learn from either the academy or the library. There was also another important thing he needed to do, which was to kill Danzo before Sasuke did—something he couldn't accomplish by sitting inside the academy without any real benefits.
With the final exams approaching rapidly, Kazeo knew he needed to refine his combat techniques, as there was a high chance they'd have to fight a chunin or at least a genin during the exam. He had extracted this information from a dejected fifth-year student who had failed previous year's graduation exam. The boy couldn't have been more than eleven, but the defeat in his eyes had been very adult.
"The graduation exam tests everything," the kid had explained. "They push you until you get thoroughly exhausted. It's not just about knowing jutsu–it's about applying them when you're exhausted and afraid."
Kazeo only nodded sympathetically.
The academy's system was actually quite practical, from his perspective. Elite students who couldn't graduate in their fourth year faced two choices: First, to move into the fifth year of the elite class—if their performance was commendable. Second, transfer to the normal class where graduation required performing only three basic-level jutsu.
Logically, many kids should choose the normal class for an easier graduation. But the issue was their childish pride and the hokage's reward—as every year, the Hokage personally rewarded the top three graduates from the elite class. And the same opportunity wasn't available for normal class students. Because of this, most elite class students who failed the graduation exam chose to stay in the elite class, hoping to earn the Hokage's personal reward.
Additionally, normal class students couldn't access training rooms or compete for elemental crystals the way elite class students could. So once students entered the elite class, very few were willing to go back to the normal class. The benefits of staying far outweighed the ease of graduating from the normal class.
The elite class students could also earn extra elemental crystals, as there were two ways to earn extra ones from the academy. The first was by ranking first in the yearly exam and asking for more crystals as a reward. The second was by completing specific tasks assigned by subject teachers—like the task given by Arata, The Fuinjutsu instructor. Arata had announced that the student who mastered all the basic seals the fastest would be awarded five elemental crystals aligned with their chakra nature.
A boy named Sato Yuga won that contest. He learned all the seals in just two months, which was impressive compared to the second-place student, who took three months. Kazeo was just a week behind the second place but he ended up ranking fifth in completing the seals—a fact that still irritated him.
Getting the crystals wasn't easy, as Arata had demanded they demonstrate real-world applications to pass:
Using a Cold Seal to preserve fish for exactly two hours without it spoiling.
Employing the Sticky Seal to climb a slick three-meter wall without using the hands.
Creating a flawless Basic Storage Seal that could store and retrieve precisely three kunai – no more, no less.
Applying a combination of Heat and Dry Seals on soaking wet boots after water training – without burning or damaging the footwear.
Initially, Kazeo thought this Yuga guy might be a genius at Fuinjutsu and considered befriending him for potential help in the future. But after asking around, he learned that Yuga came from the Sato clan—a minor but wealthy clan in Konoha known for their Fuinjutsu mastery and seal business. With that in mind, Kazeo made a move and switched seats to sit near Yuga.
However, after just a week, Kazeo returned to his original seat. Yuga was a complete Fuinjutsu nerd who only ever talked about seals. His sole motivation was staying in the elite class for access to training rooms and crystals. Although they couldn't become close friends due to their different interests, Kazeo believed they had at least become acquaintances—as making friends with kids wasn't that hard anyway.
Interestingly, the last student to complete the seals wasn't a civilian but an Akimichi who took five months. Once everyone had learned the initial seals, Arata unexpectedly began teaching more—this time the Hard/Soft seal and four others. The reward remained the same, but no one had claimed it yet.
Kazeo practiced sealing daily, but it was still difficult for him. From this, he realized something: seal-making wasn't as easy as those Earth fanfictions made it seem, where every random mother and child could whip up seals effortlessly. It required sharp calligraphy skills, constant concentration, and precise chakra control.
'Just like those "learn to code in 24 hours" books back on Earth,' Kazeo thought sardonically. 'Technically possible, practically ridiculous.'
A single moment of distraction could render hours of work useless. With practice, this sensitivity decreased, but the initial difficulty was enough to discourage all but the most determined students. If Fuinjutsu hadn't been a mandatory subject, most would avoid it entirely until they hit a roadblock with ninjutsu or chakra capacity.
Once, in a moment of inspiration (or perhaps homesickness), Kazeo had attempted to incorporate English and his mother tongue from Earth into seal creation. For two frustrating weeks, he experimented in secret, hoping to discover an advantage unique to his circumstances. But the chakra remained stubbornly unresponsive to these foreign scripts. 'So much for my secret weapon,' he thought with disappointment.
With only two months left until finals, Kazeo decided to stop practicing Fuinjutsu in his spare time. Instead, he decided to focus on sparring with his clones, integrating everything he had learned so far into his fighting style.
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Kazeo stood alone in the training ground, wires coiled around his fingers and a kunai gripped loosely in his hand. He exhaled slowly, steadying his mind.
With a single hand sign, a shadow clone appeared beside him. The moment it formed, Kazeo felt the sudden drain as half his chakra siphoned away in an instant.
Now, two versions of Kazeo stood facing each other, identical in every way with each holding roughly 50% of the original's chakra.
He handed more kunai, shuriken, and wires to the clone and instructed him to store them in the pockets of his clothes. He watched as the clone carefully placed some in the front pockets, others behind his back.
"The match starts when we both count to three, alright?" Kazeo said. After the clone nodded, both of them stood in fighting pose—knees slightly bent, weight balanced on the balls of their feet.
"One..., Two—"
Before Kazeo could say "three", a kunai came flying at him, and the clone jumped back in retreat.
Kazeo flickered a meter to his left, dodging the projectile with ease. "Oi! Why the hell did you attack before 'three'?" he shouted, frowning.
From the distance, the clone let out a short laugh. "You really think enemies will wait for you to finish counting, bos-"
He was still finishing his sentence when Kazeo suddenly spat out a mud shot, catching him mid-speech. The clone flickered to the right, barely avoiding it, but before he could speak again, Kazeo appeared in front of him in a blur, a chakra-laced kunai in hand.
With a matching smile, Kazeo said, "And you think enemies will let you finish your monologue?"
The clone reacted just in time, clashing his own chakra-infused kunai against Kazeo's with a metallic tang! As sparks flew from the clash, Kazeo unleashed Wind Style: Breakthrough jutsu without weaving a single hand sign. A powerful gust blasted the clone backwards, leaves and dust swirling wildly.
But as the clone was blown back, Kazeo suddenly felt a sharp tug on his right ankle.
His eyes widened.
'Oh, crap! A wire...!' he realized, just as he was yanked forward. The clone had attached a wire when he was pushed back.
Seeing Kazeo being pulled toward him, the clone moved quickly. He slid his hands behind his back and fired off Wind Style: Gale Palm, using it like a thruster to launch himself forward.
Kazeo didn't panic. He mirrored the movement, placing both palms in front of his chest and releasing Gale Palm in reverse to halt his momentum and push himself away. With the distance gained, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a kunai, laced it with chakra, and swiftly sliced through the wire tied to his leg.
The moment the wire was cut, the clone flickered mid-air and lunged with another chakra-laced kunai, aiming straight for Kazeo's chest.
But in a blink, Kazeo swapped places with a nearby stone using substitution. The clone skidded to a stop, visibly annoyed. "Tch! So close…"
Not wasting time, the clone expanded his chakra field to sense Kazeo and spotted him fifty meters away, hidden behind a tree.
Kazeo, aware of being sensed, activated his own chakra field. Their locations were now mutually known. He could've used his Presence Concealment to vanish completely, but he had decided beforehand not to rely on it during training. Real enemies wouldn't have it and he wanted to experience both the thrill of attack and the pressure of defense.
The clone flickered toward Kazeo, six chakra-laced kunai in hand. When he was about ten meters away, he hurled them one after another, guiding each with subtle wind control to curve around the tree.
Kazeo sensed the incoming threat and swiftly pulled out a wire, lacing it with chakra. With sharp precision, he spun it in a zig-zag pattern, entangling one kunai and using it to deflect the others mid-air. He stepped out from behind the tree, twirled the wire once more, and launched the last kunai back toward the clone.
The clone ducked just in time, crouching low. But that opening was all Kazeo needed. He used 'Swift Step' to boost his speed, shot forward, and then kicked his right leg into the air, chakra coursing through it for a devastating axe kick.
Realizing the incoming strike could dispel him, the clone planted his left hand on the ground and countered with his own upward kick, chakra crackling around his leg.
Their legs collided in mid-air with a heavy thump, shockwaves rippling outward. Both flickered back, landing 50 meters apart on opposite ends of the training ground. The clone vanished again by flickering.
Kazeo didn't bother tracking him with his eyes this time. Instead, he dropped flat to the ground as a flurry of shuriken whizzed through the space where his head had just been.
Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist, sending a thin, chakra-laced wire spiraling out. It latched onto a tree branch. He yanked himself upward just as the clone burst from underground beneath him.
"Headhunter Jutsu, huh!" Kazeo acknowledged, already weaving signs with his free hand.
He performed Earth Style: Rock Concealment and Genjutsu: Cloak of Invisibility, one after another to give a melting illusion.
His body melted into the nearby stone as the clone landed on the branch. Both knew the academy lessons by heart – maintain visual on your opponent but both of them had the advantage of being a sensor. He waited, perfectly still, as the clone surveyed the area.
'Gale Palm!' The clone's jutsu swept across the clearing, disturbing leaves and dirt – and revealing the faint outline of Kazeo's concealed form.
As the clone launched three kunai toward his position, Kazeo released his concealment and countered with Wind Style: Gale wall. The defensive wind barrier deflected the kunai, sending them scattering. But that was merely misdirection. Kazeo had already woven the signs for his real attack, Earth Style: Stone Shuriken. Chunks of rock broke free from the ground, forming deadly projectiles that shot toward the clone. The clone countered with Wind Style: Gale slash slicing through the stone projectiles.
Dust filled the air acting as cover. Kazeo launched himself forward, chakra wire glinting between his fingers. The clone sensed rather than saw the attack and substituted with a nearby log just as the wire would have ensnared him.
Clone used the Genjutsu: Cloak of Invisibility somewhere near the trees. Kazeo immediately sensed the subtle chakra fluctuation. Rather than dispel it, he played along, pretending to search in the wrong direction.
The clone knew Kazeo was faking that opening, but he struck anyway—his fist encased in stone, muscles tensed with intent. From behind, the Earth Style: Stone Fist came down hard.
Kazeo had anticipated it. He twisted just in time, letting the strike graze his shoulder. Pain flared, but he didn't flinch. In that split second, he seized the clone's wrist with a firm grip.
Without missing a beat, he drove his other palm straight into the clone's chest.
Gale Palm.
A blast of compressed air erupted point-blank. The clone was launched backwards, crashing through the trees, but not before it managed to lash a chakra wire around Kazeo's ankle again.
Kazeo's eyes widened as he felt the sudden pull. "Shit!"
Both crashed through branches, hitting the ground roughly on opposite sides of the clearing. Dust settled and leaves fluttered to the earth.
Kazeo groaned and pushed himself up, brushing dirt from his arm. His mind raced.
'Damn it… again with that chakra thread. I didn't even notice when he wrapped it around me. I really need to work on my awareness.'
He could feel the steady drain in his chakra pool. 'We started with half each. After all those techniques… I'd say we've both spent at least 20, maybe 22 percent. If I wait too long, it'll end in a draw.'
He clenched his fists, resolve hardening in his eyes. 'No, I need to end this. Now.'
The clone, thinking identically, formed hand signs of Earth Style: Moving Earth Wave. The ground between them undulated violently. Kazeo countered with Wind Style: Air Step, by pushing wind beneath his feet to leap above the churning earth. From this vantage point, he launched his counterattack, Earth Style: Mud Shot!
Hardened mud bullets peppered the clone's position while Kazeo descended, weaving subtle finger movements for Genjutsu: Phantom Pain. The clone's movements faltered momentarily – enough for Kazeo to close the distance.
Wire met wire as both fighters attempted to ensnare the other. They grappled briefly, each knowing the other's next move before it happened. Breaking free, they separated, breathing heavily.
"One last exchange?" Kazeo called. The clone nodded in understanding. Both performed identical hand signs of Gale palm. The techniques collided with explosive force, creating a cyclone that tore through the clearing. Using the chaos as cover, Kazeo substituted with a rock behind the clone and struck with a kunai to pop the clone.
His blade met empty air as the clone dispersed in a puff of smoke. Kazeo blinked in surprise before understanding dawned. During their grapple, the clone had created a wind clone and substituted without Kazeo noticing. The real shadow clone appeared behind him with kunai at his throat.
"Surrender!" it said.
Kazeo smiled.