Sora lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with vacant eyes.
"Today is the first day of the ranking exam..."
"I can't hold back anymore, I must draw attention!"
That old dog Danzo has already set his sights on me. If I don't quickly capture the attention of Konoha's higher-ups, I'm afraid I'll be captured and brainwashed by the Root before I can fully grow.
Sora definitely doesn't want to become a cold, emotionless killing machine like Sai.
Currently, Sora has shown his face in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen, but he is merely a promising talent worth cultivating. There are many geniuses like him in Konoha, and some are even more talented than he is.
"I don't want to end up like Kabuto, going out as some kind of spy!"
"But I also can't expose all my abilities beyond the Azure Dragon Fruit. I just need to secure first place in the end. First place will definitely bring me into Sarutobi Hiruzen's field of vision."
Lying on his bed, Sora silently contemplated. He had always followed the principle of showing half and hiding half of his strength.
If he wanted to avoid Kabuto's fate, he needed to find a powerful patron to rely on within Konoha. As for who the mightiest and most reliable patron in Konoha during this period was, it could only be the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
It was now Konoha Year 38, and Sarutobi Hiruzen was in his prime.
This was different from the Naruto era, when he had already suffered consecutive blows like the sacrifice of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, the suicide of the White Fang, and the disintegration of the Sannin, his edge gradually fading.
At this moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen, both in terms of strength and mentality, was at his peak. His every move exuded an air of lofty ambition, fully worthy of the title "The Professor."
Although in Sora's eyes, Sarutobi Hiruzen was not a good man either, or rather, he was a complex man.
He was well aware of the dark methods of Danzo's Root, yet he chose to tacitly allow it for the sake of "maintaining village stability," even indirectly utilizing its power, leading to many tragedies. It could be said he used them as his white gloves.
It was the same with Naruto. Sarutobi Hiruzen publicly claimed "Naruto is the son of a hero," yet he never truly gave Naruto the protection he deserved.
He couldn't possibly be unaware of the discrimination and isolation Naruto faced from the Konoha villagers, yet he let this prejudice fester.
Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen had held the position of Hokage for decades. While he spoke of "doing it for the village," he never truly freed himself from the influence of clan interests.
Three thousand Sarutobi clan ninja participated in the Fourth Great Ninja War, and that was just the number on the battlefield. There were many more who didn't go to the frontlines. The total number of Sarutobi clan ninja might be around five thousand.
Considering Konoha currently only has about ten thousand ninja in total, this scale is nothing short of "a single clan forming an army."
Sarutobi Hiruzen truly worked for the benefit of his "family" indeed!
"But I can't reveal too much in today's exam..."
Sora pondered his strategy.
The ninja academy exam would definitely be monitored by the Anbu. Sarutobi Hiruzen would certainly attend the final stage. He had to showcase his strength while simultaneously not exposing the abilities of the Azure Dragon Fruit.
After all, being strong in taijutsu wasn't a big deal. Konoha wasn't lacking in taijutsu experts.
But if a fantastical ability like the Azure Dragon Fruit were exposed, it wouldn't just be Danzo he'd have to deal with. Even the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would likely be interested!
"Pure taijutsu combat, and Boro Breath. I can also use the Eight Inner Gates if necessary."
Although it might seem like overkill, there were many students at the ninja academy, including those from various secret technique families and bloodline limits like the Byakugan. If Sora didn't use the Eight Inner Gates, he couldn't guarantee he would secure first place. This world was never short of geniuses.
Moreover, because of the Byakugan, Sora couldn't even use his Dragon Form. The bandages on his body couldn't block its penetrating vision!
...
Ninja Academy Playground.
Due to the large number of participants, five separate arenas were activated simultaneously for the practical ranking exam.
The rules were as follows: First, all students would be assigned opponents via a drawing of lots. After determining wins and losses, winners would face other winners, and losers would face other losers. This process of repeated pairings and lot drawings would continue until an overall ranking was established.
Initially, four sub-arenas would be used. After a day of matches, the outstanding top performers would advance to the fifth main arena on the second day for their final matches. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, would personally preside over the main arena.
This arrangement was enough to show how much importance Sarutobi Hiruzen placed on ninja training at this time.
Sarutobi Hiruzen naturally presided over the opening ceremony for the practical ranking exam.
Under the reverent gazes of numerous ninja, he walked onto the stage with composure, wearing the Hokage's official robe.
The moment they saw him, all the students cheered in unison. The atmosphere was very lively.
In Konoha, the Hokage was undoubtedly the figure of the highest status and greatest respect. Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't tall, the looks directed at him were full of awe, simply because he was the Third Hokage, the strongest ninja in Konoha at this moment.
He raised his hand and gave a light wave. The entire arena fell silent instantly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen scanned the young faces in the crowd below the stage. His voice was steady and powerful as he spoke.
"Children, welcome to the first trial on your path as ninja."
"The Will of Fire is never an empty slogan. It is the towering tree planted by the First Hokage. It is the stream nurtured by the Second Hokage. It is the path forward illuminated by every generation of Konoha ninja burning themselves as torches."
"Now, let me see your light, for Konoha, for the Will of Fire that will be passed on!"
After these few short sentences, thunderous applause and cheers erupted throughout the arena.
Whether they were children from civilian families or ninja from clans like the Hyūga or Uchiha, all were ignited by these words, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
Sora stood silently among the crowd, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen delivering his impassioned speech on stage, a complex mix of emotions in his gaze.
The Hokage... The children of this world, including Uchiha Obito, probably all once aimed to become him.
If Sora wasn't a transmigrator familiar with the plot, perhaps he too would have been infected by this passion, striving wholeheartedly towards the goal of becoming Hokage.
But in Sora's heart, although the position of Hokage was distant, there were figures even further beyond it, Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki... Those were the goals hidden deepest in his heart.
Of course, that was too far away. The most urgent matter at hand was dealing with Danzo's prying eyes.
"What's right in front of me now is Danzo."
Sora clenched his fist, a flash of determination passing through his eyes.
No matter how long the road, you have to walk it step by step. No matter how difficult the obstacle, you cannot give up.
And the first step to seizing your dream is to firmly grasp the present moment.
As Sarutobi Hiruzen's rousing speech concluded, the practical ranking exam officially began.
The students were led to the four sub-arenas. He, the Hokage, left early, as there were far too many matters in Konoha requiring his attention.
Moreover, the matches in the sub-arenas weren't worth his personal attention. Only the victors who could stand in the main arena were, in his eyes, the pillars of Konoha's new generation.
Sora was assigned to the first sub-arena.
Coincidentally, Kurenai Yūhi was also in this arena. Seeing that Sora was in the same arena, she cheered him on, saying, "Sora, you can definitely take first place!"