Promoting the Konoha threat theory, and talking about the Hidden Mist Belt!

However, this does not mean that Hozuki Shingetsu is going to promote equality for all in the ninja world or call for the elimination of class barriers.

From beginning to end, the only person he cared about was himself! Everything he did—supporting civilian ninjas and suppressing the Bloodline Ninja Clan—had one core purpose:

To enhance his rule and increase the strength of Kirigakure.

If every ninja in the Bloodstained Ninja Clan could eventually become a Jonin, would he still be working so hard here?

It would be more promising to become the head of the birth control office in Kirigakure!

"Tomorrow is the first day of school... Let's see how many fruits these seeds will bear!"

Hozuki Shingetsu stood in the high principal's office, looking out the window at the already erected Heavenly Ladder Stele, his tone filled with anticipation.

----------

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, a large number of villagers gathered at the entrance of the ninja academy, located on the edge of Kirigakure.

Hiroki Amano followed timidly behind his father, looking at the gates of the ninja academy in front of him.

He was dragged here by his father at five in the morning to queue up and wait for today's enrollment registration.

Thanks to their early arrival, they are now at the head of the team, truly deserving of the first place.

"Haocheng, I don't ask you to be number one, nor do I ask you to become Lord Xinyue's disciple. As long as you can successfully enroll, I will be content!"

Hiroki Amano's father stroked his son's head with his large, rough hands, his face full of expectation.

Looking at his father shivering in the cold wind, Amano Hiroshige looked down at his own cotton-padded coat, then thought of the situation at home, and nodded resolutely.

Just then, a commotion came from behind. Amano Hiroshige's father thought the examiner had arrived, so he quickly pulled him to stand up straight, hoping to leave a good impression on the examiner.

But he quickly dismissed the idea—it turned out that someone had said that the ninja academy's admission quotas were not based on the order of waiting, and that they would wait until all the children had taken the exam before deciding who would be admitted.

That's why some people left the queue to find a warm place to wait for a while.

However, Hiroshige Amano and his son ignored the news, firmly believing that someone was using lies to deceive them and then take their place after they left.

We've already endured so much time, so what's a little more?

Besides, the earlier they arrive, the more respect they show to Lord Crescent Moon!

This scene continued until 8 o'clock, when the number of people waiting at the school gate dissipated considerably as the ninja school opened.

Because he already had the idea of ​​weeding out the bad from the good, Hozuki Shingetsu made the admission requirements for ninja academy students extra lenient this time.

With just five local guarantors, even people from other villages can participate in this ninja academy entrance exam.

With five local guarantors, the child's innocence is proven.

If a rival ninja village were willing to risk such a huge casualty rate and send its geniuses to infiltrate the Kirigakure ninja academy under assumed names, Hozuki Shingetsu could only say that the boss was very generous.

Then she clasped her hands together and begged him to give her more.

As the principal of the Ninja Academy, Hozuki Shingetsu did not appear at the examination site.

He was standing in the principal's office, looking down at the playground through the large glass window. Waves of children were running on the playground, and several ninjas were constantly scoring the students based on their performance.

That's right, the exam subject is also very simple: running, or more precisely, a 10-kilometer run.

What may seem like a simple long-distance run is actually the most cost-effective way to screen students' physical and mental abilities.

If someone has exceptional physical abilities, then there's nothing to say, they can just keep going.

However, if a person's physical fitness is average, then there are specific guidelines on how to run.

When to jog to warm up, when to accelerate and overtake, when to follow behind others and let them face the wind, when to sprint, etc.

These data are key pieces of information that best reflect a person's physical and mental condition.

The ninjas on the field were also using these factors to compile statistics on each student.

According to the plan, the enrollment number this year is one hundred students.

Hozuki Shingetsu set a rule that the top 95 fastest runners would be directly admitted, while the bottom five would be selected from those who were clever runners but lagged behind due to physical limitations.

After all, these quick-witted guys might bring him unexpected surprises in various professional skills courses, right?

Time passed, and the results of the ninja academy entrance exam were announced. The students and parents who were admitted wept with joy, while the families of those who were not admitted were filled with sorrow. The crowd at the school gate gradually dispersed.

This scene, even though the worlds are different, is incredibly similar.

"It's a pity... Whether from an economic or timing perspective, we can't recruit these students on a large scale. Otherwise, even with a success rate of one in a thousand, how many Chunin would actually emerge from this pool?"

Hozuki Shingetsu sighed as he watched the crowd gradually disperse outside the window.

"Looks like there aren't any outstanding figures this year!"

Looking at the students running around on the playground, Hozuki Shingetsu immediately formed a rough judgment about the students' situation.

"what?"

Just as Hozuki Shingetsu was about to leave in disappointment, he saw a small figure on the playground, running around the playground as if it were tireless.

“That child is not physically fit and his running style is not very clever. No matter what the criteria are, he does not meet the admission standards.”

Behind him, Akiba Masanobu glanced down at the notebook in his hand and reported.

"Although we have warned him that we would not accept him even if he ran himself to death here, he seemed to feel ashamed to face his family, so he insisted on running here regardless."

Hozuki Shingetsu ignored him and just stared straight at the child.

Round and round it went, until the sun was already setting in the west. Roughly calculated, the child had already run twenty kilometers.

Such perseverance is not surprising for ninjas. To complete a mission, some ninjas would be willing to lie in wait in the wild for three to five days without difficulty.

But for a child, this level of grit is particularly remarkable, regardless of the source of that grit.

Anyone with long-distance running experience knows that after continuously reaching the limits of your body, every step you take is a battle against your own will.

To be so resolute at such a young age—he vaguely saw the shadow of Rock Lee in this child.

"If this child really has that kind of talent... once the Seven-Day Breathing Technique is completed, there will be a very good experimental subject."

Hozuki Shingetsu looked at Amano Hiroshige's small, thin figure and suddenly felt a surge of interest.

Seeing this, Akiba Masanobu naturally knew that his boss had feelings for the child, so he immediately stopped talking.

"Tell them not to bother the child. If he eventually collapses from exhaustion on the playground, then admit him."

After a long pause, Hozuki Shingetsu said those words and then turned and left the principal's office.

He's already given the opportunity; now it's up to this kid to seize it.

-

One lap, two laps, three laps...

Hiroshige Amano has lost count of how many laps he ran.

All he remembered was that ever since he didn't hear his name on the acceptance list, his mind had been in a daze, filled with the expectation in his father's eyes on the way, the joy of those who had made it to shore, and the impoverished life he was about to face.

He doesn't want this.

I don't want to live my whole life in a daze, I don't want to spend my whole life wandering around the streets.

He despised his status as a commoner and envied the status of a ninja.

He wanted to be superior to others; he wanted to live a wealthy life.

"I have to consider whether this might be the only chance I'll ever have in my life," these words echoed in Hiroshige Amano's mind.

For him, the entrance exam for the Ninja Academy was his only chance to change his fate, and this opportunity had once been so close to him.

So, faced with the clear fact that he had failed to be selected, perhaps unwilling to face the future, or perhaps unwilling to leave the Ninja Academy, the only place that could change his fate, he made a decision.

"Even if I die running here, I will die in the world of ninjas!"

Hiroki Amano encouraged himself with these words, and then started running again, lap after lap.

He heard clearly the well-intentioned advice from the staff, the guidance from those who had passed the exam, and the laughter of those who had failed, but this did not stop him from continuing.

During this time, some candidates also joined him with unrealistic hopes, expecting the examiners to make an exception for them.

However, faced with the indifferent gazes of the examiners and the mocking voices of their peers, they gradually backed down.

Gradually, only Hiroshi Amano was running around on the playground.

He cleared his mind of all distractions, focusing solely on the track beneath his feet. Until the sun set, he stumbled from extreme exhaustion and collapsed completely to the ground.

Even so, he continued to slowly move his body forward... until he completely lost consciousness.

In his dazed state, he seemed to sense someone standing before him, speaking the words he had longed to hear:

"What a lucky kid."

"You've been accepted."

Chapter 98 Ideological Guidance for Political School Building

Amano Hiroki successfully gained admission to the Ninja Academy, but while this was a turning point in his life, it only caused a ripple in the entire Hidden Mist Village and went largely unnoticed.

After all, the reconstruction work of Kirigakure has only just begun. Although the division of interests among the victorious forces has been initially clarified after a week, it will still take time to take over and integrate.

The arrangement of personnel positions and the definition of responsibilities all require coordination, so there really isn't much time to focus on these matters.

If it weren't for Hozuki Shingetsu taking over as principal and the significant commotion caused by the earlier reforms, this ripple probably wouldn't have even been made.