Early the next morning, the gates of the Ninja School opened on time. Candidates and their parents gathered at the entrance and, under the guidance of the teachers, walked onto the campus one after another.
Today marked the final part of the Ninja School admissions exam—an all-around physical examination for the students.
Yes, the last stage of the assessment was a simple physical examination.
In today's peaceful Konoha, the difficulty of enrolling in the Ninja School is not as high as it was during the Second and Third Ninja Wars. Back then, the admissions process was much stricter. Candidates needed not only strong physical abilities and proficiency in shuriken techniques but also mastery of field orientation.
Some of the village's geniuses, such as Uzumaki Raiden, Hatake Kakashi, and Uchiha Itachi, were sent to the battlefield at an early age. Itachi, at just four years old, had already been taken to the battlefield and had killed enemies with his own hands before even entering the Ninja School.
Now, however, the school's enrollment requirements have been significantly relaxed. The focus is no longer on the candidates' current abilities but on their potential.
This entrance examination aims to thoroughly assess the children's potential.
To facilitate the physical examination, the Ninja School made comprehensive preparations and invited the medical team from Konoha Hospital, led by Vice President Uzumaki Kushina, to examine all the children.
Inside the Ninja School, the classrooms were temporarily converted into medical examination rooms. Tests included eyesight, bone development, chakra reserves, meridian structure, and even psychological evaluations.
One by one, the children lined up, moving from classroom to classroom as hospital doctors conducted their examinations.
"Huh? Why does such a young child have so many hidden injuries?"
In one of the classrooms, Uzumaki Kushina carefully channeled chakra into the body of the child in front of her, frowning slightly. The little girl being examined was Hyuga Hinata, the eldest daughter of Hyuga Hiashi. On the surface, Hinata appeared completely fine, but as Kushina's chakra probed deeper, she discovered numerous hidden injuries.
There were even some minor sprains from not too long ago.
Uzumaki Kushina remembered Hinata well. In the shuriken assessment, her scores were among the highest, and in yesterday's combat test, her solid taijutsu and distinctive Byakugan left a strong impression on Kushina.
This discovery made Kushina a bit concerned.
The young Hinata, noticing Kushina's slight frown, asked timidly,
"Doctor, is something wrong with me?"
Hearing Hinata's soft voice, Kushina snapped out of her thoughts. Seeing the nervous expression on Hinata's little face, she smiled and reassured her:
"It's nothing."
"Hinata-chan, I was just distracted for a moment. Your physical condition is very good, and in my opinion, you're quite talented!"
"Your examination is done. You can move on to the next test."
Kushina gently patted Hinata's head before turning her attention to the next student.
By noon, all the children's physical examinations had been completed, and the results of the entrance exams would be announced in the afternoon. The students, now finished with the process, left happily for home.
The results of the physical examinations were compiled into a detailed report, which was placed on Uzumaki Kushina's desk.
This was more than just a simple medical check-up. From now on, all children with the potential to become ninjas would have personal records. These records would help Konoha monitor the health conditions of lower-ranking ninjas. Every time these individuals visited the hospital in the future, new information would be added to their files. In the event of injuries sustained during battle, medical staff could quickly access a patient's medical history for better treatment.
"Tsk, tsk."
Kushina sat at her desk, flipping through the examination reports of the candidates, her gaze lingering on Hinata's file. Just as she was deep in thought, a sudden knock came at the door.
"Come in!"
Kushina looked up and called out. The door opened, and a girl stepped inside.
"Sister Kushina, Hokage-sama has sent someone to inquire about the physical examination results of the Ninja School candidates. Have the reports been organized? If so, should I deliver them?"
With short, neat hair, Shizune stepped into the room.
"They're ready. I'll deliver them myself—I need to discuss something with Minato."
Kushina smiled and shook her head. Closing the file, she rose from her seat. She was deeply concerned about Hyuga Hinata's situation. The child's talent was undeniable, yet her examination results revealed serious problems with her training regimen, resulting in multiple hidden injuries.
If this continued, these dark injuries would accumulate over time, eventually limiting her potential as a ninja. Hinata had exceptional talent—she could even be called a genius. Kushina didn't want to see that potential wasted due to poor training methods.
After Shizune's visit, Kushina quickly organized the documents and left her office, heading toward the Hokage Building.
When Uzumaki Kushina arrived at the Hokage's office, she happened to see Hyuga Hiashi. At that moment, he, Uchiha Fugaku, Nara Shikaku, and Minato Namikaze were finalizing the rankings of the Ninja School entrance exam candidates.
Seeing Kushina enter, Minato smiled and said,
"Perfect timing, Kushina. We were just about to review the medical reports."
Hearing Minato's words, Kushina nodded, then looked at Hyuga Hiashi and said,
"It's good that you're all here."
"I have something to discuss with you."
Her words took everyone by surprise. Minato scratched his head and asked,
"What is it, Kushina? Is there an issue with the medical exams?"
"Fugaku-san, Shikaku-san, could I ask you two to wait outside for a moment?"
"I need to speak with Hiashi and Minato privately."
Kushina shot a cold glance at Hiashi before briefly looking at Shikaku and Fugaku. The two men exchanged puzzled glances but said nothing. They simply stood up and left the office, with Fugaku even carefully closing the door behind them.
Once they were gone, Uzumaki Kushina took Hinata's file from the stack in her hands and tossed it at Hyuga Hiashi.
"Take a look for yourself!"
Kushina's sharp tone made Hiashi raise an eyebrow, but he remained composed. Catching the file, he opened it and carefully examined the contents. Minato, sensing the tension, moved his chair closer to look as well.
Hyuga Hiashi read through the document quickly, then closed his eyes without revealing any emotion.
"Hiashi, do you understand what this means? You're destroying a talented genius!"
"A girl's body structure is different from a boy's. There are some exercises that boys can handle, but girls cannot!"
"Your training for Hinata is too strict and unreasonable!"
"Right now, she's still young. If these injuries are properly treated, they won't be a problem."
"But as her father, have you even been paying attention to her condition?!"
Kushina's voice grew harsher, as if she were directly scolding Hiashi. Yet, he remained silent, his eyes closed.
Watching from the side, Minato sighed. He understood why Kushina was angry. No parent could accept seeing a child go through such treatment. Even though Hiashi had not intentionally mistreated Hinata, the outcome was the same.
No wonder Kushina was furious.
"I…"
Hiashi opened his mouth but fell silent again.
(End of Chapter)