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Noon, Clan Leader's Hall
Akio stood with a dark expression before the eleven children.
He had just finished using various Wind and Fire Release techniques to dry his bedding and was preparing for an afternoon nap when he was suddenly summoned by the clan leader.
Apart from Nanako, whom Akio had personally selected, the other ten children were recommended by the clan's Jonin. Among them were eight boys and two girls, with the eldest being no more than ten years old and the youngest just six.
The clan leader observed Akio's expression and spoke, "Uncle, are you dissatisfied with these children?"
Akio snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the nervous faces of the children. The youngest girl looked as if she was about to burst into tears.
"I have no complaints. However, I have my own unique selection method. Eleven is a bit too manyâI will eliminate a few."
The clan leader sighed in relief. "No problem. Testing them is only natural."
"In that case," Akio turned to the eleven children. "Tomorrow, we will conduct three tests. The first is a physical endurance test. Go and prepare. Be at the Fourth Training Ground at dawn!"
The children responded energetically and dispersed to prepare. Only Nanako hesitated and remained behind.
"Grandpa Akio, my... talent isn't great. Tomorrow..."
"No worries, a test won't hurt. If it doesn't work out, you'll be eliminated tomorrow. Go prepareâŠ" Akio grinned. "Show me the same spirit you had when you dumped that bucket of water on me!"
Nanako's face turned red with embarrassment as she awkwardly left.
"Uncle, isn't a physical test a bit unfair to the younger ones and the three girls?" The clan leader asked, puzzled, once Nanako had left.
Akio shot him a glance. "I know what I'm doing!"
"Now, I'm going back to sleep. If anyone disturbs me again, I'll fight them!"
Dawn, Fourth Training Ground
Akio arrived at the training ground.
The eleven children were already waiting, surrounded by a crowd of adults and other children observing from a distance.
"So many people are paying attention to me taking in disciples? Looks like I've finally gained the prestige of a respected elder..." Akio thought happily.
However, as he approached, his face darkened.
"That's the legendary Uzumaki Akio? When I was little, my parents told meâ"
"Entrusting those kids to him..."
"Shh! He's the clan leader's uncle and now the Great Elder!"
"Let's begin the test!" Akio's loud declaration startled not only the eleven children but also the onlookers.
Once silence fell over the area, Akio nodded in satisfaction.
"The first test: Physical endurance! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Akio summoned eleven clones. "My clones will supervise you as you do push-ups. Give it your allâthe more, the better!"
The crowd erupted in discussion.
"This isn't fair! There's an age difference, and there are two girls! How can this be a fair test?"
Akio ignored the murmurs and observed the children as they started their push-ups under the supervision of his clones, nodding in approval.
However, within two minutes, he found himself in a dilemma. The youngest girl, just six years old, barely managed 43 push-ups before collapsing in tears.
Akio scratched his head and quickly stepped forward to console her.
At that moment, a young couple pushed through the crowd and rushed to comfort the girlâit was likely her parents.
Ten minutes later, the ten-year-old boy who had done the most push-ups finally stopped at 1,237. Meanwhile, the little girl had calmed down in her parents' arms.
Scanning the children, Akio saw that they were all panting heavily and gave a slight nod.
"Rest for an hour. Then, we'll proceed with the second part of the endurance test."
The young couple immediately raised their heads. "Uncle Akio, our daughter, Izuko, is still young. The endurance testâ"
Before they could finish, Akio interrupted, "The second part of the test is still push-ups! Your final score is determined by how many more you do in the second round compared to the first."
The spectators suddenly understoodâit was a test of willpower.
Several children who had pushed themselves too hard immediately regretted it. If only they had held back a bit...
"While we wait," Akio continued, "let's move on to the second test."
"The second test is a memory assessment. Watch my hands carefully and remember the hand seal sequence. Your rankings will be determined by how accurately you recall them."
"Tiger â Rabbit â Snake â Horse â Goat â Rooster â Tiger â Rabbit â Snake â Horse â Goat â Rooster â Tiger â Rabbit â Snake â Horse â Goat â Rooster â Dog â Rat. Sealing Jutsu: Evil Sealing Method!"
In just four seconds, Akio executed twenty seals.
"Did anyone memorize it?" He casually asked, preparing to repeat the sequence.
"I did... Grandpa Akio..." The little girl, still sniffling, responded.
Sure enough, although her hands were slower, she successfully performed all twenty seals.
Akio nodded slightly. No wonder she had been recommendedâthis level of memory was rare.
"Alright, let's continue..."
Other children slowly started to succeed, with the fourth attempt seeing the most responses.
The last one to get it right was a red-faced Nanako. Surrounded by these genius younger kids, she felt awful.
"Alright, an hour has passed. Your stamina should be somewhat recovered. Let's finish the first test."
Akio summoned eleven shadow clones again, supervising the children as they resumed their push-ups.
The final winner was an eight-year-old boy. He had done 670 in the first round and over 800 in the second. Three children ended up with negative scoresâincluding the first-round winner and the youngest girl, Izuko.
And then there was Nanako, who was glaring at Akio, gritting her teeth. She was convinced that he was punishing her for that bucket of water, embarrassing her in front of everyone.
Akio simply smiled.
The surrounding Uzumaki clan members no longer had complaints about the first two tests. Instead, they eagerly speculated about the third test.
"The third test must be combat, right? Even with age differences, a ninja's strength is determined by battle skills."
"Maybe chakra control?"
"Or a basic Transformation and Clone Jutsu assessment?"
Akio shook his head slightly as he listened. None of them could guess his next test.
"The third test is a thinking challenge! Five questions in total. The more you answer correctly, the higher your ranking!"
"First question: You have two buckets, one holds three liters of water, the other five. With unlimited water supply, how do you measure exactly four liters?"
"Second question: ..."
"..."
"Final question: Ten birds sit on a tree. You throw a kunai and kill one. How many birds are left?"
What kind of question was this?!
Akio looked at the blank expressions around him and nearly burst into laughter.
"Now, experience the logic puzzles that plague elementary school students everywhere!"
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