Sky Curtain: Short Video Commentary on Konoha Villagers

Beneath the sky, above the firmament, a line of text slowly appeared, then disappeared, replaced by an abrupt question.

How competitive is the ninja academy?

In the 60th year of Konoha, on the streets.

After a brief silence, a clamor of discussion erupted.

"What does 'involution' mean?"

A young genin, who had just finished a D-rank mission and was sitting on the steps eating soldier rations, looked up with a blank expression.

Does it mean the rules are too strict?

"I think so?"

An old ninja next to him clicked his tongue and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Isn't it obvious that ninja academies are strict? Graduates are expected to take on missions and go to the battlefield. If the academy is lax, wouldn't that just be sending students to their deaths?"

"Exactly! Back in our ninja academy days, we always trained until our limbs were sore before we were dismissed!"

"Is that called involution? That's called survival!"

Under the sky, ninjas from different timelines were somewhat unfamiliar with this term.

Konoha Year 48, Hokage's office.

Kushina Uzumaki tilted her head, her red hair swaying with the movement.

"What does 'involution' mean in the context of the Watergate incident?"

Minato Namikaze shook his head, somewhat uncertain.

"Sounds like internal competition? Does it mean the kids in school are competing too fiercely?"

Nara Shikaku leaned against the window and thought about it seriously.

"Fourth Hokage, did you count as a student when you were at the Ninja Academy?"

Minato smiled but did not answer.

Kushina had already answered for him: "Him? He graduated first in his class!"

The text on the sky continued to scroll.

The school is where the dream of the ninja world begins, and it is also the first hurdle to overcome in intense competition.

While their peers are still playing, the children here are already giving it their all for their graduation exams.

Even after becoming a genin, you still have to be assigned to a jonin team; if you displease them, you can be sent back at any time.

Sixty years into the history of Konoha, on the sidelines of the training ground.

Naruto scratched his head, remembering what Kakashi had said earlier.

"Was it returned because the task wasn't completed?"

Kakashi stood in the shade of a tree and said lazily.

"Yes, the Jonin in charge of the team is qualified to evaluate the students' overall performance. If they feel that you are not qualified or that the team is not harmonious, they can send the whole class back."

"Oh?! That's terrible!"

Sakura instinctively chimed in, "But generally speaking, aside from being sent back due to team discord, the probability of being sent back is very small, right?"

That's how it should normally be.

Kakashi paused, looking at the three of them with a very intriguing expression.

"But no one knows if the Jonin in charge might dislike anyone and send everyone back."

For example…

Before he could finish speaking, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all stared at him with wide eyes.

Sasuke snorted coldly, hands in his pockets: "Kakashi, what do you mean by that?"

"It doesn't mean anything, it's just an example."

Kakashi smiled, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth beneath his mask.

"After all, every year there are one or two unlucky guys who anger the Jonin in charge and get their entire class sent back to school."

Konoha Year 20, Hokage's office.

Looking at the sky, Tobirama Senju was surprised to finally hear something from the sky that could be changed.

"A system of Jonin leading teams? That's a good idea. Having experienced Jonin evaluate newly graduated Genin one-on-one can assess both their individual strength and their teamwork."

Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with some concern.

"Teacher, if the Jonin leading the team have too much power, won't it be abused?"

Tobirama glanced at him and spoke without much thought.

"That's not important."

The text on the screen continued to scroll, this time with a stronger tone.

[Things will get a little better when you reach the Chunin level.]

However, these promotion spots must be won through the Chunin Exams, a major national exam.

But this exam doesn't test your knowledge of arts or sciences; it tests your destiny.

The first written exam, seemingly a general knowledge test, was actually an intelligence war, forcing you to cheat without getting caught.

The second challenge, the Death Forest, was even more extreme. A group of children were thrown into the wild for a large-scale survival challenge, with everyone signing in with a death waiver.

The most exciting part was the final individual battle.

In the Chunin Wars, even the slightest mistake can lead to death.

In the 60th year of Konoha, on the streets.

Upon hearing this, the veteran ninjas showed expressions of being unsurprised.

"What's so strange about that? Didn't we go through the same thing back then?"

"To become a ninja, you're destined to go through this life-or-death ordeal. How can you secure your position as a Chunin without risking your life?"

"Yes, the Chunin Exams are all about fate. If you're not strong enough and die in the exam hall, then that's just bad luck."

"Ultimately, while being a ninja can be lucrative, it's not something anyone can do."

At this moment, it is Konoha Year 74.

Boruto Uzumaki was sitting with his legs crossed, looking at the sky, and the expression on his face gradually became more and more interesting.

"Wait, wait, wait, someone's going to die during the Chunin Exams?!"

He had watched quite a few before, but they all looked like exhibition matches.

People actually died during my dad's generation's Chunin Exams?!

Thinking of this, Boruto pointed to the sky.

"Then, what's going on with our current Chunin Exams?!"

Sarada, who was standing next to her, paused for a moment, then said calmly.

"It's probably because we've been at peace for too long."

"We've been at peace for too long, so exams have become just a formality?"

The text on the celestial screen continues:

In this system of intense competition, there's no way to simply lie down; instead, countless highly skilled and disciplined individuals have emerged as champions of the game.

Just like Matt Kay and Rock Lee.

This master and apprentice duo represent the pinnacle of physical prowess in the competitive ninja world.

While others slept, the two of them ran, and they ran for three days and three nights straight.

[Kai even used youth and hard work as his mantras, transforming himself from an ordinary ninja into someone capable of killing a god with a mortal body.]

Others rely on bloodline, they rely on their hard work; their main strategy is to achieve miracles through sheer brute force.

Konoha Year 60, Training Ground.

Matt Kai's tears streamed down his face.

He stood in the center of the training field, his legs trembling slightly with excitement, then suddenly turned around and hugged Locke Lee tightly.

"Little Li!!"

"Teacher Kai!!"

"Did you hear that?! Tianmu is talking about us! Saying we're the pinnacle of physical competition in the ninja world!!"

"I heard you!! Teacher Kai!! I heard you!!"

"This is youth!!"

"youth!!!"

The master and apprentice embraced and wept bitterly, drawing the attention of the ninjas training nearby.

At this moment, several young ninjas began to seriously ponder the matter.

"Is the Eight Gates really that powerful?"

"That sounds pretty impressive."

"How about... we get our hands on the Eight Gates Formation and practice it? We wouldn't have to run around all day like Guy. We could practice until we can open a few gates and use them as a trump card. That seems like a pretty good deal, doesn't it?"

"You wish!"

An older Chunin standing nearby rolled his eyes.

"The Eight Gates Formation training method is in Kai's hands, and it's not something anyone can learn just because they want to. That thing puts a tremendous strain on the body; forcing yourself to open the gates before you've mastered it is tantamount to suicide!"

"How about practicing two or three skills?"

"That depends on whether Kai hands it over to you or not."

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