Rin looked at Kakashi, who had just been defeated by Tanya, then at the frightened faces surrounding them.
Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the fear in her heart and gathered her courage.
“Tanya…”
Her voice was soft but steady.
“Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?”
“We were only sparring.
There was no need to be so harsh, and there was no need to humiliate everyone.”
Rin genuinely disliked conflict.
She didn’t want to see her classmates injured.
Nor did she want Tanya to become isolated because everyone feared her.
To Rin, the Academy should be a place where future comrades learned and grew together.
“Oh?”
Tanya slowly turned her head.
Her blue eyes settled upon Rin.
The expression on her face remained calm, but an invisible pressure spread outward.
She could clearly see the girl’s trembling hands.
Despite her fear, Rin still chose to speak.
That alone earned a small amount of respect.
Seeing Tanya’s attention shift toward Rin, Obito immediately stepped forward.
He spread his arms protectively.
“I-I’m not afraid of you!”
His voice cracked slightly.
“You can’t bully Rin!”
“If you’ve got a problem, come at me!”
Unfortunately, his trembling legs completely ruined the effect.
Tanya glanced at him.
Then she looked away.
Compared to Rin, whose courage allowed her to overcome fear, Obito was merely acting on impulse.
Removing her foot from Kakashi’s chest, Tanya slowly surveyed the gathered students.
The moment her gaze swept across them, many instinctively looked away.
Fear.
Avoidance.
Uncertainty.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Then she spoke.
Her voice carried clearly across the entire training ground.
“A true shinobi must endure what ordinary people cannot.”
“Since you’ve entered the Academy, you should already possess the awareness of a shinobi.”
“The Ninja Academy exists to prepare you for the reality of ninja life.”
“It is not a playground.”
“What do you think shinobi are?”
“Street bullies?”
“Pampered children raised in a greenhouse?”
The atmosphere gradually grew heavier.
Tanya’s gaze swept over every student present.
Her voice became colder.
“If you cannot accept defeat here…”
“If you cannot acknowledge your own weaknesses…”
“Then how will you survive after graduation?”
“On the battlefield, enemies won’t spare you because you’re young.”
“They won’t stop because you’re scared.”
“They certainly won’t care about your dreams.”
Her words were cruel.
Yet no one could completely refute them.
Many children became genin at twelve.
Some died shortly afterward.
Tanya continued.
“Those who refuse to face reality will eventually die because of it.”
“Or perhaps you intend to beg for mercy when facing enemy shinobi?”
The surrounding students clenched their fists.
No one liked hearing such words.
Especially not children who had only just entered the Academy.
Suddenly, a boy stepped forward.
“What do you mean by that?”
His face was filled with indignation.
“We passed the Academy entrance examinations!”
“The Hokage approved our enrollment!”
“We all have the qualifications to become shinobi!”
“What right do you have to deny our efforts?”
The words immediately resonated with the crowd.
Many students found their courage.
“Exactly!”
“You’re not a teacher!”
“What gives you the right to tell us to quit?”
“We’ve worked hard too!”
“You’re just stronger than us right now!”
The fear that had dominated them gradually transformed into anger.
Tanya’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Then a faint smile appeared.
“Is that so?”
“Then let me see your resolve.”
Before anyone could react—
She vanished.
A blur flashed through the crowd.
The boy who had spoken found Tanya standing directly in front of him.
Shiranui Genma’s pupils contracted violently.
He instinctively tried to retreat.
But his body couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.
His legs gave out beneath him.
He collapsed onto the ground.
The difference in speed was overwhelming.
To Genma, it felt as though Tanya had simply appeared.
Looking down at him, Tanya spoke coldly.
“It seems your resolve is rather ordinary.”
“If this is all it takes to shake you, perhaps you should reconsider becoming a shinobi.”
The contempt in her voice deeply wounded the students’ pride.
Ebisu immediately stepped forward.
“Don’t go too far!”
Even though he was nervous, he still forced himself to stand beside Genma.
“Just because we’re weaker than you doesn’t mean we’ll give up!”
Soon, more students joined him.
Kurenai Yuhi.
Mitarashi Anko.
Several other children who had ranked highly during enrollment.
One after another, they stood beside Genma.
None of them were willing to back down.
Anko crossed her arms and glared at Tanya.
“So what if you’re stronger?” New chapters come out on g.com first.
“We’ll surpass you sooner or later!”
This time, Tanya’s smile became genuine.
Not because they were powerful.
Far from it.
Most of them were still inexperienced children.
But unlike many others, they possessed something valuable.
Willpower.
The refusal to yield.
The courage to stand up after being defeated.
Those qualities were far more important than talent alone.
With proper training, such people could become reliable subordinates and valuable allies.
Her gaze briefly shifted toward the nearby forest.
Hidden among the trees stood two figures.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
And their homeroom teacher, Asano.
The Hokage had been observing the entire situation from the beginning.
When Tanya’s gaze met his, Hiruzen gave a slight nod.
As he watched the confrontation, he found himself reflecting on the Academy’s shortcomings.
The current Ninja Academy focused heavily on basic theory.
Students learned chakra control, shinobi history, and the Three Basic Techniques.
Yet very little attention was given to preparing children for the harsh reality awaiting them after graduation.
The transition from student to shinobi was often abrupt and dangerous.
Many new genin struggled to adapt.
As a result, casualties during missions remained troublingly high.
Teams led by experienced jonin generally fared better.
Veteran leaders could recognize danger early and compensate for their students’ mistakes.
But not every mission benefited from such protection.
Many routine assignments were supervised by chunin.
Although chunin possessed sufficient skill to complete most missions, they lacked the overwhelming battlefield control of elite jonin.
One mistake.
One moment of hesitation.
That was often enough to cost a young shinobi their life.
After a long silence, Hiruzen spoke.
“Asano.”
“What do you think of Tanya?”
Asano watched the training ground for several moments before answering.
“Even using only a shadow clone, she can suppress nearly every student present.”
“Even Kakashi was defeated decisively.”
“In terms of combat ability alone, she has already exceeded the level of most chunin.”
The difference between genin and chunin was often smaller than civilians imagined.
Especially among clan heirs.
Many children from major clans entered the Academy already capable of using the Three Basic Techniques.
Some had even begun learning their clan’s secret arts.
In practical combat ability, they often already possessed the qualifications of a genin.
The true divide within Konoha’s military structure lay between chunin and jonin.
Jonin were not merely stronger.
They possessed leadership, judgment, experience, adaptability, and the ability to survive on deadly battlefields.
For civilian-born shinobi, obtaining such experience was often extremely difficult.
Many never reached that stage.
Some died before they were ever given the opportunity.
This isn’t to say that what’s taught at ninja academy is useless; a solid foundation is crucial.
However, you can’t just learn arithmetic without practical application; enemies won’t give you time to adapt.