Chapter 1: The Genius, Naruto Uzumaki!
"Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy."
"Registration Desk, turn left ahead."
A wooden sign stood in the middle of the road.
Naruto Uzumaki stared at the words and took a deep breath.
What lay ahead wasn't some deadly challenge, just a school that trained "Shinigami." Failing the entrance exam had no penalty, and one could try again next year.
But Naruto had no fond memories of "school."
His last experience with one was three years ago.
Back then, he lived in another world—in a village called "Konoha," attending a "Ninja Academy" founded there.
He was the universally disliked underachiever. No one wanted to be friends with him, and not a single teacher liked him.
And it wasn't just school. Outside, in the entire village of Konoha, things were the same.
Even shops and convenience stores refused to serve him or do business—except for "Ichiraku Ramen," the only place willing to welcome him.
So, Naruto hated school.
But now, he had a reason he had to register, a reason he must attend.
This wasn't Konoha—it was another world. A place called the "Soul Society," where souls resided after death.
Although he hadn't gone through what others called a "Soul Burial," Naruto understood clearly enough: "Being here meant he had died."
Death terrified the living.
But Naruto didn't find it so hard to accept.
He actually liked it here—there were no random insults or targeted malice. Shops welcomed his business, and lots of people wanted to be his friend.
Most importantly—
Souls of the dead all returned to the Soul Society. That meant he was finally in the same world as his parents.
The only downside: souls weren't born into the Soul Society in fixed locations.
There were 360 districts in Rukongai, and the chance of being in the same one as his parents was 1 in 360.
Naruto had searched his own district for three years and still hadn't found his parents.
So—he had to become a Shinigami.
He had to become someone great, like a Captain, someone with the entire squad at his command to help him search—or someone so famous, the whole Soul Society would know his name.
That way, he would find his parents.
Naruto walked through the school gates with the crowd and filled out the registration form.
Guided by senior students in blue and white uniforms, they were led into a gymnasium.
Once the number of candidates reached 200—
The gym doors were shut.
"Spiritual pressure is the foundation of a Shinigami."
A real Shinigami, dressed in black robes with a sword at his waist, stood out sharply from the students and spoke to the examinees.
"Only souls with spiritual pressure are qualified to study at the Shin'ō Academy."
"I'll call names in order."
"The rest of you wait."
The test was simple.
Each person only needed to place a hand on a crystal ball. Based on the glow it emitted, the Shinigami would announce a "grade."
Most received only a cold, indifferent "Not Qualified."
Even those who passed only scored "Grade 17" or "18"—results that clearly didn't please the Shinigami.
Only a few scored "Grade 11" or "12," which slightly softened the Shinigami's expression.
It was clear: the lower the number, the better.
Naruto was late, so he was at the end of the line.
Watching person after person fail—or barely pass—made him clench his fists, knuckles pale and fingers red.
He recognized many of those in front.
Some were people he'd "crossed paths" with in fights—wins and losses traded back and forth. Most of them either failed or barely passed with grades like "18" or "19."
Others he hadn't fought, but had reputations.
One woman could already manipulate basic spirit particles and turn dirt into sand using spiritual power—yet she only got a "Grade 12."
It all came down to talent.
But—
Naruto found it hard to believe he had any "talent."
If he'd had it, back in the Ninja Academy, he wouldn't have been so hated. He might've been like Sasuke Uchiha—respected and admired even if he was always sulking.
"Grade 20!"
That's what I need—at least a Grade 20!
That would be enough to get admitted.
Finally, the Shinigami called his name: "Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto walked up with heavy steps.
Just like everyone else, he placed his hand on the crystal ball.
The Shinigami glanced lazily at it, expecting to record another "18," "19," or "Not Qualified."
But then—something totally different happened.
The crystal ball erupted in a brilliant, blinding light.
So dazzling, it almost burned.
The senior student recording results widened his eyes in shock. His brush fell to the ground, bleeding ink into a blot he didn't even notice.
The slouching Shinigami suddenly stood bolt upright, spirit sharp:
"Grade 5!"
The gym exploded in commotion.
These souls weren't Shinigami yet—many weren't even students—but they understood one thing: over a hundred people had gone before, and no one had scored better than "10." That made this result staggering.
Even the Shinigami's intense reaction made it clear how extraordinary this was.
That scrawny blond kid?
He was that impressive?
"Testing is suspended," the Shinigami quickly recovered and gave instructions to the student nearby. "I'm taking this Naruto Uzumaki out."
"Maintain order."
The student stood straight and saluted: "Yes, sir."
The Shinigami grabbed Naruto's wrist and flash-stepped out of the gym.
"Grade 5… does that mean I have talent?"
The wind howled past Naruto's ears from the high-speed movement. The G-forces kept him alert enough to ask the question.
The Shinigami chuckled. "Talent?"
"That word doesn't even begin to cover it."
"Your ability is nothing like those still-unpolished gems."
"We're here."
He stopped in front of a building and knocked respectfully on the door.
A voice inside said, "Come in."
The Shinigami opened the door and couldn't wait to show off:
"Dean Bokō! A genius showed up in the entrance test—a Grade 5 Spiritual Force!"
Inside, a middle-aged man with a bright, kind face stood up.
"Grade 5?"
"Uzumaki Naruto," the Shinigami said, gently pulling Naruto in and repeating the result, "Grade 5 Spiritual Force—I saw it with my own eyes."
Then he turned to Naruto and smiled.
"This is Dean Kazuki Bokō of the Shin'ō Academy."
"You're unsure how to define your talent?"
Naruto nodded.
The Shinigami continued,
"Grade 5 Spiritual Force means that with just basic training from this academy, you could easily reach Dean Bokō's level."
Naruto was stunned.
The Dean's level?
That had to be pretty amazing.
He tried to compare it with what he knew…
Who was the head of Konoha's Ninja Academy? The Third Hokage, wasn't it?
Could he become someone like the Third?
The Shinigami grinned:
"To even barely qualify as a Shinigami, you need at least Grade 20."
"Grade 10? That lets you become a low-ranking seated officer—like me."
"Grade 8 or better? That's a high-ranking officer—like Dean Bokō."
"Before he became the Academy Dean, Dean Bokō had Grade 6 Spiritual Force and was the 3rd Seat of Squad 9."
"And Grade 5 Spiritual Force? That meets the requirements to be a Vice Captain."
He paused there, his gaze deep and full of satisfaction as it settled on Naruto.
"But even that doesn't fully describe your talent."
"In the past hundred years—not only have no students entered the academy with Grade 5, but even graduating students with Grade 8 or higher have been extremely rare."
"Even current Squad 3 Captain Rose Ōtoribashi and Squad 9 Captain Kensei Muguruma only had Grade 6 at graduation."
Naruto was speechless, all of this spinning in his head. Eventually, he condensed it into a single question:
"So, I'm a genius?"
Dean Bokō laughed heartily:
"You're not just a genius—you're a once-in-a-century genius!"
"And you're still young."
"No wonder they brought you straight to me."
Naruto didn't respond—he just looked at the two who were celebrating for him.
Deep in his ear, there was a faint crack—
Something broke inside him.
Something called a "prejudice."
(End of Chapter)