Walking through the hallway of the Ninja Academy, Masaru Hoshigaki was internally fuming.

Why am I the one sent to pick those snorty brats? Heck, why am I even an instructor here? Aren't I supposed to be a Jonin?

Like any other member of the Hoshigaki Clan, Masaru too had their iconic shark-like teeth, beady eyes, grey skin, and three black markings right below his eyes. With jet-black hair and muscles bulging muscles, he was one of the two princes of the Hoshikagi clan. His little brother, Kisame Hoshigaki.

Finally getting into the infirmary, he could see almost all the kids already sitting up, except one. That one kid was clumped inside the cover in a very… suggestive pose.

Amused by this, Masu walked through the door, immediately capturing all the attention onto himself. Unbothered, he just walked toward the edge of the infirmary and forcibly pulled the cover. Sending Xavier tumbling down the floor.

****

Suddenly finding himself out of the warm covers, and rolling down the stone-cold floor, Xavier was infuriated. Top it off with another bout of sudden headache, he was ready to take on whoever woke him up from his slumber.

Just as he was about the curse out loud, he stopped. Looking up at the large man—no the monster standing before him, he only knew one man with such features.

K-Kisame Hoshigaki?

Frozen in shock and fear, Xavier could only stare blankly at the man's face. The man in question seems to be enjoying the show.

"Ke-Ke-Ke-Ke Kid, it's been more than a couple of hours since I dragged you here. If you really like this place, then I don't mind helping you stay here."

The shark-faced man spoke in a menacing voice as he traced the sword he carried on his waist, squinting his eyes and licking his lips, not surprised that a low-class rug would be trembling before him. The other kids around the room were not doing any better.

With slightly chattering teeth and sweat dripping off his forehead, Xavier managed to fumble out a few words.

"N-no, Sir, I w-will return immediately."

Amused by this, Masaru just shook his head and turned back, walking towards the door. Right before he exited the infirmary, he loudly shouted, addressing everyone this time.

"Follow me."

Immediately rising from the floor, Xavier scrambled to follow behind the man as the other kids began doing the same. Within seconds every kid had exited the infirmary and were walking down the hallway.

Looking around himself, Xavier could see about seven kids, eight including him were following the man's lead. However, nobody dared squeak out a sound.

Not as afraid as before, Xavier ideally stared around the gray and dim hallway while thinking to himself.

Right, today was supposed to be the first day of the academy. And well, they just pitted forty kids to brawl it out against each other. 'Getting to know each other', they said.

Interrupting his thoughts, the Hoshigaki grunted.

"Now, you will be having your orientation class. It will take quite a while, so you younglings won't be having any other classes today. Tomorrow's holiday as well."

Holiday? On the second day of school at that?

After that, no one spoke and the hallway remained silent with only the sound of footsteps.

The hallway itself was cold, just like the entire village. Grey walls with dim light bulbs, along with a few people running around dressed in standard Kiri chunin attire.

It consisted of a full black shirt and pants over which the village's standard gray flake jacket is worn. The jacket itself had a basic design with no pockets and was fastened to the sides by strips. There was a village symbol embedded on the back.

Masaru, who was leading the children through the hall was dressed similarly as well. Except, the flake jackets in his case had pockets and an additional neck guard. This was the standard Jonin attire for the village.

Finally, after walking for a few minutes, the group entered a large hall. The children were spread around the room, almost all looking towards the newcomers. There were a few people with walls facing their backs, all dressed in the village's chunin attire. At the edge of the hall, standing atop a raised platform was a man who was looking at Xavier's group.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Everyone here?"

The man spoke in a stern voice, the same voice that Xavier heard when he first landed into this hell hole.

"Yes." the Hoshigaki replied. Looking at the kids behind him, he continued. "There should be no one left."

The man standing atop the platform looked around for a bit and nodded. He stood a bit shorter than Masaru, with white hair and dressed in a black, sleeveless shirt, light-purple-colored pants, and striped leg-warmers typical to a certain noble clan. Looking at his pale skin, and a bottle of water tied around his waist, Xavier concluded.

From the Hozuki clan. But why are these nobles attending our orientation?

As Xavier was getting lost in his thoughts, the man atop the platform began his speech. A bit of fierceness added to his stern demeanor.

"Welcome to the Academy." He started, pausing for a moment, he continued. His voice, a decibel louder this time.

"I'm sure everybody; no matter the background, stands before me dreaming of one day serving the village." Xavier nodded, copying the kids around him. "I commend you." He nodded back. "But in this world being weak is a sin."

No one was surprised upon hearing that. The kids here had experienced more than enough to have that drilled into their heads.

"So, you have at most 5 years. We guarantee you 5 years of safety, for the next 5 years this compound will be your home. For 5 years you will neither starve; nor will you be cold. 5 years, that's all you have to prove your worth. After 5 years, you either walk out of here as a full-fledged shinobi or you die, ARE WE CLEAR!!!"

"YES SIR!" was the response from most kids, including Xavier.

Madness.

Nodding once again, the Hozuki continued this time in a much calmer tone.

"My name is Shigashi Hozuki, the Academy's principal and a jonin. The adults you see around you are chunins, and they will be your instructors throughout your stay here. "

The children turned their heads and curiously looked around at the instructors. Few of the chunins nodded back while most just maintained a stoic face. Masaru just seemed pissed about being called a chunin. But the principal ignored it and continued.

"You will be informed about your course and the assigned class teacher a bit later." He had a gentle smile as he said the next phrase, "Now for the main part of this orientation, follow the instructors around you."

For some reason, his smile sent a chill down everyone's spine. It looked gentle and nice, but it somehow felt wrong.

But the instructors were already moving through the door. About eight of them. Masaru remained in the orientation hall for some reason. They were led out of the hall; into the hallway, walking in the opposite direction of the nurse's office. As they moved, the children started to warm up a bit, and a few started to talk as well. Xavier too had a kid talking to him.

"Well, you got your ass handed quite well huh?" The boy spoke first. His voice clearly childish and immature.

"Heh, I saw you at the infirmary bed too, you were not any better than me." Xavier countered. The boy was one of the kids staring at Xavier in the nursing room.

"At least I didn't wake up crying and trembling under my cover. Especially when that instructor threw you on the floor, I thought you were about to piss yourself" He replied in a snarly tone.

"Shut up!" Xavier tried raising his voice a bit. Clearly embarrassed.

Just then the instructors stopped, causing a few kids to bump into each other. Before them laid a door, much larger than any door the kids had seen on their way here. It was a double-fronted wooden door with one side having the 'water' (水) symbol and the other side engraved with the symbol of Hidden Mist, just like the one in Kiri's forehead protector.

A relatively short woman, with greyish hair, brown eyes, and rough skin was standing before the party.

"My name is Ayame; just Ayame. I'm the Academy's vice principal," the woman spoke in a very rough tone. "This will be the last part of the orientation; and also the first lesson you will learn in the academy."

No surname? Is she related to the first Mizukage?

"Come closer." She instructed. The chunins immediately instructors backed away, creating a space for the kids to move forward.

After moving a strange smell assaulted Xavier's nose. Looking around Xavier could see a few kids widening their eyes as if shocked by the smell.

What's that funny smell? Xavier mused. Most of the kids seemed equally curious.

The vice principal smiled as she turned around. As she slowly started opening the door, she spoke once more, "Close your eyes and follow. DO NOT open it until I say so. If you fail to follow such a simple instruction, then you are not meant to be a shinobi." There was some kind of pressure backing up those phrases, causing the kids to involuntarily follow her words, including Xavier.

As they followed the command, with their eyes closed, the kids started bumping into each other a few times, but nothing major happened. The smell was getting stronger and stronger, making most of them feel nauseated. Almost all of them were already closing their nose after a few seconds. After walking for about half a minute, the vice-principal ordered, with the same pressure pressing down on everyone.

"Stop!"

Immediately everybody stopped. The children could feel something sticky on the soles of their sandals if they had one, or their feet if they had none. Some kids were trembling, as if afraid of what they would be seeing next while others held mild curiosity.

"Open your eyes!"

At the vice principal's command, Xavier slowly opened my eyes. For a moment, his mind struggled to register the scene surrounding him; before it all spilled out of his mouth.

It was a scene of utter carnage. Every inch of the floor was smeared with blood; the lifeless bodies of children just a few years older than those witnessing it littered the ground. Approximately 30 bodies, their faces frozen in horror. Most had their throats slit, and a few bore stab wounds. Two kids, a boy and a girl, both riddled with multiple stab wounds across their bodies. One boy had one of his eyes gouged out, while another girl had a knife thrust straight through her eyes. But they all shared one haunting similarity—their eyes were wide open, which spoke volumes about the horror they went through.

"Welcome to the Bloody Mist Academy!"

Those were the last words the freshmen heard when they all simultaneously fainted.

====>Chapter 2: The Bloody Orientation.<====

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