Academy

The is Konoha's training center for Academy Students before they become Genin. Known teachers at the academy include Iruka Umino, Shikamaru Nara, and formerly Mizuki.

Appearance
This building can be identified by the tree in front that has a swing on it (on which Naruto Uzumaki is sometimes seated). Classrooms in the academy are large and have high-ceilings, based on a theory that larger classrooms lead to expansive education, expanding even into the blackboard itself. In front of the blackboard is a podium situated far from the students' desks and put in a position where the teacher can view everyone at once. The large windows in the classrooms can be used as exits in case of emergency.

Curriculum
Students are taught basic level Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and how to control their Chakra, if they have the ability to do so. When they have graduated they are separated into squads of three Genin and a Jonin. At this point, they are tested once again, this time by their Jonin teacher, if they fail, they are sent back to the academy or are dropped from the program at the teacher's discretion.

Student Body
The best student of any graduating class is awarded the title, the "Number One Rookie;" known Number One Rookies include Neji Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha. On the bottom end of the pecking order of any graduating class is the "Dead-Last," the name given to the student who performed the worst out of their class; known Dead Lasts include Rock Lee and Naruto Uzumaki. According to Might Guy, he was the 'Dead Last' of his own graduating class; and Kakashi Hatake was the 'Number One Rookie' of his graduating class in the past.

Graduation
Graduating from the Academy usually consists of taking both a written exam, and then a practical exam, administered by a Chunin instructor, to earn enough marks to pass. As mentioned above, graduating students are then separated into squads of three Genin and assigned to a Jonin-sensei to instruct them further, and at this point, they will tested once again by their Jonin teacher to assess whenever they would be able to handle the demands of them as ninja, (i.e. the dynamics of teamwork.)

Although students are only instructed in the use of basic level Genjutsu, Ninjutsu and Taijutsu--knowledge of these techniques are ultimatly not pivotal to their success as ninja; students like Rock Lee, who graduated knowing only Taijutsu, and Naruto Uzumaki, who failed to perform the Clone Technique, a E-Rank technique, but could effortlessly perform the Shadow Clone Technique, a B-Rank Jonin technique, are both examples of this. Other students, like Shikamaru Nara, who considers the act of putting pen-to-paper to be "too much work," and whose test scores were considered as bad as Narutos', and Choji Akimichi, who would rather eat then study, graduated for being able to perform their respective clans' Hiden Jutsu.

Students who don't pass the tests set by their Chunin sensei may be held back for another year. However, students who do pass the tests set by their Chunin-sensei, but later fail the tests administered by their assigned Jonin-sensei, may either be sent back to the academy or else, depending on their performance, dropped from the program at their Jonin-sensei's discretion.

Trivia
Although the Japanese name for the Ninja Academy is simply, it's written with the kanji for.