"First exam, I'm a bit nervous, don't know if the questions are difficult."
"I hope not, if I don't pass, I'll get scolded when I get home."
"It shouldn't be that bad. Mutsuki-sensei also gave us a mock exam, and passing was pretty straightforward."
Perhaps because it was the first exam, many students in the first-year class seemed a bit nervous. Worried that the questions might be too difficult and anxious about receiving poor grades and getting scolded at home.
"Anko, Izumo, are you guys nervous?" Hagane Kotetsu asked Kamizuki Izumo.
"What's there to be nervous about? It's just a little exam. Watch me breeze through it," Anko said with a cheerful smile.
"You sure you're not nervous? This is different from usual. The results will be publicly posted," Kamizuki Izumo replied.
"I'm a bit nervous too. I only scored 80 on Yumi-sensei's mock exam last time. The official exam should be a bit harder; I'll probably only manage to score 60 or 70," Hagane Kotetsu nodded.
"My mock exam score is a bit better than yours, got 87. I feel like this time it might be around 60 or 70," Kamizuki Izumo said with a troubled expression.
"No way, you all scored so high?" Anko, feeling a bit confused, confidently mentioned that she only scored in the 60s on the last mock exam.
"The mock exam scores are all fake, can't be considered real," Kamizuki Izumo sighed.
"Let's strive to get better scores. If the average score is higher, I heard that if the grades are too low, they might change the sensei who teaches us. Then it won't be Mutsuki-sensei," Hagane Kotetsu shared some gossip he heard.
"Change sensei? It's fine to change other senseis, but not Yumi-sensei," Anko didn't want Mutsuki to leave.
Even though Mutsuki is the homeroom teacher, he teaches more classes in Class 1, and not all subjects are taught by Mutsuki; there are several other senseis.
"Yeah, other sensei's classes are too boring. Only Yumi-sensei's classes are interesting and easy to understand," Kamizuki Izumo agreed.
"How about we share this news with the whole class to boost everyone's morale?" Kamizuki Izumo thought of a good idea; in stories, they often inspire morale before a big battle.
Anko thought it was a good idea and immediately stood on her desk to announce the news to everyone.
Anko's words caused a stir in the classroom since Mutsuki was their most beloved and respected sensei.
"Everyone, let's all try our best to do well in the exam. If Mutsuki-sensei leaves and we get a boring sensei, it'll be terrible," Hagane Kotetsu took the opportunity to say loudly.
"Let's work hard and make sure Mutsuki-sensei doesn't get replaced!"
"I'll just say it straight: if anyone fails this time, I'll look down on them. Mutsuki-sensei teaches so well."
Shisui didn't participate; he didn't care. He would take action and secure the top spot in the grade. With students achieving such results, there wouldn't be a need for a replacement.
"Quiet down, everyone. The exam is about to start. Just do your best," Hagane Kotetsu said.
Mutsuki's voice suddenly echoed, instantly quieting the classroom. Everyone looked towards the source of the sound, only to see Mutsuki standing at the doorway, having silently walked in without anyone noticing.
"I believe that each of you can achieve good results," Mutsuki said with a smile, not lingering for long. Soon, he headed to the class he was assigned to invigilate.
Seeing so many students eager to perform well to keep him as their teacher naturally pleased Mutsuki. However, he could only say that their worries were unnecessary. Even if there were a change in sensei, it would be assessed over the entire semester and academic year.
Moreover, Mutsuki's practice exams were actually more challenging than the real ones. Walking into the classroom of Class 4-2, he went straight to the podium and announced, "Everyone, please quiet down. The exam is about to begin."
The allocation of senseis for invigilation was random, and Mutsuki happened to be overseeing Class 4-2.
"Mutsuki-sensei."
Many students in Class 4-2 greeted Mutsuki, and he responded with a smile and nod to each one.
Not only were Obito and Might Guy in Class 4-2 his disciples, but it was also a class where he frequently substituted. Therefore, everyone was quite familiar with him, and with the presence of Chitani Isamu for comparison, the students preferred Mutsuki even more.
"Mutsuki-sensei is watching, so we must pass this time!" Might Guy took a deep breath, looking as if he was facing a formidable enemy.
If Might Guy had to choose between the theoretical exam and an official Genin battle, he would prefer to engage in a formal ninja battle. Graduating next year, he believed that facing official ninjas might lead to a breakthrough, and winning wasn't entirely out of the question. However, with certain theoretical topics, no matter how urgent he felt, there seemed to be no solution.
"Rin, just wait and see. I guarantee this time I will change your perception of me," Obito said triumphantly in a low voice.
"Surely you'll pass this time. I believe in you, Obito," Nohara Rin encouraged with a smile.
Although Obito had made similar statements countless times before, and they hadn't come to fruition, Nohara Rin still chose to believe in him and offered her support.
"Try to get the ones you know right, double-check them, and leave the difficult ones for the end," Nohara Rin gently reminded Obito.
As a good friend, she genuinely hoped that Obito could shake off the reputation of being at the bottom.
"Mm-hmm," Obito nodded in agreement.
Soon, another invigilating sensei entered the classroom. It was Kimura Sugito, a colleague of Mutsuki, and both senseis from the same office were assigned to invigilate a single exam room.
When the bell rang, Mutsuki and Kimura Sugito distributed the exam papers together.
Subsequently, the two monitored the exam, one quiet and one active, occasionally sitting together at the podium for a brief chat.
"Chitani-sensei must be feeling quite uneasy. I guess the bonus for this semester is in jeopardy, dealing with two students who struggle," Kimura Sugito sighed softly.
"It's hard to say. Maybe they'll make an effort this semester and surprise us by passing," Mutsuki smiled, shaking his head.
Mutsuki believed that this time, Obito and Might Guy's performance might drop a lot of jaws.
"Not passing the theoretical exam even once in three consecutive years. If they could pass, they would have done so a long time ago. The higher the course level, the more challenging it becomes," Kimura Sugito thought Mutsuki was too optimistic.
"Fortunately, they'll graduate after this academic year. Otherwise..." Kimura Sugito pondered. Dealing with students like them would be a real ordeal.
After a brief chat, Mutsuki continued his rounds.
He felt a bit nostalgic for regular classes. Due to the exams, the entire academy had a three-day break. The first day included various theoretical exams, the second day was practical, and the third day was also practical, culminating in a decisive battle to determine the grade rankings.
For Mutsuki, these three days off meant missing out on several Ninjutsu practices and failing to refine dozens of Chakra.
Fortunately, the teaching scrolls were still available. After the theoretical exams, Mutsuki gave Obito some Shuriken, allowing him to practice and expend fifty Chakra.
"When the time comes, Mutsuki-sensei, you watch. I'll definitely use the Shuriken you gave me to defeat them and take first place!" Obito expressed his gratitude.
The practical exams were about to begin.
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