On the first day back to school, there was a theoretical exam. Before the exam, the students who didn't go on internships were curiously asking the intern students about their internship experiences.
"Obito, what do intern Ninjas usually do? Is it the same as official Ninjas?" a classmate asked Obito with a curious expression.
"It should be pretty similar. We do commissioned tasks, and when we're not on tasks, we train with our sensei," Obito recalled and then answered.
"Although they are all commissioned tasks, each mission is quite different, and we get to see different landscapes in different countries."
Obito quite enjoyed going on missions. Even though they encountered danger last time, they managed to overcome the difficulties through their efforts, and the feeling of achieving success after hard work was incredibly satisfying.
"Even went abroad!" The surrounding students showed expressions of shock and envy.
Not to mention going abroad, they hadn't even left Konoha, having stayed there all their lives.
"Interns can even go abroad. It's a pity I wasn't selected."
"We'll get our chance soon. In two months, after passing the graduation exam, we'll be official Ninjas."
The surrounding students began discussing. Some started looking forward to the life of a Ninja after graduation because of Obito's words, while others were curious about what other countries were like.
"Which countries did you go to? How are foreign countries different from the Land of Fire?" a student couldn't help but continue to ask.
Before Obito could answer, Uchiha Tekka, hearing the discussion, voiced his doubts.
"Aren't interns only supposed to do D-Rank Missions? D-Rank Missions are all village tasks, none of them involve leaving the village, let alone going abroad."
He had also participated in the internship, but the tasks he did were all odd jobs like catching cats and picking up garbage.
Listening to Obito talking about visiting different countries to see the scenery, he seriously doubted Obito was bragging because the registered Ninjas in the mission hall had all said that intern teams could only take on D-Rank Missions.
"Yeah, I participated in the internship too. We interns can only do odd jobs like picking up garbage and doing farm work," another intern student stepped forward to confirm Uchiha Tekka's words.
There were a total of thirty interns in the fourth grade, with three to four students selected per class. Class 2 had four interns.
Seeing two interns in the class stating facts opposite to Obito's, the rest of the students looked at Obito with puzzled expressions, some even with skeptical eyes.
Although Obito's performance this school year was very talented, based on his performance in the previous three years, they believed there was indeed a possibility of exaggeration.
"Generally, intern teams can indeed only do D-Rank Missions." Obito didn't get angry at the classmates' suspicion but nodded in agreement with this statement.
Seeing Obito seemingly admit to exaggerating, Uchiha Tekka nodded inwardly. Obito wasn't completely out of his mind; there were other students in the class who had also participated in internships.
"So Obito, why did you say you went abroad for missions?" some students who believed Obito asked in confusion.
They originally wanted Obito to explain, but his words left them unable to understand. Was he admitting to being a liar?
"But we're not just an ordinary intern team. The Third Hokage recognized our exceptional strength and specially allowed us to take on C-Rank Missions," Obito said, unable to hide his smug smile. This was a privilege granted by the Hokage, unique to their team.
Normally, if misunderstood, he would be upset, but this time Obito felt it was normal.
Because that was the truth. Intern teams were indeed not allowed to take on missions above D-Rank initially, as registered Ninjas had told them. Their ability to do C-Rank Missions was because their performance was so outstanding that the Hokage believed they were capable of higher-ranked missions.
Obito thought it made sense. Their sensei, Yumi-sensei, was many times stronger than other sensei, and both him, Guy and Kakashi's abilities far surpassed their peers.
"Hokage-sama specifically allowed it!" The students in the classroom were all shocked by Obito's words. The Hokage was someone everyone in Konoha admired.
Uchiha Tekka was also dumbfounded. He didn't expect Obito to go this far, claiming even the Hokage's permission. This sounded even more unbelievable than intern Ninjas going abroad for missions.
Although he didn't approve of either claim in his heart, Uchiha Tekka had to admit that together they sounded somewhat believable.
"So Obito, how many C-Rank Missions have you completed and how many countries have you been to?" asked the curious students who believed Obito.
"We've been to two countries. We went to the Land of Rice Fields once and the Land of Rivers twice. But as for how many C-Rank Missions we've completed, we haven't completed a single one," Obito honestly replied.
Although they accepted three C-Rank Missions, the number of completed C-Rank Missions in their record is zero—all of them were upgraded after completion.
"Huh? It's impossible that all the missions failed, right?" Obito's words puzzled the surrounding students again. Surely, all three missions couldn't have ended in failure.
"It's not that they failed, but each time we encountered unexpected events that caused the mission to be upgraded. So, when we accepted them, they were C-Rank, but upon completion, they were upgraded to B-Rank and A-Rank Missions," Obito said casually.
Most students didn't know what A-Rank and B-Rank Missions meant, but hearing about mission upgrades made them feel impressed, and they cheered.
However, Uchiha Tekka and another intern who understood a bit more didn't believe it. If Obito hadn't mentioned A-Rank and B-Rank Missions, they might have believed him to some extent, considering Obito did have the capability.
But A-Rank Missions are high-ranked missions that even Chunin rarely participate in.
"Whatever, I'm not bothering to expose him. We'll see the truth after graduation." Uchiha Tekka opened his mouth, but ultimately chose not to point out the inconsistencies in Obito's words, returning to his seat to prepare for the exam.
Exposing the truth would require effortful explanations, and some might still not believe him, thinking he was jealous. It would be like trying to please others with little gain.
They had been deceived due to their own lack of capability. If they had the ability to participate in internships, they wouldn't have been fooled by such outrageous lies.
"The scenery in the Land of Rivers is vastly different from that in our Land of Fire. There are immense deserts that stretch endlessly, all sand, without a trace of green trees..." Obito continued passionately describing the landscapes encountered during missions.
Feeling the envy and astonishment of others, Obito felt immensely satisfied.
When the proctor sensei entered the classroom, Obito reluctantly stopped and returned to his seat, preparing for the exam.
When the exam papers were handed out, Obito no longer felt the fearless courage he had while telling stories earlier; instead, he felt his heart skip a beat as soon as he saw the black ink on the white paper.
After working on the questions for a while, Obito couldn't help but glance around. Soon, he noticed Guy vigorously writing away.
"Oh no, Guy hasn't been studying this whole time, has he?" Obito remembered that his teammate hadn't spoken at all.
With this thought in mind, Obito focused earnestly on the exam. After the results were announced, their mission records would surely astonish everyone. By then, whoever had the lowest theoretical knowledge between him and Guy would be embarrassed.
At noon, many interns gathered together to discuss their internship experiences. Obito noticed and joined Guy to join in the lively discussion.
"The life of a Ninja isn't easy, huh? Feels much more tiring than when we were in school, either odd jobs or training," Shiranui Genma sighed.
"Yeah, that's true. I heard that newly graduated Genin seem to only do odd jobs as well. I wonder how long it'll last," another intern nodded in agreement beside him.
"Not bad at all. I actually feel internship life is pretty good," Obito chuckled.
"You sure feel good because your mentor is Yumi-sensei," Shiranui Genma couldn't help but playfully punch Obito's shoulder and tease.
"So Yumi-sensei is also mentoring interns. Obito, you're really lucky," the interns looked at Obito with envy.
Except for Hyuga Kamon, all the other interns had attended Mutsuki's summer special training. They knew how comfortable it was to be taught by Mutsuki compared to other sensei; it was a completely different experience.
"That's because Obito is the top of the grade," Ebisu felt it wasn't just luck. Obito, from the prestigious Uchiha clan and topping the grade, surely had the best mentor.
"Yeah, that makes sense. It's reasonable for Guy to intern with you," Shiranui Genma nodded in agreement. Since the final exams of the fourth grade first semester, it had been a battle between Guy and Obito for the top spot.
"By the way, who's your other teammate, Hyuga Kamon?" Shiranui Genma asked curiously, noticing Hyuga Kamon wasn't present.
In terms of strength, he believed Hyuga Kamon was the most qualified third member. Hyuga Kamon not only topped the practical exam in the fourth grade, but had maintained the top position for a long time in the second and third grades as well.
Obito and Guy both shook their heads.
"Huh, not Hyuga Kamon? Then who is it?" Shiranui Genma grew even more curious.
The students nearby also looked at Obito and the others curiously, wondering who among them had the luck to join this prestigious internship class.
Guy gave a name that surprised everyone.
"It's Kakashi," Guy answered truthfully.
"Huh, Kakashi? How could it be Kakashi? Hasn't he graduated long ago? I heard he became a Chunin when we were in the second grade," Shiranui Genma was utterly surprised by Guy's unexpected mention of Kakashi.
He expected Obito's teammates to be outstanding students like Hyuga Kamon, Uchiha Tekka, Shizune, but they weren't Academy students at all.
"Yeah, aren't we interns? Why are you teaming up with official Ninjas?" the students nearby were all extremely surprised.
They were not unfamiliar with the name Kakashi because Kakashi had been in the same grade as them. Even if they hadn't spoken to Kakashi, they had heard of his genius feats.
"I'm not sure, maybe it's the bond of true friendship between us!" Guy flashed a bright smile, thumbs up.
Shiranui Genma: ...
Then Shiranui Genma looked at Obito, who nodded affirmatively. Although he didn't know the details, Kakashi, who was already a Chunin, had indeed become their internship teammate.
"Well, your lineup is really impressive. Yumi-sensei is a Special Jonin, and then there's Kakashi, a Chunin. On top of that, you're the top of the grade. It seems like even doing odd jobs would be beneath you," a student exclaimed in amazement.
"You guessed right. Hokage-sama saw our strength and specially allowed us to undertake C-Rank Missions," Obito chuckled.
Upon hearing Obito's words, the students nearby looked even more envious, and no one questioned Obito's statement.
If a Chunin sensei were leading ordinary interns and granted special permission by the Hokage, it might seem suspicious. However, Obito's team setup was too luxurious.
Their sensei was a Special Jonin, their teammate a genius Chunin. Both Guy and Obito had proven their abilities by defeating official Genin during summer special training.
"The treatment you guys get makes me feel like my internship is fake," Shiranui Genma sighed after reflecting on his own two months. Comparisons really can be a killer.
"Tell us about the C-Rank Missions. What kind of enemies did you encounter?"
"They're just average. Either escorting clients or hunting fierce beasts and bandits," Obito said nonchalantly, suppressing a smile that threatened to appear.
Facing Kakashi, he might be a rookie, but among the academy's interns, he's already an experienced mission-goer.
"As for the enemies, it depends on luck. If luck isn't on your side, you might encounter Ninja enemies. If there's a Jonin, the mission is usually upgraded to A-Rank. If it's just a Chunin, it typically stays as a B-Rank. We seemed to have bad luck and encountered Jonin enemies twice."
"What? You encountered Jonin during missions! Twice!" The surrounding students showed extremely surprised expressions, some even looking at Obito with a hint of doubt in their eyes.
Even as students, they understood the value of Jonin, because they had seen Jonin almost exclusively in the Academy. Though Mutsuki and their team had some interaction with them, Mutsuki wasn't technically a Jonin; he was a Special Jonin, one level lower.
For those from ninja families or clan members, they had a deeper understanding of the value of Jonin. Even among powerful ninja clans, there weren't many Jonin.
"You encountered Jonin enemies and managed to come back alive, no, complete the missions successfully? Yumi-sensei is just a Special Jonin." An intern looked at Obito with a skeptical gaze and asked.
He didn't distrust Obito's character; it was just that Obito's words were too exaggerated.
"Jonin are indeed strong, but that kind of strength isn't impossible to surpass. With effort and determination, you can defeat them!" Guy grinned widely.
The memory of their joint effort in defeating the Jonin was still deeply ingrained in his mind. Guy had truly felt the specter of death that time; even with the Eight Inner Gates and Total Concentration Breathing, he wouldn't have been a match alone. It required teaming up with Obito, who activated the Sharingan.
"Ninja ranks don't always equate to strength. I haven't even graduated yet, but I've managed to defeat those official Ninja. Though Yumi-sensei is a Special Jonin, regular Jonin wouldn't stand a chance against him." Obito rebutted earnestly.
"Well, maybe Yumi-sensei could pull it off," Shiranui Genma chose to believe in Mutsuki's ability to defeat Jonin.
"It's different. Genuine Jonin are really strong. While I like Yumi-sensei too, this is hard to believe," the person who had questioned earlier explained.
His parents were both Ninja, and both were Chunin, so he knew how difficult it was to become a Jonin. Strong abilities couldn't have any weaknesses, and they needed achievements.
Obito wanted to explain further, but the bell for preparation rang, so he said:
"Whether it's true or not, you'll see in a few days when the scores are out. Guy and I both have records of completing two A-Rank Missions, encountering Jonin both times."
After saying this, Obito and Guy hurried back to the classroom.
Seeing Obito so confident in his words, the student who had doubted him began to waver.
He knew that the number of missions completed by interns would be announced when the exam results were published. His mentor used this to encourage them to do more tasks.
"If that is true. With Yumi-sensei's strength, he shouldn't be teaching at the Academy," he reasoned logically, feeling relieved that he wouldn't be embarrassed.
He believed Mutsuki was strong in teaching and nurturing students, not in combat. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a Special Jonin at the Ninja Academy.
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