"Teacher Hanyu, I beg you, please don't tell Teacher Ikeya," Obito pleaded desperately, still not giving up.
"That will depend on your performance," Mu Yue replied with a playful smile, not giving a clear answer.
"Teacher, is there something wrong?" Might Guy scratched his head in confusion, unsure why he had been called out since he hadn't done anything wrong.
Mu Yue looked at Might Guy, the man who was almost powerful enough to kick the final boss out of existence and was once called the strongest in taijutsu by Madara Uchiha. Right now, however, he was still young and inexperienced.
Although he was already wearing his iconic green jumpsuit, his strength and belief in his own "youth" were still lacking.
At this point, Might Guy believed in his daily training regimen, thinking it would eventually make him a taijutsu expert. But he hadn't fully grasped the concepts of "youth" and self-discipline that his father had taught him. He still needed to grow, and Mu Yue was happy to give him a push in the right direction during this time.
"Your poor performance in theory class has been troubling Teacher Ikeya a lot," Mu Yue began.
Hearing this, even Obito, who usually didn't take things too seriously, lowered his head in embarrassment.
"It's not that I don't want to study, but the questions are so hard to understand! Why do we have to figure out how many animals are stuck in a cage together?" Obito tried to defend himself.
Seeing Obito like this, Mu Yue recalled his own high school days, grinding through math homework. Luckily, his major didn't require advanced math.
But Mu Yue knew that the real issue was with Obito. The math taught at the ninja academy was very basic, with fewer classes compared to subjects like history.
"Your problems aren't just with math—you're also struggling in history and ninjutsu theory," Mu Yue shook his head.
"What's the point of learning history? It's all in the past," Obito argued. He thought the history class should be scrapped. Math might be useful when buying groceries, but history seemed pointless to him.
"I feel the same way," Might Guy nodded in agreement. He truly couldn't memorize all those historical facts.
"Well, you'll have to bring that up with the Third Hokage. He's the head of the ninja academy," Mu Yue said, indicating that this was beyond his control.
"But continuing like this won't do you any good. It's not fair to Teacher Ikeya, and it's not good for you either."
"Wait, does that mean you have some secret to passing the exam?" Obito asked with wide eyes, looking hopeful.
Might Guy also looked excitedly at Mu Yue. Nobody wanted to be at the bottom of the class if they could help it.
"There is a secret to passing the exams. It's called 'practice, practice, and more practice!'" Mu Yue revealed his method.
Given the level of difficulty of the ninja academy's exams, all he had to do was apply the study techniques he learned in his previous life, and they'd easily pass. After all, at the ninja academy, if you could score half the class average, you'd pass.
"Practice?" Both of them looked confused.
"Think of it as a special training session for your exams. And if you pass, I'll give you a reward," Mu Yue said with a smile.
"A reward? Like dango?" Obito asked curiously.
"I'll teach you some ninjutsu or taijutsu techniques. I'll help guide your training," Mu Yue replied.
"Really?" The two of them widened their eyes in disbelief. It sounded too good to be true.
"That's only if you pass the exam in a month," Mu Yue reminded them.
"Is this what youth is? I'm fired up!" Might Guy said with excitement.
"This time, I'll definitely pass!" Obito promised.
Seeing the two of them so motivated, Mu Yue nodded to himself. A skilled hunter often appears as prey. They thought they had struck gold, learning the secret to passing the exam and receiving rewards for their efforts.
Meanwhile, all Mu Yue had to do was guide them through the special training, and soon they would naturally become his students.
Even if they didn't pass the exam, Mu Yue could still praise their effort and say, "I can't leave you empty-handed after trying so hard," further boosting their spirits.
Unlike Shisui, he hadn't immediately taken Obito and Guy as disciples. The situation didn't quite call for that, and Mu Yue was only subbing in for one class, so he couldn't regularly interact with them. If he were their homeroom teacher, it would be easier to manage.
After finalizing their special training plans, Mu Yue led the two boys back to class.
"Obito, what did Teacher Hanyu call you out for? He didn't punish you, did he?" Rin Nohara asked worriedly.
"Punish me? No way! Teacher Hanyu is great—he even taught me the secret to passing the exam!" Obito immediately defended Mu Yue.
If Mu Yue could help him get rid of his "last place" status, Obito would become his number one fan.
"Rin, you better study harder, or I'll surpass you in the next exam," Obito teased with a grin.
"If you really manage to surpass me, I'll be impressed," Rin replied with a helpless smile. Although she wasn't the top student, she was always among the highest-ranked.
When the class bell rang, Obito approached his studies with an unprecedented level of seriousness. This time, he was determined to pass. He had already begun planning which ninjutsu to learn.
Even Rin was surprised by Obito's sudden change in attitude. She wondered, could he really be serious this time?
Three minutes later, however, Obito was slumped over his desk. Rin could only sigh—Obito was still the same old Obito she knew.
Just then, a piece of chalk flew in a graceful arc and hit Obito square on the head.
Obito blinked in confusion, looking around at Mu Yue's face, Rin's face, and Might Guy, who was furiously taking notes. He recalled what he had said three minutes earlier and blushed, quickly shaking off his sleepiness.
Aside from this small interruption with Obito falling asleep, the rest of the class went smoothly.
[Lesson complete]
[Evaluation: A]
[Reward: Leaf Whirlwind]
This time, the reward wasn't a ninjutsu technique but a taijutsu move—specifically, one that Might Guy would develop in the future.
Though it seemed simple at first glance—just a kick—the moment Mu Yue tried it, he realized it wasn't as easy as it looked. The stance, muscle activation, and chakra burst all required precise technique.
Mu Yue was pleased with the reward, as he had been wondering what to teach Guy. Now he had something to work with.
After school, Mu Yue wandered around the forest on the southern edge of the Leaf Village, searching for a suitable training ground.
After all, he still held a position within the Root. Danzo likely knew where he lived.
Given Danzo's hatred for the Uchiha, if he discovered that Mu Yue had been secretly teaching Shisui ninjutsu, he'd probably suspect Mu Yue of treason.
While Mu Yue did possess sensory jutsu, he couldn't keep it active constantly, as his chakra reserves weren't enough for that.
So, he planned to train with Shisui outside the village from now on.
Eventually, Mu Yue found a secluded spot by a small river, perfect for training. He made a mental note of the location before heading home.
As it turned out, his caution wasn't in vain. Upon entering his courtyard, he spotted a masked ninja from the Anbu Black Ops standing in the yard.