"The first exam... I'm a bit nervous. I wonder if the questions will be hard," one student said anxiously.
"I hope they aren't too difficult. If I fail, I'll definitely get scolded at home," another student added with worry.
"It shouldn't be that bad. Didn't Teacher Muyue give us mock tests? Getting a passing grade shouldn't be too hard," one tried to reassure the others.
With this being the first real exam, many students in Class 1 Year 1 were feeling the pressure. They were nervous about failing, worried about how their families would react.
"Hey, Kotetsu, are you nervous?" Izumo Kamizuki asked nervously.
"What's there to be nervous about? It's just a small test. I'll ace it easily," Anko Mitarashi said with a confident grin.
"Yeah, but aren't you worried? This isn't just any random test. The results are going to be public," Izumo replied, his voice betraying a bit of unease.
"Well, I'm a little nervous. I only scored an 80 on Teacher Hoshino's mock exam, and the real one's probably harder. I'll be lucky to get 60 or 70 this time," Kotetsu said thoughtfully.
"My score was a bit higher—87. But I've got a feeling I won't break 70 on this one," Izumo sighed.
"Wait... You guys scored that high?" Anko blinked in surprise. Her mock test score had only been in the 60s.
"Mock scores don't mean much," Izumo shrugged, sighing.
"Let's just try to do well. I heard a rumor that if our class scores too low, they might switch our teacher," Kotetsu added cautiously.
"Switch teachers? No way, I don't want to lose Teacher Muyue!" Anko's tone became more serious. Although Muyue wasn't their only teacher, he was definitely their favorite.
"Yeah, other teachers' classes are so boring. Teacher Muyue's lessons are fun and easy to understand," Izumo agreed.
"Maybe we should tell the class about this and motivate everyone to do better," Izumo suggested. He had the idea from reading stories about how soldiers rallied before battles.
Anko thought it was a great plan and immediately stood up to announce the news to the class.
Her words stirred up a commotion. Teacher Muyue was respected and loved by everyone in the room.
"Everyone, we need to do our best in this exam! If we slack off and Teacher Muyue gets replaced by some boring instructor, it'll be the worst!" Kotetsu shouted to further rally the class.
"We must do well! We can't let Teacher Muyue be replaced!" another student shouted.
"If anyone fails this exam, I'll personally look down on them. Teacher Muyue's taught us so well; there's no excuse to fail!"
Amidst the growing energy in the room, Shisui Uchiha sat quietly, unbothered by the conversation. He knew he was going to secure the top spot in the entire year, without a doubt.
"Everyone, quiet down. The exam is about to start. Just do your best," came a sudden voice that silenced the class instantly. All heads turned toward the doorway where Muyue stood, his calm gaze sweeping over the students.
"I believe all of you will do well," he said with a reassuring smile before heading to his assigned classroom for invigilation.
As he left, Muyue couldn't help but feel pleased. Knowing that his students wanted to perform well to keep him as their teacher was heartwarming.
However, their fears were misplaced. Even if the school swapped instructors, it would only happen after an entire term or school year had been evaluated, not based on one exam. Besides, the mock tests he gave them had been intentionally harder than the real ones.
Muyue entered Class 2 Year 4, where he was assigned to supervise. He addressed the students from the front of the room, "Settle down, everyone. The exam will begin shortly."
There were several familiar faces among the students in this class. Tenten and Might Guy were his students, and many others were used to seeing him as a substitute teacher.
"Teacher Muyue is here! I'm definitely going to pass this time!" Might Guy said, breathing deeply as if readying himself for battle.
If given the choice between fighting a real ninja or taking a written exam, Guy would probably choose the fight. He was more confident in his fists than in his answers.
"This time, I'll blow your mind, Rin. Just watch! No more 'dead last' for me," Obito Uchiha whispered to Rin, a proud grin on his face.
"I believe in you, Obito. You can do it," Rin said with a warm smile.
Obito had made this promise many times before, but Rin still believed in him and wanted him to succeed.
"Make sure you answer all the questions you know first, then go back to the hard ones later," she advised kindly, truly hoping Obito could finally break free from his 'dead last' reputation.
Obito nodded enthusiastically, filled with determination.
Soon, another teacher, Sugihito Kimura, entered to join Muyue in supervising the class. Each exam hall had two teachers to ensure fairness.
As the bell rang, the exams were handed out. Muyue and Kimura started pacing around the room to monitor the students.
"Poor Teacher Ikeno. He really got the short end of the stick this term," Sugihito remarked softly to Muyue, glancing at the papers. "Having both Obito and Guy in his class... his bonus is probably done for."
"We'll see. Maybe they'll surprise us and pass this time," Muyue said with a chuckle, though he doubted Sugihito shared his optimism.
"That's impossible. If they were going to pass, they'd have done it long before now. The material only gets harder with each grade," Sugihito said, shaking his head.
"Well, they're graduating soon anyway. Not much longer for them to be someone else's problem," he added.
Once their quiet chat ended, Muyue resumed his rounds. He missed teaching already. Because of exams, the academy had shut down classes for three days: the first day for theory exams, the next two for practical combat exams.
This pause meant Muyue couldn't refine as much chakra or learn new jutsu as quickly as he wanted, but at least the system still rewarded him for teaching. For example, after giving Obito some shuriken tips earlier, the system had granted him an extra fifty chakra points.
"Just wait, Teacher Muyue! I'll take down everyone with the shurikens you gave me and secure first place!" Obito had boasted, eyes gleaming with excitement.
As the practical exam approached, Muyue could only smile and look forward to the outcome.
(End of Chapter)