The third day of exams was much quicker, with only two participants from each class, and since there were eight classes in a grade, the numbers were manageable.
As on the previous day, non-participants could choose not to attend. However, many students showed up to watch, eager to see who would claim the title of the top student in the fourth grade.
"Am I seeing things? Isn't that Uchiha Obito over there?" someone questioned, confused.
"Did you miss the news from Class Two yesterday?" another student replied.
"Yeah, he had bad luck and lost in the first round against our strongest fighter, so he went home."
"Sounds about right. Uchiha Obito has really improved; he even defeated Uchiha Iron Fire from his class."
The crowd buzzed with discussion about the contestants, occasionally sparking debates over who might be stronger.
Even those who had previously mocked Obito or Might Guy found themselves defending their classmates, as they were representing their class.
"I think the top spot this time will go to Shisui," Mugetsu thought to himself as he observed the first round. He felt that both Obito and Guy were likely to struggle.
The Hyuga clan's Hinata had honed his Gentle Fist technique well and, with the advantage of Byakugan, it would be difficult for either Obito or Guy to prevail.
The two had simply not trained together long enough. Their strengths were insufficient compared to their weaknesses.
As the time ticked down, the last two rounds of battles commenced: Obito faced Hinata, while Guy squared off against a ninja from Class Three.
Just as Mugetsu had predicted, Obito was overwhelmed by Hinata's Gentle Fist, failing to even use a jutsu before being knocked out.
In the finals, Guy performed better than Obito but was still unable to escape defeat against Hinata's Byakugan.
After his loss, Obito felt somewhat disheartened, having aspired for the top spot, only to miss out entirely.
As Mugetsu passed by, he offered some consolation: "Don't dwell too much on your loss. Focus on how much you've improved compared to last time. Strive for the next chance."
This perspective lifted Obito's spirits as he recalled that during the last third-grade finals, he had ranked twentieth. Now he was almost among the top two—his progress was indeed remarkable!
Moving on, Mugetsu approached Guy, who surprisingly looked a bit downcast.
Given Guy's usual determination, Mugetsu found it odd until he realized the cause—Guy likely felt the weight of expectations after receiving the taijutsu manual from him.
"Failure is a part of life," Mugetsu reassured him. "Don't let one setback define you."
Guy, shaken, suddenly understood that he had ample experience with failure himself. He had nearly flunked his entrance exams and had once been easily defeated by Kakashi in a challenge.
Despite only being eight years old, he had faced a slew of setbacks.
"Now I get it, Teacher Mugetsu," Guy said, his gaze becoming resolute.
He resolved not to sulk over his losses but to train hard and emerge victorious next time, striving to become the strongest.
Pleased, Mugetsu nodded before making his way to Shisui, who was surrounded by students eagerly asking questions.
"Teacher Yu, I placed second in the grade! Do I get a reward?" Akane chimed in, a bright smile on her face.
Mugetsu gently patted her head and replied, "How about I treat you to some dango?"
"Great! You're the best, Teacher Yu!" Akane cheered, immediately transforming into Mugetsu's biggest fan.
"Shisui hasn't even claimed his reward yet, and you're already asking for yours, Akane," Steel couldn't help but tease, feeling a mix of envy and camaraderie.
After all, while they worried about each other's performances, Akane's success had given her an edge.
Mugetsu chuckled as he shooed the students away and led Shisui toward the shopping district.
"How did it feel?" he inquired.
Shisui paused to think before answering honestly, "It felt quite ordinary. I didn't encounter anyone who truly challenged me."
"That's understandable. With your level of skill, there aren't many in the fourth grade who can match you, especially in the first grade," Mugetsu praised without hesitation.
"Do you think I should graduate early?" Shisui asked, his eyes glimmering with anticipation.
"Early graduation?" Mugetsu echoed.
"I heard stories of other geniuses who felt they learned nothing at the ninja academy and graduated early," Shisui explained.
Mugetsu shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend you graduate early, at least not until second or third grade."
"Your abilities may stand out among your peers, but once you leave the academy, your opponents will be more than just your classmates, especially considering the looming threat of war."
"If you feel the school's curriculum is lacking, you could use Shadow Clones to attend classes while you train based on my guidance," he suggested.
Although the original story portrayed Shisui as surviving the Third Great Ninja War unscathed and gaining renown for his Instantaneous Body technique, Mugetsu felt it was prudent for Shisui to take his time and develop his skills thoroughly.
One wouldn't want to graduate without being able to effectively combat even lower-ranked ninjas; safety was paramount.
Shisui's eyes brightened at Mugetsu's advice, and he nodded in agreement, appreciating the insight.
Later, Mugetsu bought a stack of dango and returned to school. Before the afternoon classes began, each student in Class One received a portion.
Mugetsu made sure to give Akane an extra serving as a special treat for her performance.
"Teacher Yu is the best!" Akane declared, thoroughly satisfied. With the dango, she was ready to proclaim him the ultimate teacher.
Other students expressed their gratitude as well, raising Mugetsu's reputation even higher among them.
The efficiency of the ninja academy was impressive; just two days after the exams, the results were published, validating Mugetsu's predictions.
(End of Chapter)