"Dad, why are you still here?"
Kurenai Yuhi walked out of the bathroom, rubbing her damp hair. Her small face showed confusion.
She had just finished her morning training and was preparing to head to school.
Normally, at this hour, her father, Shinku Yuhi, would have already left.
"Uncle Shinku took the day off to watch our practical exams," Hanekawa explained as Kurenai sat down. He picked up a hairdryer and began drying her hair.
The theory exam was yesterday, though the results hadn't been announced yet. Today was the practical exam.
Shinku Yuhi opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself.
Will you two even give me a chance to talk?
He couldn't shake the feeling that if this continued, there would be no place for him in his own home.
"I have something to say to you both."
After Kurenai's hair was dry, Shinku finally spoke.
"We definitely won't disappoint you!"
Kurenai tilted her chin up, her small face filled with pride. "Just wait for the good news!"
"That's not what I wanted to say."
Shinku shook his head. "I'm familiar with your strengths. But as genjutsu practitioners, you must remember to know your limits."
Kurenai tilted her head in confusion, looking at him.
"No matter what, survival is the most important thing," Shinku said earnestly. "If you're outmatched, surrender. Don't push yourself unnecessarily and risk getting hurt."
Kurenai felt that what her father said didn't quite align with what their textbooks taught—especially the ideals of the Will of Fire.
"Uncle Shinku has a point," Hanekawa chimed in, agreeing.
Naruto may be a classic hot-blooded anime, but real life wasn't.
Charging into danger while shouting about friendship and bonds would only make someone like Madara Uchiha laugh.
Shinku gave Hanekawa an approving glance.
This kid will definitely survive.
Hanekawa felt a bit conflicted, knowing that in the original story, Shinku Yuhi died protecting the village during the Nine-Tails' attack.
Kurenai nodded firmly.
If even Hanekawa agreed, it had to be true.
Shinku stood up with a smile. "Today should be lively."
For students, final exams were incredibly important. The same applied to their parents.
Hiruzen Sarutobi rose early that morning.
He was organizing the list of mentors for the new graduates.
Every year, the Hokage personally assigned team leaders to newly graduated students.
The list included both jonin and chunin.
Graduates from prominent clans or those with exceptional talent would be assigned to jonin.
Ordinary graduates would typically get chunin mentors.
There was no helping it—there simply weren't enough jonin to go around.
Hearing footsteps, Hiruzen looked up.
He normally would have gone to the Hokage's office, but this year, he didn't. It was all because of his son, Asuma Sarutobi.
Asuma looked eager and confident. "I've been preparing for this day for a whole month!"
"Don't let your guard down."
Hiruzen chuckled warmly.
"I know," Asuma replied with a huff. Then he asked, "Are you done yet?"
"See, there you go again, getting all anxious," Hiruzen said, slowly rolling up the scroll. "Always stay calm, especially during battle."
"You've said that a million times already!"
Asuma grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Hiruzen sighed, feeling a bit exasperated.
Why is this kid's personality the complete opposite of his brother's? Who did he pick this up from?
The two headed out together.
Along the way, many people greeted Hiruzen.
When they arrived at the academy, Hiruzen was quickly surrounded by a crowd, showcasing his immense popularity as the Hokage.
Asuma Sarutobi followed behind Hiruzen Sarutobi, his face gloomy.
His father completely stole the spotlight.
Even when someone noticed him, all they said was, "Ah, this must be your son! Truly a remarkable young man!"
How predictable! Wow, you're a genius to have guessed that! Asuma's inner thoughts brimmed with sarcasm. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel fire.net
He felt like he could blow up the entire academy with the sheer energy of his suppressed complaints.
He glanced at Hiruzen and decided to head straight back to the classroom.
Before the practical exam began, there was one more step: announcing the results of yesterday's theory exam.
Asuma didn't expect to get first place, but he was confident he'd score higher than Hanekawa.
After all, Hanekawa had ranked near the bottom in the previous theory exam.
There was no way he could surpass Asuma in just a month. If he did, Asuma might as well... No, better not make any reckless bets.
"Kakashi, confident about the theory exam?"
Before the teacher arrived, Rin Nohara found a topic to discuss.
"More or less," Kakashi replied casually. "Same as always."
In the past theory exams, Kakashi had always been first.
Rin nodded slightly but suddenly glanced at Hanekawa, who had just entered the classroom.
Maybe... this time might be different.
Over the past month, she had often discussed various difficult problems with Hanekawa. She found his knowledge to be far beyond hers.
"Rin, why didn't you ask me?"
Obito Uchiha leaned over, blocking her view with a playful grin.
"How do you feel about it this time?" Rin graciously played along and asked him.
"I feel great!" Obito declared confidently. "I definitely won't be last!"
"And what difference does that make?" Kakashi glanced at him and asked.
"How does it not make a difference?!" Obito glared back.
Well, at least he's got spirit, Hanekawa thought, shaking his head.
The classroom was lively, and the area outside wasn't any less so.
The most notable presences were Hiruzen Sarutobi and Sakumo Hatake. Standing off to the side was the teacher, looking like a sidekick.
Just then, the bell rang.
The teacher breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the classroom.
"Now, I will announce the rankings for the theory exam."
The teacher, with all eyes on him, smiled and said, "First place goes to... Hanekawa! Let's congratulate him!"
He clapped as he spoke, but many students wore expressions as if they'd seen a ghost.
Kurenai Yuhi was overjoyed, as if she herself had taken first place.
"How could it be Hanekawa?"
Obito clenched his fists instinctively. In the last exam, Hanekawa had been right at the bottom with him. How had their positions suddenly reversed?
Kakashi's pupils narrowed slightly, and he fell silent.
Rin's small mouth opened in surprise. Although she had suspected this outcome, seeing it happen still left her in disbelief.
Asuma abruptly stood up, questioning loudly, "Isn't there some kind of mistake?"
Outside the classroom, Hiruzen sighed helplessly.
So much for staying calm. Why are you getting so worked up again?
That said, Hanekawa being first was also unexpected to him.
"No mistake," the teacher replied with a shake of his head.
Asuma bit his lip and slumped back into his seat in defeat.
Why is the heavens so unfair to me?
You must be cheating, right?
"Hanekawa managed to take first place despite studying two months less than everyone else. What does this prove? That hard work pays off!"
The teacher continued his lesson in earnest. "I hope everyone can learn from this and work hard, especially during class..."
He trailed off awkwardly, realizing something.
Because during class, Hanekawa never paid attention. He was either solving problems or reading extracurricular books.
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