Chapter 33

At eleven o’clock sharp, the bell rang. "All of you, pens down. Stay seated." Kitazawa rose from his chair and announced firmly. The classroom instantly erupted into a low murmur of groans and frantic whispers. Luckily, over the past month, Kitazawa had built up enough authority that even students who hadn’t finished their exams reluctantly put their pens aside. "Tomorrow morning at nine o’clock, everyone is to gather at the training ground," Kitazawa continued. "Anyone more than fifteen minutes late will have their practical exam score canceled." He collected the exam papers, offered them a parting reminder, and strode out of the classroom. He still had to grade all the tests that afternoon—because the practical exam scores would be given on the spot tomorrow. Once combined with the written test results, the rankings could be announced immediately. Efficient, if exhausting. No sooner had Kitazawa left than the classroom exploded into noise again. Groans and sighs filled the air. Naruto slumped at his desk, staring blankly out the window at the brilliant blue sky. Only three words echoed in his mind: ’I messed up!’ The monthly exam had been far harder than he’d expected. There were several questions he wasn’t even sure how to answer. "Did you bomb it?" Shikamaru drawled from the next row, eyeing him lazily. "It’s not that I bombed it... I just... uh... didn’t perform my best!" Naruto stammered, then leaned closer, his eyes hopeful. "Hey, did you think it was hard?" "Yeah, pretty troublesome." Shikamaru heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I’m guessing I barely passed... maybe sixty points." "Same here," chimed in Akimichi Choji, his round face looking troubled. Naruto immediately perked up, spirits soaring. ’If everyone thought it was hard... then maybe I still have a shot at first place!’ Meanwhile, Sakura had gathered up her bag and skipped over to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun, how did you do on the exam?" she asked brightly. "So-so." Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets, looking indifferent. He was confident he’d secure first place in the practical exam tomorrow. As long as he ranked in the top three on the written test, he’d have the overall victory locked up. "Sasuke-kun, you’re so modest!" Sakura’s eyes sparkled into little pink hearts as she practically swooned. She didn’t believe his cool shrug for a second. With an attitude like his, only first place would suit him. "I’ve got things to do. Don’t follow me." Sasuke added bluntly, then turned and strode out of the classroom. Today, he was more irritable than usual, still brooding over the Great Fireball Jutsu. If Kitazawa hadn’t given him some hope, he probably wouldn’t have bothered saying even that much to Sakura. "Sasu—!" Sakura reached out a hand, but Sasuke was already halfway down the hallway, disappearing from sight. "Uchiha men really are heartless," Ino Yamanaka remarked, shaking her head. "You can’t talk about Sasuke like that!" Sakura snapped. "That’s not being heartless—that’s being cool!" "You’re hopeless, Sakura." Ino threw up her hands, looking exasperated. "Wait!" Sakura suddenly said, eyes narrowing. "Don’t tell me—you’ve given up on Sasuke?" Ino blinked, caught off guard. Only when Sakura said it did she realize... it was true. She didn’t feel the same dizzying obsession she once had for Uchiha Sasuke. ’Was it because I’d been busy training for tree climbing? Or had constant exposure to Kitazawa-sensei somehow built up an immunity?’ "It’d be better if you gave up!" Sakura exclaimed happily. "Because Sasuke is definitely mine!" "Yeah, yeah." Ino rolled her eyes. Then her gaze drifted across the room and settled on Hinata. Hinata was still sitting at her desk. Her books were neatly packed away, but she hadn’t stood up yet. "Hinata." Ino called out cheerfully. "Want to head home together?" Since they’d been training for tree climbing side by side, Ino had started considering Hinata a genuine friend. "Eh?" Hinata blinked in surprise, flustered. "I... um... you go ahead." Seeing her reaction, Ino decided not to press the matter and left the classroom with Sakura. Hinata exhaled a quiet sigh of relief once the room emptied. Only then did she gather up her schoolbag and make her way to Kitazawa’s office. A gentle knock echoed against the door. "Come in." Kitazawa, who was hunched over exam papers, looked up from his desk. "Ki... Kitazawa-sensei." At the sight of him, a faint smile blossomed on Hinata’s face almost against her will. "Why aren’t you heading home?" Kitazawa put down his pen and asked gently. "I... um... that is..." Hinata’s heart skipped at the question, and a warm flush colored her cheeks. She’d come to see him at lunchtime out of sheer habit, only to realize belatedly that Kitazawa didn’t seem to have planned anything for lunch today. Now she felt awkward and embarrassed. "Since you’re here, let’s eat together." Kitazawa chuckled softly, guessing her thoughts. Honestly, he hadn’t expected Hinata to show up today, especially with the afternoon off and the practical exam looming tomorrow. "Mhm!" Hinata’s eyes lit up, and she quickly slipped off her shoes and stepped inside. While Kitazawa continued marking papers, Hinata settled on the sofa, her delicate, pale feet tapping lightly against the floor in rhythm with her shifting mood. By noon, Kitazawa let out a sigh and set down his pen. He glanced over to find Hinata sitting quietly, her posture prim and perfect, looking like an exquisite porcelain doll. Kitazawa’s gaze involuntarily dropped to her slender, snow-white legs. ’If she wore white stockings... No, no, stop, that’s way too much. Absolutely too much!’ He forced the thought from his mind. After all, he liked older women. "Hinata, lunch is ready!" Kitazawa suddenly teased, breaking the silence. Hinata jolted upright, leaping off the sofa to stand at attention. But as soon as she met Kitazawa’s half-smirking expression, realization dawned, and crimson rushed across her cheeks. "Let’s go. Time to eat." Kitazawa waved her over, grinning. Hinata swallowed her shyness and hurried to his side. Kitazawa patted her gently on the head, then led her out of the academy toward Ichiraku Ramen. After their meal, Hinata returned to the Hyuga compound, while Kitazawa went back to the academy to tackle his grading. As dusk settled in, he finally finished marking and ranking all the exam papers. Kitazawa smiled with quiet satisfaction when he saw Hinata’s name at the top of the list. All the special training he’d given her these past weeks hadn’t been in vain. What did surprise him, however, was who landed in second place. It wasn’t Sasuke—it was Sakura Haruno. On reflection, though, it made sense. Sakura had always been the strongest theoretical student in the class, even in the original timeline. Her high test scores were one of the factors that led to her being placed on Team 7. Along with, of course, the "bonds" she supposedly shared with both Naruto and Sasuke. Kitazawa’s eyes scanned further down the rankings until he found Naruto’s name. Good news: he was no longer dead last. Bad news: he was still stuck in twenty-eighth place, showing little improvement overall. ’Well... there’s definitely room to grow.’ Just then, three lines of glowing text appeared in Kitazawa’s vision: Current Mission: Help your lifelong rival, Uzumaki Naruto, reach the Top 10 in next month’s exam. Mission Reward: Yin Release. Do you accept? Kitazawa blinked in surprise—but not total shock. Missions like these were becoming a familiar part of his life. What did surprise him was the modest goal. This time, it wasn’t demanding second place—just tenth. ’Does the system itself not have faith in Naruto anymore?’ Kitazawa couldn’t help exclaiming, "Good heavens!" Still, he had to admit: Naruto was officially the earliest student he’d started preparing for the next round of rankings. ’Ahem.’ Kitazawa chose "Accept." With Yin Release under his belt, mastering genjutsu would become even easier. ------------------------------- AN : To keep the Chapters coming - Support with POWER STONES. For Every 100 power stones - 1 BONUS Chapter. For Every 10 5-star reviews - 2 BONUS Chapters. For getting to Top 10 Power ranking- 3 Extra Chapters. AN: Check out my P@treon For extra Chapters. Thank You For your Support!! [email protected]/noviceauthor777