"Mhm, I'll be waiting to see it," Ayaka Ueda replied perfunctorily, then quickly turned to talk to Auron when she noticed him walking in.
"Auron-sensei, you're amazing! I passed by your class today and took a quick look. The atmosphere felt great—I can't believe it's your first time teaching."
Auron shook his head modestly and said, "Not at all. It's thanks to everyone's experience and the students being well-behaved."
Though she knew he was just being humble, who doesn't like a compliment? A smile appeared on Ayaka Ueda's face, and she shared some of her snacks with Auron.
Takeshi Ikeya instantly felt what it truly meant to be treated differently. After being colleagues with Ayaka Ueda for two years, he'd barely ever gotten any snacks from her.
Grumbling inwardly about Ueda, Ikeya also quickly greeted Auron. If this works out, he'd be forever grateful to Auron for covering his class.
Auron responded to everyone with a cheerful smile. After a few words, he picked up the brush and ink he had prepared earlier and began practicing calligraphy.
Practicing calligraphy during free time was one of the few good habits from his previous life, something he had developed during college.
Lunchtime at the ninja academy was short, and there was no time to go somewhere else to train.
When it was almost time for class, Auron packed up his things and headed to the classroom to begin teaching.
Ding ding ding~
As the bell rang, Auron stepped into Class 2 of the fourth year.
"Huh? Isn't Mr. Ikeya supposed to teach Leaf Village history this afternoon?" a student asked upon seeing that it wasn't Takeshi Ikeya who walked in.
"Mr. Ikeya had something to do this afternoon, so I'll be teaching the class today," Auron explained as he walked to the podium.
Just as he finished speaking, a hurried figure burst into the classroom.
"Huff, huff… Sorry, teacher! I ran into an old lady on the way and helped her, that's why I'm late!" Obito said, panting with his hands on his knees.
"Take your seat and listen to the lesson," Auron nodded and said, then swept his gaze across the students, silently assessing them.
[Name: Rin Nohara]
[Chakra: 300]
[Potential: A-]
[Name: Might Guy]
[Chakra: 600]
[Potential: S
][Evaluation: Suited for Taijutsu; recommended for mentorship]
[Name: Obito Uchiha]
[Chakra: 650]
[Potential: S]
[Evaluation: Six Paths bloodline, latent spatial abilities; recommended for mentorship]
Class 2 of the fourth year was much like his previous Class 1 of the first year. Aside from those three familiar names, only one other student—Uchiha Tetsuka—had A-grade potential. The rest were mostly C or D-grade.
After reviewing their talents, Auron asked about their current progress and then began teaching.
To students used to teachers who simply read from the textbook, Auron's engaging style was a pleasant surprise.
Obito even blurted out, "Auron-sensei, your lessons are amazing! So much better than the other teachers. If you taught us all the time, I'd definitely pass!"
"I'll be sure to tell Mr. Ikeya that, along with the fact that you were late," Auron said with a grin. Unlike other teachers at the academy, he had actually studied how to teach through a proper system.
Obito instantly looked distressed and started pleading—after all, Mr. Ikeya was their homeroom teacher.
His reaction brought laughter and lightness to the class.
During the extended break, Auron used sensory ninjutsu to confirm there were no issues, then called Might Guy and Obito outside.
"Auron-sensei, please! Don't tell Mr. Ikeya!" Obito continued to beg.
"That depends on your performance," Auron replied with a smile, giving no clear answer.
"Teacher, is something wrong?" Might Guy scratched his head, confused as to why he was called out—he hadn't done anything wrong.
Auron looked at Guy—this boy who would one day be called the strongest Taijutsu user by Madara himself was still very green.
He was already wearing that iconic green bodysuit, but both his strength and beliefs had a long way to go.
At this point, Guy believed his daily training could make him a strong fighter, but he hadn't yet fully grasped the concept of "youth" and "self-restraint" his father talked about. He still needed to grow, and Auron was more than happy to give him a hand.
"Your theoretical scores are a real headache for Mr. Ikeya," Auron began.
Even Obito, who usually wasn't bothered by much, lowered his head in embarrassment.
"It's not that I don't want to learn, but the questions are just too confusing. Like, why put a bunch of animals together and then ask how many of each there are..." Obito tried to explain.
Seeing this, Auron was reminded of the days he struggled through high school math. Thankfully, his major didn't require advanced math.
But he knew the real issue was Obito himself—the academy's math was basic and had fewer courses than even history.
"And it's not just math—you're struggling in history and ninjutsu theory too," Auron added.
"What's the point of learning history? It's all in the past!" Obito muttered. At least math could help with grocery shopping—history seemed totally useless.
"I think the same," Guy nodded. He really couldn't memorize all that history.
"You'll have to take that up with the Third Hokage. He's the headmaster," Auron shrugged, indicating it was beyond his control.
"But you guys can't go on like this. It's not good for Mr. Ikeya, and it's not good for you either."
"Wait... Auron-sensei, do you have a secret to passing exams?" Obito asked excitedly.
Guy also looked at Auron with eager eyes. Nobody wanted to be the bottom of the class if they could help it.
"I do have a method—it's called practice. Lots of practice!" Auron revealed with a smile.
Given how easy the academy's exams were compared to his past life, his test prep experience alone was more than enough. At the academy, you only needed half of the class average to pass.
"Practice?" Both of them looked confused.
"Think of it like special training for the exams. And if you pass, I'll give you a reward," Auron said.
"A reward? Like dango?" Obito asked curiously.
"I can teach you ninjutsu or taijutsu. Basically, I'll help guide your training," Auron replied.
"Really?!" Both of their eyes widened. This kind of opportunity sounded too good to be true.
"But only if you pass the exam next month," Auron reminded them.
"Is this... youth? I'm fired up now!" Guy exclaimed.
"This time, I'll definitely pass," Obito vowed.
Seeing the two of them this motivated, Auron nodded inwardly. A skilled hunter often appears as the prey.
They thought they'd hit the jackpot—getting both a study method and training rewards.
But Auron's real win was using this "special training" to naturally become their teacher.
Even if they failed, he could say, "You tried so hard, how could I not reward you?" and still gain their goodwill.
Unlike with Shisui, he couldn't use the same manipulation here—one, the background didn't fit; and two, he was only subbing for one class, not their regular teacher. If he were their homeroom teacher, things would be much easier.
After confirming the training plan, Auron brought them back to class.
"Obito, what did Auron-sensei call you out for? You didn't get punished, right?" Rin asked with concern.
"Punished? No way—Auron-sensei's awesome. He even gave me a way to pass the exams!" Obito replied proudly.
If Auron could help him drop the "last place" title, Obito would become his number one fan.
"Rin, you better pay attention too, or I might beat your score next time," Obito teased with a laugh.
"If you really do that, I'd be happy for you," Rin replied with a helpless smile. She wasn't top of the class but still ranked fairly high.
As the bell rang, Obito pulled out his textbook and, for once, started paying attention seriously. This time, he was determined to pass. He'd even started thinking about what kind of ninjutsu to learn.
Even Rin was surprised. Could Obito actually be serious this time?
Three minutes later, she saw Obito lying flat on his desk and could only sigh. Yep, still the same Obito.
Just then, a piece of chalk flew through the air in a perfect arc and hit Obito on the head.
Obito looked around, confused—first Auron's face, then Rin's, then Might Guy writing diligently. Remembering what he'd just said three minutes ago, his cheeks turned red and his sleepiness vanished.
After that little nap incident, the rest of class went smoothly.
[Lesson Complete][Evaluation: A][Reward Acquired: Leaf Whirlwind]
This time, the reward wasn't a ninjutsu technique—it was a taijutsu move, and one Might Guy would one day develop.
It seemed simple—just a kick—but Auron, having already started learning it, realized it was far more complex. The kicking posture, muscle control, and chakra burst all required technique.
Auron had been wondering what he could teach Guy later, so this reward came just in time.
After school, Auron wandered into the southern forest of the Hidden Leaf Village, looking for a good place to train.
After all, he still had his status as a member of Root. Danzo definitely knew where he lived.
And knowing how much Danzo hated the Uchiha, if he found out Auron was teaching Shisui ninjutsu without reporting it, he'd suspect Auron of betrayal.
Although he had sensory ninjutsu, he couldn't keep it active all the time—chakra wasn't infinite, after all.