Uzumaki Naruto swung his arms and spun in a circle before returning to the line.
Kitazawa couldn't help but smile.
He was reminded of anglers in his previous life who would flaunt their catch everywhere after reeling in a monster fish.
Picking up his pen, Kitazawa wrote "80 points" on the roster.
Naruto's exceptional performance was only exceptional for him; in absolute terms it was just above average and had flaws.
Even so, the score was higher than that of most classmates.
Not until Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward did the first perfect score appear.
"Very good," Kitazawa said with a slight nod.
Sasuke looked a little dazed.
He remembered that his Clone Technique hadn't been this good before.
He quickly thought of the tree‑climbing training Kitazawa had assigned him.
Better chakra control helps not only with Fire Style: Great Fireball but with every ninjutsu.
"Thank you, Kitazawa-sensei," Sasuke said sincerely.
"Next," Kitazawa said after glancing at the list. "Nara Shikamaru."
Radiating laziness head to toe, Shikamaru walked up.
Forming hand seals, he produced two barely acceptable clones and then strolled back to the line.
How can someone your age hold back like that?
Young people should be passionate, Kitazawa thought, immediately seeing Shikamaru was slacking.
Yesterday's written test was the same—exactly sixty points, no more, no less.
He wasn't hiding his ability; he simply found things troublesome.
In the original story, Shikamaru doesn't change until his teacher Asuma Sarutobi dies.
"Hyūga Hinata," Kitazawa read from the roster.
Hinata took a deep breath and slowly walked to the center of the training ground.
Under everyone's gaze, uncontrollable nervousness welled up.
She instinctively glanced away.
Seeing Kitazawa reminded her of his special training sessions, and her heart steadied.
Clone Technique!
Hinata formed the hand seals and produced two identical clones.
"She's actually as good as Sasuke?" Yamanaka Ino said in astonishment.
Sasuke's expression tightened a little.
Hinata's Clone Technique was perfect—enough to threaten him.
He suddenly realized it was Kitazawa's doing.
Like him, Hinata had done the tree‑climbing training.
Thinking of this, Sasuke looked at Ino.
Because of poor health, Kurama Yakumo hadn't taken the exam.
Naruto was also climbing trees, but his progress was slow; he hadn't finished yet. In the end only Ino remained.
Sasuke waited quietly.
Soon it was Ino's turn.
Just as he expected, her Clone Technique was nearly perfect, only slightly worse than his.
Fortunately, the next three test items had nothing to do with chakra control.
Sasuke exhaled.
He couldn't imagine how disappointed his father and brother would be if he didn't get first place.
"When did Ino get so strong?" Akimichi Chōji nudged Shikamaru. "What's going on?"
Because Shikamaru was smart, Chōji treated him as an external brain.
Haruno Sakura also looked over.
As Ino's best friend, she knew her abilities well; the sudden leap surprised her.
"It's Kitazawa-sensei's special training," Sasuke interjected.
"Special training?" Sakura suddenly recalled something. "You mean during the free‑practice time in battle class?"
"So that's it," Chōji said, remembering as well.
"Kitazawa-sensei really is amazing," Shikamaru raised an eyebrow.
In his view, it was rare for a civilian ninja to be this capable.
"Yeah," Chōji nodded in agreement.
Sasuke, Ino, Naruto, and Hinata had all improved significantly thanks to the special training.
"I want to join too!" Sakura clenched her fists.
"Then you'll have to work harder," Ino said with a smile as she rejoined the line.
Although Sakura's theory grades were excellent, her practical skills were only average.
Unlike clan children like Sasuke who had learned ahead of time, she was starting from scratch and needed more time.
"The Clone Technique test is over. Next is kunai throwing," Kitazawa announced after recording the scores.
Compared with the flashy Clone Technique, kunai throwing was straightforward.
The standout was again Sasuke.
He copied Kitazawa's technique—but not blindly.
Terrifying talent!
Kitazawa felt relieved: Sasuke hadn't awakened the Sharingan yet; otherwise, this mission would probably have failed.
After kunai came shuriken throwing.
Both are common ninja tools, so the tests were similar, and once again Sasuke stole the show.
By ten o'clock only the physical‑fitness test remained.
Sasuke and the others went to the track.
"The rules are simple," Kitazawa explained. "Run fifty laps. Ranking is by finishing order."
After speaking, he beckoned to Iruka Umino nearby.
"Kitazawa-senpai," Iruka hurried over.
"You'll score the fitness test," Kitazawa said, handing him the roster and pen.
"You're leaving?" Iruka asked blankly. "School rules say two teachers must be present for practical exams."
"I'm not leaving—I'm running with them," Kitazawa replied, shaking his head.
"Huh?" Iruka was even more puzzled. The teacher's warming up?
"Running with them eases their nerves and makes them feel it's just routine training," Kitazawa said with a smile. "That helps their performance."
"I see," Iruka said in sudden understanding. "No wonder you're the academy's best teacher!"
"Watch and learn," Kitazawa said, patting his shoulder, then stepped onto the track. "Begin!"
With him leading, Sasuke and the others started running.
Physical training was held about once a week.
Everyone knew each other's limits, so the results were predictable.
"Ha‑ha‑ha! I'm first again!" Naruto hopped around, delighted.
Your head's always full of being number one, Kitazawa thought, shaking his own.
"…." Sasuke plopped to the ground, aching all over.
How does that guy have so much stamina?
Luckily, Naruto placed first only in the fitness test, while Sasuke had topped the other three events.
Three firsts—can you beat that?
Sasuke did the math and felt completely at ease.
Glory belongs to the Uchiha.
[Current mission: Rank first in the April monthly exam.]
[Mission reward: Wind Style – Vacuum Sphere.]
[Mission complete. Reward issued.]
Looking at the three lines that suddenly appeared before him, Kitazawa smiled.
With the reward in hand, every effort had been worth it.
~~~
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