Chapter 5: Exam Tips
"Sensei, please, please don't tell Ikeya-sensei!" Obito continued to beg, refusing to give up.
"That depends on your performance," Mugetsu said with a smile, deliberately giving no clear answer.
"Did something happen, sensei?" Might Guy scratched his head, confused as to why he had been called out. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything wrong.
Mugetsu looked at the two of them—Obito, who would one day awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, and Might Guy, the man who nearly kicked the end of the world into existence. For now, though, both were still just kids… rough around the edges.
Guy already wore his iconic green jumpsuit, but his belief—and his strength—had yet to be forged. He didn't truly understand what his father meant by youth and discipline. Still, Mugetsu was more than happy to lend a hand during this stage of growth.
"Your theoretical grades are giving Ikeya-sensei a headache," Mugetsu said flatly.
Even Obito, usually carefree, lowered his head in shame.
"It's not that I don't want to learn," Obito muttered. "But those questions are too weird! Why are they putting animals together and asking how many there are...?"
Hearing that, Mugetsu couldn't help recalling his own school days—struggling through math exams. He was lucky his degree didn't require higher-level math.
But he knew this wasn't the school's fault. The math at the Academy was basic, even easier than history. It was Obito who had the problem.
"You're not just bad at math," Mugetsu said, shaking his head. "You're also failing history, ninjutsu theory, and everything else."
"What's the point of knowing all that history? It's in the past!" Obito crossed his arms, clearly frustrated. "Math, okay, maybe for buying groceries—but history?"
"I feel the same," Guy chimed in, nodding. "There's just too much to memorize."
"Then take it up with Lord Third," Mugetsu replied. "He's the head of the Academy, not me."
"But you can't keep going like this. It's not good for you, and it's definitely not good for your teacher."
Obito looked up, hopeful. "Does sensei have some secret method to pass exams?"
Guy's eyes lit up as well. If there was a way out of this mess, they wanted to hear it.
"There is a secret," Mugetsu said with a knowing smile. "And it's called… practice."
"Practice?" Obito blinked. "That's it?"
"Think of it like a special kind of training. If you do the practice problems, understand the concepts, and study properly, you'll pass the exam. And if you pass—"
He paused.
"—I'll give you a reward."
"What kind of reward? A dango treat?" Obito asked, intrigued.
"I'll teach you a new ninjutsu or taijutsu technique. I'll guide your training personally," Mugetsu offered.
"Seriously?!" Both boys looked stunned.
"But only if you pass the exam. One month from now."
"So this… this is youth?!" Might Guy clenched his fists. "I'm fired up!"
"I'll pass this time for sure!" Obito promised with conviction.
Watching their excitement, Mugetsu nodded internally. The best hunters always look like prey at first.
They thought they'd stumbled on a miracle—tips to pass the test and free training. And all Mugetsu had to do was supervise their studies and gradually ease into a teacher-student relationship.
Even if they failed the exam, he could still say, "You worked hard. I'd feel bad not giving you something." Either way, their goodwill was guaranteed.
He hadn't tried to trick them into becoming disciples like he did with Shisui. For one, there was no excuse for a "debt repaid." Two, he only taught them temporarily—not as a homeroom teacher. Sustained contact wasn't guaranteed.
After finalizing the training arrangement, Mugetsu led them back to class.
---
"Obito, what did sensei call you out for? You didn't get scolded, did you?" Rin asked, concern in her eyes.
"Scolded? No way! Mugetsu-sensei's awesome! He gave me the secret to passing exams!" Obito replied proudly.
If Mugetsu could help him shake off the "dead last" title, Obito would become his number-one fan.
"Rin, you'd better study hard. I'm passing you up in the next exam," he teased with a smug grin.
"That would be great," Rin smiled, half-teasing, half-hopeful. Though she didn't place first, she was usually among the top scorers.
---
After the bell rang, Obito showed a level of seriousness no one expected. He was determined to pass and had already started thinking about what jutsu he wanted to learn.
Rin, seeing him focus for once, blinked in surprise.
Is Obito... actually serious this time?
Three minutes later, she looked over to see him slumped on his desk, snoring softly.
...Nope, still Obito.
Just then, a piece of chalk arced beautifully through the air—and struck Obito square on the forehead.
Startled, Obito sat up. He looked around in confusion—Mugetsu's serious expression, Rin's quiet amusement, Guy diligently scribbling notes—and remembered what he had declared just minutes earlier.
His face flushed red.
Sleepiness gone.
---
The rest of the lesson proceeded smoothly.
--
[Teaching Completed.]
[Evaluation: A]
[Reward: Leaf Whirlwind]
This time, it wasn't a ninjutsu—but a taijutsu technique. And not just any technique—it was one Guy would later master: Leaf Whirlwind.
It looked simple—just a kick—but as Mugetsu quickly realized after learning it, execution was everything. Timing, balance, explosive movement, chakra control—it all mattered.
He had been wondering what to teach Guy in the future. Now he had something solid.
---
After school, Mugetsu wandered through the southern forests of Konoha, searching for a secluded training spot.
He hadn't forgotten—he was still part of Root. And Danzo definitely knew where he lived.
If Danzo found out he was secretly teaching Shisui ninjutsu, he would absolutely assume betrayal—especially with how much he hated the Uchiha.
Mugetsu couldn't keep his sensory ninjutsu active all the time. He didn't have the chakra for that.
So, the only solution was to train outside.
Eventually, he found a quiet clearing near a small river—peaceful, isolated, perfect for training.
He memorized the location and headed home.
When he entered his courtyard...
A ninja wearing an animal mask was already standing inside.
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