"Hahahaha!"
The surrounding classmates burst into laughter. Kushina's shuriken throwing was truly awful, worse even than some of the first-year students.
"With skill like that, you think you can become Hokage?" one student mocked.
"That's right, I'm better than her!" another chimed in.
Kushina's face flushed red like a ripe tomato, but she didn't talk back. She simply glared at them and walked away, silent. Her shuriken technique really was terrible, and she knew that arguing would only sound like excuses. Even with her outgoing personality, she wasn't foolish enough to fuel their laughter—unlike Naruto would be in the future.
"Uzumaki Kushina, D."
Teacher Nishimura read out her grade. Though the Third Hokage had personally reminded him to take care of Kushina, results could not be falsified. Even if she were secretly the Hokage's daughter, he couldn't justify a passing grade.
So Kushina accepted the result without complaint, stepping down quietly.
"This child should repeat a year," Nishimura muttered under his breath. "At this rate, she won't keep up at all. She can't even manage basic shuriken throwing. I don't know what the Hokage is thinking…"
Mikoto frowned as she looked at the score list. "Kushina…" she whispered with concern.
Kushina quickly forced a grin. "I'm fine. I'll just practice harder from now on."
Hayashi nodded. "We'll help you train."
Her eyes brightened a little. "Then it's a promise."
---
Time slipped by, and it was the next student's turn.
"Next, Uchiha Mikoto."
Mikoto rose and walked steadily onto the stage.
"Good luck, Mikoto!" Kushina called out, trying to sound cheerful.
Mikoto's calm expression never wavered. Her long black hair, tied neatly into a ponytail, gave her a clean and composed look.
The Uchiha clan's shuriken skills were famous across Konoha, and Mikoto was no exception. Most expected her to get an A with ease. The only curiosity was how many shuriken she would land this time.
Standing in position, Mikoto pulled six shuriken from her pouch, three in each hand.
"Only six?" Minato whispered beside Hayashi. "I remember she hit all eight last time."
"She's trying the Uchiha throwing style," Hayashi replied.
"The same one you used before?" Minato asked.
"That's right," Hayashi confirmed with a small nod.
On the training ground, Mikoto flicked her wrist gracefully. Three shuriken flew first, then three more left her hand at incredible speed. The second volley caught up with the first midair, clashing twice before redirecting. Three buried themselves cleanly into the target, while the other three curved after impact and struck the back of the target.
The entire class fell silent. This technique was something they had only ever seen from Hayashi before.
"Wow! Mikoto, that was amazing!" Kushina cheered loudly, her excitement genuine.
Nearby, Nawaki sighed, frustrated. Everyone else seemed to master the technique while he struggled.
Teacher Nishimura looked impressed. "Accuracy A, Quantity A+, Destructive Power B+. Overall evaluation: A+."
He explained, as always, that a top grade was based on three factors: accuracy, number of shuriken thrown, and destructive power. Most academy students could only improve destructive power by throwing faster—chakra enhancement wasn't something they could manage until much later.
---
"Next, Uchiha Hayashi."
Hayashi's name drew a wave of excitement from the crowd. He had signed up together with Mikoto, so their turns were consecutive.
The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.
"Hayashi, I love you!"
"Come on, Hayashi!"
"You're the best!"
His small fan club of girls erupted like they were cheering for a celebrity. It was nothing new. Even Mikoto didn't bother reacting. Teacher Nishimura, however, grimaced with clear disapproval.
Nawaki looked at Hayashi enviously. "He even has fangirls," he muttered.
Kushina, meanwhile, crossed her arms and glared at Hayashi, annoyed by the fuss surrounding him.
"One throw, no retries," Nishimura warned flatly.
Hayashi took out a single shuriken. Just one.
"Only one?" Nishimura blinked, surprised. The last time, Hayashi had thrown ten shuriken and landed every single one.
"Yes, just one," Hayashi replied calmly. He infused the weapon with chakra, and a faint glow surrounded it.
A sharp sound tore through the training ground as he released it. The shuriken streaked like a cannonball, cutting through the air at blinding speed.
It punched straight through the bullseye, continued without slowing, and buried itself deep into the far wall. The weapon vanished entirely from sight, embedded beyond view.
The training ground went silent. Even his fans couldn't find words.
Hayashi didn't spare the target a glance. With practiced composure, he adjusted his cloak and walked away. A true shinobi never needed to look back at an explosion.
If Mikoto's display had shown the artistry of shurikenjutsu, Hayashi's single throw had demonstrated raw destructive power.
Nishimura squinted, reluctant to admit his astonishment. "Accuracy A+, Quantity C, Destructive Power A+, Overall evaluation: A+."
His words echoed in the still air, the brilliance of Hayashi's throw leaving the entire class stunned.
---
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