Teaching over three hundred people—what kind of experience is that?
Being watched by over two hundred eyes, in those gazes were curiosity, expectation, and even doubt.
Mokgetsu had every reason to believe that if it were someone more introverted, it might be difficult to speak under so many gazes.
But Mokgetsu was not an ordinary person; the more students there were, the happier and more excited he became.
"Hello everyone, I am Habu Mokgetsu, the teacher responsible for this summer training." Mokgetsu smiled warmly as he introduced himself.
Although he was quite famous in the school, and some of the classes he had taught were present, Mokgetsu didn't think everyone knew him or recognized his face, so a self-introduction was necessary.
"Teacher Mokgetsu!" Some students familiar with Mokgetsu greeted him warmly.
Mokgetsu nodded with a smile in response and continued:
"I know everyone has a lot of questions, like why are we having a summer training camp right after the holidays, and what the purpose of this training is."
"I can clearly tell everyone that the purpose of this training is simple: to improve the students' abilities so they can become more competent ninjas in the future!"
Mokgetsu didn't say something too harsh, like preparing for any potential war crises.
After all, a major war had not broken out yet, and even the most alert Konoha Ninja probably wouldn't foresee Konoha gradually becoming the center of war, besieged by the four Great Ninja Villages.
"How is the training conducted? Surely we Genin and the students won't be undergoing the same training, right? The strength of official ninjas and students isn't on the same level," Namiashi Raido asked.
He was a teammate of Asuma, who had brought him along.
Namiashi Raido felt like he'd been tricked; how could a Chunin Teacher be as impressive as Asuma claimed?
"I have arrangements for that, but don't underestimate the students of the Ninja Academy." Mokgetsu didn't answer Namiashi Raido's question directly but instead called Shisui out.
"His name is Uchiha Shisui, a student from the class I lead, currently in the first grade. You can battle him to test the level of Ninja School students," Mokgetsu said with a smile.
Mokgetsu had anticipated such a situation.
Genin, having been exposed to a broader range of ninjas and guided by Jonin, would have a different attitude when facing Ninja School students and Chunin Teachers.
In the Ninja World, strength is respected, so Mokgetsu's solution was straightforward: if you think the students are not good enough, fight them and see if you can win.
Watching Shisui walk out calmly, Asuma couldn't help his eyelid from twitching as he recalled the scene from two months ago where he was utterly defeated.
That scene might stay with him forever—being defeated by a first-year student as a recent graduate Genin.
"Raido, I couldn't take it; he's just a first-year student," Asuma whispered to Namiashi Raido.
He couldn't wait to see the look of disbelief on Namiashi Raido's face after he was defeated; this kind of pain shouldn't be his alone to bear.
"Isn't this wrong? It's just a first-year student," Kurenai said softly, feeling it wasn't very ethical.
"Then as a senior, I'll take a look at whether the level of Ninja School students has declined," Namiashi Raido said as he stepped forward.
Mokgetsu could have called out a fourth-year student, but he called a first grader, making Namiashi Raido feel underestimated. Coupled with Asuma's instigation, he couldn't hold back.
The students all backed away to give the two enough room to fight.
"If it gets too much, just admit defeat; don't blame me if you get hurt accidentally." Namiashi Raido cautioned as he pulled out a kunai from his ninja pouch.
"Thank you for the advice, senior. I won't push myself," Shisui replied politely.
Seeing Shisui's respect for seniors and good manners, Namiashi Raido decided to make Shisui's loss look a bit better, not too humiliating.
Obito had already covered his face, unwilling to watch the brutal scene that would unfold.
He knew Namiashi Raido, aware of his capabilities.
Namiashi Raido couldn't even defeat him now, so how could he be a match for Shisui?
The battle was a foregone conclusion, but the one being overpowered wasn't the first-year Shisui; it was the graduated Namiashi Raido.
"Shisui, go for it! Defeat that guy looking down on us students!" Anko squeezed to the front line to cheer on Shisui.
Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo also pushed to the front to cheer alongside Anko.
"Uchiha Shisui, isn't that the first-year genius? I've heard all his scores are full marks," said a fourth-year student knowledgeable of Shisui's reputation.
"No matter how much of a genius he is, there's no way a first-grader can defeat an official Genin, right?"
Though the students hoped for Shisui's victory, most doubted his chances, as a first-year student defeating an official Genin was simply too astonishing.
"Begin!" Mokgetsu, acting as the temporary referee, shouted once both were ready.
"Here I come," Namiashi Raido warned, then charged at Shisui with a kunai.
Unhurried, Shisui took out a kunai from his ninja pouch and engaged in direct combat with Namiashi Raido.
The clang of clashing kunai echoed continuously, with Shisui effortlessly parrying Namiashi Raido's every fierce attack.
Namiashi Raido began to sense that something was amiss—this strength, speed, reaction... was this really a first-year student?
Namiashi Raido retreated, quickly forming hand seals to perform the Clone Jutsu, creating five clones to try and distract Shisui.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!" Shisui calmly formed hand seals and, executing the ninjutsu, expelled a three-meter-high fireball.
"Which of us is the real Ninja School student?" Namiashi Raido thought as he saw the approaching massive Great Fireball, glancing at his clone with no tangible form beside him, feeling his mind go blank.
Fortunately, the Great Fireball was slow, and once he reacted, Namiashi Raido ran with all his might to escape the attack range.
But just as Namiashi Raido rejoiced at being out of the Great Fireball's reach, a kunai stretched out from behind, resting against his neck.
Feeling the cold, sharp edge of the kunai, Namiashi Raido realized that Shisui had somehow appeared beside him without making a sound.
"I lost. I shouldn't have underestimated the students of the Ninja Academy." Namiashi Raido admitted his defeat, knowing that if Shisui were an enemy, he would be dead.
"Thank you, senior, for letting me win." Shisui withdrew his kunai, speaking humbly.
He had the ability to instantly defeat Namiashi Raido, but seeing that Namiashi Raido had performed quite well, and likely hadn't meant what he said earlier, Shisui decided not to make him lose face and let him off lightly.
"He held back. That Great Fireball wasn't as powerful as the one he used on me before," Asuma thought to himself.
"Senior, do you have a grudge with him? Why are you smiling so happily?" Hagane Kotetsu noticed someone beside him beaming joyously, assuming he was one of the Ninja School students with a shared grudge, only to find he also wore a headband, leaving him puzzled.
"No, I just remembered something that made me happy," Asuma denied with a smile.