Yuhi Shinku didn't even know how he'd made it out of the Academy.
His face was blank, his head still not quite catching up, like his brain refused to turn over.
It wasn't until the cold wind outside smacked him in the face that Shinku finally snapped awake.
Then he went quiet for a moment.
And the next second, a kind of joy like a volcanic eruption blasted straight up from the bottom of his chest.
I got hired!
I got hired, damn it!
Yeah, it felt kinda weird.
But who the hell cares!
Maybe the Academy really did need "talent" like him, just like Examiner Mizuki said!
"Shinku-senpai!!"
Shiranui Genma came jogging over, beaming—clearly here to share the good news.
This time, Shinku didn't find the kid's face annoying at all. If anything, it looked downright lovable.
Well, would you look at that!
Isn't this his future coworker?
Shinku was so happy he couldn't stop grinning—his mouth stretched wide in a stupid, delighted laugh.
Every bone in his body felt warm.
My clan can eat their fill now!
That old girl at home can finally get married!
And I can actually drink some decent booze and smoke some good tobacco once in a while!
"Genma! Let's go! Today I'm treating! We're not going home until we're drunk!"
"Senpai, don't be ridiculous! I'm treating! I'll pay!"
The two idiots walked off toward the tavern, eyebrows dancing, faces flushed, taking huge proud strides—practically glowing as they tried to pour all that heat and excitement out of their chests.
On the other side…
The recruitment fair was over, and the five teachers were sitting in the office, all of them with headaches, arguing in circles.
Morino Ibiki didn't even know what expression to wear—his face looked like it had been kneaded into a lump.
He stared at Mizuki, who was calmly drinking tea with the same deadpan expression as always.
Then he looked back down at the evaluation sheet in his hand for Yuhi Shinku.
Perfect score.
A hundred points.
Ibiki nearly felt like he'd been cursed.
At first, they'd honestly thought the Academy had landed some kind of once-in-a-generation prodigy.
They'd honestly thought that "mission-running Shinku" actually had something going on, that maybe they'd been the ones seeing him wrong.
Then they looked closer.
Hiss…
No, seriously—what?
This… this isn't right.
Who the hell gives points like this?
Confidence gets points?
Knocking gets points?
And "teaching students without holding back"—isn't that literally the job?
That gets points too?
And it's twenty points?!
Ebisu, with his sharp eyes, noticed the line that had been crossed out:
Left foot enters first. +10.
For a moment, he stared at his colleague, words stuck in his throat—wanting to speak, not daring to speak, wanting to speak again.
Umino Iruka's molars practically ached from how hard he'd been clenching his jaw.
Fine.
Forget the other stuff—if they really wanted to, they could barely, reluctantly, let Shinku pass.
But this last part…
"'Understands resource redistribution'… what does that mean?" Iruka asked, completely lost.
Nobody else understood it either.
"Oh," Mizuki said lightly. "He bribed me."
"..."
Iruka's brain trembled.
It felt like something nameless and indescribable had just done unspeakable violence to his intelligence.
This was blatant. It was insulting.
"Mizuki, y-you—this…" Ibiki's hand shook as he held the evaluation sheet.
He couldn't even decide whether Mizuki's scoring had a "problem" anymore.
Because now he finally understood why Mizuki had repeatedly insisted on being the one to interview Shinku.
Who the hell knew "mission runners" could be abstract art like this?
They all fell silent, heavy-faced, and then patted Mizuki's shoulder again and again.
Mizuki… you've suffered.
Forcing yourself to add points with a straight face—must've felt like swallowing glass, huh?
Mizuki immediately wore a smile that looked like it was about to crack.
"For the Academy. For the children. It's not hard."
"Pfft!!"
Kangetsu's estate.
Kangetsu stared blankly at the copied evaluation sheet in his hand.
What?
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
…What?!
Most of it looked normal, but Shinku's sheet…
This thing was so out there even Kangetsu couldn't make sense of it.
Especially the "left foot enters first" and "resource redistribution" lines.
Who the hell evaluated this?
…What, that idiot Mizuki?
Then hurry up and make that idiot—
"My lord," a jonin from the Medical Division said without looking up, "they said because of your relationship with Yuhi Kurenai, they couldn't exactly refuse Yuhi Shinku."
He paused.
Kangetsu suddenly remembered Kurenai's long legs.
And promptly froze.
Ah.
So Mizuki that idiot… no, not idiot—he was thinking that far ahead?
"…Mm. Good work," Kangetsu said, his gaze drifting.
His little hobby…
Why did it feel like everyone knew about it?
Was it really that obvious?
The Medical Division jonin didn't even lift his head.
His lord was good in every way. So what if he had a small hobby?
But…
Since Mizuki was this considerate—since he knew how to ease his superior's burdens—
Then that kid deserved to "progress" hard.
"How about this," Kangetsu said, sounding faintly "displeased" with Mizuki's "taking initiative."
He was going to "punish" Mizuki.
"Assign Mizuki as vice director of the Academy, first-rank teacher, special-class待遇."
Promote him first, that bastard.
Then raise his pay so high all he could do every day was drown himself in luxury.
The Medical Division jonin heard that and nearly started drooling with envy.
A mere genin from the Academy getting better待遇 than a Medical Division jonin—was that really fair?
"My lord, it's not time for the Medical Division yet. You understand, yes?" Kangetsu said.
"Yes!" the jonin answered at once.
When the jonin left, Kangetsu couldn't help chuckling softly.
Mizuki… a real piece of talent.
But letting Mizuki grow too dominant wasn't great, either.
Maybe he should give Iruka a promotion too.
A promotion?
A promotion to what?
Haruno—the "Great Fairy," who had been sneaking in ready to make trouble—brightened instantly, eyes suddenly clear.
Wait, wait, wait—what?
Dog man finally remembered his "proper wife," and he's going to make things official for her?!
Haruno's motivation skyrocketed.
She decided—
Today, she was going to use every trick she had and squeeze the very soul out of that dog of a man.
Chabashira Sae, hearing Haruno making a fuss, turned her head.
She quickly wrapped herself in strappy black stockings, hitched her tight skirt a little higher, and walked forward with a sway that made her curves impossible to ignore.
It looked… delicious.
Kangetsu, meanwhile, pressed a hand to Haruno's small head, completely bewildered.
"You're… this hungry today?"
She was like a little she-wolf gone feral.
"Mwah mwah" didn't even come close.
This was more like "chomp chomp."
Once she got going, she even started undoing buttons—pushing and tugging at him like she meant to devour him whole.
It was… honestly impressive.
Not far away,
Komachi peeked out from behind Mrs. Mikoto, showing only the top of her head, her face full of pure disgust.
Yukine could only shake her head with a helpless smile.
That rebellious girl… she's at it again.
(End of Chapter)
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