Thursday.

The first monthly exam of the semester.

“As expected of Kitazawa-sensei, he only took one day to complete the modification of Fang Over Fang.” Kiba walked down the street leading to the Ninja Academy, speaking with great emotion.

“Mhm.” Inuzuka Hana nodded, then added, “It’s a pity Quadruple Fang Over Fang can’t be used in this practical exam.”

She had only received the technique from Kitazawa yesterday, and one day was not enough for her to learn it, let alone master it.

“It’s fine. You’ll surprise everyone in the next practical exam.” Kiba chuckled, saying confidently, “For this one, just let me have the spotlight. Watch me perform.”

Although his Three-Headed Hell Hound was still unfamiliar, he could barely manage it in battle.

“Don’t be careless,” Hana cautioned. “Our classmates are all very strong.”

“I know.” Kiba stroked his chin, eyes darting around. “Sis, do you think I can learn Quadruple Fang Over Fang?”

“You don’t have three ninja hounds, so how would you learn it?” Hana paused, then suddenly remembered something. “Using Shadow Clones?”

She felt Kiba was treading a heretical path — a decision that went against their ancestors.

“Exactly, that’s what I was thinking,” Kiba replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“There’s one problem.” Hana glanced at him. “How will you convince your Shadow Clones to act as ninja hounds?”

Kiba immediately fell silent. Both Fang Over Fang and Hell Hound succeeded because he, the original body, condescended to act as the ninja hound. But Quadruple Fang Over Fang required three hounds, and his Shadow Clones would definitely refuse.

“Shadow Clone Technique still has significant flaws, huh.” Kiba finally shook his head.

“This is a Ninjutsu created by Second Hokage-sama. Don’t speak carelessly!” Hana quickly reminded him.

“Kiba!” Just then, a familiar voice rang out. Kiba turned and saw Naruto, dressed in green tights.

“Hana-senpai.” Naruto greeted Inuzuka Hana after approaching.

“Are you confident about today’s written exam?” Kiba put his arm around Naruto’s shoulder. “This is a brand new version of the written exam, you know.”

“No matter what kind of written exam it is, just stake your youth and give it your all!” Naruto said, flashing his teeth.

“Don’t forget our bet.” Kiba smiled. “I have a feeling you’ll be treating me to Ichiraku Ramen after this monthly exam.”

“Woof woof woof!” The Haimaru brothers barked.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Kiba glared at them.

“Wow!” Naruto exclaimed, as if he had discovered something. “You can actually understand what they’re saying?”

“Everyone in our Inuzuka Clan can understand them,” Hana translated. “They just said they think you can defeat Kiba.”

Ninja hounds had a keener sense of danger. They felt Naruto’s danger level far exceeded Inuzuka Kiba’s.

“Haha!” Naruto laughed. “Thank you for your support, I’ll do my best!”

“You’re all traitors!” Kiba complained.

The three of them chatted as they arrived at the Ninja Academy.

“Morning, Choji!” Naruto immediately spotted Akimichi Choji sitting in his seat, munching on potato chips.

“Choji, aren’t you worried about the exam?” Kiba asked curiously.

“Worrying won’t help.” Choji chuckled innocently.

“Choji’s right,” Shikamaru agreed.

“Do you think anyone would believe you saying that?” Kiba retorted. “You consistently score tenth place every time.”

“What rank are you aiming for this time?” Ino turned to Shikamaru and asked.

“I don’t know.” Shikamaru sighed. “I understand you guys, but I don’t know the new students who joined the Genius Class.”

“Really?” Ino’s face showed doubt.

“It’s true.” Shikamaru clasped his hands behind his head. “Plus, there’s a bottom-rank challenge mechanism, so I’m planning to rank a few spots higher.”

“Wait!” Naruto suddenly understood and asked in confusion, “How can you just decide what rank you want to get?”

“That’s what a top student is like.” Sakura walked into the classroom carrying her school bag. Hearing this, she spoke casually.

She was also a top student, so she could understand Shikamaru’s composure. If you could answer every question on the test, your score just depend on your mood. But she didn’t have Shikamaru’s ability to control her ranking.

“Why do I feel like you guys are from a different world than me?” Naruto scratched his head.

“It’s fine,” Shikamaru glanced at him. “During the practical exam, we thought the same thing.”

How could someone be so strong in their first year, as if they were a Jonin? Even with his high intelligence, he found it hard to comprehend.

“Indeed,” Shino spoke abruptly.

“Shino? When did you get here?” Naruto asked, surprised.

“I’ve been here for a few minutes.” Shino adjusted his glasses.

“Naruto!” Rock Lee walked into the classroom, giving a thumbs-up. “Another monthly exam full of youth!”

Neji and Tenten subtly sped up, moving away from him.

—

Nine in the morning.

Kitazawa entered the classroom on time. Seeing this, everyone who had been chatting quickly returned to their seats, and the room fell silent again.

“I will now start distributing the test papers.” Kitazawa nodded with satisfaction, took out the papers, and handed them out one by one.

The bell rang, and the students began answering the questions.

Kitazawa created a Shadow Clone, while his original body went to the Artificial Lake to practice Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique.

His Great Waterfall Technique had already reached the initiation stage; in a short while, he could successfully complete his system mission.

Two hours later, the written exam ended.

“The practical exam will be held tomorrow at nine in the morning on the Training Ground.”

Kitazawa returned to the Genius Class classroom. “I remind you again: students ranked after the twentieth place should be prepared to be challenged.”

Many students looked nervous at these words. They had been in the Genius Class for a month and fully understood its benefits compared to regular classes.

First, they had Jonin-level teachers — even a few words of guidance from them surpassed what Chunin instructors could provide.

Second, they could learn Ninjutsu beyond the Basic Three E-rank Techniques. This point was particularly important.

Konoha had many strict rules on Ninjutsu inheritance; under normal circumstances, they would have to wait until graduation for team leaders to teach them anything other than the basics. But team leaders varied in quality — most were nowhere near Kitazawa, Maruboshi Kosuke, or Kakashi Hatake.

“Everyone, go back and rest.” Kitazawa smiled.

Pressure creates motivation. Sasuke and Naruto, with their amazing talent, naturally didn’t need to worry.

But the rest of the students lacked such talent, and using pressure now might help them perform beyond their usual abilities.

Kitazawa left the classroom carrying the test papers. When he reached the office door, he stopped.

“How did you learn to stalk your teacher?” Kitazawa turned and asked with a smile.

A moment later, Hinata peeked her head out from around the corner, looking furtive.

When her eyes met Kitazawa’s, her body trembled and her small face flushed red. She hesitated for two seconds, then shyly walked up to him.

“Is there something you need?” Kitazawa reached out and gently pinched her slightly warm cheek.

“…To–to–eat,” Hinata whispered.

“Then wait for me for an hour. I’ll grade the papers first.”

Kitazawa opened the door and sat down at his desk. He directly used Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu, creating nine Shadow Clones.

Hinata breathed a sigh of relief, a slight smile on her lips as she went to sit on the sofa and began to wait.

Time slowly passed. With the help of his Shadow Clones, Kitazawa finished grading thirty test papers in just half an hour.

Compared to the last final exam, the rankings had changed significantly. After all, First Year Class A had become the Genius Class — a gathering of elites — yet most of the top ten were still familiar names.

First place had changed from Sakura to Shikamaru.

Kitazawa could easily guess Shikamaru’s thinking: he disliked trouble, so to avoid being challenged, he scored high first. By the next monthly exam, he could adjust based on the situation.

Second place was Sakura. Third was no longer Sasuke but Neji. Sasuke became fourth, and Hinata moved up two spots to fifth. Yakumo was sixth. Seventh remained unchanged — still Karin. Eighth was Shino Aburame, ninth Ino, and tenth Tenten.

The top ten had only minor changes with the inclusion of Neji and Tenten. The biggest shifts were in the bottom twenty.

Kiba, originally eleventh, had been overtaken by his older sister Hana Inuzuka and dropped to nineteenth.

Naruto fell three places, down to fifteenth. Rock Lee, as expected, sat at thirtieth, firstly because he had no talent for academics, and secondly because all his efforts were focused on Taijutsu.

Overall, Naruto and Kiba were the most affected. They were already weak in theoretical exams. Thanks to Kitazawa’s urging, they had improved somewhat, but still slipped.

Even so, they maintained their positions within the top twenty. Considering their practical exams, it was impossible for them to be kicked out of the Genius Class — only the bottom ten would be challenged by students from other classes.

“You’re fifth this time.” Kitazawa looked up, met Hinata’s white eyes, and smiled.

“?” Hinata Hyuga was momentarily stunned. How had she dropped two places? For a moment, she felt ashamed, thinking she had let Kitazawa down.

“Shikamaru came in first, and Neji came in third.” Kitazawa stood up. “Actually, your score hasn’t changed. Don’t overthink it. Let’s go get something to eat.”

Hinata felt a little relieved. Losing to Shikamaru and Neji was acceptable; it wasn’t her fault.

“Let’s go eat BBQ.”

Kitazawa thought for a moment. His net worth had already exceeded twenty million ryo, so he could upgrade his living standards.

Hinata unconsciously swallowed when she heard the word “BBQ.” She had brought a bento, but since she could eat BBQ, she would save the bento for next time.

After eating BBQ, Kitazawa walked Hinata home.

—

The next day, Friday, marked the highlight of the week: the practical exam.

At nine in the morning, Kitazawa arrived at the Ninja Academy’s Training Ground right on time.

To his surprise, he saw an unexpected figure—Sarutobi Hiruzen. The Hokage was surrounded by the students of the Genius Class, his face full of smiles as he spoke with them, clearly delighted.

Kitazawa hadn’t invited him beforehand, nor had he received any notification. This was clearly an unannounced visit.

Still, thinking about it carefully, it was reasonable. The Genius Class reforms had been promoted under Hiruzen’s guidance.

No one wanted to see the class succeed more than he did; its success would also reflect well on his leadership. With this being the class’s first practical exam, it was only natural for him to come and observe.

“Hokage-sama,” Kitazawa stepped forward to greet him.

“Kitazawa,” Hiruzen replied with a chuckle. “I came uninvited. I hope you don’t mind.”

“It’s an honor to have Hokage-sama here,” Kitazawa responded respectfully.

“The Genius Class has been running for a month now,” Hiruzen said, his gaze sweeping over Naruto and the others. “I wonder what changes there have been.”

“They will not disappoint you,” Kitazawa answered with a confident smile.

“Then I shall look forward to it.” Hiruzen moved to the edge of the Training Ground, settling in as a spectator.

Kitazawa stepped to the center of the field. “The Genius Class’s first practical exam of this semester begins now,” he announced. “This exam will use a random-matching format, divided into three rounds. Scores will be given based on performance to determine the rankings.”

Iruka appeared with a lottery box. This time, however, the students would not draw their own matchups—Kitazawa would draw for them, as he had during the previous Student Council selection test.

“The first practical match of the first round will be Hyuga Neji versus Uzumaki Naruto,” Kitazawa announced. “Please step forward.”

“It’s those two?” Kiba muttered in surprise.

Neji and Naruto had fought in the previous semester’s final exam during the Student Council selection test. Back then, Neji had ultimately lost to Naruto’s Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu and Rasengan.

“I still think Naruto has the higher chance of winning,” Shikamaru said lazily.

Choji and Ino nodded, and even Sasuke seemed to agree—only Hinata did not.

She knew Neji had learned both the Shadow Clone Technique and the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. Most importantly, he had received special training from Kitazawa during this period.

“Directly against Naruto, huh?” Neji thought to himself, feeling a flicker of doubt.

Could Kitazawa sensei have arranged this? But after a moment, he dismissed the thought. Kitazawa wasn’t that kind of person—and with Hiruzen present, cheating would be unthinkable.

“It’s Neji?” Naruto scratched his head.

He liked close combat, but he particularly disliked Gentle Fist techniques that sealed his chakra points. His last fight with Neji had proved just how frustrating it could be—he’d been on the defensive at every turn and had nearly lost.

“Naruto!” Rock Lee gave a thumbs-up. “For youth!”

“I’m going in!” Naruto said, his enthusiasm reigniting as he stepped into the arena.

Neji recalled Kitazawa’s lessons as he moved to meet him. He assumed the Gentle Fist stance. “Please,” he said calmly.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto opened with his old favorite, instantly summoning thirty Shadow Clones. The clones dispersed, forming three separate queues.

A moment later, a barrage of kunai rained down on Neji. The real Naruto hid within one of the queues.

Neji’s eyes narrowed slightly. This was exactly as Kitazawa had predicted. Naruto might seem reckless, but he wasn’t a fool. Having lost once before, he would certainly make adjustments—such as not charging headlong into close combat this time.

It didn’t matter.

“Shadow Clone Technique!” Neji formed hand signs, summoning two Shadow Clones of his own.

In an instant, the three Neji figures vanished from their spots, batting away kunai as they charged toward the three queues of Naruto.

“Shadow Clone Technique?” Naruto’s eyes widened. Using Shadow Clones was the simplest way to counter his ninja-tool barrage—Sasuke had done the same thing once before.

“Konoha Whirlwind!” As Neji closed in, Naruto’s Shadow Clones rushed forward, launching fierce whirlwind kicks from all directions.

But Neji didn’t panic. His hands snapped out with blinding speed, striking the chakra points in their right legs.

Four Shadow Clones stumbled immediately. Neji didn’t press the attack; instead, he slipped past them, striking at other clones and sealing their leg chakra points one by one.

Soon, the queues of Naruto grew chaotic. Even with hindered legs, the clones continued attacking, but Neji simply weaved in and out, dodging their strikes.

“Ahhh! Get out of the way!” several Naruto shouted as clones collided with one another.

“Isn’t this the method Sasuke-kun used earlier?” Sakura murmured, a strong sense of déjà vu hitting her. Sasuke had once achieved a similar effect with his Manipulating Shuriken Technique.

“Not just that,” Shino said, adjusting his glasses. “Neji’s fighting style today also resembles Sasuke’s.”

“It’s Kitazawa-sensei’s special training,” Sasuke said coldly, breaking his silence.

“Does that mean Naruto’s going to lose?” Kiba raised an eyebrow.

“Hard to say.” Sasuke kept his hands in his pockets. “If Naruto’s smart enough, he won’t fall for the same tactic twice.”

As if on cue, Naruto dispelled his Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. The chaotic scene vanished instantly.

“Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!” he called again, summoning thirty new clones.

But during this brief pause, Neji had already locked onto him and was closing in fast.

Naruto had no choice but to meet him head-on. Although he hated having his chakra points sealed, in this situation, he couldn’t just retreat—he had to fight back.

Fortunately, he had already summoned his clones. He just needed to hold on for a second.

—

—

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P@atreon/Arvinstorm (45+ Advanced Chapters)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep