Chapter 68: Chapter 68

“The exam begins now. You have two hours.”

Kitazawa’s voice rang out just as the school bell faded.

The students of Class 1A immediately lowered their heads over their papers, pens scratching furiously as they plunged into the written test.

Kitazawa stood at the front for a moment, observing them thoughtfully. Then, without a word, he formed a hand seal.

A Shadow Clone appeared beside him.

“Handle the proctoring for me,” Kitazawa instructed.

The clone nodded and crossed its arms sternly, standing watch over the room.

Meanwhile, the real Kitazawa slipped quietly out the door, heading straight for the Ninja Academy’s training ground.

’Since there’s no mission tied to this month’s exam, why should I bother answering those questions myself?’ he thought with a smirk.

Instead, he decided to practice Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique.

Two hours flew by.

When he returned to the classroom, the students were just putting down their pens, eyes glazed with exhaustion.

“The practical exam is tomorrow at nine o’clock sharp on the training field,” Kitazawa announced, collecting the stack of test papers. “Don’t be late.”

Back in his office, Kitazawa settled into his chair and started grading.

He already had a good sense of how the practical results would turn out. Once he finished scoring the written tests, he’d know whether Naruto had made it into the top ten—an outcome crucial for his mission’s success.

If Naruto fell short, the entire mission would be void.

Before he knew it, noon rolled around.

“Huh… Hinata’s not here today?” Kitazawa murmured, stretching his arms over his head.

Almost as if on cue, a knock sounded at his door.

“Speak of the devil…” Kitazawa chuckled. “Come in.”

The door creaked open.

“Kitazawa-sensei.”

Hinata stepped inside, her eyes shy but determined.

Kitazawa’s gaze dropped to the scroll clutched in her hands.

“What’s that you’re carrying?” he asked curiously.

“It’s a storage scroll.”

Hinata unfurled it on his desk. In a puff of smoke, a delicious aroma wafted through the room, and an impressive spread of grilled meats appeared.

Kitazawa blinked, momentarily stunned. ’She really is a rich little heiress…’

“You bought all this yourself?” he asked.

“I… I asked Ko to get it for me,” Hinata replied, lowering her head. “I thought you’d be busy grading papers and wouldn’t have time for lunch.”

Kitazawa felt a warm pang of appreciation.

“Hinata, you really are thoughtful,” he said, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair.

Last month, after the written exam, Hinata had also come to keep him company for lunch. Back then, he’d ended up taking her to Ichiraku Ramen instead. Clearly, Hinata remembered—and wanted to plan ahead this time.

“I-I didn’t do anything special…” Hinata mumbled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “It’s always me troubling you, Kitazawa-sensei.”

“Enough with the formalities,” Kitazawa said with a grin, handing her a pair of chopsticks. “Let’s eat.”

“Mhm.”

Hinata gave a small, genuine smile.

Ever since she’d stopped hiding her secret talent for eating enormous amounts of food, she found mealtimes one of the purest joys of her day.

After they’d finished their meal, Hinata paused, gathering her courage.

“Kitazawa-sensei… Is it alright if I keep training this afternoon?”

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow. “Tomorrow’s the practical exam. Don’t you want to rest up?”

“It’s fine.”

Hinata shook her head resolutely. “Resting at night is enough for me.”

Kitazawa gave her a long look, then nodded.

“Alright then, Hinata… Try activating your Byakugan.”

“Eh?”

Hinata blinked, utterly caught off guard.

“Why so surprised?” Kitazawa teased with a soft laugh. “What do you think all this leaf training was for, anyway?”

Hinata stared at him, realization dawning.

Kitazawa had once explained that the purpose of balancing leaves was to train her vision and, by extension, her reaction speed.

For someone of the Hyuga Clan, honing one’s eyesight meant only one thing: awakening the Byakugan.

A flush of warmth and determination welled in Hinata’s chest.

’If I awaken my Byakugan… what kind of expression will Father have then?’

Taking a deep breath, she formed the familiar seal.

“Byakugan—activate!”

Hinata focused intently, gathering chakra into her eye sockets just as her father, had taught her.

But the Byakugan didn’t awaken.

She remained frozen in place, shoulders drooping in disappointment.

“Don’t move.”

Kitazawa stepped closer, gently placing a hand over her eyes.

“Try it again.”

Though surprised, Hinata obediently nodded.

Kitazawa activated his own Byakugan. In an instant, he could see the intricate flow of chakra swirling around Hinata’s eyes.

“Train for another week, and you’ll be able to activate it,” he said as he deactivated his Byakugan.

“Really?” Hinata’s gloomy expression transformed into one of bright hope.

“Why would I lie to you?” Kitazawa replied, giving her a reassuring pat on the head. “Come on—let’s head to the training ground.”

As for the stack of exam papers waiting to be graded, Kitazawa left that task to his Shadow Clone.

Dusk

Once Hinata’s training session ended, Kitazawa watched her leave, then returned to his office.

His Shadow Clone had already finished grading the written exams, so Kitazawa picked up the results to review them.

At the last monthly exam, Hinata had claimed first place in the theoretical portion.

This time, though, without additional study, she’d dropped to third place.

Sasuke had taken first, Sakura second, and Naruto had landed in sixth place.

Kitazawa let out a quiet breath of relief.

Given Naruto’s current abilities, securing a top-ten finish in the practical exam would be no problem. Combining both scores, he was confident Naruto would meet the mission’s requirement.

The next day arrived.

“Kitazawa-senpai!”

Iruka approached, arriving earlier than he had for the last exam.

“It’s almost time. Get them organized to begin the practical,” Kitazawa instructed.

“Got it.”

Iruka immediately called Class 1A into formation.

Kitazawa faced the assembled students.

“Same as last time, the practical exam has four events: the physical fitness test, Clone Jutsu, kunai throwing, and shuriken throwing.”

He glanced at the roster in his hand.

“The exam begins now. First up: Clone jutsu.”

Because of his mission, Kitazawa’s attention was focused squarely on Naruto.

After a month of rigorous training—and after learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu—Naruto’s Clone Jutsu was now excellent, far beyond the sloppy illusions he used to produce.

When it came to clones, he’d surpassed the skill level he’d had upon graduating in the original timeline.

While Naruto’s kunai and shuriken throwing hadn’t improved dramatically, they were still solid.

And in the physical fitness test, Naruto once again claimed first place.

Not surprising, given that he’d been training under Gai’s intense regimen. His stamina and strength were at a whole new level.

As soon as the practical exam ended, Naruto bounded over, eyes shining.

“Kitazawa-sensei! What’s my rank?”

Sasuke, Sakura, Choji, and the others crowded closer as well, eager for the results.

Among them, Kiba looked the most anxious, practically vibrating with nerves.

He was terrified of being beaten by Naruto.

Right behind him, Sasuke stood silent but tense. He still hadn’t gotten over missing first place the previous time—an unacceptable outcome for an Uchiha.

He simply had to be number one.

“Naruto, you’re sixth,” Kitazawa announced with a smile.

“That’s awesome!” Naruto whooped, leaping into the air.

“Wait—what about me?!” Inuzuka Kiba cried, eyes wide.

“You’re seventh,” Kitazawa replied calmly.

“Huh?!”

Kiba stared at him in disbelief, feeling as though the floor had dropped out from under him.

’He actually lost to Naruto…?’

“Hahaha! I win!” Naruto crowed, flashing Kiba a victorious thumbs-up. “That’s the power of youth!”

“Who’s first?” Sasuke demanded, unable to hold back any longer.

“That would be you,” Kitazawa said, giving him a nod. “Congratulations, Sasuke.”

Sasuke paused for a moment, then a small smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

At last, he’d reclaimed his rightful place at the top.

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