Chapter 370: The Chunin Who Stared at the Sealed Book!

"If you're good enough, you should already sense the gap between us!"

"You are not my opponent."

Yoriichi blocked Konohamaru's attack with one hand and spoke softly. He assumed Konohamaru would recognize the disparity in their strength, but to his surprise, his opponent had no intention of stopping. Instead, Konohamaru quickly withdrew his fist, raised his leg, and aimed a kick at Yoriichi's face.

The powerful knee strike, accompanied by a gust of wind, drew another round of gasps from the spectators.

Seeing that Konohamaru still refused to back down, Yoriichi had no intention of holding back. He swiftly rose from his seat, placed his hands on the table behind him, and, with a sudden burst of strength, flipped over Konohamaru's attack with an agile somersault before landing lightly on the back table.

Then, he quickly jumped down and threw a punch at Konohamaru's face. Yoriichi's attack speed was extremely fast, but Konohamaru barely managed to react, raising his hands in defense.

However, in that instant, Konohamaru suddenly felt pressure against his chest. Before he could fully grasp what was happening, he realized his body was airborne.

It turned out that Yoriichi's punch was just a feint. Even against Konohamaru, who was significantly weaker, Yoriichi showed no intention of going easy. While swinging his fist as a distraction, he had already moved in close, grabbed one of Konohamaru's arms, pressed his back against Konohamaru's chest, and executed a flawless over-the-shoulder throw.

Despite being much shorter than Konohamaru, Yoriichi effortlessly sent him flying.

Realizing this, Konohamaru squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the harsh impact of the fall. But to his surprise, the landing wasn't as painful as expected. Instead of a brutal crash, he felt a pulling sensation in his arm, and a force from behind slightly lifted him, preventing a direct collision with the ground.

Dazed, Konohamaru lay still for a moment before turning his head to assess the situation.

Indeed, he had been thrown over Yoriichi's shoulder and was now lying on the ground. However, Yoriichi had used his own feet to cushion the impact, reducing the damage. Though unharmed, Konohamaru understood all too well that he had been completely subdued.

"You..." Konohamaru looked up at Yoriichi, his expression complicated, struggling to find the right words.

Outside the classroom, Uchiha Sasuke observed the scene through the window. He rubbed his chin, his expression thoughtful.

"I heard from my brother that Naruto's younger brother is a super genius, not weaker than him."

"But... at this level, it's hard to gauge his true strength."

As the younger brother of Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke had been compared to his elder brother for as long as he could remember. Itachi was hailed as a prodigy of the Uchiha clan and a disciple of the Fourth Hokage, making his reputation far greater than Sasuke's.

At home, their father, Uchiha Fugaku, would often praise Itachi with phrases like, "As expected of my son," while telling Sasuke, "If only you could be like Itachi."

This made Sasuke extremely sensitive to the word "genius." Though he admired his brother, he also yearned to surpass him and earn their father's recognition.

But as Itachi continued to grow stronger, Sasuke found himself unable to measure his brother's abilities, let alone surpass him.

However, Yoriichi's presence provided a new opportunity. If Itachi acknowledged him as a super genius, then his strength must be formidable.

With that thought, Sasuke's gaze on Yoriichi burned with intensity.

Yoriichi, being highly perceptive, immediately sensed the fiery gaze directed at him. Ignoring Konohamaru, he let go of his opponent and shifted his attention to the window, locking eyes with Sasuke.

"Who is this guy?"

Yoriichi didn't recognize Sasuke and was momentarily puzzled. But Naruto, who was also outside, quickly noticed Sasuke's stare and stepped in to block his view.

"Hey, Sasuke! Why are you staring at my brother?"

Naruto sounded irritated, assuming Sasuke was fixating on Yoriichi's facial birthmark. Since Yoriichi had joined the Ninja Academy, Naruto had seen far too many people mock his brother over it, particularly the more ignorant students.

Yoriichi, being naturally reserved, had always ignored such remarks. But Naruto was different. He cared deeply about how others treated his brother and had defended him countless times at school. He never expected Sasuke to be one of those people.

"Hmph!" Sasuke scoffed, his expression unreadable. Without offering an explanation, he turned and walked straight toward the playground.

"That guy..." Naruto scowled in displeasure. He had never liked Sasuke's arrogant attitude. Rolling up his sleeves, he stormed off after him.

Meanwhile, Konohamaru, still stunned by his defeat, quietly returned to his seat, his mind preoccupied.

With that, the classroom conflict came to an end, and the students who had gathered at the door to watch the commotion slowly dispersed. Yoriichi, still watching Sasuke's departing figure, scratched his head in mild confusion before dismissing the thought. He sat back down, waiting for class to start.

That afternoon, Iruka finalized the graduation assessment plan for the Academy's students. After receiving approval from Uzumaki Raiden, he gathered all the teachers to explain the new evaluation criteria and instructed them to inform their students.

Since Naruto's class was under Iruka's supervision, he personally made the announcement.

Inside Class A, Iruka posted two pieces of paper on the blackboard and addressed the students:

"Everyone, settle down."

"After six years of training, your graduation season has finally arrived."

"The Academy's graduation assessment will take place in early October. Passing this exam will officially make you Genin, marking the beginning of your careers as shinobi."

As Iruka spoke, murmurs of excitement and apprehension filled the room. He allowed them a moment to talk among themselves before continuing.

"This year's assessment will be significantly different from previous years."

"You've likely noticed the two sheets of paper on the board—these outline the details of the new exam format."

"Let me explain."

The students immediately fell silent, their attention locked on Iruka.

"The assessment consists of two parts: a written test and a combat evaluation. The written exam will assess the knowledge you've accumulated over the past six years, including history, culture, ninjutsu theory, and all other courses."

"The combat exam will evaluate your practical fighting ability."

"Students will be ranked based on their performance. Only those scoring within the top 80% will pass and become Genin."

"However, as long as you excel in either the written or combat exam, you will still qualify as a Genin."

Iruka's announcement stirred further discussion. Though rumors of the new format had spread, hearing it confirmed made it more real.

Naruto's expression darkened at the mention of the written test, but upon hearing that passing only one of the two exams was enough, his mood instantly lifted.

To be honest, he wasn't confident about the written exam at all. But the combat exam...

The scene of students preparing for graduation played out across all classes. Parents responded in different ways—some simply encouraged their children, while others panicked and sought last-minute tutoring.

In response, some idle or retired ninjas in Konoha were widely invited to act as tutors. After all, many civilian ninjas attended the Academy, and while their parents might not be well-versed in taijutsu or ninjutsu, they lived in the village and often knew at least one or two ninjas they could turn to for help.

As a result, students across the Academy began to intensify their efforts. Those who could afford tutors hired them, while those from ninja families received personal training at home. Some parents even feigned illness to take time off from work under Minato's jurisdiction, ensuring their children had more time to prepare.

The Academy's teachers quickly took notice of this surge in motivation. Seizing the opportunity, they intensified their reviews and training. The Academy was divided into different classes—A, B, C, and D—each with its own grading system.

For the teachers, their reputation was directly tied to their students' performance. The instructors of Class A, for instance, couldn't bear the thought of being surpassed by students from Class D—that would be a humiliation. Conversely, teachers of the lower-ranked classes aspired to have their students outperform those in higher classes, proving their own excellence as educators.

Thus, whether it was the students, their parents, or the teachers themselves, everyone threw themselves into preparation for the upcoming graduation assessment in October.

The midday sun streamed into the teacher's office, where Mizuki stood by the window, holding a glass of water, his gaze fixed intently on the playground. Below, Class A was engaged in combat training. Mizuki observed them with a serious expression.

As the head teacher of Class B, he had no classes at the moment and took this time to evaluate Class A's training. Within the Academy, it was widely known that Iruka had gained the principal's favor. Not only did he teach Class A, but he also played a key role in the principal's reform of the school system. His future seemed promising.

But this was something Mizuki could not stand.

He couldn't bring himself to respect Iruka. To him, Iruka was nothing more than a mediocre teacher who had climbed the ranks by currying favor with the principal. Mizuki, on the other hand, was convinced that his own strength far surpassed Iruka's, and that his teaching ability was just as good—if not better. After all, among the top 20% of students, quite a few came from his Class B. So why was Iruka the one receiving all the recognition?

Why? Mizuki thought bitterly. I'm stronger than Iruka, and my teaching skills are excellent. Many of my students rank among the top. So why is he the one being acknowledged?

His grip on the glass tightened, his knuckles turning white.

"The Sealed Book… a massive scroll that records Konoha's forbidden techniques. If I can get my hands on it, I'll become powerful!"

"I've had enough of this injustice!"

As his resentment grew, the glass in his hand began to crack under the pressure.

The acquisition of ninjutsu in Konoha was strictly controlled. While the village had a vast collection of techniques, there were only a few legitimate ways for a ninja to obtain them: first, through mission contributions in exchange for ninjutsu; second, through family inheritance; third, by becoming an apprentice and learning from a master; and finally, by taking techniques from enemies in battle.

For a Chunin like Mizuki, however, access to advanced ninjutsu was nearly impossible. During the Third Great Ninja War, he had been too young and weak to participate, meaning he had never earned the military merits required to obtain jutsu from the village. And now, as an adult, no one would take him on as an apprentice. Born into a civilian family, he lacked any hereditary techniques to fall back on.

That was why he had remained a Chunin for so many years. Talent was only part of the equation—the lack of a powerful jutsu to rely on had kept him stagnant.

Compared to him, Iruka had far more opportunities to learn. His parents had been elite ninjas who gave their lives defending Konoha when the Six-Tails and Seven-Tails attacked the village. As a result, Iruka had inherited resources that made acquiring ninjutsu far easier.

If not for his own limitations in talent, Iruka could have achieved far more than just becoming a Chunin.

This was precisely why Mizuki despised him. Forced into the role of a teacher, Mizuki saw Iruka as someone who had the opportunity to become stronger but instead wasted his potential by playing babysitter to children at the Academy. That was what infuriated Mizuki the most.

Years of pent-up frustration had finally reached a breaking point.

Tuk, tuk, tuk.

A sudden knock at the door snapped Mizuki out of his thoughts. He glanced down at his damp palm, quickly emptied the remaining water from his cup, wiped his hands, and called out.

"Come in!"

The door opened, and in stepped a student he recognized immediately—Kurama Yakumo.

Mizuki was momentarily taken aback before a polite smile spread across his face.

"Yakumo, what brings you here?" he asked, rubbing his hands together lightly.

Kurama Yakumo was a unique case in his class. When she had first enrolled in the Academy, the Kurama clan had made special arrangements for her admission. At the time, her performance was fairly average, and she was placed in Class B.

However, over the years, she had demonstrated an extraordinary talent for genjutsu. As she grew older and refined her skills, her illusions became terrifyingly strong. At her peak, she was ranked among the top ten students in the Academy.

But there was a problem.

Kurama Yakumo had a significant weakness—her physical condition. For reasons unknown, her health had steadily declined over the years, causing her to miss more and more classes. As a result, her overall ranking had plummeted, despite her raw talent. There were simply too many exams she had missed.

"Mizuki-sensei, about the Ninja Academy's graduation assessment…"

"I want to ask if there's any way I can pass."

"I want to become a ninja—I don't want to be stuck at home forever!"

Yakumo gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. Her parents had repeatedly urged her to abandon her dream of becoming a ninja, but Yakumo refused to give up.

Mizuki's eyes flashed with a brief glimmer of something unreadable before he quickly masked it with an expression of concern.

"The assessment is determined by the administration. It's a fixed decision and cannot be changed."

"I understand your situation," he continued, his tone softer now. "Because of your health, you've missed a lot of classes. Passing the written test might be difficult."

"As for the combat exam… you know your own body. It's not impossible for you to pass, but the odds are slim."

"This is a bit of a tricky situation."

Mizuki deliberately trailed off, gauging Yakumo's reaction. Sure enough, at his vague response, a flicker of hope appeared in her eyes.

"So there is a way?!" she asked eagerly. "Mizuki-sensei, you have to help me!"

Her voice was filled with desperation, her hands clenching into fists.

"A solution?" Mizuki repeated, tilting his head slightly. "It's not impossible… but it would be a little complicated."

A warm, reassuring smile spread across his face.

(End of this chapter)