Only after hearing the student’s voice did Mizuki return to his senses and force a smile.
“Of course.”
“Follow me.”
The physical fitness assessment came first.
Akira had originally lined up on Iruka’s side.
In practically every respect, Iruka was a better person than Mizuki.
Iruka might have been the typical kind of person who was completely loyal to the village, but Mizuki was exceptionally selfish.
For his own benefit, he was willing to frame his students.
He was consumed by jealousy toward his friends.
He even disregarded his own fiancée and never considered her feelings.
Apart from his unwavering loyalty to Konoha, Iruka could still be considered a genuinely good person.
Even bad people preferred to befriend good people.
However, Iruka’s line was far too long.
After hesitating briefly, Akira walked toward Mizuki.
“Iruka, it looks like I’ll be leaving work earlier than you today.”
Iruka failed to notice the sarcasm in Mizuki’s words and assumed his friend was worried about him.
“It’s fine.
You can go home once you finish with your students.”
“I’ll be all right.”
Mizuki interpreted Iruka’s words as boasting, causing the resentment in his heart to grow even stronger.
“Next, Uchiha Akira.”
Mizuki didn’t like Akira.
In fact, he disliked every shinobi born into a prominent clan and everyone who possessed a kekkei genkai.
He had neither.
Mizuki felt intense jealousy toward those who had been born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
Akira concealed his true abilities and obtained an unremarkable score.
“That’s all an Uchiha can do?”
As Akira walked past Mizuki, he heard the instructor mutter those words under his breath.
Akira glanced at Mizuki without expression before turning away.
Mizuki didn’t believe Akira had heard him.
Paying it no further attention, he turned toward another student.
“The second assessment will be shuriken throwing!”
Hyūga Hikaru approached Akira.
“Uchiha Akira, I saw your physical fitness score.
I never imagined that a member of the great Uchiha clan could perform so poorly.”
“No wonder you didn’t dare fight me.
It turns out you’re simply too weak.”
“I heard your older brother is supposedly some kind of genius.”
“I don’t believe it.
That reputation was probably fabricated by the Uchiha clan itself.”
“He’s nothing special.”
“Otherwise, how could someone supposedly so talented have such a useless younger brother?”
Akira looked at Hikaru.
Hikaru’s expression tightened, and he instinctively stepped backward.
A moment later, however, he stiffened his neck in defiance.
“Am I wrong?”
“No.”
Akira shrugged.
“That older brother of mine really is useless.”
Those were Akira’s honest feelings.
However, he wasn’t referring to Itachi’s strength.
Itachi was useless because of the choice he made between the village and his clan.
Could any normal person slaughter their own clan?
Hikaru misunderstood Akira’s response, believing he was being sarcastic and mocking him.
His anger grew even stronger.
“Hmph!
The shuriken assessment still remains!”
“Once we include the academic examination from this morning, I’ll surpass you in every category.”
“Then I’ll prove that the Uchiha are inferior to the Hyūga.”
“The Hyūga are Konoha’s foremost shinobi clan!”
Akira smiled.
“But you belong to the Hyūga branch family.”
Hikaru froze.
The words “Hyūga branch family” pierced his chest like a blade.
Nothing could hurt him more deeply than those four words.
“You’re working so hard to earn reputation and honor for the Hyūga main family.”
“Is it truly worth it?”
Akira walked away.
Hikaru fell into a deep silence.
“The second assessment is shuriken throwing!”
This assessment was extremely simple.
Each student received ten shuriken to throw at a stationary target.
Their score would be determined by the results.
All they needed to do was throw them.
Akira stood near the back of the line.
He didn’t know the other students’ level of skill, so he planned to observe their performances before deciding what score he should obtain.
Once again, he intended to achieve an ordinary result.
Everyone eventually returned to the classroom.
All their scores had been calculated.
Aoki and Iruka had remained busy until now, while Mizuki had left as soon as he finished evaluating his students.
“I’ll now announce the results.”
“First place: Hyūga Hikaru.”
Hikaru had been feeling extremely dejected, but he immediately recovered upon hearing this.
He instinctively looked toward Akira.
Akira, however, wasn’t looking at him at all.
Hikaru felt his frustration become trapped in his chest again.
“Second place: Yamabuki Yuki!”
…
Akira’s name wasn’t called until thirty-fourth place.
It was an exceptionally mediocre ranking.
“Only thirty-fourth.”
Hikaru became much happier upon hearing Akira’s result.
After class, Hikaru hurried after him.
“Starting today, I won’t compare myself with you anymore.”
“You’re far too inferior.”
“You’re finally going to stop bothering me?
Thank you.”
“You!”
Yuki waited along the road Akira always took home.
“Uchiha Akira, let me tutor you.”