Smiles Never Disappear, They Only Move Elsewhere

"Good morning, Izumo."

Early in the morning, on his way to the Ninja Academy, Izumo Kamizuki greeted Kotetsu Hagane, whom he had run into.

"Mm, good morning," Kotetsu Hagane replied.

Izumo Kamizuki hooked an arm around Kotetsu Hagane's neck, then let go with a grin. "Why do you look so listless?"

Kotetsu Hagane sighed. "Izumo, did you forget? Today's the day the results come out."

"Oh, right. Don't tell me you didn't do well on the exam?" Izumo Kamizuki remembered Mu Yue mentioning yesterday that the results would be released today.

"Yeah. I feel like my score might be pretty low." Kotetsu Hagane looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, seeming somewhat melancholy.

"It's fine. I didn't do well either. I'll probably end up just like you." Izumo Kamizuki patted Kotetsu Hagane on the shoulder reassuringly.

The two then headed to the Ninja Academy together, where they happened to run into Anko as they drew close.

"Izumo, Kotetsu, good morning!" Anko greeted them cheerfully.

"Good morning, Anko," the two replied.

"Why do you both look like you're in a bad mood? Did you have nightmares last night?" Anko asked curiously.

"No, it's because today's the day the results come out." Izumo Kamizuki sighed.

"Neither of us did well. It feels like our scores will be low."

"Hehe, is that so? I think I did really well. My score might even be pretty high." Upon hearing the reason, Anko smiled smugly.

"I can ask Teacher Hanyu for another reward then." Though she had not seen her score yet, Anko felt like it was already time to pop the champagne.

After all, Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane had always had fairly good theory grades. If she had done better than both of them, then a high score was practically guaranteed.

"I'm so jealous, Anko. You were second in the grade in practical combat, and you even did well on the theory exam." Kotetsu Hagane expressed his envy.

Hearing Kotetsu Hagane's praise, Anko became even more puffed up. She practically strutted as she walked, looking every bit like the boss lady.

As they entered the school, Anko's group of three ran into Shisui and the other students from their class.

"Shisui, how did you do?" Anko asked curiously.

"Nothing special," Shisui replied calmly.

Anko became even more expectant about her score. If even Shisui had only done average, could she be first?

"First is probably still impossible, but maybe I can make the top five?" Anko had not become so swollen-headed that she lost all reason. Her usual exam results were only average.

By the time they reached the bulletin board, it was already surrounded by a crowd of students, with discussions of scores everywhere.

"Class One's scores are way too high. There are so many seventies and eighties."

"There's even a perfect score. I heard they were first in practical combat too. That's terrifying."

"As expected of the class taught by Teacher Mu Yue..."

"Make way, make way." Eager to see her score, Anko had no mood to listen to what the others were saying. She charged ahead, squeezing in with Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane, and found Class Two's score sheet.

"Eighty points! Yes!" Anko spotted her name and the eighty beside it at a glance, immediately cheering in delight.

But she quickly noticed a problem. Why did the rankings seem a little off?

"Izumo, Kotetsu, did you find your scores?" Anko hurriedly asked.

"Yeah, I found mine. Ninety-two points," Izumo Kamizuki said with a nod.

"H-how much?" Anko suspected she had misheard.

"Ninety-two points," Izumo Kamizuki repeated.

"Konoha's ass!"

Anko heavily slapped Izumo Kamizuki on the shoulder, her large brownish-gray eyes staring at him in disbelief.

Didn't you say you hadn't done well? You got a ninety-two?

"You call that not doing well?" Anko could not help asking.

"Luck, luck. I thought I hadn't done well, but it turned out okay." Izumo Kamizuki chuckled as he tried to brush it off.

"What about you, Kotetsu? How many points?" Izumo Kamizuki asked.

"Ninety-seven," Kotetsu Hagane replied with a smile.

"H-how much?" Izumo Kamizuki felt like he had misheard. That was practically a perfect score.

"Ninety-seven," Kotetsu Hagane repeated.

This time, Izumo Kamizuki heard him clearly. The smile on his face gradually vanished, while the smile on Kotetsu Hagane's face grew broader.

"I even comforted you first thing this morning, and you ended up scoring so well. You almost got full marks." Izumo Kamizuki immediately locked an arm around Kotetsu Hagane's neck and dragged him away.

Seeing this familiar scene, Anko decisively joined the battle, occasionally sneaking in a punch at Izumo Kamizuki too.

These two were too hateful. They had scored so well, yet they had still toyed with her feelings.

After studying diligently for one month, disciple Shisui Uchiha achieved a perfect result in the academic assessment. Reward obtained: Chakra +300, Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll

Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll: Raises any mastered Ninjutsu to the proficient level

After studying diligently for one month, disciple Obito Uchiha achieved a good result in the academic assessment. Reward obtained: Chakra +150

After studying diligently for one month, disciple Might Guy achieved a good result in the academic assessment. Reward obtained: Chakra +150

Just as Mu Yue had expected, the exam really did come with rewards, and they were far more generous than the rewards for teaching. Even if he lectured until his throat smoked for three days, he would not earn six hundred Chakra. A single B-rank evaluation only gave twenty Chakra.

That was only because Obito and Might Guy were too weak in theory and had not placed first in practical combat either. Otherwise, the rewards would have been even greater.

Mu Yue suddenly felt the urge to make the school hold more exams. The Ninja Academy normally only held two exams per semester.

If they held ten exams in a semester, wouldn't he soar straight into the heavens?

The thought lasted only a moment before Mu Yue discarded it, because he knew that even if he did so, he might not be able to farm rewards.

The tests he normally held in class also counted as exams, yet he had never seen the system issue any rewards for them.

Besides, Mu Yue did not think the school would accept such a proposal. Ten exams per semester would torment not only the students, but the teachers as well.

After thinking it over, Mu Yue used the Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll. There were three semesters in a year and two exams per semester, which meant he was guaranteed to obtain six Ninjutsu Proficiency Scrolls each year.

Since he could obtain more later anyway, he might as well strengthen himself first in case anything unexpected happened.

Mu Yue used the Ninjutsu Proficiency Scroll on Water Severing Wave. Countless memories of training Water Severing Wave, along with all sorts of techniques, instantly appeared in his mind.

Although Mu Yue had mastered quite a few Ninjutsu by now, he believed Water Severing Wave was still the most powerful one.

At noon, Mu Yue became the center of discussion in the office.

"Teacher Hanyu, how did you teach them? Those students' theory scores are outrageous. Their average is dozens of points higher than the other classes'." Kimura Sanjin could not help asking.

"Yeah, Teacher Mu Yue, do you have any little tricks? Those two in my class barely passed this time, but who knows about next time." Iketani Isamu chimed in.

Might Guy and Obito had truly shocked him this time. Not only had they taken the top two spots in practical combat for their class, they had even passed the theory exam.

Just as Mu Yue was about to say something, a teacher entered the office and said to him,

"Teacher Hanyu, the principal wants to see you."

It seems the internet cable snapped because of the heat, so the update was a little late. Sorry about that.

Also, thank you to all the readers who sent gifts. I'll list the names in the next chapter; I was in too much of a rush with this one.