Even Dead Last Has a Spring

At eleven in the morning, the bell rang.

"All examinees, please stop writing immediately and remain seated while you wait."

Beizawa stood up and announced.

The classroom immediately descended into chaos.

Fortunately, he had accumulated enough prestige this month, so even students who hadn't finished were obedient and put down their pens.

"Gather at the school athletic field tomorrow at nine in the morning. If you are fifteen minutes late, your practical exam score will be disqualified."

Beizawa collected the test papers and reminded them before leaving the classroom.

Tomorrow was the practical exam, so he needed to finish grading the papers this afternoon.

This was because the practical exam results could be given on the spot.

Combined with the theory exam scores, they could directly determine the rankings tomorrow, which was very efficient.

After Beizawa left, the classroom became noisy again, filled with sounds of lament.

Naruto Uzumaki sat in his seat and subconsciously looked out the window at the azure sky.

Three words surfaced in his mind: I messed up!

The monthly exam was harder than he had imagined, and there were several questions he wasn't confident about.

"Didn't do well?"

Shikamaru Nara noticed his expression and casually asked.

"It's not that I didn't do well, it's just... it's just that my performance was problematic!"

Naruto Uzumaki looked at him, a sliver of hope in his heart, and asked, "Did you think it was difficult?"

"It was quite difficult."

Shikamaru Nara sighed and said listlessly, "I estimate I barely passed, getting only sixty points."

"Me too,"

Choji Akimichi chimed in.

Naruto Uzumaki's spirits lifted, and he felt a sense of relief.

If everyone found it difficult, maybe the first place would still be his!

"Sasuke-kun, how did you do on the exam?"

Sakura Haruno picked up her school bag and approached Sasuke Uchiha.

"So-so."

Sasuke Uchiha said casually, hands in his pockets.

He had already secured first place in the practical exam. As long as he got top three in the theory exam, he would basically be stable.

"Sasuke-kun, you're so humble!"

Sakura Haruno's eyes sparkled with adoration, turning her into a lovesick fangirl.

She naturally didn't believe him. With Sasuke Uchiha's cool demeanor, only first place could be worthy of him.

"I have something to do, you don't need to follow me."

Sasuke Uchiha, too lazy to talk to her, walked towards the classroom exit.

He was a bit annoyed today because of the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique and wasn't in the mood.

If Beizawa hadn't given him hope, he wouldn't have even bothered with that polite remark just now.

"Sasu..."

Sakura Haruno raised her hand, only able to watch him walk further away.

"Men of the Uchiha clan are truly heartless,"

Ino Yamanaka shook her head and said.

"You're not allowed to talk about Sasuke like that!"

Sakura Haruno immediately retorted, "That's not heartless, it's cool!"

"You're hopeless, Sakura,"

Ino Yamanaka spread her hands, looking very helpless.

"Wait!"

Sakura Haruno suddenly realized and asked, "Have you given up on Sasuke?"

Ino Yamanaka couldn't help but freeze.

Reminded by Sakura Haruno, she realized she no longer had the same infatuation with Sasuke Uchiha as before.

Was it because she was busy with tree-climbing training? Or had looking at Beizawa for a long time built up her immunity?

"It's better that I've given up!"

Sakura Haruno said happily, "Sasuke-kun is definitely mine!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Ino Yamanaka replied to her, then saw Hinata Hyuga sitting at her seat.

She had already put away her stationery but hadn't left immediately.

"Hinata."

Ino Yamanaka took the initiative to speak, asking, "Want to go home together?"

Because of the tree-climbing training, she had already come to see Hinata Hyuga as a good friend.

"Huh?"

Hinata Hyuga was startled and a little flustered, saying, "I... you guys go ahead."

Seeing this, Ino Yamanaka didn't insist further and left the classroom with Sakura Haruno.

Hinata Hyuga immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

After the classroom was empty, she picked up her school bag and went to Beizawa's office.

A knock sounded.

"Come in."

Beizawa, who was grading papers, looked up and called out.

"Bei... Teacher Beizawa."

Seeing him, Hinata Hyuga couldn't help but show a faint smile.

"Why aren't you going home?"

Beizawa put down his pen and asked.

"I... um..."

Hinata Hyuga's heart almost stopped at his words, and a blush appeared on her face.

She had come over to eat lunch out of habit, but it seemed Beizawa had no such plans for lunch today.

For a moment, Hinata Hyuga felt embarrassed.

"Since you're here, let's eat together."

Beizawa guessed what she was thinking and said with a smile.

He really hadn't expected Hinata Hyuga to come again at noon today.

After all, it was a holiday in the afternoon, and the practical exams were tomorrow.

"Mhm!"

Hinata Hyuga's heart leaped with joy. She quickly took off her shoes and walked in.

Seeing Beizawa grading papers, she sat on the sofa, her fair, tender feet gently tapping the ground with her mood.

Time reached twelve o'clock.

Beizawa let out a sigh and put down the papers and pen.

He looked at Hinata Hyuga and found her sitting obediently on the sofa, motionless, like an exquisite doll.

"Hinata, it's time to eat!"

Beizawa chuckled and called out teasingly.

Hinata Hyuga suddenly snapped back to attention, jumped off the sofa, and stood up straight.

When she met Beizawa's half-smiling expression, she realized she had been tricked.

Her small face quickly turned red.

"Let's go, time to eat."

Beizawa beckoned to her.

Hinata Hyuga suppressed her shyness and walked up to him.

Beizawa patted her head, then took her to Ichiraku Ramen Shop.

After eating, Hinata Hyuga returned to the Hyuga Clan.

Beizawa continued his morning work, grading papers.

As dusk arrived, all the papers were completely graded and ranked by score.

Beizawa looked at Hinata Hyuga, who was in first place, and nodded with satisfaction.

The special training during this period had not been in vain.

Second place was a bit of a surprise; it wasn't Sasuke Uchiha, but Sakura Haruno.

But it was normal, as in the original work, Sakura Haruno was the theoretical top student in the entire class.

Her theoretical scores played a significant role in her selection for Team 7.

Besides that, there was her and Naruto Uzumaki's and Sasuke Uchiha's so-called bond.

Beizawa's gaze shifted downward, and he quickly saw Naruto Uzumaki's name.

Good news, he was no longer the dead last.

Bad news, he was stuck in the middle, at twenty-eighth place.

How should I put it?

There was plenty of room for improvement.

Just then, three lines of text appeared before Beizawa's eyes.

[Current Mission: Help your lifelong rival, Naruto Uzumaki, achieve a top ten rank in the class during the next monthly exam.]

[Mission Reward: Yin Attribute.]

[Accept?]

Beizawa was a little surprised, but not much.

After all, similar missions had appeared before.

But what surprised him was that this time the requirement wasn't second place, but tenth.

Did the system also lack confidence in Naruto Uzumaki?

Beizawa exclaimed, "Good heavens."

But from another perspective, Naruto Uzumaki was also the student who had started preparing for the next ranking mission the earliest.

Cough cough.

Beizawa chose to accept the mission.

With the Yin Attribute, it would be even more convenient for him to master Genjutsu.