Senju Sayuri

Senju Clan Ancestral Hall.

The Great Elder first paid respects to the ancestors.

Then Jueming and the other two stepped forward and did the same.

Today marked one month since the new students had enrolled, and they would be facing their "Monthly Exam."

"..."

With a casual glance, Jueming spotted Senju Sayuri here as well. She had been assigned to the class next door.

At last, Jueming had the chance to properly examine this mixed-blood girl.

She had silver hair, braided into a thin plait behind her head.

Her hair color somewhat resembled that in the portrait of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Her scarlet eyes were somewhat similar as well.

"Could she be Tobirama Senju's illegitimate granddaughter?"

Jueming muttered inwardly.

No matter how he looked at it, Senju Sayuri had the same sort of vibe as Tobirama Senju.

Her looks were no less impressive either—she was even more stunning than Rin Nohara, Uzuki Yugao, Kurenai Yuhi, and the others.

"Today is your Monthly Exam, one month after entering the academy."

The Great Elder turned around and looked at the three juniors.

Then, his expression froze slightly.

"Jueming... you..."

At that moment.

Jueming was sprawled on the ground, his limbs braced against the floor tiles.

He looked... almost, almost...

"Good heavens~! Senju Jueming has mutated!"

Senju Takeshi let out a shriek like a little girl.

He was about to attack Jueming when the Great Elder stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"What mutation? Look carefully! He's just lying on the ground!" the Great Elder snapped, blowing his beard and glaring.

"..."

Senju Sayuri shifted her gaze slightly and looked at Jueming lying on the floor. Aside from calmness, there was only calmness on her delicate face.

Her nerves are pretty good... Jueming thought.

This Senju Sayuri was clearly far more capable than Senju Takeshi.

Seeing the strange smile on Jueming's face, Senju Takeshi felt even more creeped out.

"The Four Legs Technique?"

The Great Elder took one look and recognized the taijutsu Jueming was practicing.

Of all things, he had chosen to train the Inuzuka Clan's Four Legs Technique.

Forget it. As long as he was happy.

"Anyway, do your best in today's Monthly Exam. As long as you bring honor to the clan, the clan won't treat you poorly."

"..."

The three of them nodded.

Jueming was not worried that the Great Elder would go back on his word.

After all, he desperately wanted the Senju Clan to rise again. He could barely wait to teach them everything—why would he hide anything?

It was just that some things could only be learned once one's aptitude was sufficient.

And the Monthly Exam results were one form of proof.

A moment later, Jueming crawled out of the Senju Clan Ancestral Hall on all fours.

Senju Takeshi, who had watched the entire scene, shuddered. It felt even more horrifying now.

"Can't you stand up and walk properly?"

Mito Uzumaki said irritably.

Although the Great Elder and Tsume Inuzuka had both assumed Jueming was training in the Four Legs Technique.

Mito Uzumaki ultimately felt that things were not that simple.

Jueming's hands and feet moved rapidly as he sped down the street, faster than normal running.

The pedestrians on the street all jumped in fright when they saw him.

If it really were the Four Legs Technique, that would have been fine. At most, people would think he was using Beast Mimicry.

But the problem was...

Mito Uzumaki said, "Senju Jueming's posture is much creepier."

The skill Grass Release - Body - Prone required one's entire body to be almost flat against the ground, just as its name implied.

So Jueming's posture was not one where his limbs were low and his body was high.

Instead, his body was nearly pressed to the ground, while the limbs holding him up stood higher than his torso.

There was an obvious difference between the two.

When others saw the Four Legs Technique, they would only think it was an imitation of a beast.

Jueming's posture, however... looked more like an Abnormal Type. A true Voldemort.

It was only natural that Senju Takeshi had been frightened.

He raced along at lightning speed, constantly overtaking others.

Some Academy Students hurrying along the streets were all stunned when they saw this.

"What the hell?! He's faster crawling on the ground than we are running!"

After several weeks of nonstop handstand and prone training.

With the continuous enhancement from [Abnormal +1], Jueming's movement speed in this special posture had been greatly strengthened.

"What's wrong with having a slightly strange posture?"

Jueming frowned and retorted to Mito Uzumaki.

It did not matter whether the cat was black or white, as long as it caught mice, it was a good cat.

It did not matter whether the running posture was bizarre, as long as it was fast, it was a good posture.

"My prone movement speed is even faster than when I run normally upright."

Jueming actually felt quite pleased with it.

Human experience was built on fighting other humans.

Normal humans fought while standing, so they would certainly find it difficult to deal with this prone posture.

They had no experience fighting Voldemort. In the end, the victor would only be himself.

"Y-you... don't you feel ashamed?"

Mito Uzumaki asked.

"Ashamed?"

Jueming glared at Mito Uzumaki in the Mental Space.

She was still as beautiful as she had been when he first met her.

"Can pride put food on the table? For the great rejuvenation of the Senju Clan."

For the continuation of the Senju Clan bloodline, to spread seeds across the Ninja World.

"I, Senju Jueming, am willing to bear every insult."

"..."

Mito Uzumaki was instantly left speechless.

Senju Jueming's shamelessness far exceeded her imagination.

And in truth, Jueming's skin really was very thick now.

"By stacking the defensive abilities of the two postures, 'handstand' and 'lying flat,' along with the skin-strengthening effect brought by 'fencing,' I can now ignore the attacks of ordinary Peers."

Jueming was very confident about today's Monthly Exam.

Whether it was the written test or actual combat, he could easily crush everyone else.

He crawled all the way to the Ninja Academy, drawing countless stares along the way.

"Who's that?"

"Someone from the Inuzuka Clan?"

"Looks like... Senju Jueming, a first-year freshman."

Ignoring everyone's gazes, Jueming headed to the classroom and expertly lay back down on the bench.

Not long after, Funano Daikoku arrived.

He swept his gaze around and found that every student looked nervous.

Only...

Only Senju Jueming remained as steady as a mountain, as calm as ever.

This Monthly Exam is definitely going to be interesting, Funano Daikoku thought. Then he cleared his throat.

"Students, today is the Monthly Exam, one month after you entered the academy. The main subjects are... tactics, Ninjutsu, taijutsu, individual assessment, and team assessment."

There were five subjects in total.

"Make your preparations."

Funano Daikoku glanced at the clock.

"You still have one hour."

This Monthly Exam would determine not only class rankings, but grade rankings as well.

Each class had thirty students, making ninety students across three classes.

The five subjects would produce ten sets of rankings, divided by class and grade.

Once those were combined, the final rankings would be determined.