Practical Combat Exercise

Hyuga Kagami had barely returned to the principal's office when Neji followed him in with a dejected look.

Hyuga Kagami asked, "Neji, what is it?"

After bowing deeply to Hyuga Kagami, Neji said guiltily, "Teacher, I disgraced you this time. I disgraced the Hyuga Clan!"

In this taijutsu assessment, Neji had actually lost to Sasuke by a narrow margin, catching quite a few people by surprise.

Hyuga Kagami paused, then smiled. "I've told you many times: a single win or loss means nothing."

"You don't need to comfort me. I know I disappointed everyone this time!"

Neji lowered his head, his tone gloomy.

If he had lost to Sasuke in an ordinary match, he would not have been so upset. But losing to Sasuke in a taijutsu assessment, where the Hyuga Clan held the advantage, was simply impossible for him to accept.

Hyuga Kagami looked at Neji but said nothing more.

Hyuga Kagami actually understood very well that, because of the competitive system he had deliberately introduced as principal, the current Ninja Academy was completely unlike the lax, leisurely atmosphere it had had in the original timeline.

The monthly publication of assessment results in particular not only placed immense pressure on every student, but also added pressure to the major ninja clans behind them.

As far as he knew, the major ninja clans were now privately giving their younger members extra training, lest they embarrass themselves in the Ninja Academy assessments and damage their family's reputation.

Naruto's unexpected fall to the bottom of the class this time was actually related to this as well.

If the Akimichi Clan behind Choji and the Inuzuka Clan behind Kiba had not privately given Choji and Kiba extra instruction, the two of them could not have defeated Naruto in taijutsu.

It was precisely because