What to Do If You Haven't Done Your Homework

The next morning, Hanfu felt refreshed as he headed to the Ninja Academy with his little brother in tow.

Although he had spent over two hours practicing Ninja Tool Throwing last night, he had completely mastered the skill as a result, putting him in a good mood.

"Brother, I want to learn how to throw a Kunai."

Gekko Hayate suddenly spoke up with a plea. The display Hanfu had shown last night had truly amazed him.

"You want to learn this?"

Hanfu instinctively wanted to refuse. It wasn't that he was being stingy with his knowledge, but his little brother's talent was limited. Even if he poured his heart and soul into Konoha-Style Kenjutsu, he would only ever reach the level of a Special Jonin. If he split his focus on other things, wouldn't that just hold him back even more?

But then he reconsidered. After all, his little brother was already in the Ninja Academy. Even if he didn't teach him, the academy instructors would teach these things by the next semester anyway.

Furthermore, Ninja Tool Throwing, trap setting, tracking, and counter-tracking were all essential basic skills for a ninja. Even if it diverted Gekko Hayate's energy, his little brother had to master them, or he wouldn't be able to survive in the ninja world.

With that, Hanfu nodded. "Sure, but you can only use wooden Kunai for practice for now."

"Mm, I understand!"

Gekko Hayate was very excited.

Upon arriving at the Ninja Academy, the two parted ways.

Hanfu returned to his classroom, only to be blocked by Anko the moment he stepped inside.

"Hanfu, picnic after school this afternoon!" Anko said with a smile.

"Can I not go?" Hanfu asked.

"Sure, but you've already paid," Anko said, looking delighted.

"In that case... I suppose I'll go."

Hanfu sighed. It was mostly because he couldn't bear to waste his pocket money.

Besides, the Ninja Academy let out at 3:30 PM. It would take him half an hour to walk his little brother home and then meet up with Anko and the others, so there was plenty of time.

"It's a deal, then!"

Anko was about to turn away when she suddenly looked back at the bruise on Hanfu's face and asked, "Hanfu, is your face okay now?"

"It's nothing, just a small bruise. It'll be fine in two days," Hanfu said.

"That's a relief." Anko patted her chest, then skipped away happily.

"A relief? What does that mean?" Hanfu looked suspicious.

Sitting down at his desk, Hanfu rested his chin in his hands, let out a long yawn, and began to doze off with his eyes half-closed.

"Hayate, Hayate!!"

He didn't know how much time had passed, but suddenly a voice jolted Gekko Hayate from his daze. "Where's your homework?"

"Huh? Oh, homework." Gekko Hayate opened his sleepy eyes and rubbed them, still not quite back to reality. "What homework?"

Standing in front of Gekko Hayate to collect the assignments was none other than Ito Nipan, a student at the Ninja Academy who was working hard toward his dream of becoming a chef.

"A reflection on Ninja Tool Throwing of no less than five hundred words!"

Ito Nipan slammed the stack of notebooks in his hand onto the desk, his teeth slightly gritted. "Don't tell me you forgot? This assignment only exists because of you!!"

"Uh..."

Gekko Hayate's eyelid twitched.

He had remembered it when he got home last night, but after being 'interrogated' by his mom, he got nervous and forgot all about it. Afterward, he had spent over two hours practicing Ninja Tool Throwing, making it even less likely he would remember his homework!

"Ha, I remember now, I left my homework at home!" Gekko Hayate said with a look of annoyance. "Sorry, sorry. Hey, Nipan, how about I bring it in tomorrow?"

"Who are you calling fat? I'm just plump, not fat. I'll definitely slim down when I grow up!" Ito Nipan fumed.

"Yes, yes, Nipan will definitely slim down into a bolt of lightning when he grows up!" Gekko Hayate said, trying to appease him.

"That's more like it."

Ito Nipan huffed and said, "Whether you hand it in or not is up to you, but I'm going to tell the teacher the truth."

"Nipan, don't be like that. It's not that I don't want to hand it in, I just left it at home!" Gekko Hayate struggled. "How about this, I'll write one right now, okay?"

Ito Nipan shook his head. "No. I'm handing these in right now. Are you handing it in or not!"

"There's always love in the mountains and rivers, can't you give me a chance?"

"No."

Ito Nipan said angrily, "We weren't supposed to have any homework yesterday, but because of you, we all had to stay home and write it. And yet, you, you, you..."

"The culprit?" Gekko Hayate prompted.

"Right, you, the culprit, didn't even write it. Gekko Hayate, you are so shameless." Ito Nipan was incensed.

By now, everyone in the class had arrived. Hearing the commotion at the back of the room, they turned their heads one by one, staring at Gekko Hayate with expressionless faces. The atmosphere grew slightly heavy.

Gekko Hayate noticed that even Aburame Yui, who usually had the lowest presence, was looking at him now. It put a lot of pressure on him.

"Hayate, is this... really okay?"

Iruka looked at him pitifully. "I spent two hours yesterday just to finish that assignment."

"Yeah, it took me two and a half hours!"

"It's all Gekko Hayate's fault!"

"But this guy didn't even write it, the shameless jerk!"

"Beat him to death!"

Anko raised her right hand and shrieked excitedly.

Gekko Hayate looked at Anko in disbelief. He finally realized that the person who had incited everyone to beat him up yesterday was Anko!

No wonder she told him not to worry earlier; it turns out this girl was the one egging everyone on behind his back!

Gekko Hayate glared at Anko.

Seeing that she had been exposed, Anko quickly sat up straight and flashed a smile with two dimples, attempting to act cute to get away with it.

"The teacher is here!"

Ito Nipan's eyes suddenly lit up. He grabbed the stack of homework notebooks from the desk and scurried toward the classroom door on his short legs to report, "Teacher, everyone has handed in yesterday's homework except for Gekko Hayate."

"Hmm?"

Kashima Isamu paused, stunned. If he remembered correctly, wasn't it Gekko Hayate who reminded him to assign homework yesterday?

This kid...

What kind of game is he playing?

Kashima Isamu gestured for Ito Nipan to place the notebooks on the podium.

"Student Gekko Hayate."

Kashima Isamu walked to the podium and asked seriously, "Where is your homework?"

Gekko Hayate stood up from his seat. The students in the class turned their heads to look at him, wearing expressions of anticipation, as if they were settling in to watch a movie.

"Teacher, yesterday, yesterday I... I was beaten up!"

Gekko Hayate suddenly put on an expression of grief and indignation.

In that instant, the students watching him shifted their gazes away with remarkable synchronization. One by one, they sat up straight, staring directly ahead without blinking, with Anko being the most exaggerated of them all.

"Beaten up?" Kashima Isamu looked at the bruise on Gekko Hayate's face and frowned. "Who beat you?"

"I didn't see who it was before I got hit," Gekko Hayate said.

Gekko Hayate was intentionally withholding the truth, because he knew that the people who had beaten him would surely step forward to speak on his behalf, so as to divert Kashima Isamu's attention.

Sure enough, no sooner had Gekko Hayate finished speaking than Anko stood up in a rush: "Teacher, Gekko Hayate must have been unable to do his homework because he was beaten up."

"Yeah, Teacher, just forgive Gekko Hayate this one time."

"Just let him hand it in later today!"

After their false alarm, the 'culprits' in the classroom immediately spoke up eagerly to excuse Gekko Hayate and plead for leniency. Their expressions were sincere and their tones earnest, but in their hearts, they were all cursing up a storm.

This grandson Gekko Hayate is too damn cunning!

No way, I can't swallow this grievance; I have to beat him up again this afternoon!

Gekko Hayate, you are so shameless!!

Continuing to ask for recommendations!