I'm going to Asagi-sensei's group

The afternoon sun warmed the playground.

The entire grade gathered here, chattering noisily. Four tables were set up along the edge of the playground, with a teacher sitting behind each one.

These were the judges for today's exam.

Teacher Ibuki stood at the front, holding a stack of slips of paper.

"Quiet, everyone. We'll begin the draw now. These slips contain your group and number. There are four groups in total. The top two from each group will advance, and then those eight will compete for the top three places."

"So the top three will have to fight a lot of matches," someone keenly whispered.

"That's right," Teacher Ibuki nodded. "So it's not just about strength, but also strategy, endurance, and willpower. Alright, line up and draw your slips."

The children started to push forward.

Shin-chan also stood on tiptoe, desperately trying to see behind the four tables.

As expected.

Behind the third table sat a female teacher with her hair tied in a high ponytail.

Yūnagi Asagi.

Shin-chan's heart began to race. He then clasped his hands together, praying fervently, "Please, please, let me be in Asagi-sensei's group."

Kakashi, standing nearby, glanced at him and silently moved a little further away.

The line slowly moved forward.

When it was Shin-chan's turn, he reached into the draw box, closed his eyes, and continued to mutter, "Asagi-sensei... Asagi-sensei..."

He then drew a slip and opened his eyes to see.

It was Group Three!

Shin-chan's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked towards the third table. "Group Three is..."

Asagi-sensei was smiling and nodding in his direction.

Shin-chan's heart nearly leaped out of his throat.

"Asagi-sensei, I'm here!" Shin-chan, clutching the slip, trembled with excitement and was about to rush over.

"Shin Nohara," Teacher Ibuki's voice rang out from behind him. "Read what's written at the bottom of the slip carefully."

Shin-chan paused and looked down.

Judge: Ibuki Toru.

His smile instantly froze.

"Group Three..." Shin-chan slowly raised his head, "Is it Teacher Ibuki?"

"Yes." Teacher Ibuki said expressionlessly, "I'm in charge of Group Three, and Asagi-sensei is in charge of Group One."

Shin-chan's expression visibly deflated.

"Why is it like this?"

He looked at the slip of paper in his hand, then at Teacher Ibuki's plain face, and finally at Asagi-sensei's gentle and beautiful face.

"Teacher." Shin-chan suddenly raised his hand.

"What is it?"

"Can I switch groups?"

Teacher Ibuki's eyebrow twitched.

"Once the draw is set, you can't switch."

"But I want to go to Asagi-sensei's group."

"No."

"Just a little switch."

"No."

"There are fewer people in Asagi-sensei's group."

"I counted, it's the same."

Shin-chan's face crumpled into a frown.

At this moment, Uchiha Toru walked over after drawing his slip.

"Shin-chan, which group are you in?"

Shin-chan listlessly held up his slip: "Group Three."

"I'm in Group One."

Shin-chan's eyes instantly widened: "Group One? Asagi-sensei's group?"

"Yeah."

Shin-chan looked at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Envy.

Jealousy.

"Xiao Che." Shin Nohara suddenly grabbed Uchiha Toru's hand.

"What?"

"Let's switch."

Uchiha Toru blinked: "Huh?"

"You switch with me." Shin Nohara shoved the slip of paper into his hand, "You go to Group Three, I'll go to Group One."

"This... this isn't allowed..."

"Why not? It's all a competition anyway."

"But."

"Shin Nohara!" Teacher Ibuki's voice exploded from behind, "No switching."

Shin Nohara turned his head, meeting Teacher Ibuki's face, which was covered in dark lines.

"Teacher, I just want to switch."

"No, once the draw is set, it's set. Give up on that idea."

Shin Nohara wanted to say more, but seeing Teacher Ibuki's terrifying expression, he swallowed his words.

Uchiha Toru stood in Group One's area, watching Shin Nohara's dejected look, and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

But there was nothing he could do.

It was a draw.

The competition began.

Four groups competed simultaneously, the playground bustling like a festival.

In Group Three's area, the initial matches proceeded quickly.

Some children were so nervous upon entering the arena that they forgot how to move, while others fought fiercely but without any strategy.

Shin Nohara squatted at the back of the line, propping his chin with his hand, his eyes constantly drifting towards Group One's area.

"Asagi-sensei is smiling..."

"Asagi-sensei is taking notes..."

"Asagi-sensei's hair is blowing in the wind..."

Shin-chan was lost in his own world, completely unaware that the crowd in front of him was thinning.

"Shin Nohara!"

Teacher Ibuki's voice yanked him back to reality.

Shin-chan looked up and found everyone staring at him.

"It's your turn," Teacher Ibuki pointed to the center of the field. "Get on."

Shin-chan slowly stood up with his Wooden Sword and walked towards the center.

Opposite him stood a boy with a senbon in his mouth, taller than him, with a cool expression.

Shin-chan remembered him, Shiranui Genma, from Class B, rumored to be quite strong.

"Begin," Teacher Ibuki announced.

Shiranui Genma tightened his grip on the senbon, took a stance, and then his vision blurred.

A red shadow flashed past.

The Wooden Sword was already stopped next to his neck, less than a centimeter from his skin.

Shiranui Genma froze.

"So... so fast..."

This was the only thought that flashed through his Brain.

The sidelines were silent for a second, then erupted.

"What's going on?" someone exclaimed, eyes wide.

"What just happened?" someone asked, utterly bewildered.

"Shiranui Genma lost?"

"It ended in one move?"

"That's Shiranui Genma!" a Class B student shouted, "I couldn't last three moves against him."

Teacher Ibuki's mouth opened and closed, unable to speak for a long time.

"Shin Nohara, winner."

On the sidelines, Kakashi narrowed his eyes.

Obito's mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. Was Shin-chan really this strong?

Might Guy trembled with excitement, "This is youth!"

Meanwhile, Shin-chan retracted his Wooden Sword and looked at Teacher Ibuki.

"Teacher, can I go down now?"

"You... you can."

Shin-chan turned to leave. After two steps, he suddenly stopped and turned his head to look towards Group One.

Asagi-sensei, with a smile on his face, was recording Uchiha Toru's match and didn't notice their side at all.

Shin-chan's expression fell. He lowered his head and slowly walked to the back of the team, continuing to squat and draw circles.

The classmates beside him, who had originally wanted to congratulate him, saw him like this and didn't know what to say.

"Shin-chan," someone asked softly, "Why aren't you happy after winning?"

Shin-chan looked up and sighed, "So what if I won?"

"You win, you advance!"

"But Asagi-sensei didn't even see it," Shin-chan's tone was full of disappointment. "She was always watching Group One."

The person fell silent.

He looked at Shin-chan's face, which was filled with "hopelessness," and suddenly didn't know what to say.

In the distance, Asagi-sensei finished recording Uchiha Toru's match and looked up in the direction of Group Three.

A small red figure was squatting in the corner, with what looked like a dark cloud floating above his head.

Asagi-sensei tilted his head, looking a bit strange.

That child won the match, why did he look unhappy?