But when she arrived, she found that they were still earlier than she was.
Seeing how hard everyone was working, Hinata couldn't help feeling a little lazy.
She silently made up her mind: Tomorrow morning, I'll come an hour earlier.
At eight that morning, Qiushui arrived at Training Ground 3.
"Mr. Qiushui!" The moment Rock Lee spotted him, he put down his training equipment and hurried over. He bent at the waist in a respectful bow, his face full of gratitude. "Thank you for training me last month! I placed twenty-fourth on the final exam!"
That still put him near the bottom of Class 1 of the 5th Grade, but it was the first time in his five years at the Ninja Academy that he hadn't come in dead last.
When Rock Lee had seen his results on the notice board a few days earlier, he'd stood there in a daze for ages, unable to react.
But he knew he owed it all to Mr. Qiushui.
Without Mr. Qiushui's daily special training, he would probably still have finished at the bottom, even with his fourth-place ranking in practical combat.
Rock Lee had wanted to thank Mr. Qiushui that very day, but he didn't know where he lived. He'd had to wait until today's training to finally say it.
Hearing that Rock Lee had placed twenty-fourth, Qiushui thought, That was close.
If Goda Takeshi and the other two hadn't missed the exam, he doubted he would have completed the task.
Just then, two notifications appeared before Qiushui.
[Rock Lee, a high-quality talent, has grown fonder of you. Your mentorship relationship has reached Level 2.] [Reward obtained: Wind Breathing (Intermediate)]
Qiushui's heart leaped as he read them.
The reward couldn't have come at a better time.
He had already taught