The Theory Exam (Please Keep Reading)

Although she didn't say anything, her little face was just as serious.

Hinata Hyuga quietly raised her head and glanced at the tall figure on the podium, then quickly lowered her gaze again.

She had to do well.

She couldn't let Teacher Qiushui get punished.

Ino Yamanaka turned her head toward Sakura Haruno, who sat diagonally in front of her. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Sakura."

Sakura turned around.

Looking at her earnestly, Ino said, "Don't mess up this time. Try to get first place in the whole grade on the theory exam."

Sakura froze for a moment.

"Don't worry, Ino." She spoke with complete confidence. "I can't guarantee anything for the practical exam, but when it comes to theory, no one in fourth year dares to claim they're better than me."

There was nothing modest about that.

But, for once, Ino didn't argue, because she knew Sakura was telling the truth.

Aburame Shino adjusted his sunglasses.

Yesterday, he'd planned to release a few bugs during the exam and copy Sakura's answers. But now, he glanced at Qiushui, who was announcing the rules on the podium, then at Murata Koji, standing in the corner.

Two teachers were proctoring.

Anyone caught cheating would receive a zero.

Shino fell silent for two seconds.

Then he quietly abandoned his plan to release the bugs.

Forget it.

He'd just have to rely on himself.

If he got caught and received a zero, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The bell rang.

Qiushui and Murata Koji each picked up a stack of exam papers and handed them out.

Then they took up their posts, one at the front and one at the back, and began proctoring.

Murata Koji stood near the front of the classroom, his gaze sweeping over the students, a trace of confusion in his eyes.

At first, Qiushui's popularity with the students had only made him envious. But the scene before him now left him utterly baffled.

His gaze fell on Shikamaru Nara, sitting by the window.

Murata Koji remembered clearly that the last time he'd proctored this class, Shikamaru had spent most of the second half staring out the window. Every now and then, he'd yawn.

But now?

Shikamaru was bent over his desk, his pen flying across the paper, his gaze so focused he looked like a different person.

Murata Koji looked toward Naruto Uzumaki.

As far as he could remember, Naruto always acted the same way during exams: frowning, chewing on his pen, unable to write a single word for ages. When he finally handed in his paper, it was usually almost completely blank. Aside from his name, he'd written nothing, and he often drew cartoon characters, too.

But now Naruto was staring at his exam paper, moving his pen slowly. He was writing. He wrote slowly and occasionally stopped to chew on his pen, lost in thought, but he was still writing.

Murata Koji couldn't understand how Qiushui had managed, in just one short month, to turn a class that had given countless teachers headaches into what it was now.

At eleven thirty in the morning, the bell rang right on time.

Qiushui stood and surveyed the classroom. "Time's up. All examinees, stop writing and wait at your seats."

A rustle went through the room. Some students put down their pens and let out a long breath. Others closed their exam papers, looking relieved. But a few hurriedly lowered their heads the moment Qiushui finished speaking and scribbled a few more strokes.

Qiushui said nothing. Along with Fujino Okuma, he walked down the rows, collecting every exam paper.

Some students reluctantly added another couple of words before finally handing theirs in.

Others stared at their papers as they were taken away, regret in their eyes. They'd been so close to figuring out that last question.

Once all the papers had been collected, Qiushui stood at the podium and looked at the students' faces, some relaxed and others tense. "Tomorrow morning at nine, meet on the school field for the Clone Technique, kunai throwing, and physical fitness tests. Everyone should arrive early if possible. If you're fifteen minutes late, you'll be disqualified from the practical exam."

With that, he and Fujino Okuma left the classroom.

The moment they disappeared through the doorway, the classroom erupted into noise.

"Sasuke!" Ino Yamanaka sprang to her feet and dashed over, faster than she usually ran. She darted straight to Uchiha Sasuke's desk, braced both hands on it, and asked sweetly, "What did you put for question three on the multiple-choice section?"

Since they were talking about the exam, Sasuke wasn't as cold as usual. "A."

Ino's face lit up with a brilliant smile. "Great! We really are on the same wavelength. I picked A, too."

Sakura Haruno's face immediately darkened.

That brief moment of peace vanished at once.

She rushed over, too.

The two of them started arguing over Sasuke again.

Hinata Hyuga was sitting with her head lowered when a voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"Hinata."

Hinata jerked her head up and met a familiar smiling face.

Naruto stood in front of her, grinning broadly. "How do you think you did?"

He'd been training with Hinata a lot lately. They hadn't talked much, but Naruto already considered her a friend.

The other students in the classroom immediately turned to look at them.

Hinata's face flushed red. Nervously, she tapped her index fingers together, but still managed to answer softly, "I... I think it was okay."

Naruto leaned in close beside her and raised his voice. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

Hinata turned bright red, as if she were a steam engine.

Naruto didn't press her. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and spoke with a confidence he'd never shown before. "I finished most of the questions. I think I did pretty well this time."

The other students thought Naruto was bragging when they heard him. But none of them dismissed him like they usually did. Some even hoped he was telling the truth.

Sunday morning.

Qiushui arrived at school half an hour early.

The field, usually so quiet at this hour that you could hear the birds, was lively now. Some students were jogging to warm up, some were stretching, and a few had gathered to discuss something.

Qiushui scanned the crowd and quickly spotted two familiar figures.

Naruto was crouched beside the track, carefully stretching his legs. Hinata was doing stretches beside him.

They noticed him at almost the same time.

Naruto's eyes lit up. He straightened at once and jogged over. "Teacher Qiushui!"

Hinata followed behind him, walking a little faster than usual while still trying to maintain her usual poise. She stopped in front of Qiushui, lowered her head slightly, and greeted him softly. "Teacher Qiushui."

Qiushui nodded to them and looked them over. They were both wearing practical workout clothes and seemed to be in good shape. "How's your warm-up going?"