Monthly Exam

That afternoon, Hui and the others began their exam right on time.

For the first time in a long while, Hui experienced taking an exam himself.

Most of the content consisted of things they had studied over the past month.

There were also some questions that went beyond the curriculum, but that didn't stump Hui.

However, when Hui saw the final question, his pupils constricted slightly.

"Bonus question: Please describe the Will of Fire as you envision it. (No points awarded)"

Grandpa Third, your intentions seem quite easy to guess.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire burns ever bright."

Hui had seen this phrase in Chuanhe's study.

In truth, Chuanhe's study mostly contained seals of information he could remember.

Twenty-plus years of time can make a person forget the vast majority of things.

The security measures for that study were no less effective than those genjutsu.

But it was the only place that lacked a memory-sealing effect.

Yet Chuanhe didn't really care; knowing it wouldn't be a big deal anyway.

Because he hadn't written the plot of the world in there.

It was merely a collection of secret intelligence from the ninja world.

On his end, after recalling that phrase, Hui remembered a poem Chuanhe had taught him.

"Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn to spring mud to protect the flowers anew."

The artistic conception of the two was nearly identical.

"Grandpa Third, since you want to test me, then my answer shall be as you wish."

Hui thought with a touch of mischievous humor.

As Iruka announced the end of the exam, a chorus of sighs erupted throughout the classroom.

Hui actually felt a little bit of irritation himself.

He seemed to have gotten one question wrong, though Chuanhe didn't care about his grades at all.

As long as he remained a person, that was enough.

In the classroom, some had already begun discussing the difficulty of the exam.

They complained about the questions being out of scope or regretted missing a specific point while reviewing.

Listening to their conversation and thinking about the mistake he had just discovered, Hui felt an inexplicable sense of agitation.

In the environment of the school, grades were the standard by which everything was measured, a label stuck onto every individual.

Even if Chuanhe didn't care, Hui was inevitably swept up in this anxiety.

Just as he had once cared about the rumors and gossip within his clan.

The night deepened, and Konoha was shrouded in a tranquil silence, with only a few scattered lights dotting the pitch-black streets.

The Hokage Building remained illuminated.

Iruka knocked softly on the office door, holding a thick stack of graded exam papers in his hands.

"Come in," the Third Hokage's deep voice came from within.

Pushing the door open, Iruka saw the Third Hokage hunched over his desk reviewing documents, the embers in his pipe flickering in the dim light.

He respectfully placed the papers on the desk and said softly, "Lord Third, these are the monthly exam papers for this year's first-year Ninja Academy students."

The Third Hokage slowly looked up and took the papers.

Iruka felt a surge of emotion. Lord Third truly exhausts himself for the sake of Konoha, paying such close attention even to the first-year students of the Ninja Academy.

Despite having so much heavy administrative work, he still insisted on personally reviewing the grades of every class.

This emphasis on the future filled Iruka with deep respect.

"By the way, how is Naruto doing lately?" the Third Hokage suddenly asked, his gaze carrying a hint of concern.

Mentioning Naruto, Iruka couldn't help but show a gratified smile.

"He has been working very hard lately; although his foundation is still a bit weak, he is improving quickly."

"That is good." The Third Hokage nodded slightly, a flicker of relief passing through his eyes.

"That child... needs more attention."

Iruka understood the deeper meaning in the Third Hokage's words and nodded solemnly. "I will continue to urge him on."

When he left the Hokage Building, the night breeze was slightly cool; Iruka took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky.

The night was beautiful, and Naruto was still waiting for him.

Iruka thought of the blond boy who always sat alone on the swing, and his heart softened.

He decided to treat Naruto to Ichiraku Ramen today!

He had witnessed Naruto's hard work during this period, and this time, his grades had even surpassed Sasuke's.

"That kid will definitely become an excellent ninja," Iruka whispered to himself, a warm smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He quickened his pace, heading in the direction of the Ninja Academy.

In his mind, he could already imagine Naruto's excited expression upon hearing the words "Ichiraku Ramen."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the test papers before him; most of the students' answers regarding the Will of Fire failed to capture his attention.

They were all within his expectations.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned when he saw Naruto's answer.

"I want to be like Obito-senpai, starting from every little thing, bit by bit, to earn everyone's recognition. This is my Will of Fire!"

In truth, Naruto's exam results this time had far exceeded Hiruzen Sarutobi's expectations.

Even Iruka felt deeply gratified.

Naruto, who had been a dead-last student upon enrollment, had studied diligently once he found hope during this period.

Except for a few questions that went beyond the curriculum, Naruto had answered most of them.

Although there were some errors, he was generally at the level of an honor student.

Looking at this answer, Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the past.

Obito, Obito Uchiha.

He was indeed a man who had inherited the Will of Fire.

He had "passed away" to protect Kakashi.

Kakashi also carried his eye, watching this world for him.

But the Uchiha were still the Uchiha.

It seemed he had been too indulgent with Naruto.

The time spent with the two Uchiha brats had clearly influenced him quite significantly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi remembered, wasn't Naruto's dream at the very beginning to become Hokage?

Why had that dream disappeared now?

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt quite restless.

He just wanted to see what Uchiha Hui's answer was.

As it happened, the next paper was Uchiha Hui's.

Score: 97

Seeing the score, Hiruzen Sarutobi was already somewhat startled.

According to his current understanding, Chuanhe was a heinous spy; was he actually teaching his son things?

He had designed this test paper himself, and it contained quite a bit of advanced content.

This was material that students at the Ninja Academy could not possibly have learned during this time.

Even Shikamaru, whom he had just looked at, had only scored 98.

Hiruzen Sarutobi once again fell into his memories.

Everything he had done during this period was for the sake of fewer sacrifices, which was why he had chosen Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi was indeed a man who had inherited the Will of Fire.

At such an age, he could already think about problems from the perspective of the Hokage.

Just as he had expected, he accepted the mission.

Discarding the distracting thoughts in his mind, Hiruzen Sarutobi began to read Uchiha Hui's test paper bit by bit.

Hiruzen Sarutobi became more alarmed the more he read.

Uchiha Hui's approach to solving the problems was completely different from everyone else's.

It was as if... he had seen it somewhere before.

After thinking for a long time without finding the source of this feeling, Hiruzen Sarutobi simply continued reading.

Until he reached the final sentence.

"...Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn into spring soil to better protect the flowers."

Seeing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression became somewhat complex.

Hui seemed to be a true Uchiha, and a Uchiha of Konoha at that.

Having just entered the Ninja Academy, he already understood the essence of the Will of Fire.

Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire also burns on.

This was the realization of Hiruzen Sarutobi's entire life, and yet these two phrases felt so similar.

Thinking of this, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a pang of reluctance.

Hui was truly a promising talent.

Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the way Iruka had described him.

But why, of all things, did he have to be the child of a spy?

Even if he were a spy's child, he might have been able to tolerate it to some extent under these circumstances.

But adding the Uchiha identity to the mix made it completely intolerable.

With this thought, although Hiruzen Sarutobi's mood was complex, the dissatisfaction he felt moments ago dissipated.

Growing up alongside Hui, Naruto might be able to learn much more.

Hui had already grasped the essence of the Will of Fire; surely, he could bring about new changes for Naruto.

It seemed that fellow Chuanhe had hidden himself deep indeed.

Could even the bonds of blood be used as a means of concealment?

He truly had no reason to hesitate; such a dangerous individual should have been killed by Danzo back then.

He had been far too merciful.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Hui's exam paper, lost in thought for a long time.

Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of Shisui once again; he truly owed Shisui a great apology.

But there was no other way; the human heart could not withstand the test.

If Shisui had informed him of Kotoamatsukami sooner, before Chuanhe gave the scroll to Naruto.

Perhaps Hiruzen Sarutobi would have made a different decision.

After a long while, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally looked at the papers beneath.

But there were no more papers that would catch his attention.

Just as Hui and the others were taking their exam, Chuanhe finally awaited the arrival of Orochimaru.

"You are truly punctual; you said one month, and it has been exactly one month."

In the workshop, Chuanhe looked at the small snake to the side with a calm expression.

The small snake before him flicked its scarlet tongue and spoke with Orochimaru's unique voice.

"Hiss, hehe, why so cold, Chuanhe-kun? Our previous collaboration was quite pleasant, was it not?"

Having said that, the small snake spat a storage scroll out from its belly.

After Chuanhe took it and silently checked it, confirming there were no issues, he spoke to the small snake.

"The people I told you about a year ago—have you handled them all?"

"Chuanhe-kun truly has a fondness for children. Which one do you like? Take your pick."

Hearing these highly misleading words, Chuanhe did not get angry; he simply said indifferently.

"You saved them, so you raise them."

The small snake opposite him did not seem annoyed; rather, it looked quite pleased.

"Hehe, where exactly does Chuanhe-kun obtain your intelligence? It is not easy to find so many gifted children."

Chuanhe did not answer, instead bringing up another matter.

"Orochimaru, I am not sure which day the war will break out this time, but this is the perfect opportunity for you to kill our teacher."

"I believe leaving the fate of Hiruzen Sarutobi to you is the most perfect outcome."

Even though it was just a small snake, one could clearly see its pupils constrict violently.

"Chuanhe-kun knows quite a lot. You wouldn't happen to know about that technique as well, would you?"

Chuanhe waved his hand and said in a calm tone.

"Impure World Reincarnation? I am naturally aware of it."

Hearing this, the small snake looked at Chuanhe with a playful glint in its eyes.

"Hehe, could it be that the Soul Sealing Technique Chuanhe-kun developed has failed?"

Chuanhe, however, wore a smile, looking at this slippery snake with the gentleness of a spring breeze.

"Of course it succeeded!"

"Haha, Chuanhe-kun is truly a person like me. What are the conditions? Killing Teacher Hiruzen? Impure World Reincarnation?"

"Based on my understanding of Chuanhe-kun, I suspect that is far from enough."

Chuanhe did not speak, instead looking out the window.

As for Orochimaru, he did not dislike him.

His long-standing research had left him feeling incredibly lonely.

Yuki was completely unable to understand what he was researching; she simply supported him blindly.

Even Hui, at present, was only skimming the surface of power.

Only Orochimaru, like him, was truly exploring the truths of this world.

This loneliness of Chuanhe was a high-level solitude—the absence of a kindred spirit.

Orochimaru had traveled too far down the wrong path.

The Otsutsuki clan could not even comprehend their own power. They were a lost, super-civilization.

Knowledge that could not be understood would eventually bring about a backlash.

"Orochimaru, if I said that this is enough, would you believe me?"

"Naturally, I would not."

"But this time, it really is enough."