Being "Favored" by Teacher Kurenai Yuhi, Of Course I Have to Be Proactive

Sakura Haruno raised her hand, her voice clear as she glanced at Hinata, then at Takasaki.

She had been staring at Takasaki the entire time and was absolutely certain that he was cheating.

To be precise, he was copying the answers from Hinata's test paper.

Perhaps because her previous two attempts to report Takasaki had failed, Sakura suddenly felt a lack of confidence this time.

She took a deep breath, as if to cheer herself on in her heart.

What was there to be afraid of?

Takasaki's cheating this time was a fact she had seen with her own eyes; they could simply compare Hinata's and Takasaki's test papers as evidence.

Besides, she was doing this so that Takasaki would write her name in the Diary more often, allowing her to obtain rewards.

She only wanted to become stronger; what was wrong with that?

Sakura paused, stood up, and spoke clearly: "Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, I am reporting Takasaki for cheating! He is copying the answers from Hinata's test paper."

The entire class turned their gazes toward them once again.

It was Takasaki cheating again.

It was Sakura reporting him again.

This time, the students' gazes were no longer filled with schadenfreude like the first time; instead, they held a hint of anticipation.

Was Takasaki actually cheating?

Or would there be another twist this time?

Kurenai Yuhi's gaze fell upon Takasaki and Sakura.

Sakura tilted her head slightly, staring at Takasaki with a haughty expression.

Hinata's heart pounded with nervousness.

Oh no!

Helping Takasaki cheat was also considered cheating, and if discovered, it would lead to disqualification from the exam.

If she went home like this, her father would surely be very disappointed in her.

Compared to Hinata, Takasaki appeared much more composed. He reached out and gently patted Hinata's shoulder, whispering, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

For some reason, upon hearing Takasaki's words, Hinata felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

Takasaki was truly not afraid.

Sakura reporting him through Naruto before was one thing, as Naruto was easy to bully.

The key was that Hinata only looked easy to bully; behind Hinata stood the entire Hyuga Clan.

Was Sakura dragging Hinata into this? Did she not understand how the world worked?

Takasaki glanced at Sakura's test paper and raised his hand without hesitation: "Kurenai Yuhi-sensei, I also report Sakura Haruno for cheating! She is copying from my test paper!"

Sakura's pupils constricted, and she frowned, almost thinking she had misheard Takasaki.

Takasaki was reporting her for cheating?

Did she even need to cheat?

And he was reporting her for copying from his test paper?

How was that possible!

Sakura realized what was happening and let out a soft laugh.

It wasn't that she had particularly strong nerves, but rather that she was so confident; she found Takasaki's accusation simply absurd.

Takasaki could not possibly succeed in his report.

Just as she looked at Kurenai Yuhi-sensei with full confidence while the teacher checked her, Takasaki's, and Hinata's papers, she heard Kurenai say to her: "Sakura, I have checked all three of your papers. If Takasaki was copying Hinata's paper, then you were also copying Takasaki's paper."

What?

Sakura opened her mouth slightly, momentarily speechless: "I—how could I possibly copy Takasaki? I can do this test paper myself, but Takasaki clearly copied Hinata's multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions; I saw it with my own eyes."

Sakura was becoming anxious.

More than wanting Takasaki to write her name in the diary more often, at this moment, she wanted to prove that she wasn't wrong.

It was one thing to fail the first and second times, but if she couldn't succeed in her report even after watching him cheat right under her nose, she would be truly unwilling to let it go.

"But your answers for the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions are the same as Takasaki's. Doesn't that prove that you were also copying from Takasaki? Sakura, can you explain this?"

Kurenai Yuhi's question left Sakura stunned.

Why were her answers for the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions the same as Takasaki's?

Because she and Hinata had good grades and answered everything correctly, and since Takasaki was copying Hinata, his answers were naturally the same as hers.

The problem was, if she had to explain it from the perspective of cheating, she simply couldn't make it make sense.

Hearing this, Takasaki felt confident.

Not to mention that Kurenai Yuhi would likely shield him for some reason he didn't know, even setting that aside, Hinata's status alone was enough to ensure Kurenai Yuhi wouldn't blow this matter out of proportion.

"If Takasaki were to be disqualified from the exam this time, shouldn't you be disqualified as well?" Kurenai Yuhi's tone turned stern in an instant.

Upon hearing the word "disqualified," Sakura Haruno felt a shiver run through her. She pursed her lips and sat back down.

She finally realized the gravity of the situation: "Teacher, I was wrong."

"If you disrupt exam discipline again, you will be the only one in the entire class to be disqualified from this exam!"

"I-I'm sorry, Teacher."

"Apologize to classmate Takasaki again."

Apologize to Takasaki again?

Sakura Haruno felt her face burning: "Takasaki, I'm sorry."

Hinata felt a wave of relief. Throughout the entire ordeal, she hadn't dared to look back once; only when she heard Sakura Haruno apologize to Takasaki did she finally feel at ease.

After apologizing, Sakura Haruno sat at her desk without daring to lift her head. Her face flushed bright red, and tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes.

Sasuke glanced toward Sakura Haruno's direction and let out a soft "Hmph": "Idiot."

Naruto stopped his pen. Taking advantage of the fact that Kurenai Yuhi's attention was on Takasaki and Sakura Haruno, he seized the chance to copy the rest of the answers from Takasaki's test paper.

Reflecting on Takasaki's predicament just now, Naruto imagined: if it were him, could he have handled it as calmly as Takasaki did?

Just thinking about it made cold sweat break out on Naruto's forehead.

He would probably be so nervous that he'd confess on the spot.

This guy Takasaki not only had many ways to cheat, but more importantly, even when he was caught or reported, his composure remained unshakable.

Naruto suddenly felt that although he and Takasaki were both dead last, Takasaki's life as a dead last was clearly much more comfortable than his own.

"Teacher, I'm handing in my paper."

Takasaki stood up to submit his exam.

There was no need to check his answers; after all, he couldn't do a single question—they were all copied.

More importantly, he was worried Sakura Haruno would stir up more trouble, and he was getting annoyed.

As for why Sakura Haruno was targeting him so relentlessly, he couldn't be bothered to guess.

Regardless, once this exam was over, he would try his best to avoid any contact with her.

He placed his test paper on the podium and was about to leave the classroom when he suddenly felt a warm, soft sensation brush against his palm.

A familiar feeling.

It was Kurenai Yuhi's fair, slender hand.

Kurenai Yuhi hooked her fingertips gently against Takasaki's hand to make him stop. She stepped forward, her voice so low it was like she was whispering into his ear: "Go to my private office and wait for me. I'll be there in a moment. If you're tired, you can sleep on my lounge chair. I have something I need you to do."

For the written portion of the final exam, students were allowed to hand in their papers early, though almost no one ever did.

In such an important exam, even students who had finished the entire paper would usually check it carefully.

Then again, proctors wouldn't stop candidates who wanted to leave early.

Kurenai Yuhi certainly didn't want Takasaki to leave so soon, so she took the initiative to reach out and stop him.

She naturally wouldn't miss the chance to have more contact with Takasaki and get him to write her name in the Diary.

Most importantly, Takasaki must be very curious about why she had helped him time and time again.

Kurenai Yuhi had already prepared a reason to explain it to him.

It was worth mentioning that Takasaki's ability to adapt when Sakura Haruno reported him for the third time had actually caught her by surprise.

He hadn't dragged Hinata into it, which could be considered as him solving a problem for her.

Takasaki was completely unaware of Kurenai Yuhi's little schemes.

He only noticed a few keywords in her words:

"Private office," "wait for me," "sleep," "do."

A sudden realization dawned on Takasaki.

He seemed to understand the reason why Kurenai Yuhi was helping him.

Could it be that she wanted to "subtly influence" him?

It seemed that in this world with such clear social strata, being handsome wasn't entirely useless.

He really wanted to ask Kurenai Yuhi if there were any "little umbrellas" in her private office; otherwise, it would be very easy for Asuma to become a father by mistake.

As he thought this, Takasaki turned his head back, only to see Kurenai Yuhi already sitting by the podium, legs crossed, looking stern and serious as she proctored the exam.

Noticing Takasaki's gaze, she tilted her chin slightly toward him and said softly: "Go on, I didn't lock the door."

After saying that, she smiled at him, but as she turned back to face the examinees, the smile vanished.

The angle at which her legs were crossed perfectly showcased the straight, rounded contours of her thighs.

The only flaw was that these were merely outlines; the true state of Kurenai Yuhi's beautiful legs was hidden by her bright red robe.

He hoped Kurenai Yuhi had a change of clothes in her private office, as he intended to tear away that eyesore of a robe shortly.

After all, since he was the one being subjected to unspoken rules, he naturally had to take the initiative.

Elsewhere.

Hokage Building.

Anbu conference room.

Dozens of Anbu squad leaders, wearing animal masks, sat upright in the conference room, listening solemnly and attentively to Hiruzen Sarutobi as he spoke from the head of the table.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe in his mouth. "It is unfortunate. The bodies of several Anbu members I sent to gather intelligence on the rogue ninja Orochimaru were discovered at the border of the Sound Village. Each one died in a miserable state, as if they had been subjected to human experimentation. This bears all the hallmarks of Orochimaru's methods."

"These Anbu members once served under the Second Hokage, Lord Tobirama. Now that they have died so tragically, I have failed the expectations Lord Tobirama placed in me."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, his expression filled with grief.

He removed his conical hat and the pipe from his mouth, swept his gaze over all the Anbu squad leaders present, remained silent for a few seconds, and then continued:

"Orochimaru was a disciple I raised myself. I bear a great responsibility for him becoming what he is today."

The Anbu was a special assassination and tactical force established by the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

After Tobirama sacrificed himself on the battlefield, control of the Anbu was handed over to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi first took control of the Anbu, the personnel within were not entirely submissive to him.

After all, they were all Tobirama's direct subordinates.

It was only natural that they would be resistant to a sudden change in leadership.

Over the many years that followed, he continuously sent the more troublesome members of the Anbu on secret and dangerous assassination missions.

Gradually, those members who refused to be disciplined died out in the field.

During this process, Hiruzen Sarutobi would place his own trusted confidants into the Anbu to be groomed.

"Where the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns on. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout."

"The sacrifice of these Anbu members is not without value; they will inspire you to become the pillars of the future."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression was grave.

He placed his hat and pipe on the table, lowered his head, and let out a long, heavy sigh, his tone solemn and mournful. "Now, let us observe a moment of silence for the sacrificed Anbu members."

As his words fell.

The dozens of Anbu members present stood up in unison, heads bowed.

They did not remove the animal masks from their faces, but one could tell from their eyes that everyone was feeling heavy-hearted.

Every one of them had been thoroughly imbued with the Will of Fire.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze swept over the crowd, and he nodded with satisfaction, thinking to himself, "The people Tobirama left behind have finally all been weeded out..."

The Anbu members sent to gather intelligence on Orochimaru this time were the last of those who had served under Tobirama.

In other words.

The Anbu members Tobirama had left to him were now completely extinct.

All the Anbu members he had now were trusted confidants who were deeply influenced by the Will of Fire and willing to lay down their lives for him.

An Anbu like this was the only kind he could truly trust.

However, in the last few days, Hiruzen Sarutobi had felt that one of the Anbu squad leaders seemed a bit distracted.

It was a female member.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze turned toward a female member in the corner of the last row, who wore a cat mask, a sleeveless tactical vest, and the red Anbu tattoo on her right shoulder.

He frowned.

This female member was sitting in her seat, her head tilted slightly, her eyes glazed over as if she were lost in thought.

"Yugao Uzuki!" Hiruzen Sarutobi called out in a low voice.

Yugao Uzuki immediately snapped back to reality. "I am here! Lord Hokage!"

"Observe a moment of silence for the sacrificed Anbu members."

"Oh... right, my apologies..."

Yugao Uzuki hurriedly stood up, bowing her head with a look of feigned grief.

Beside her, Hayate Gekko, wearing a tiger mask, whispered a reminder to his girlfriend: "Yugao, how can you be daydreaming during an Anbu meeting? I tried to warn you several times, but you didn't react."

"I'm sorry." Yugao Uzuki frowned slightly.

She had indeed been too absorbed in thinking about the Diary.

After all, the Diary she had obtained a few days ago was simply too miraculous.

The content of Takasaki's Diary was flippant and frivolous; when she first saw it, she had only thought it was a boring prank.

However, when the reward from the first diary entry increased her total chakra reserves by 10%, she finally realized the importance of the Diary.

"The Hokage is coming over. Cough, cough, you should explain things properly to the Hokage," Hayate Gekko reminded her.

As Yugao Uzuki's boyfriend, he was very worried that she would be punished by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had already stepped down from the platform and walked over to Yugao Uzuki's side.

He held Yugao Uzuki in high regard.

Firstly, Yugao Uzuki had been trained by him since she was a child and was deeply influenced by the Will of Fire, making her trustworthy.

Secondly, Yugao Uzuki's talent surpassed that of most Anbu ninjas; at just over twenty years old, she was already a Special Jonin, and her swordsmanship was nothing short of masterful.

Thirdly, Yugao Uzuki's appearance had become increasingly striking, which was very pleasing to his eyes.

Do not be fooled by Hiruzen Sarutobi's advanced age; he was old in body but not in spirit.

Otherwise, he would not have frequently used his Crystal Ball to peep into the women's bathhouse.

"Yugao Uzuki, what were you thinking about just now?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a soft, questioning voice.

"I..."

A thought surfaced in Yugao Uzuki's mind: should she reveal the existence of the Diary?

Deeply influenced by the Will of Fire, her first instinct upon realizing the importance of the Diary was the same as Hinata's—to hand it over to her superiors.