Shamelessly Harvesting Shock Value, Making a Killing

"The first assessment item: the Three Body Technique."

Iruka finished speaking and was about to walk down, but Uchiha Kei grabbed him by the arm.

"What is it?"

"Um... Iruka-sensei, could we change the subject?"

Uchiha Kei scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

If it were a test of his chakra reserves, he wouldn't be afraid.

If it were a test of C-rank ninjutsu, he wouldn't be afraid.

If it were a test of ninja knowledge, he wouldn't be afraid either.

But testing him on the Three Body Technique? For Uchiha Kei, that was clearly out of his league...

"Wha... what do you mean?"

Iruka was stunned for a moment, and then a terrifying possibility flooded his mind.

This kid... he couldn't possibly not know it, could he!

He was done for...

Iruka suddenly felt that his teaching career, which had just begun, was already over.

Students who requested early graduation exams had a massive impact on their teachers.

Take this instance with Uchiha Kei, for example.

If Uchiha Kei performed well, Iruka would receive significant benefits; at the very least, his year-end bonus would multiply several times over.

It would also be of immense help to his future teaching rank.

But if Uchiha Kei fizzled out at the very first hurdle...

What awaited him would likely be getting kicked out of the Ninja Academy...

"Kei, be a good boy, don't mess around, you're making me nervous..."

At that moment, Iruka really wanted to cry.

"Ah, it's just... I mean, the Three Body Technique or whatever, I don't know how to do it."

Seeing Iruka's mournful face, Uchiha Kei felt a bit sheepish.

"BOOM!"

Their conversation wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either. Many people below were ninjas, so they naturally heard every word clearly.

"He doesn't even know the Three Body Technique? You've got to be kidding me!"

"That's it? That's it! And he wants to graduate early with just that?"

"What a waste of time. This kid can't even perform the Three Body Technique and wants to be a ninja? Is he dreaming?"

"I've just witnessed the biggest joke since the founding of Konoha, hahahahaha."

The mocking laughter rose and fell from below, with derision plastered on every face.

"Clan Head, should I go pull him down? This is just too embarrassing!"

The members of the Uchiha Clan covered their faces with their hands, each one as red as a monkey's backside.

Uchiha Fugaku was also stunned.

He had anticipated that Uchiha Kei might be a bit unreliable and might fail to complete the early graduation assessment.

But he should have at least passed one or two rounds first! To fail at the very first hurdle—the Uchiha Clan's reputation...

It was truly hard to keep a straight face.

Itachi and Shisui, who were mixed into the crowd, were also dumbfounded.

The impression Uchiha Kei had left on them was far too profound.

If they had to describe it, it was unfathomable!

A small graduation exam shouldn't that be a piece of cake?

Who would have thought...

That he would crash and burn right out of the gate...

"Shisui-niisan, this..."

Itachi found it hard to accept and turned to look at Shisui.

"Uh..." Shisui was also at a loss for words, his head buzzing.

"Perhaps... probably... maybe... this is Kei trying to attract attention? To make the villagers notice him?"

Itachi's eyes lit up. Combining this with Kei's behavior over the past few days, the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

"Shisui-niisan understands Kei best! It must be that!"

Shisui let out a dry laugh and looked toward the stage with a heavy gaze.

On the stage.

"It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that the Three Body Technique is too simple. Look, can't you change the assessment criteria? I can definitely do it!"

Uchiha Shan gave a sheepish smile.

"Stop messing around, Kei, Brother Kei, don't scare me, I'm faint of heart..."

Iruka's eyes welled up with hot tears.

He really didn't know it, he really didn't...

He was the one who set the assessment content yesterday, and all three items were standard and conventional, without the slightest bit of difficulty.

If only he had asked in advance...

"I..."

Uchiha Kei wanted to say something more, but his train of thought was interrupted by a chaotic ringing in his head.

"Ding, received shock from Iruka, Shock Value +99."

"Ding, received shock from Mitokado Homura, Shock Value +20."

"Ding..."

"Ding..."

A series of notification sounds echoed in his mind, noisy to the extreme.

Uchiha Kei looked down at the crowd, somewhat stunned.

What was there to be so shocked about with this?

Could it be that they were all shock-addicts?

However, what excited Uchiha Kei was the instantaneous surge in Shock Value.

200...

800...

1400...

2300...

Uchiha Kei couldn't wait to check the final number and directly proceeded to draw a ninjutsu.

"Ding, consumed 2000 Shock Value, obtained Three Body Technique, obtained Top-tier Military Ration Pill *10."

The Three Body Technique, acquired!

Uchiha Kei let out a long breath; this hurdle had been passed without danger.

As his gaze swept across the stage below and he saw the mocking faces, an idea to harvest more Shock Value emerged.

"Um... Teacher Iruka."

"What is it..."

Iruka hunched over, two streams of hot tears gushing out.

"Look, could you perform the Three Body Technique for me once? I'll learn it."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

A moment later.

"Hahahaha, what did I just hear? He wants to learn the Three Body Technique on the spot?"

"He's gotta be joking. Even though the Three Body Technique is an E-rank ninjutsu, it's not something you learn in one go."

"My god, the second biggest joke in Konoha, I've witnessed it, hahahahaha."

The Uchiha Clan members didn't even want to say anything anymore; quite a few were already planning to sneak away.

"Clan Leader, I'll go pull him down!"

Uchiha Fugaku also covered his forehead with his hand, feeling the urge to drag Uchiha Kei down himself.

For no other reason than it was too embarrassing!

"Learn it now? Stop joking."

Iruka remained hunched over, his hot tears gushing even more intensely.

"Really, I'm very smart, I learn as soon as I'm taught!"

Uchiha Kei patted his chest firmly, speaking with absolute certainty.

Iruka slightly stemmed his tears and wiped his face. "Fine, I'll let you struggle a bit, and let me believe in a miracle for once!"

Having said that, he pressed his palms together. "Ram-Snake-Tiger, Clone Technique!"

"Poof!"

A puff of smoke rose, and another Iruka appeared beside the original.

Uchiha Kei feigned intense concentration, clumsily mimicking the movements.

"The Transformation Technique is the simplest; it only requires one hand seal change."

"Ram!"

Smoke billowed once more, and Iruka transformed into a white-haired child.

Uchiha Kei followed suit, though his movements were somewhat comical.

"Next is the Body Replacement Technique. This is the most difficult of the Three Body Technique. The hand seal sequence is: Ram-Boar-Ox-Dog-Tiger!"

The familiar smoke rose, but this time, a severed log appeared on the platform.

Iruka had reappeared off the stage.

"Like this... like this... like this..."

Uchiha Kei clumsily shifted his hand seals, muttering under his breath.

To make the performance more convincing, he even forced a bit of sweat onto his forehead using his chakra.

"Pfft, there are jokes every year, but this year they're especially plentiful."

"What an embarrassment. The prestige of the Uchiha Clan has been dragged through the mud."

Sarutobi Hiruzen, standing at the top of the platform, was also bewildered.

What happened to the "hidden depths" he was promised?

What happened to the "monstrous genius"?

Watching the clumsy Uchiha Kei, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt it necessary to go back and ask the Anbu if they had investigated the wrong person.

Two minutes later.

"Iruka-sensei, I'm ready."

Uchiha Kei was getting tired of putting on an act, so he stood up straight, panting.

"Oh."

After finishing his demonstration, Iruka returned to his hunched posture, tears welling up in his eyes again.

My life is so bitter...

"The first one, Clone Technique!"

An identical Uchiha Kei appeared.

"The second one, Transformation Technique!"

A white-haired youth appeared.

"The third one, Body Replacement Technique!"

A severed log appeared.

The crowd below was silent.