Konoha, Ninja Academy grounds.
"Hey, you little brats!"
A rather breathless shout rang out, and the students causing mischief immediately scattered.
"You little punks! You've even learned diversion tactics..."
"Huff, huff, huff... I can't take this. How is teaching at school more exhausting than going on missions?"
Several "substitute teachers" in Konoha's specially made ninja armor watched the students scatter, panting as they wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
Since beginning its cooperation with the Land of Snow, Konoha had replaced its chunin flak jackets.
Their defensive capabilities had improved considerably, and they even provided automated training functions such as storing and refining chakra during everyday use, but carrying all that weight was no easy task.
With the Shinobi War underway, Konoha had deployed a considerable portion of its fighting strength, making the village's own defenses a top priority.
These men weren't actual Ninja Academy teachers. They had come to serve as guards.
But after being provoked by a certain brat calling himself the "Ninja Academy's Second Boss," things had somehow turned into a contest between the chunin guards and the students.
They had assumed catching these little brats would be a piece of cake.
Yet after spending half the morning at it, they hadn't caught a single student, and lunch break was almost upon them.
How embarrassing!
They were bona fide Konoha chunin fresh off the front lines, yet Academy students were running circles around them. Even the thickest skin couldn't withstand that humiliation. Forget practical concerns—their pride was at stake—
"Iruka! Get your class under control!"
"Coming, coming..."
Iruka was panting heavily. Compared to these active-duty ninja, someone like him, who had been working at the Academy for years, really struggled with the armor's weight.
After a flurry of chaos, they finally "caught" the culprit, Konohamaru.
Although it