"Ring, ring-!"
The class bell rang!
When the children in the classroom heard it, they stopped milling around and hurried back to their seats!
Downstairs, the bell brought Sarutobi Gensei, who had been dazed by Uka Senju's blows, back to reality.
He slowly sat up. Looking at his two fellow clan members, who had also been beaten up, he said, a little dejectedly, "Come on. We're late anyway. Let's go to the Infirmary first!"
"Okay," Sarutobi Genshi mumbled, his face swollen and covered in dust.
"Come on. We lost, so we lost. We'll win next time!" Sarutobi Genwa said, comforting his two somewhat dejected fellow clan members. One of his eyes was swollen shut.
"Mm... let's go!"
They helped Gensei up from the ground, and the three Sarutobis supported one another as they headed toward the Infirmary.
Seeing that they were all right,
Yuhi Katsuyo, dressed in a Jonin uniform on the roof of the Teaching Building, stopped watching and headed for the classroom!
He had been standing invisibly on the roof, watching ever since the fight began.
As long as no one was crippled or killed, they wouldn't step in!
They all thought it was perfectly normal for children at this age to get into disagreements and fights!
Without victories or defeats, without failure, where would the motivation to train come from?
At school, losing a fight only meant getting hurt. In the Shinobi World, losing a fight could cost you your life!
So it was beneficial for students to fight more!
At the final ring of the bell,
Yuhi Katsuyo entered the classroom and casually shut the Red Door!
Standing at the lectern, he looked over the classroom, which was missing only three students.
He began slowly, "The second semester of your second year starts today!"
"Congratulations, everyone. You've completed half of your time at the Ninja Academy!"
"Over the past year and a half, the school has taught you the basic knowledge of the Shinobi World, Chakra extraction, basic Taijutsu, basic throwing, and the Three Basic Techniques. I don't know how much you've mastered or how much you've learned, but that's all behind us now!"
As he spoke, Yuhi Katsuyo took a piece of chalk from the lectern and wrote three large characters on the blackboard: "New Term."
Turning back to face the students, he continued, "In the New Term, cultural classes will be reduced. You'll only have them in the mornings; all afternoons will be devoted to training!"
"About-"
"Great!"
Hearing the teacher announce the changes, several students from the Shinobi Clan couldn't help interrupting him with cheers and applause!
In their eyes, even their scar-faced homeroom teacher standing at the lectern had become lovable.
Their excitement soon made the atmosphere in the classroom lively.
Seeing the students' reaction, Yuhi Katsuyo smiled helplessly.
Unfortunately, the scar running across his entire face made his smile look a little frightening!
He understood why they were excited.
For a full year and a half, they had been studying the most basic things alongside these civilian students.
The problem was, they had already learned all of it at home, in their clans!
Repeating the same lessons had led these Shinobi Clan children to sleep at school during the day and train all night after they got home.
One after another, they'd become as haggard as owls!
Now that the curriculum was changing, it meant they'd only need to stay up late, not pull all-nighters!
How could they not be happy?
After waiting about two minutes, Yuhi Katsuyo clapped his hands to draw the children's attention back and said, "Starting this semester, you won't have any more of the basic classes you've taken before, all the way until graduation."
"This semester, cultural classes will change to Shinobi World General Knowledge, Shinobi World Common Knowledge, and the use and identification of shuriken and traps. Training classes will teach advanced Taijutsu, the Throwing Technique, and Basic D-Rank Ninjutsu."
Ignoring the students' reactions, Yuhi Katsuyo stood at the lectern and stared at the students in the first three rows, speaking slowly and emphatically. "Those of you who still haven't mastered the basics need to put in extra practice on your own. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time keeping up with the classes ahead!"
The students in the first three rows wore various expressions.
They knew the teacher was giving them a friendly warning, because those basic classes were all things the Shinobi Clan students in the back six rows had already completed!
For a time, those who had put in extra practice over the summer and those who had already mastered this knowledge held their heads high, meeting the teacher's gaze with confidence.
But the children who hadn't been able to control themselves, had spent the whole summer playing, and still hadn't mastered the basics
lowered their heads, deeply regretting that they had played all summer and failed to learn even the basics!
After he finished speaking, Yuhi Katsuyo withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at those with their heads bowed!
Over the year and a half of lessons, he had explained the harsh realities of the Shinobi World countless times.
But there were always some who didn't fear death and wouldn't listen!
With students like that, his habit was to forget about them!
After all, if he didn't remember them, he wouldn't feel sad.
If they didn't care about their own lives, why should he worry?
"Now, let's begin the first lesson: Shinobi World Common Knowledge!" Yuhi Katsuyo erased the words he had written earlier and wrote the name of today's lesson.
Seeing that the teacher was beginning the lesson, the students in the first three rows put aside their other thoughts.
They took out their notebooks and began recording the key points!
The students in the back six rows did the exact opposite.
One by one, they took cushions out of their schoolbags, laid them on their desks, and began their first nap of the New Term!
Looking at the stark contrast between the front and back of the classroom, Uka Senju couldn't help remembering how foolish he'd been.
When he first came to school, Sister Chiharu had given him a cushion she'd sewn especially for him.
At the time, he'd thought his family was worried he wouldn't be used to sitting on a hard chair, so they'd sewn one just for him!
He'd thought, I'm going to be a ninja. How can I be so fussy?
So he'd refused it, righteous and resolute!
Seeing how he was acting, Chiharu hadn't tried to persuade him any further.
After a few days of classes, Uka finally understood how important the cushion was and hurried to Chiharu, swallowing his pride.
He'd showered her with a whole basket of compliments before getting the cushion back.
Sleeping without a cushion really made his hands go numb-it was unbearable!
Seeing that his friends around him were getting ready to sleep, Uka didn't waste any more time. He dug a special piece of equipment out of his schoolbag and spread it over his desk.
He'd woken up a little after three last night and spent the whole night studying Wood Release. Now he was a little sleepy too!
At the lectern,
Yuhi Katsuyo finished writing the four large characters and turned around, ready to begin. But then he saw the students lying sprawled across the back rows.
The sight before him nearly knocked the breath out of him.
Yes, he knew you'd all studied this before, and studied it well!
Yes, he knew it had been a year and a half, and that he should be used to it by now. But it was the first day today-couldn't you at least show me a little consideration?
He had always taught regular classes before. This was the first time Yuhi Katsuyo had taught an Elite Class, and it was Uka's class.
Though he'd been teaching them for a year and a half, he still found it infuriating when most of the class fell asleep as soon as the lesson began.
Especially those few who had already started snoring.
I've only said one sentence!
Was the lesson really that soporific?
He knew he couldn't blame the children. The problem was that this damn school system was to blame.
But he was a teacher...!
Yuhi Katsuyo pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.
He adjusted his state of mind!
When he began teaching again, his voice lowered despite himself. "Shinobi World Common Knowledge. As the name suggests, these are things or items you'll often encounter once you become ninjas. For example, common types of weapons used by ninjas, common types of poison used by ninjas, and common antidotes found in the Shinobi World..."