Since Mikoto wants to investigate me.
Then I'll offer it to you willingly.
This way, she can control what the other person knows.
"Real?!"
Kushina's eyes suddenly widened, her beautiful eyes seeming to flow like a clear spring, revealing a hint of doubt. She could hardly believe her ears, and while suppressing her excitement, she felt an unexpected joy.
"Have I ever lied to you?" Araki retorted.
"No! Hahaha! That's great!"
Kushina suddenly jumped up in joy, a joy that others couldn't comprehend.
If anyone overheard their conversation, they would be baffled as to why Kushina was so happy simply because Araki agreed to go out together, finding her excitement inexplicable.
but...
Everything must be considered in context.
This is not the effect of a single, small segment.
In Kushina's eyes, Araki, this incredibly busy man, was practically a training maniac. She had never seen him sleep, let alone go out to play. Such a level of difficulty was akin to an iron tree blooming.
The conversation between Araki and Kushina was simple, but it was very enjoyable for Kushina. She gently pulled her red hair back, revealing her crystal-clear earlobes, straight nose, delicate lips, fair chin, and cheeks flushed with excitement. Her clear, bright eyes beneath her long eyelashes created a beautiful picture.
only...
This scene was presented clearly to Minato Namikaze.
In an instant.
He felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart.
It was as if the smooth road had started to twist and turn, and the world itself was slowly rotating without any pattern, in utter chaos.
People have different kinds of pessimism.
Minato stared blankly at the scene before him. If Araki hadn't been there, he would have definitely grinned and chuckled like an idiot, but now he couldn't laugh at all. If he did, he would feel like a fool.
A dozen minutes later.
Araki, Kushina, and Minato, who was following at a distance, all entered the Ninja Academy.
"Ah! We've arrived! Time flies!"
Kushina looked at the building with the word "nin" written in front of her, which was the teaching building of the Ninja School. She couldn't help but sigh that time passed so fast. She finally walked with Araki and she still had many things to say.
They chattered away the whole way without stopping.
Araki could occasionally chime in with a few words, but later he just listened passively, and eventually he couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm free..."
Araki muttered to himself, never expecting Kushina to be so talkative.
After the two entered the Ninja Academy classroom, Minato appeared at the entrance of the teaching building.
"We've finally arrived."
Minato couldn't help but sigh. He had never traveled such a long road before. The scenery and people were familiar, but his state of mind was different. He felt that this road was particularly agonizing, as if he had been walking for centuries and could hardly see the end.
Seeing the Ninja Academy now, I breathed a sigh of relief, but the scene from earlier still lingered in my mind, and I felt an indescribable pang of sorrow.
He couldn't describe the feeling.
It wasn't hatred, nor was it jealousy; it might have been envy, but it felt more like a loss, an indescribable regret.
It was over before it even began.
This feeling of never even having a chance made him feel utterly helpless, watching helplessly as he missed the only brilliant splash of red that appeared in his world.
Inside the classroom, each student had their own desk, and all the students were already seated.
Today is the day of final exams.
For the vast majority of students in the class, it was still very stressful; at least half of them would have ten points deducted from their final grades.
Some are happy, some are sad.
Everyone had different feelings while waiting for the tickets to be handed out.
A while later...
With a series of footsteps, two teachers walked in; they were Ibuki-sensei and Fujiwara-sensei.
Both of these teachers were instructors at the Ninja Academy.
"We will now begin the graduation exam. The exam will last for two hours. You may submit your paper at any time after you finish. If we discover any instances of plagiarism, all points on your paper will be invalidated. We hope everyone will answer the questions based on their true abilities."
After speaking, Ibuki-sensei began distributing scrolls to each table.
After each student received their exam paper, the final exam officially began. The classroom was quiet, with only the soft rustling of writing breaking out.
In the Academic Affairs Office.
Sarutobi Karen Kaede tidied up the documents on the table, preparing to go out and check on the students' progress during their final exams.
certainly.
What she cared about most was actually Araki.
This stems from curiosity.
While overseeing the battle between Araki and Kushina, she had a vague feeling that Araki was deliberately letting Kushina win Maemoto Takashi Araki Maemoto Takashi, she became even more certain of her guess.
The simulated match is over.
However, there was another thing in her mind: the ability to make such a point-conceding move showed that she possessed considerable skill.
From then on.
Sarutobi Karen Kaede pulled up all of Araki's achievements over the past few years and discovered something truly astonishing.
Araki's grades weren't great, but they weren't bad either. He always ranked in the upper-middle range, never just barely passing, but always above the passing mark. There were always about three to ten people ahead of him. His best performance was fourth place in the class, which was about three years ago. He hasn't done that well since.
Logically, a student with such consistently high grades should be favored by teachers, but he remains as low-key as if he were at the bottom of the class.
The more I think about it, the stranger it seems.
She felt that this student harbored many secrets.
Thump thump thump...
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the administration office, followed by a gentle male voice from outside. "May I come in?"
"Please come in." Sarutobi Karen Kaede couldn't immediately recognize the voice.
The door to the administration office was pushed open.
A tall, handsome man walked in. He had a unique air about him and looked quite gentle. His long, light blue hair was casually flowing. He immediately smiled as he entered.
" Karen Kaede-sensei, it's been so long!"
"Duan, what's wrong? Teacher, what is it? You're making me feel so bad!"
Sarutobi Karen Kaede was stunned for a moment, then instantly recognized the man who had entered as Dan Katō, her classmate from the same Ninja Academy.
"Now that you're a teacher at the Ninja Academy, calling you 'Karen Kaede-sensei' isn't too much of a stretch," Dan Katō said with a smile. "Sorry to interrupt your work."
"Don't say that, it sounds too formal. If other people heard that, they'd think I'm some kind of heartless person!" A big question mark popped into Sarutobi Karen Kaede's mind, wondering what Dan Katō's purpose was.
"That's how it is..."
Without exchanging pleasantries, Dan Katō went straight to the point, saying, "I've recently heard some things about Araki, and knowing you were there that day, I'd like to ask you about it."
"Even you know about Araki?" Sarutobi Karen Kaede was slightly taken aback.
"Yes, I've heard it a few times, from acquaintances." Dan Katō.
"You know Araki?" Sarutobi Karen Kaede immediately sensed something unusual.
"I don't know him, and I've never seen him before. I've only heard a little about him, so I came to ask you about him. What's this student like?" Dan Katō asked again.
"Duan, tell me the truth, who exactly is this Araki?"
Sarutobi Karen Kaede didn't answer Dan Katō's question. They were old classmates, and seeing Dan Katō Dan Katō's expression, she knew that he must know Araki. Otherwise, given Dan Katō's personality, he wouldn't have made a special trip here for such a trivial squabble between the students at the Ninja Academy.
This is Jonin!
Not to mention Konoha, in the entire ninja world, Jonin are the top-tier, first-class beings standing at the very pinnacle.
Would a high-ranking Jonin care about the students at the Ninja Academy fooling around?
Even if I only heard about it occasionally...
Was it really necessary to make the trip all the way here?!
Believe it or not, Sarutobi Karen Kaede!
She felt there must be something wrong here.
"Hmm..." Dan Katō seemed a little hesitant.
"If it's inconvenient to say, then forget it." Sarutobi Karen Kaede of retreating to advance.
"It's nothing," Dan Katō shook his head and said with a smile, " Araki is my friend's disciple."
" Might Duy is your friend?"
Sarutobi Karen Kaede's eyelids twitched violently; she couldn't believe her ears.
The ninja world is strictly hierarchical, with clear superior-subordinate relationships between ninjas of different ranks, who are not even in the same circle.
If you went to school together, like them, you can still manage to chat like old friends when you meet, but the differences between you are still significant.
Moreover, Might Duy wasn't familiar with them and was just a Genin. In terms of behavior, personality, and position, Might Duy and Dan Katō were clearly not in the same circle.
This surprised Sarutobi Karen Kaede, who found it hard to believe, yet felt there seemed to be no other better explanation.
"It's not Might Duy, it's another friend, someone I met not long ago." Dan Katō pursed his lips, hesitating several times as if he wanted to say something but didn't know if it was the right thing to do. It seemed that if he didn't say anything, it would be difficult to move things forward.