"Ahhh!!"
A scream rang out from the building. The water that burst out hit the ground and quickly turned into puddles.
Just as the genjutsu ended, another scream echoed in Hozuki Mangetsu's ears.
He sat up behind Hatake Satoru and Shisui, holding his forehead with a confused look on his face.
"Ow… what just happened?"
His mind was a mess, and his memories were all jumbled.
He vaguely remembered that just before the genjutsu hit, Shisui had punched him straight through the back and stomach. He should've liquefied himself to dodge that hit.
He had just hit the ground and was about to grab his blade when Shisui grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
Fast and cold, with no expression—Mangetsu had watched Shisui's serious face as the kunai slid across his neck.
Then came a flood of blood-red, with Shisui and Hatake Satoru standing in the middle of it, staring at him coldly.
Even though Hatake Satoru wore an eye mask, a chilling pressure still radiated from him.
Mangetsu shivered under their gaze and suddenly opened his eyes, snapping out of it.
That was when he let out that loud scream.
Death—and being looked down on by someone stronger, losing the ability to fight back—that was what Hozuki Mangetsu feared most.
Hatake Satoru turned slightly to glance at him. A non-dōjutsu genjutsu like that could be broken by disrupting your own chakra flow.
Looks like Shisui didn't even need his Sharingan to fool this guy?
No wonder the Mist village ended up with their Mizukage getting quietly controlled by Obito. Their genjutsu training really is terrible.
Shisui looked around. The chakra of the students in the building was finally calming down. No one seemed ready to attack again.
"Someone tried to kill you."
"You don't need to be so tense. Life and death are pretty normal around here."
Mangetsu might be arrogant, but he wasn't clueless.
He'd killed plenty of students and teachers himself.
He knew the moment he showed a weakness, any of those classmates hiding in the shadows would jump out and go for the kill.
But this was the first time Mangetsu had been beaten so quickly by someone, and it felt weird.
He'd been the top dog for so long he couldn't even remember the last time he lost.
It was like he had been sitting comfortably at the top, and suddenly a few outsiders came in and kicked him down just like that.
Even though Mangetsu felt annoyed by it, deep down he knew it wasn't something he could fix just by being upset. It was a power gap.
His eyes drifted over to Shisui's face—the guy looked way too nice and friendly.
Tch. Who would've thought someone with such a kind face would be good at using creepy genjutsu?
Hatake Satoru stood to the side, looking around the school. He didn't say anything for a while.
Shisui had a feeling this guy was about to say something weird again.
Hatake Satoru flicked his eye mask, then clapped his hands together loudly.
"In this school, I think you're the only one from this batch who could actually graduate."
Mangetsu paused for a second, then flashed a proud grin, showing his shark-like teeth. He pointed at himself confidently.
"Yeah. Our graduation test is killing all your classmates."
"I'm the strongest one in this school!"
"Hmm—then what if I let all of you graduate?"
Hatake Satoru stuck one hand in his pocket and looked up at the buildings around them.
That same feeling again—like all eyes had suddenly turned toward him. Yep, the students really were hiding in the dark, watching them.
"??"
Mangetsu and Shisui both raised their eyebrows, looking at Hatake Satoru with a weird expression.
That comment made Hatake Satoru sound like someone who doesn't understand how things work.
There wasn't anyone here to officially act as a guardian, so Hozuki Mangetsu had to explain things to Hatake Satoru himself.
"Are you really a teacher?"
"This is the screening system set up by the Mizukage. It's not something you can just change on a whim."
Looks like the Mizukage really likes to be involved in everything.
Seems like I'll need to do something about Karatachi Yagura too.
Thinking more about it, even though the Mizukage of Kirigakure is under Obito's control...
Obito probably doesn't spend much time in the village right now since the Akatsuki is busy recruiting new people.
So there's a window of opportunity.
And sure, Obito can use genjutsu—but isn't there someone even better with Sharingan genjutsu right here?
Shisui. A top-tier employee, a model worker!
Hatake Satoru quietly praised him in his heart, then casually waved a hand at Hozuki Mangetsu.
"He doesn't matter~"
"You wanted to test yourself against me, right? If I win, then you have to promise not to kill any more students."
"Of course, I won't let you get killed either."
"And if you ever feel like challenging me, the door's always open. Anytime, anywhere."
Hatake Satoru had both hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his feet.
With a completely relaxed smile on his face.
It was like he already knew Hozuki Mangetsu would agree.
"Oh, and by the way, you all can hear me too, right?"
"If I win, you all need to come out of that school building. And if anyone tries to sneak around and take cheap shots from the shadows—"
Hatake Satoru ran his hand across his neck and tilted his head back.
"I'll kill them right on the spot~"
"So think carefully about what you want to do next~ Who knows, after spending some time with me, you might even think I'm a good teacher."
Just looking at you makes you seem dangerous.
The students hiding in the school building started to hesitate.
They looked at each other, completely unsure of what this new teacher was really up to.
But just now, someone did try something shady, and that guy got nailed straight to the wall.
Hozuki Mangetsu looked up at Shisui, then glanced at Hatake Satoru.
Honestly, even if he wiped out everyone in this school, it might not be as valuable as fighting those two.
Whether it's to test or improve his own strength, taking them on is a fight worth having.
Even though he didn't really understand what Hatake Satoru's "system" was all about—
As long as the Mizukage's orders don't change, then Hatake Satoru's whole "don't kill anyone" idea doesn't matter at all!
What he really needs is to grow strong enough during this time to take both of them down!
A teacher teaches everything they know. And once Hozuki Mangetsu learns it all, he'll turn it back on him.
He's a genius, after all!
"I accept!"
"If you win, I won't kill anyone—not even during exams—until I graduate!"
"But if you lose, then you have to kill every single one of them for me!"
Hozuki Mangetsu's body suddenly melted into the puddle on the ground.
And right then, a shark-toothed grin appeared in the water at Hatake Satoru's feet!
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