Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and today was finally the start of the combat evaluation.
As usual, Hoshiyomi packed up his wooden sword and kunai, and under Rie's gentle nagging, made his way toward the Ninja Academy.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, he could feel the difference in atmosphere—it was nothing like the usual mornings.
Tension and excitement buzzed in the air. Students with lower grades wore strained expressions, confiding their anxiety to anyone who would listen, hoping for a bit of reassurance.
Those who weren't in danger of being eliminated were busy discussing who might place first, who might be dropped, and what kind of opponent they should aim for.
Of course, not everyone was so uptight. The young brats from the Uchiha clan still had that same smug air about them—like "the heavens are first, the earth is second, and I'm third."
Uchiha Iwa, in particular, struck a provocative pose the moment Hoshiyomi walked in.
Hoshiyomi really didn't feel like giving the guy any attention. He was a walking cliché, and just looking at him made embarrassing imaginary cutscenes play out in Hoshiyomi's head.
But his indifference only seemed to further enrage Iwa, who slammed a hand on his desk and stood up, pointing at Hoshiyomi for all to see.
"Hatake Sakumo won't be around to protect you this time," Iwa growled. "Let's see if you can still act so calm once we're on the battlefield."
Hoshiyomi sighed internally. Why did I end up being targeted by a walking cringe generator?If you're going to be this aggressive, then don't blame me for showing off a little.
With that thought, he turned slowly to face Iwa and said in a calm voice:
"Your next line will be: 'I'm going to expose you for the fraud you are, right here in front of everyone!'"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Iwa shouted—
"I'm going to expose you for the fraud you are, right here in front of everyone!"
The classroom erupted.
Everyone had already been watching the standoff, but now they were truly stunned. Hoshiyomi had predicted Iwa's exact words down to the syllable. How the hell did he do that?
Iwa's face twisted in disbelief. What the hell?! How did he know what I was going to say?
Still stunned, Hoshiyomi looked him dead in the eye and added:
"Your next line is: 'How the hell did you know what I was going to say?!'"
"How the hell did you kn—" Iwa clamped both hands over his mouth before he could finish, his face going bright red from sheer embarrassment.
That feeling of being completely seen through—it was unbearable. Iwa didn't dare speak anymore, terrified that every word would fall right into Hoshiyomi's hands.
He sat down heavily, face like he'd just swallowed a fly, silently cursing Hoshiyomi and swearing he'd make him suffer during the match.
Hoshiyomi held back a smirk. That JoJo-style "next line prediction" trick really works wonders on these overly dramatic types.Not only does it interrupt their attempt to act cool—it lets you steal the spotlight in the process. Genius.
All around the room, students were whispering excitedly about how Hoshiyomi had pulled it off. The girls, in particular, had stars in their eyes.
A good-looking, calm, and skilled guy like him? Where are you going to find someone like that again?
The boys, meanwhile, were fired up with admiration. Sensei, teach me how to be that cool!
Nearby, even Jiraiya, Tsunade, and the others crowded in curiously, asking how he did it. Hoshiyomi just waved it off casually.
"It's not that I have some special power. He's just that easy to read."
If only I could swap my Sword Heart System for that guy's "Pretend-no-Jutsu" system, Hoshiyomi mused.I'd be raking in EXP points left and right… sigh, if only.
Just as the classroom was buzzing with excitement, their homeroom teacher, Mitsui-sensei, strolled in at a leisurely pace. He pushed open the door—only to find a completely unexpected scene.
He'd thought the students would be a nervous wreck by now, eagerly waiting for him to deliver some soul-soothing motivational speech.
Instead, they were practically throwing a party, chatting excitedly about "Hoshiyomi versus Uchiha Iwa."
What is with kids these days? Mitsui thought with a dumbfounded expression. Do none of them care about their exam?!
"Ahem," Mitsui coughed, getting their attention. "Everyone, come with me to the training field. The combat evaluation is about to begin."
Since no one seemed to need emotional support, Mitsui gave up and moved things right along.
Once all the students arrived at the training grounds, the evaluation officially began.
Of course, this wasn't anything as intense or elaborate as the Chūnin Exams. It was more like the practical test they took at the beginning of the semester—ultimately, the grading came down to the teacher's judgment.
Mitsui-sensei had already formed a rough ranking based on the students' performance in class. Now it was just a matter of adjusting those rankings based on combat results.
If two evenly matched students fought, the winner would get bonus points, the loser would be docked. If a weaker student challenged a stronger one bravely, that earned points. But if a strong student deliberately picked on weaker opponents, that was grounds for penalties.
The match order was based on the class number given at the start of term. Which meant...
First up: Uchiha Iwa.
Iwa didn't push through the crowd when his name was called. Instead, he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction—drawing curious glances from everyone.
Then, with a quick run-up, he charged up the trunk of a large tree, kicked off about halfway, flipped forward through the air, and landed dramatically in the center of the battlefield.
The entire class was speechless.
Most were amazed that he could pull off such a flashy move. Mitsui-sensei and Hoshiyomi, however, looked like they'd been hit by lightning.
Bro... it's just an entrance. Was all that really necessary?
And what's with that "I'm the child of destiny" expression on your face?
Don't you feel even a little bit embarrassed?
In the crowd, Hoshiyomi smacked his forehead with a sigh. This kid's beyond saving. If chunibyo was a real illness, he'd be terminal.
Mitsui struggled to keep a straight face. He raised his clipboard to cover his mouth and, after a long pause, managed to speak calmly:
"So... Iwa-kun, have you decided who you want to fight? Keep in mind, if you deliberately pick a much weaker opponent, you'll lose points."
Iwa dropped his dramatic pose and adopted an expression of noble arrogance.
"Sensei, I choose Gekkō Hoshiyomi. Go ahead and deduct my points."