Gekkō Hoshiyomi still listened to Instructor Mitsui. He walked over to Uchiha Iwa, crouched down, and extended his index and middle fingers.
Uchiha Iwa glared up at Hoshiyomi with the kind of look that said he wanted to tear him apart. But with Instructor Mitsui standing right there, he didn't dare act out. Reluctantly, he reached out and completed the reconciliation seal with Hoshiyomi.
As soon as the seal was done, Iwa didn't want to stay a second longer. The imagined jeers from his classmates were almost enough to make him wish the ground would swallow him whole.
He struggled to his feet with Mitsui's help and quickly had a fellow clansman support him toward the infirmary.
The boy helping him—Uchiha Yō—hesitated as they walked. "Iwa, you saw that guy's strength. We're no match for him. And he's got Jiraiya and Sakumo on his side. There's no chance of catching him alone."
"We're all classmates. This kind of feud isn't going to help anyone. Honestly, I think we should just drop it and treat him like he doesn't exist from now on."
Yō meant well, but his words only poured fuel on Iwa's fire. Iwa had already forgotten that he was the one who started the conflict with Hoshiyomi in the first place.
Ignoring the pain in his rear, Iwa shoved Yō to the ground and roared, "If you're scared, then get lost! I don't need you! I'll deal with Gekkō Hoshiyomi myself! After the way he humiliated me today, you're telling me to just let it go?! Listen up! As long as he's in Class A, I won't be! And if I'm in Class A, he won't be!"
"You useless cowards can stay out of it—I've got other ways. My grandfather is the Uchiha Clan's Third Elder, and my uncle's a deputy captain in the Konoha Military Police."
"That bastard might be acting tough now at school, but just wait until after class. I swear I'll make him regret it. I won't stop until he transfers out of Class A!"
With that, he stomped off toward the infirmary without even glancing at Yō, who was still on the ground.
Yō clenched his fists as he watched Iwa limp away, frustration simmering inside him. He had genuinely tried to keep things from escalating, yet Iwa had responded by shoving him aside like garbage.
Deeply disappointed, Yō sighed. Still, as a fellow clansman, he didn't want to see Iwa bring disaster on himself. Since he couldn't talk sense into him, he decided to go speak with Gekkō Hoshiyomi directly.
He didn't bother chasing after Iwa. Brushing the dirt off his clothes, he returned to the training grounds. As he passed behind Hoshiyomi—careful to remain unnoticed by the other Uchiha—he whispered:
"Uchiha Iwa's planning to have his uncle from the Military Police target you. Watch your back."
Without waiting for a reply, Yō walked off and melted back into the crowd.
Hoshiyomi glanced after him, quietly committing his face to memory. Compared to Iwa, that guy was actually kind of likable.
Still, Hoshiyomi didn't take the warning too seriously. He was all too familiar with this "call in the grown-ups when you lose" tactic.
Even if Iwa's relatives did show up at school, Hoshiyomi had the moral high ground here.
And trying to cause trouble outside school wouldn't be so easy either. The Uchiha Clan was obsessed with reputation, and they prided themselves on their aloof dignity. They wouldn't risk tarnishing their image by sending an adult to rough up a student.
At most, they might use their influence in the Military Police to put some pressure on him. But as long as Hoshiyomi behaved himself, they wouldn't find an easy excuse.
Shaking off those thoughts, Hoshiyomi refocused on the combat assessments.
Just then, it was Jiraiya's turn. A classmate with mediocre grades had evidently underestimated him and boldly challenged him to a match.
Jiraiya didn't refuse. The match began.
There wasn't much to say about the fight. The challenger had hoped to pin Jiraiya down with kunai throws—but he hadn't expected Jiraiya's speed.
Once the kunai were spent, the boy had nothing left. After a brief chase, Jiraiya caught up and beat him down with a flurry of punches, forcing a quick surrender.
With that, Jiraiya's win brought the Class A assessments to a close.
Instructor Mitsui then called out the names of ten unlucky students—they'd be facing the top ten from Class B in a second round of rankings. The rest of the class was free to go home.
As soon as he said that, more than half the students rushed off. Nothing was more exciting than being let out early.
Hoshiyomi had planned to train with Sakumo and Jiraiya, but just as he was about to leave, the teachers from Classes B and C arrived with their top ten students.
Among them stood Orochimaru.
Hoshiyomi's interest was piqued. He tugged on Jiraiya and Sakumo's sleeves, motioning for them to stay. He was curious—just how much had Orochimaru improved over the past two months?
What happened next took everyone by surprise.
Originally, the second round was meant to begin with the bottom ten of Class A versus the top ten of Class B. But before the teachers could speak, Orochimaru stepped forward hesitantly.
He bowed to the three homeroom instructors from Classes A, B, and C, then asked:
"Sensei, if I can defeat Class A's tenth-ranked student directly, may I transfer into Class A?"
His question stunned the three teachers. Even Jiraiya and Sakumo turned to look.
Jiraiya jabbed Hoshiyomi with an elbow. "Hey, isn't that the Orochimaru you were talking about? Did this guy not get enough sleep? He wants to challenge the tenth-ranked kid from our class?"
Hoshiyomi looked at Orochimaru's resolute eyes and just smirked. "Don't underestimate him. He might be stronger than you."
Sakumo nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I don't think he's an ordinary guy. Maybe he really can back it up."
Jiraiya frowned, clearly annoyed that his friends were siding with Orochimaru. He scoffed, "No way. I still remember this guy being dead last in Class C when the semester started. If he jumped from the bottom of Class C to Class A in just two months, wouldn't that make him stronger than even you, Sakumo?"
It wasn't just Jiraiya— even the teachers from Classes A and B seemed skeptical. No one could tell whether Orochimaru was truly confident or just full of himself.
Sure, his homeroom teacher had said he rose from last place to the top of Class C in two months. But making the leap all the way to Class A? That seemed too much.
Still, before the teachers could decide, the tenth-ranked student in Class A blushed with fury and shouted, "Sensei, I accept his challenge! I'll show this arrogant fool the gap between us!"