For new students who have just entered the Ninja Academy, the first final exam is a very important test.
This entrance exam is held five months after enrollment, right before the end of the first semester and the arrival of the New Year. Except for Naruto, who had long given up on himself, almost all the students were very tense during this period.
"It's over! There are still so many questions I can't do! This year's New Year's money is probably gone!"
In the examination room, Inuzuka Kiba was grabbing his hair like a madman. Even so, the test paper in front of him might as well have been a sacred text for all he understood.
Of course, for a hothead like Inuzuka Kiba, what he cared about wasn't what he learned in school, but whether his father, waiting at home with a cane, would give him a solid beating after the results came out.
Not just Kiba—most students in the exam room felt the same way.
Given the unique nature of the Ninja Academy, parents might not usually know how their children were doing in school. But this major exam held once a semester was the most important benchmark for them to gauge the quality of education. No parent would take it lightly.
This was especially true for the more prominent clans. The achievements of the next generation were also the future of the clan. Many major families had long been eyeing this exam, eager to see if their children could stand out among their peers.
Well, very good. Everyone is working hard. At this moment, Iruka, who was proctoring the exam, sat at the front of the classroom, secretly nodding as he observed the entire room.
But when his gaze swept over two figures sitting at the back of the classroom, his youthful face immediately fell, and a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes.
Although most students were working hard, those two didn't seem to care about the test results at all.
The "those two" Iruka referred to were Uzumaki Naruto, who was looking around as if searching for someone to copy answers from, and Hyūga Yūki, who was sitting in his chair, lost in thought.
These two were arguably the most troublesome presences in Iruka's class.
Naruto was a given—a troublemaker with severe ADHD. But what made Yūki the most troublesome was that the kid was always elusive.
Yes, here one moment, gone the next. You might see Yūki sitting in his seat one class, and the next he'd vanished. Or during a whole class practicing ninjutsu, you'd suddenly realize he'd disappeared again, and so on.
Iruka sometimes found it very strange how this kid could come and go without a trace right under the nose of a chūnin like himself. No matter how much he tried to track Yūki down, the latter always found some miraculous way to slip away.
But now wasn't a normal class—it was an exam. Hyūga Yūki, just what are you doing?
Watching Yūki resting with his eyes closed, mind wandering, appearing soft on the outside but stubborn within, Iruka couldn't help but sigh.
Based on his observation, the Hyūga clan's eldest son had only picked up his pen and written on the test paper for about ten minutes after it was distributed, then put it down and never looked at it again. Wasn't this just giving up?
The Hyūga is a famous clan in Konoha. Who would have thought the eldest young master of this generation would be so reckless? He was completely incomparable to the Uchiha clan's second young master.
At that moment, Iruka couldn't help but glance at another student sitting on the other side of the classroom—Uchiha Sasuke, who was sitting properly in his chair, writing swiftly. Finally, a look of relief appeared in Iruka's eyes.
That's right. As a young master from a major clan, he should lead by example. If I'm not mistaken, he'll definitely be first in this exam. That is—
"Students, first place in this exam goes to Hyūga Yūki. I hope you can all learn from him in the future."
However, just three days later, when Iruka announced the exam results at the final class meeting of the semester, the muscles on his face twitched, cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and the fingers he secretly hid under the podium were pinching his thigh fiercely.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Frankly, when Iruka first saw the results, he wondered if his eyes or brain had rotted. How was this possible? First place was actually Hyūga Yūki? That guy who only wrote for ten minutes?
"Hey?! No way! Brother Yūki, you're actually first?! You're amazing!"
As soon as the results were announced, the entire class erupted into an uproar. Naruto's trademark loud voice was clearly the most piercing among them.
"Stop shouting. What's so surprising about it?"
Feeling the astonished gazes from all corners of the classroom, Yūki couldn't help but cover his head. He hadn't wanted to be so conspicuous initially, but since his father had given a strict order, he had no choice but to do something this foolish.
While Yūki was covering his head and pretending to be dead, another figure sitting in the front row—Uchiha Sasuke—was holding his own test paper, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
It's over. I got second place this time, and first place went to the Hyūga clan. My father will skin me alive when I get home!
For the first time in his life, Uchiha Sasuke had the thought of not going home. He just wanted to find a quiet place to mentally prepare for the storm awaiting him from Fugaku.
"Wait a minute!" At that moment, an unnamed classmate suddenly stood up and said, "Aren't the Hyūga clan's Byakugan supposed to see through things? Did you cheat by copying others' answers?"
"Well, that possibility is almost nonexistent. For one, the teacher was proctoring. Secondly, Yūki's test paper is a perfect score. The gap between him and second-place Sasuke is ten points, and the other students are even further behind."
It seemed Iruka had long considered this possibility and hastily explained on Yūki's behalf. But it stood to reason—how could you get a perfect score by copying? Besides, Yūki hadn't activated his Byakugan during the exam, right?
No, if he really did activate his Byakugan to cheat, you definitely wouldn't have noticed.
Hearing Iruka's words, Yūki couldn't help but smile. After all, he was a monster with dual Byakugan. Besides his own, his Stand also had the Byakugan. If he could be caught, it'd be a miracle.
Of course, Yūki didn't need to rely on the Byakugan to cheat. He was confident no one could surpass him in these elementary-level exams.
In the few months from enrollment to the exam, although Yūki often disappeared, he used all his time to study hard, absorbing the Ninja Academy's knowledge like a sponge.
With an adult's mind and already high intelligence, if he really put his mind to it, the knowledge taught to a few-year-olds was nothing. If he couldn't get a perfect score, he might as well drop out and go home to sell baked sweet potatoes.
So, when the exam ended, the Hyūga clan held a grand celebration that very night. Rumor had it Hiashi was so happy he even forgot to maintain his usual stoic expression.
"Father, if I can get first place in every future exam, then if the teacher reports that I 'occasionally' skip class, you'll turn a deaf ear, right?"
Hic! "Skip class? That's nothing! As long as you keep the Uchiha under your feet, you can do whatever you want!"
"Well, all the elders, uncles, and aunts are here as witnesses. You can't go back on your word, Father."
"Go back on my word? I've never gone back on my word in my life!"
Perfect, just perfect. Hehe. Seeing his father's face flushed from drinking, Yūki secretly smiled sinisterly.
After passing this exam, Hiashi essentially lifted all restrictions on Yūki. In other words, from then on, aside from exams, Yūki wouldn't be forced to attend regular classes.
Now, with the sea vast and the sky wide, it was time for the birds to fly. I should go out and see the bigger world.
Stepping out of the lively banquet hall, Yūki looked up at the starry sky and couldn't help but clench his fists.