How should I put it…
Mikami Yuu felt like he was genuinely speaking from the heart, passing on his "experience" to Yūhi Kurenai.
But on Kurenai's side, she only felt like he was joking.
Well, not entirely. At least the idea of "treating ninjutsu with sincerity" sounded fine—it was just too vague, too abstract, and hard to understand in a concrete way.
As the daughter of a Konoha jōnin, Kurenai's practical combat scores really didn't live up to her bloodline.
Because almost all her talent points were dumped into genjutsu. But the Ninja Academy mainly tested ninjutsu and taijutsu, and in those two areas Kurenai was only mid-tier. She was definitely stronger than most civilian kids, but if her opponent was from any ninja clan, she'd probably lose.
So Kurenai was anxious.
She had tried asking Sarutobi Asuma for advice.
But Asuma didn't really have any solutions.
As the Hokage's son and a Sarutobi clan descendant, Asuma's starting line was much higher than everyone else's. Even before enrolling, he could already use the Three Basic Jutsu and most D-rank techniques skillfully. Only the freak of nature Kakashi had ever truly outshone him. So Asuma simply didn't know how someone with a weak foundation was supposed to improve.
But Mikami Yuu was different.
In past finals, his practical score was about the same as Kurenai's—yet now he'd suddenly shot up to first place. It was hard for Kurenai not to notice.
"Um…"
Kurenai gathered her courage and said, "Mikami-kun, I want to ask you to guide my training. Even just one or two sessions is fine. I can pay you by the lesson."
"…?"
Mikami Yuu's interest stirred. "How much?"
"One lesson… 3,000 ryō. Is that okay?"
Kurenai hesitated and gave the number.
"For real, Kurenai?"
Mikami Yuu's eyes lit up.
For an Academy student, that wasn't a small amount. A normal D-rank mission paid about that much, and then the village still took a cut. If he gave Kurenai a few dozen "class hours," that would be over a hundred thousand ryō!
"Ahem. We're classmates—helping each other is only right. How about this: winter break is in a few days. When it starts, I'll take a look at your training and help you out. We'll improve together. As for the lesson fee… no need for 3,000 ryō. 2,500 is fine."
"That's great! Then I'll come find you after school!"
Kurenai left, thrilled.
Mikami Yuu turned back, noticing that Rin was talking with Obito nearby, and her gaze kept drifting his way with a slightly subtle look.
But soon—
Ooki-sensei came out and clapped his hands, shooing everyone into the classroom. Then he began his end-of-term summary and announced winter-break reminders:
"Remember, what matters most for you now is solidifying your foundations and preparing for the graduation exam two months from now! You must keep in mind the inheritance of the Will of Fire…
"As for that, I may not be able to explain it too deeply, because I'm still learning and understanding it myself. Only one great person can fully and profoundly comprehend the Will of Fire, and that is…"
"The Third Hokage!"
At that moment,
many students turned toward the classroom door. At some point, a figure had appeared there—wearing a white Hokage cloak and a hat. His face was slightly weathered, but his eyes were bright and lively, and a gentle smile rested on his lips.
It was Konoha's current Hokage—Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Hokage-sama!"
All the students—and Ooki-sensei as well—stood to greet him.
Hiruzen smiled and waved, signaling everyone to sit. Then he strolled up to the podium, his gaze sweeping over the young, energetic faces below.
"Children, seeing all of you so full of life makes me very happy.
"You are Konoha's future—the inheritors of the Will of Fire. Everything you're learning now is for the day you will protect our home and the comrades you cherish. Some students performed exceptionally well in the recent tests, which makes me confident in Konoha's future…"
"…"
Every child listened with fascination to his words about the Will of Fire.
Mikami Yuu also pretended to be engrossed, but internally he sighed: Nice speeches, sure. How about something practical?
As if responding to him,
after a long stretch of rhetoric, Hiruzen paused.
"Today, I'm here not only to see everyone, but also to announce something.
"That is: to encourage you to give it your all and achieve excellent results in the graduation exam two months from now, I've decided that the top three will receive a special reward from the village! Especially the first place…"
"They will receive a special honor: you may make one request of me. As long as it's within a reasonable range, the village will do its best to fulfill it!
"For example— you may choose to learn one ninjutsu of C-rank or higher that is not a clan's secret transmission, and I will personally teach and guide you!"
"Wooooah!!!"
The classroom instantly erupted! Shouts and chatter nearly lifted the roof.
"The Hokage will teach personally?!"
"C-rank or higher?!"
"Oh my god! I'm getting first place no matter what!"
Forget the jutsu for a second—just the fact that the Hokage himself would teach was already an unimaginable temptation for these kids. Even Asuma instinctively straightened his back. Guy, Obito, Hyūga Kamon and the others clenched their fists, faces flushed with excitement.
Mikami Yuu also put on the same excited expression as the kids around him, but inside he was calm as still water.
C-rank or higher… that meant he could learn B-rank or even A-rank techniques!
Even though jutsu ranks were determined by training difficulty, higher rank generally wasn't going to be weaker than lower rank.
And more importantly—
Mikami Yuu had the galgame system. By "romancing" ninjutsu, he could unlock new traits and abilities. The Three Basic Jutsu traits were already outrageous—if he got an even stronger technique…
First place was his, no question.
After saying a few more words, Hiruzen left.
At this point, no one in the class had any interest in listening to Ooki-sensei anymore. Everyone was whispering and discussing the "graduation rewards." Busybody types even started predicting next year's top three. Many eyes turned toward Mikami Yuu and Sarutobi Asuma.
In this situation, Ooki-sensei could only wrap things up quickly and announce the start of winter break, which would last three weeks. Once it ended, graduation exams would be right around the corner.
"Yuu-kun, want to go home together?"
Rin finished packing and asked Mikami Yuu out of habit.
"No, I've got something to do."
"Okay. Then Obito-kun and I will head back first."
After watching Rin leave, Mikami Yuu stretched lazily and shifted his gaze toward Kurenai. She was also waving goodbye to Asuma and Shiranui Genma.
Once most students had left the classroom, Kurenai turned back to Mikami Yuu.
"Let's go, Mikami-kun."