"Third Hokage."
"Hokage-sama."
When Sarutobi Hiruzen arrived, Group C had just completed the lottery draw, and the students greeted Sarutobi Hiruzen one after another.
"Just treat this as a regular day, I'm just here to observe." Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a kind smile.
"Contestant number one, Mitarashi Anko, and contestant number two, Asakawa Sankei, prepare for battle." Mokgetsu's shadow clone began hosting the test.
The students who were called by Mokgetsu quickly moved to the battlefield and assumed their fighting stances.
Sarutobi Hiruzen glanced around, noting that the test sites for the three groups were spaced out to avoid interference.
"Mokgetsu, it's been tough on you these past five weeks, handling more than three hundred students alone." Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed.
In this situation, one person simply wasn't enough; shadow clones were necessary.
Indeed, Mokgetsu's real body was still beside him, while the shadow clone was hosting the exam over there.
"Just doing my duty." Mokgetsu replied with a smile, not saying much more.
The Third Hokage nodded with a smile and then focused on the battle that had already started.
Despite Asakawa Sankei being a fourth-year student, Anko was at a disadvantage in terms of height, but she showed no weakness, rushing forward to engage Asakawa Sankei in close combat.
Anko's taijutsu was extremely aggressive, adopting a style that prioritized dealing heavier damage to her opponent, even if she took hits herself.
Feeling the many gazes from spectators, Asakawa Sankei secretly cursed; he was having a hard time with Anko's frenzied attacks.
Using Anko's momentum, Asakawa Sankei retreated to a tree, then sprinted up the tree and threw a barrage of shuriken at Anko in hopes of kiting her.
But Anko wasn't shaken off; having completed her tree-climbing training, she had practiced combat within forests, quickly catching up to Asakawa Sankei in the trees to engage him in a strategic battle.
The Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu, the three basic ninja techniques, were employed by both.
"Mokgetsu, this Mitarashi Anko is a student from your class, right?" Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly asked.
Because Mokgetsu's class had previously garnered outstanding results, he had some impression of the top performers in Mokgetsu's class.
"Yes, she's from First Grade, Class One." Mokgetsu nodded.
"Such chakra control ability and ninjutsu level at her age make her an exceptional student." Sarutobi Hiruzen stroked his small mustache and nodded.
He was very pleased with Mokgetsu's teaching outcomes; the strength displayed by both students was impressive, despite being in the least advanced Group C.
"Indeed, with that skill level, I doubt even most third or fourth-year students could match it." The Chunin Teacher accompanying Sarutobi Hiruzen remarked.
"Her opponent is also not bad; with more practice, he may well reach graduation level." Sarutobi Hiruzen continued.
Other Chunin Teachers nodded in agreement.
One teacher was particularly surprised because Asakawa Sankei was a student from his class.
He remembered the student being quite ordinary, not expecting such significant improvement in just five weeks of special training.
He was unsure whether it was due to past lack of enthusiasm or extreme effort during the five weeks, or if Mokgetsu was simply an exceptional teacher.
"Mitarashi Anko wins."
Ultimately, Asakawa Sankei was slightly outclassed, and Anko claimed victory.
"Contestant number three, Hagane Kotetsu, and contestant number four, Nakamori Gouichi, prepare for battle." Mokgetsu swiftly announced the names for the next match.
"Nakamori Gouichi is my student." Iketani Isamu spoke up.
"Oh, how is his practice score generally?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked curiously.
"Rather average, his practice score is generally around fifteen points." Iketani Isamu answered honestly.
"But his opponent seems to be a student from first or second grade; it should be fine, right?"
Hiruzen understood Nakamori Gouichi's level when he heard fifteen points, which, according to the Ninja Academy's scoring standards, was very ordinary.
"Not necessarily, that Hagane Kotetsu is also a student from Teacher Mokgetsu's class; his practical scores are quite excellent." Before Mokgetsu could acknowledge the student, Ueda Aya spoke up.
As the onlookers discussed, the battle began.
Nakamori Gouichi relied on his physical advantage to push forward swiftly, launching a series of fast attacks.
While Hagane Kotetsu was at a disadvantage in terms of strength, his lower stature also meant greater agility, allowing him to dodge Nakamori Gouichi's attacks flexibly.
The situation was intensely deadlocked.
"Barring any surprises, Nakamori Gouichi is likely to win." A Chunin Teacher speculated.
Although it seemed Hagane Kotetsu wasn't being overly suppressed at the moment, he was actually at a significant disadvantage; Kotetsu, being younger, lacked stamina, and would eventually be caught if the stalemate continued.
"This student is good too, although not as impressive as his classmates, he's quite excellent." The Third Hokage remarked as he puffed on his small pipe.
Considering he was battling students from several higher grades, the Third Hokage felt Kotetsu was already doing well.
"Deception Jutsu!"
Seizing a brief moment to catch his breath, Hagane Kotetsu used his strongest ninja technique.
To enhance his jutsu, Kotetsu had visited a women's clothing store.
Suddenly, six women dressed in various styles of revealing apparel appeared on the field, surrounding Nakamori Gouichi.
"Huh?" Nakamori Gouichi's attention was ensnared by the mysterious force.
Using this chance, Hagane Kotetsu kicked Nakamori Gouichi to the ground, pressing a kunai against him with his right hand.
"Hagane Kotetsu wins!"
Nakamori Gouichi, upon regaining his senses, was both bewildered and shocked.
He knew of Kotetsu's jutsu, but never thought Kotetsu would dare use such a technique in front of the Third Hokage.
Silence.
At that moment, the field was enveloped in silence, with no one making a sound.
Both students and teachers stared at the scene with shocked expressions.
"Ahem."
Finally, the Third Hokage's cough broke the silence.
The captivated Hokage had been choked by his smoke; he quickly wiped the red mark beneath his nose and, adopting a serious demeanor, offered his evaluation:
"Teacher Mokgetsu's special training was very well conducted, with Kotetsu leveraging his advantages wisely, and Nakamori Gouichi's performance was commendable. How many points do you think he deserves for his practical skills this time?"
"Twenty-four points, I'd say." A Chunin Teacher was the first to suggest.
Other teachers followed suit, giving scores that were fairly consistent.
No one mentioned Kotetsu; collectively, they implicitly ignored what had just transpired, opting instead to praise Mokgetsu's summer special training for the students' remarkable progress.
They did occasionally glance in Kotetsu's direction, internally acknowledging him as quite a prodigy.
"Kotetsu, you're sure to be famous now." Kamizuki Izumo said enviously to the victorious Hagane Kotetsu.
Using ninjutsu cleverly to win against the odds under the Third Hokage's observation, he could only wish it was him standing there.
"Contestant number five, Ishii Gi, and contestant number six, Kamizuki Izumo, prepare."
Upon hearing his name, Kamizuki Izumo eagerly rushed to the stage; he, too, aimed for fame!