"Hahahahaha."
The classmates around burst into laughter. Kushina's shuriken throw was truly terrible—worse than what even first-year students could manage.
"At this level, she still wants to be Hokage?"
"Yeah, she's not even better than me."
Kushina's face flushed red like a tomato, but she didn't snap back. She just glared at the group with narrowed eyes and walked away silently.
Her skills—or lack thereof—spoke for themselves. Without strength, any excuse sounded like sour grapes. Although Kushina had a bold and outspoken personality, she wasn't as reckless or oblivious as Naruto would later be.
"Uzumaki Kushina… D."
Even though the Third Hokage had personally asked Teacher Nishimura to look after Kushina, her results were too poor to ignore.
So, unless she was secretly the Hokage's illegitimate daughter, there was no way to rig her score.
Nishimura sighed and marked her with a failing grade.
Hearing the result, Kushina didn't complain. She simply returned to her seat, quiet and subdued.
"This kid really should start from first-year basics again," Teacher Nishimura muttered as he looked at his roster. "If she keeps going like this, she won't be able to keep up at all. She can't even throw a shuriken properly. What's Lord Third thinking…"
Mikoto glanced at her friend worriedly.
Kushina forced a big grin. "I'm fine. I'll just practice more."
Uchiha Tatsumi nodded. "We'll teach you."
Kushina's smile softened. "Then it's a promise."
…
Time ticked on.
"Next, Uchiha Mikoto."
Mikoto stood up and calmly made her way to the throwing line.
"Go Mikoto!" Kushina called out with renewed energy.
Mikoto walked with poise. Her long black hair was tied into a sleek ponytail, radiating a composed confidence.
The Uchiha Clan's skill with shuriken was famous in Konoha, and Mikoto had always excelled. Nobody doubted that she would score at least an A.
The only question was: how many targets could she hit?
Mikoto took her position. She pulled out six shuriken—three in each hand.
"Did she hold back?" Minato whispered to Tatsumi. "I remember last time she threw eight."
"She's trying Uchiha-ryu Tandem Throwing," Tatsumi replied.
"The one you used before?"
"Yeah."
As expected, Uchiha Tatsumi understood Mikoto best.
Mikoto flung the first three shuriken in a graceful arc. A heartbeat later, she released the second set—faster, with impeccable control.
The second set collided mid-air with the first three, redirecting their trajectories slightly. The result was six near-simultaneous impacts: three struck dead center, and the other three embedded into the target's backboard after a ricochet.
The entire training ground fell silent.
Only Tatsumi had demonstrated this technique before.
"Whoa… Mikoto's amazing!" Kushina cheered.
Roeki sighed. Everyone was showing off. Why couldn't he learn that technique?
"Accuracy: A. Quantity: A+. Power: B+. Final Grade: A+," Mr. Nishimura announced, after a moment's hesitation.
In the Academy, the shuriken evaluation had three metrics: accuracy, number, and power.
To earn an A+, a student needed at least two categories in the A+ tier, and the third no lower than a B.
While advanced chakra manipulation like Wind or Lightning Release wasn't accessible to Genin, some could amplify their throws through sheer strength and precision.
"Next: Uchiha Tatsumi."
He was listed right after Mikoto on the class roster—thanks to her help with the name.
Uchiha Tatsumi stepped onto the field.
The training ground atmosphere immediately shifted.
"Chen, I love you!"
"Go Chenchen!"
"You're the coolest!"
His fan club exploded with excitement. Even Mikoto didn't react anymore. Teacher Nishimura, meanwhile, scowled in annoyance.
Roeki watched jealously. "Man… if only I had fans like that."
Kushina, witnessing this for the first time, shot Tatsumi a glare, as if seeing him in a new, suspicious light.
"One throw only. No retries," Mr. Nishimura announced curtly.
Tatsumi nodded and reached into his pouch, pulling out a single shuriken.
"Only one?" Nishimura raised a brow. "Didn't you throw ten last time? All bullseyes?"
"Just one."
Tatsumi calmly formed a small ball of chakra in his palm and infused it into the shuriken.
A sharp whine tore through the air as the weapon flew—like a shot from a cannon.
It not only pierced the center of the bullseye, but blasted clean through the wooden target, embedding itself into the stone wall behind it. Only a faint vibration remained.
The entire training ground went still—even his fan club was speechless.
Without even glancing at the result, Tatsumi adjusted his windbreaker and walked off, cool and slow.
A real ninja never looks back at an explosion.
If Mikoto's throw was a display of refined technique and control…
Then Tatsumi's was raw power—destructive, precise, overwhelming.
"Accuracy: A+. Quantity: C. Power: A+. Final Grade: A+."
Teacher Nishimura squinted at Tatsumi's back and muttered to himself, "That brat nearly blinded me with his flashy moves…"