“Huh?”

  Obito’s face fell.

  He knew his performance wasn’t perfect—especially regarding the sword.

  When did Sensei get a sword? It was just the hilt stig out. Who could have noticed that?

  “Kyoichi-sensei, isn’t this a bit too strict?” Yuhi Shinku asked softly.

  Obito’s performance might fall short pared to a in, but fenin, it was already excellent.

  “No. Konoha could face war at any moment, so high standards are necessary,” Kyoichi replied firmly. “Obito, if this were the battlefield, I’d need your Transformation Teique to deceive the enemy. At your current level, you’d already be exposed.”

  Obito nodded repeatedly, not daring tue.

  As he reflected on his performance, a sudden noise broke his train of thought. Reag instinctively, he formed hand seals for the Substitution Teique.

  Thunk, thunk, thunk—

  Several pieces of chalk struck the wooden log left by his substitution.

  “If this were the battlefield, you’d already be ihat’s enough. Leave now and don’t discuss this test with the others, or you’ll fail automatically.”

  “Yes!”

  Obito’s mood wavered between hope and despair as he left. He didn’t dare ask if he had passed. After all, he’d been te.

  Once Obito was goekuno g Kyoichi, looking puzzled. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “Kyoichi-sensei, don’t you think your standards are a bit too high?”

  “No. They’re capable of meeting these standards. If they fail, it’s a matter of mi. A student with poor psychological resilience will only be a liability otlefield.”

  “Uh...”

  Capable of meeting these standards?

  Elite Genin? All of them?

  Even so, this was far beyond the normal standards fraduation exam. Tekued the urge to pin.

  If these were the standards when I graduated, I wouldn’t have stood a ce!

  The first part of the exam—bining the Transformation and e Teiques—wasn’t just a test of ninjutsu proficy but also of observation and analytical skills. Obito’s performance was far from perfect.

  A, his abilities still surpassed most Genin.

  Perhaps this is the privilege of being from a notable , Tekuno thought.

  The didate entered.

  “Raito Namida.”

  Upon seeing Kyoichi, Namida hesitated briefly.

  If it were aeacher, passing would have been a breeze. But with Kyoichi, it wasn’t guaranteed.

  “The same rules. Begin.”

  “Yes!”

  Namida quickly activated his chakra, seamlessly exeg the Transformation and e Teiques.

  Tekuno was surprised by how fwlessly Namida bihe two teiques.

  But Kyoichi still found fault—with the sword.

  Again, it was the hilt barely visible.

  Who would notiething like that?

  Despite this minor detail, Namida’s Substitution Teique erfect.

  Even the civilian students in this group demonstrated exceptional skill.

  Tekuno was shocked beyond words.

  The few civilian didates performed simirly. Without exception, they met or exceeded Kyoichi’s demanding standards, often surpassing those from notable s.

  “Does this mean Obito is really at the bottom?” Yuhi Mako murmured.

  “That’s not fair to say. Obito is straightforward and doesn’t excel in subtlety. His strength lies in rge-scale ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu, making him better suited for direbat,” Kyoichi expined, sipping his water.

  Hiruzen’s team pts were carefully sidered.

  In Minato’s team, Obito and Rin would handle frontal e and support, while Kakashi specialized in assassination and precision strikes. Each member’s abilities and styles plemehe others perfectly.

  Of course, this was ae team.

  Most standard teams didn’t have such meticulous bance, and all-taijutsu teams like Guy’s were rare exceptions.

  “Large-scale ninjutsu? You mean Fireball Jutsu?” Yuhi Mako quickly grasped Kyoichi’s implication.

  Kyoiodded, prompting a brief sileween Mako and Tekuno.

  Obito might appear to be underperf, but his core strength pced him above many didates.

  However, his weak foundational skills were undeniable.

  By the midpoint of the exam, both examiners were increasingly astonished.

  This year’s css was exceptional!

  Whether from notable s or civilian families, the students demonstrated far greater proficy than previous cohorts. In some cases, civilian students even outperformed heirs ihree Basic Teiques.

  Frankly, aside from their ck of experiehese students were already on par with Genin.

  The reason?

  It wasn’t raw talent.

  Every css might have a few standout prodigies, but overall abilities rarely varied signifitly from year to year. The difference y ieag.

  Kyoichi Kanda.

  In just one month, he had transformed these students from ordinary academy kids into near-Genin-level ninjas.

  Incredible.

  Yuhi Shinku, a seasoned mentor fenin and in, uood just how difficult this feat was. Most Jōnin couldn’t achieve it.

  How had Kyoichi do?

  After the exams, Shinku couldn’t hold bay longer. “Kyoichi-sensei, may I ask how you teach? Why are your students so universally skilled?”

  This was a mixed-grade css, with more students than usual.

  A, Kyoichi had mao teach them all effectively. It was almost unbelievable.

  “It’s simple, really. Teach a few of them thhly, thehem help teach the others. Progress leads, others follow,” Kyoichi said with a smile.

  A ueag method!

  Yuhi Shinku felt a twinge of disappoi.

  This approach worked well in the academy but couldn’t easily be applied to Genin or in, who were already set in their ways. Peer instru in those groups often introduced errors.

  However, for the academy level, the potential was signifit.

  “Could this method be standardized for the academy?”

  “It wouldn’t work with regur academy instructors. But if yht in Jōnin instructors for the final month befraduation, it’d be like pre-deployment training fenin,” Kyoichi suggested without hesitation.

  “Jōnin instructors at the academy? Fraduation training?”

  Yuhi Shinku stared in stunned silence.

  It was a pletely novel idea—but it seemed feasible.

  Most academy instructors were in. While capable, they oftehe authority or experieo inspire students. Jōnin instructors were a different story.

  And Kyoichi’s success proved the cept.

  In just one month, he had achieved results that many could not in years.

  After a moment of thought, Shinku said, “Kyoichi-sensei, I’d like to submit your methods as a case study to the Third Hokage for sideration. Would you be willing?”

  “Of course,” Kyoichi replied with a grin.

  After all, he wouldn’t be the one writing it.

  And if the proposal succeeded, it would bring him immense credit—perhaps even rewards.

  In fact, Kyoichi was already sidering volunteering for this assig with every graduating css. It would be an excellent opportunity to “reap the bes.”

  Gcell