Soon, it was Shangguan Mo's turn.
He walked into the small clearing circled by students and checked the ninja tool pouch on his leg, counting the wooden shuriken and kunai inside. Hearing his instructor shout "Ready!", he looked up and formed the Seal of Confrontation with Li. Seeing that they were ready, their instructor, Inoshita Rino, nodded slightly and then shouted, "Begin!"
The moment he finished speaking, Li quickly drew several shuriken and threw them at Shangguan Mo. Her speed was impeccable, showing the focus of a true ninja. The two unfamiliar ninja with clipboards nodded in approval, jotting something down.
Seeing the shuriken flying towards him, Shangguan Mo's expression remained calm. An attack of this level was no threat to him. He reached into his pouch and, in a smooth motion, had a dull yellow wooden kunai in his hand.
Without moving his feet, his kunai became a blur, deflecting every single shuriken. Then, he crouched low and charged at Li. She was taken aback and quickly drew her own kunai. As he raised his to strike her face, she prepared to block, only to find his knee had already stopped just short of her chest.
Her face paled slightly, a hint of annoyance in her expression. "You promised you'd be gentle! I performed so badly, now..."
Before she could finish, Shangguan Mo leaned in and whispered in her ear, "This assessment is strange. It might not be a good idea to stand out too much..."
The warm breath on her ear made her blush. She stopped pouting and, a moment later, a look of gratitude appeared in her eyes. "Mo-kun, but then you..." She wanted to say that by not letting her shine, he himself was standing out.
"It's fine. I'm better at protecting myself than you are," he reassured her with a smile.
"Winner, Shangguan Mo!" Inoshita Rino announced. He then turned to the quiet girl of his class. "Don't be discouraged, Li. We're all ordinary people. Geniuses are rare. The fact that you were accepted into the Ninja Academy proves you have a talent for chakra, doesn't it?" He felt sorry for the lonely child and quickly tried to comfort her.
"Thank you, Rino-sensei. I'm fine!" Li smiled gratefully at him, then turned to look at Shangguan Mo, who seemed so much more mature than the other students. A complex feeling welled up inside her. "What is he thinking about? He's an orphan just like me, so why is he so clever and calm, and so... talented...?"
In just over an hour, the assessment was over. The students, having received no great surprise, were led back to their classrooms by their teachers, looking bored.
Third-Year Classroom!
Looking at the still-immature faces of these children, a look of pity flashed in Inoshita Rino's eyes. He took a deep breath and put on a gentle smile. "You will all have a self-study session. No messing around! Shangguan Mo, you're in charge! If anyone causes trouble, tell me after class!" he said, looking at Shangguan Mo in the back row.
"Mhm..." Shangguan Mo nodded wearily. A fine young man from the 21st century had transmigrated to the ninja world only to become the class monitor for a bunch of ten-year-olds. It was a joke. This was an embarrassment to all other transmigrators...
In less than an hour, Inoshita Rino returned to the classroom, his face grim. He scanned the room, his heart sinking further. "When I call your name, come with me!" he said, his voice heavy.
"Shangguan Mo, Murakami Rin... Li!"
When he called the last name, Shangguan Mo's expression changed slightly. He turned to look at Li, his brow furrowed. "It's okay, Mo-kun. You'll be there, right?" she said, trying to comfort him. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized they might sound inappropriate, and her face turned slightly red as she peeked at his expression. Seeing that he didn't seem to mind, she relaxed a bit, but for some reason, she also felt a faint sense of disappointment.
"The school has a very dangerous mission for you. For you... it's very, very dangerous!" Inoshita Rino said to the dozen or so children before him, his face heavy.
"So, Rino-sensei, are we going to face real ninja?" a boy asked, his face flushed with excitement.
Shangguan Mo shot him a pitying glance and shook his head slightly.
"Murakami Rin!" Inoshita Rino snapped, glaring at him. "You have no idea what you're about to face. They are more terrifying than ordinary ninja. They are the Cult of Jashin. I think you've heard that name, and you should know what it represents in the Land of Hot Water!"
Hearing this, the previously excited Murakami Rin's face turned deathly pale, and he swallowed hard. Beside him, Shangguan Mo also took a sharp breath, his expression turning grave.
"Sigh..." Seeing the students' terrified faces, Inoshita Rino sighed deeply, and then, he bowed to them. "I'm sorry! It's because we adults are useless! We've made you children bear a responsibility that you never should have had to!"
Seeing this, even Shangguan Mo was deeply shaken. A feeling he had never experienced before welled up inside him. It was as if, in that moment, he had truly become a part of this world, because he could feel the profound kindness in his teacher's heart.
Shangguan Mo smiled genuinely, walked forward, and helped the still-bowing Inoshita Rino up. "Teacher, don't blame yourself too much. Facing slaughter and evil, isn't that the fate of us ninja?"
Inoshita Rino stared at him, as if seeing this unusual boy for the first time. "Thank you, Shangguan Mo. I feel much better now."
"So, will you be coming with us on this mission, sensei?" Shangguan Mo asked, changing the subject.
"Yes. You students will still be in your class squad, and I will be your captain."
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