Chapter 57: The Real Test Begins Before Even Entering the Exam Venue
Chapter 57: The Real Test Begins Before Even Entering the Exam Venue
The physical training was far more grueling than what Itachi had anticipated.
Prior to this, he usually only exercised by running, and even then, he rarely pushed himself to the point of exhaustion.
But today was different. Itachi went through a rigorous routine, targeting every part of his body.
After completing eight hundred push-ups, he felt his arms were no longer his own. His legs felt like lead after eight hundred squats, and his abdomen ached after eight hundred sit-ups.
Leaning against a tree after finishing these basic exercises, Itachi felt he had lost control over his body.
Watching Guy relentlessly push himself didn't seem so bad until Itachi experienced it himself.
Towards the end, he was relying solely on his willpower to keep going, his body's senses had become hazy, and he was merely going through the mechanical repetitive motions.
Itachi nearly gave in to the temptation to use chakra to aid his movements, as he was incredibly exhausted.
Imagine, the incessant flow of sweat blurring your vision, the salt stinging your eyes, and the heavy limbs that test your will and strength with every movement, yet you can't stop because you haven't met your training goal.
"Four hundred and twelve, four hundred and thirteen..."
Watching Guy, not too far away, still going strong with his frog jumps, Itachi couldn't help but feel admiration.
They had started training together. Guy's exercises were even more challenging; while Itachi did regular push-ups, Guy did them with added weight, carrying a stone on his back.
Even so, within the same time frame, Guy managed to do more repetitions than him, and even after Itachi was completely spent, Guy still had the stamina to continue.
In fact, even in pure taijutsu combat, Itachi wouldn't lose to Guy; he might even be better. But when it came to sheer physical endurance, he fell far behind.
When Guy took a break, Itachi couldn't help but ask, "Guy, you must have been training regularly before, to be able to handle such a high training volume."
Guy nodded. "I started before I even enrolled in the Ninja Academy. My father trained with me."
Hearing Guy's words, a tinge of melancholy and envy washed over Itachi as he recalled that he had lost his parents at a young age.
He believed that if his parents had still been alive, they would have taught him about ninjas too.
"Itachi, are you feeling overwhelmed and tired? I have a training secret I can share with you if you'd like," Guy offered, deciding to impart the training method he learned from his father.
Without the same clan connection as Obito and Itachi, Guy didn't interact with Itachi much outside of their joint training and meals, but he already considered Itachi a trustworthy companion.
"What's the secret?" Itachi asked, intrigued.
"It's about self-discipline," Guy explained. "Treat these training sessions as challenges, and if you don't complete them, impose a penalty on yourself. For example, if you don't finish three thousand push-ups on time, punish yourself by doing an additional five hundred."
"Using self-imposed restraints to push yourself is indeed an excellent training method," Itachi mused.
He found Guy's approach similar to Mu Yue's method of motivating herself with battles and quizzes.
Itachi was surprised that Guy, who seemed straightforward and unrefined, could come up with such a way to motivate himself.
"It's pretty good, right? My father taught me this," Guy said with a laugh, scratching his head. "Every time I face a challenge that seems impossible, I use self-discipline."
"Then your father must be an incredible jounin," Itachi praised.
He figured that to raise a son like Guy, his father must be equally remarkable.
"Haha, he was just a genin, but I think he was amazing," Guy replied, a fond smile on his face.
"A genin...?" Kakashi's expression turned to one of surprise as he became even more curious about Guy's father.
Given Guy's age, his father would have to be at least twenty-eight, and it wouldn't be unusual if he were in his thirties. It was uncommon to still be a genin at that age.
"I have a chakra control technique for taijutsu that I'd like to discuss with you," Kakashi offered, returning the favor.
...
Ninja Academy, Classroom 1-1.
"And that concludes the Ninjutsu Theory I course. In two weeks, you'll have your final exam, so make sure you review and prepare for it," Mu Yue announced.
She had intended to finish the course a week earlier, but her brisk teaching pace had left two weeks for review instead.
"Teacher Mu Yue, don't forget about my dumplings," Anko piped up.
"As long as you do well on the exam, dumplings will be yours," Mu Yue smiled.
"Teacher Mu Yue, I want some snacks," TenTen raised her hand.
"If you all do well on the exam, there will be plenty of treats," Mu Yue assured the class as she gathered her lesson plans.
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of class, and Mu Yue received a message from the system.
【Teaching Complete】
【Evaluation: A】
【Reward: Fire Style - Phoenix Flower Claw Crimson】
Mu Yue nodded to herself as she picked up her lesson plans, thinking that this was indeed a rather practical fire-style ninjutsu.
"Having to review for two whole weeks sounds so tiring just thinking about it," TenTen complained.
"Then don't review. We've been paying attention in class anyway," Ino suggested.
Due to TenTen's unreliability, Ino felt that she would have to find a girlfriend on her own. She had already inquired about a girl from the neighboring house who also attended the Ninja Academy and was in Class 1-6.
Ino planned to secure the top spot in the theory exam and then approach the girl with that status.
While TenTen had scored a few points lower than her on the previous exam, their recent mock exams showed that they were now neck and neck. Ino considered TenTen her rival in the competition for first place, so she wanted him to give up on the idea of reviewing.
"Not reviewing is a good idea. I heard from my older cousin that sometimes, going into an exam without reviewing and with a more relaxed attitude can lead to better results," TenTen nodded in agreement.
In reality, TenTen's initial complaint was just setting up this suggestion, as he wanted Ino to forgo reviewing so that he could seize the top spot.
He had already boasted to Mei Hui about getting the top score in theory, and Ino was his main competitor.
"Really? That sounds tempting. Reviewing for two weeks does sound exhausting," Anko said, her eyes lighting up at the prospect.
Both TenTen and Ino nodded in agreement.
"Kakashi, do you usually review for exams?" Anko turned to ask Kakashi, who sat behind her.
Kakashi shook his head; he had committed everything to memory during class.
Seeing that even Kakashi, who had topped the theory exam last time, didn't review, Anko's eyes sparkled with newfound enthusiasm, and she felt truly convinced that she could skip the review.
"Then let's hang out together this weekend," Anko suggested to her two friends.
"Sorry, I can't. My family has something planned for the weekend," TenTen declined, shaking his head. He had no intention of going out to play; he wanted to study and review to secure that top spot.
"What about you, Ino?" Anko turned to Ino.
"My family has a lot going on lately, so I can't make it either," Ino shook his head as well.
Now that he had successfully dissuaded them from reviewing, he planned to spend the weekend intensely studying at home.
"Oh, alright. Then I'll find someone else to hang out with," Anko said, not suspecting her friends' motives.
The real exam had already begun outside the examination venue, and Anko had unknowingly been eliminated from the race.
(End of Chapter)
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