"Please head to the Principal's Office as soon as possible."
"The Principal?" Ayaka Ueda gasped softly.
The Ninja Academy didn't have many formidable teachers; most were ordinary Chunin. However, the Principal of the Ninja Academy was no simple figure. There had only been two principals of the Ninja Academy: the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and the current Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although he was the Principal, it wasn't easy for teachers to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi, because aside from giving a speech at the start of the school year, Hiruzen Sarutobi usually didn't come to the school; he handled official duties at the Hokage Building. This was the reason for Ayaka Ueda's gasp: Hiruzen Sarutobi was actually in the Principal's Office and had even summoned a teacher individually, which was very rare.
"Alright, I'll go right away." Muyue nodded, then said apologetically to the teachers in the office, "Everyone, I apologize, I'm going to the Principal's Office for a moment. We can talk about the lecture later."
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Teacher Hanyu, go quickly, don't keep Lord Third waiting," said Ikeya Yu, his face showing uncontrollable envy, his eyes almost turning lemon-shaped. He had been teaching for several years and had never received such treatment; let alone being summoned individually, he had never even entered the Principal's Office. However, when Ikeya Yu thought about Muyue's teaching ability and the quality of his students, he no longer felt envious. The average scores of other first-year classes were around forty to fifty, but Muyue's class had directly soared to over seventy, leaving other classes far behind. The practical scores were also generally higher, and they had even secured the top two spots in the grade, with the first-place Uchiha Shisui being recognized as a super genius. Ikeya Yu honestly asked himself if he could lead such a class, and the answer was no.
After Muyue finished speaking, he turned and headed to the Principal's Office. The Principal's Office was on the top floor of their teaching building, which was the fifth floor, while Muyue's small office was on the second floor. Seeing the "Principal's Office" sign next to the door, Muyue knocked on the office door.
"Enter." A dignified middle-aged man's voice came from inside the door.
Muyue opened the door and entered the office. Muyue casually glanced around; the office layout was very simple, with bookshelves and a desk by the window, and a set of table and chairs near the door. Hiruzen Sarutobi was also not as old as he appeared at the beginning of the anime; his hair and beard were still black, and he didn't have many wrinkles on his face. His gaze was full of authority, giving off an aura of unspoken power. Perhaps because he was at the Ninja Academy, he wasn't wearing his Hokage hat.
"You must be Teacher Hanyu, please have a seat quickly."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't put on any Hokage airs. He stood up and walked to the table and chairs near the door, smiling and gesturing for Muyue to sit down. "Lord Third Hokage," Muyue said respectfully, not being overly polite, and sat down. In his previous life, the Third's reputation wasn't great; for various reasons, many things became part of his schemes. He didn't know what kind of person the real Third was, but as a Ninja Academy teacher, his outward demeanor had to be impeccable. Even if he was cursing inwardly, he had to maintain a smile.
"Hanyu, you are a talented teacher," Hiruzen Sarutobi praised with a chuckle. "I've heard about your class's results. The average theoretical score is twenty to thirty points higher than other classes, and your class also swept the top two spots in the practical exam." "The proctoring teachers also said that the mastery of basic ninjutsu like Transformation Jutsu and Clone Jutsu is better than in other classes."
"It's also because the students themselves are diligent. I just do my best to teach them; the rest is all thanks to their efforts," Muyue said after thinking for a moment. He was humble, but not completely humble. First, he indicated that there were also the students' own reasons, then he said that he did his best to teach, highlighting his own efforts.
"Doing your best to teach, well said," Hiruzen Sarutobi was very satisfied with Muyue's answer and sighed, "If the Ninja Academy had more teachers like you, Teacher Hanyu, who fully dedicate themselves to educating students, there would be no need to worry about the cultivation of the next generation."
Muyue didn't respond to that statement, merely adopting an attentive posture. If he agreed, it would imply that other teachers were incompetent good-for-nothings, and if he disagreed, it would mean that other teachers weren't serious.
"Just based on the performance of Class 1, Year 1, this time, I've decided to designate you as the Outstanding Teacher for this semester," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a chuckle. Muyue displayed a surprised expression, then thanked Hiruzen Sarutobi with a look of immense gratitude.
"However, Lord Third, wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? After all, it's only been a month. I'm afraid it might harm your reputation if word gets out," Muyue said with a worried expression, concerned that it would affect the Third's good name.
"The Outstanding Teacher award is meant for outstanding teachers. If other teachers can lead classes like this, I'll give it to them too," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with imposing authority. The Third then continued to promise rewards, saying, "If you, Teacher Hanyu, maintain this teaching quality for the next year, I will promote you to Special Jonin and also make you the Vice Class Leader of the Ninja Academy's teacher class."
"Thank you, Lord Third, for your cultivation. However, as a teacher, my responsibility is to guide my students well, and I always keep that in mind," Muyue said with a sincere expression. He thought to himself that Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi were indeed taught by the same master; their promises were so similar, both offering promotion to Special Jonin. However, unfortunately for them, compared to the position of Special Jonin, Muyue genuinely hoped for his students to improve, because that way he could really rake in the rewards.
Looking at Muyue's incredibly sincere emotions, Hiruzen Sarutobi, a man who had judged countless people, was certain that Muyue was speaking the truth, and he admired Muyue more and more.
"Teacher Hanyu, I want to discuss some personal matters with you next. I wonder if you are willing to listen," Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly asked. Muyue nodded, pondering what the Third was up to.
"I have a young son named Asuma Sarutobi. He just graduated and became a Genin this year, and he is very immature in all aspects, which gives me quite a headache. I would like to hire you as a private tutor to guide him," Hiruzen Sarutobi extended the invitation. Based on Muyue's current demonstrated teaching ability, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt that teaching Asuma, a newly graduated Genin, would be no problem at all. This was also a test of Muyue's abilities; if he performed truly well, then it would be worth him stepping in and asking Danzo for him. Both the Outstanding Teacher award and the Special Jonin promotion were used by him to gain Muyue's favor, paving the way for future requests. These were all simple matters for Hiruzen Sarutobi, so he was willing to make this move as a strategic step.
"Lord Third, I need to consider this carefully," Muyue thought for a moment and did not directly agree. This was somewhat unexpected for Hiruzen Sarutobi; he hadn't anticipated Muyue refusing.
"Because I have classes on weekdays, I definitely won't have time from Monday to Friday. And on weekends, I also need to think about how to conduct my teaching work for the next week." "I must ensure the quality of both sides' teaching before I can agree, so please allow me some time to consider," Muyue explained.
The Third was stunned for a moment, then chuckled and praised Muyue again as an excellent teacher, before stating that there were no other matters and he could leave. Muyue performed an appraisal on the Third before leaving.