Makoto followed the Practical Combat Exam rules, letting the students draw lots to determine their opponents. After each match, he gave detailed feedback.
"Your Transformation Technique was used at the wrong time. It had no real effect. Your taijutsu is sloppy, and your punching speed is far too slow."
"How can such an obvious Clone Technique possibly confuse the enemy?"
"Your punches lack skill, your kicks have no power, your footwork is loose, and your reactions are slow. With taijutsu like this, how do you expect to defeat an opponent?"
Makoto didn't hold back at all.
In fact, he was extremely strict.
However, he wasn't making things up. Every criticism he gave pointed out real problems, and the students he addressed all lowered their heads in embarrassment.
"I know your monthly exam results were very good. Both your theory and combat scores were higher than the other classes.
"But you cannot become complacent because of that.
"My comments might have sounded harsh, so let me apologize to you first."
Makoto sighed.
"But I truly mean it for your sake. Both taijutsu and ninjutsu are important. If you don't train your taijutsu well now, you will regret it when facing real enemies in the future."
After hearing this, Mitarashi Anko looked a little aggrieved.
"Makoto-sensei, I really haven't been slacking. I spend the same amount of time practicing taijutsu as ninjutsu. It's just that our taijutsu teacher… isn't very good. He doesn't teach as well as you."
"Yeah, that's right," Hagane Kotetsu added.
"I've been studying seriously too, but the taijutsu teacher explains things in such a confusing way."
At first, Kotetsu had been slightly annoyed by Makoto's strict criticism. After all, they were only first-year students.
But after hearing Makoto apologize, Kotetsu felt ashamed.
Makoto-sensei cares so much about us… how could I think he was wrong?
A teacher apologizing to students—Kotetsu had never heard of such a thing.
And besides, Makoto hadn't done anything wrong. Criticizing students was part of a teacher's responsibility.
Kotetsu and Anko's words resonated with the entire class.
Soon, Class 1 erupted into complaints.
"Makoto-sensei, can we replace the taijutsu teacher? He really doesn't know how to teach. His classes are boring and confusing."
"Exactly! At this rate, I feel like I could be the taijutsu teacher myself. Isn't it just telling people to run laps around the field?"
"How can you say that about Teacher Tanimura?"
Makoto immediately spoke up in defense.
"He's been your teacher for two months now. As a teacher, do you really think he wouldn't want you to become stronger?"
The taijutsu teacher of their class was Tanimura Toshihiro.
Unlike Makoto, who was a newcomer, Tanimura had already been teaching at the Ninja Academy for three years.
Yet despite those three years, his teaching ability was… difficult to praise.
As the homeroom teacher of Class 1, Makoto had naturally interacted with him before.
Among chūnin instructors, Tanimura's teaching ability was definitely on the weaker side.
And since the students compared him directly with Makoto, the gap looked even worse.
"Makoto-sensei, we're not saying he has a bad attitude. We just think his ability isn't good enough," Kamizuki Izumo explained.
"Yeah! The neighboring classes always say our ninjutsu is strong, but nobody ever says our taijutsu is good," another student added.
Normally, the students had only thought the taijutsu classes were boring and poorly explained.
But now that the whole class was discussing it together, they suddenly realized something troubling.
This wasn't just boredom.
It was about the foundation of a ninja's strength.
During academy combat tests, students wouldn't fight seriously, and teachers would intervene if accidents occurred.
But enemies on missions—or on the battlefield—would never show mercy.
"Well…"
Makoto hesitated and sighed.
"Just don't say these things in front of Teacher Tanimura. And practice your taijutsu more during your spare time. If you don't understand something, you can come ask me."
The students' dissatisfaction toward Tanimura was like a pile of gunpowder.
All Makoto had to do was provide the spark.
Seeing Makoto still defending the taijutsu teacher made the students feel indignant on his behalf.
They thought Makoto was simply too kind.
They're colleagues. Makoto-sensei probably doesn't want Teacher Tanimura to feel embarrassed, thought Shisui's Shadow Clone, who had been watching quietly.
Shisui also felt the taijutsu teacher's level was quite poor.
Even compared to the Uchiha clan's beginner instructors, the difference was obvious.
Compared to Makoto, the gap was even greater.
Before leaving after class, Makoto once again reminded them not to speak badly about the taijutsu teacher directly and to be more understanding.
The students all nodded obediently.
But the moment Makoto left, Anko immediately took the lead, and the entire class began discussing how to replace the taijutsu teacher.
"Isn't it said that teachers get replaced when a class's grades are bad? What if we deliberately score poorly?" one student suggested.
"But there's no separate taijutsu exam," Kotetsu said, shaking his head.
"Would we intentionally perform badly in the practical combat exam? That would affect Makoto-sensei too."
"That won't work!" Anko immediately rejected the idea.
"Makoto-sensei is so good. I want him to keep teaching us until we graduate."
Her words were immediately supported by the rest of the class.
"Then what if we all tell the truth—that the taijutsu teacher's teaching ability is bad—until he leaves on his own?" another student proposed.
"That doesn't seem right… Makoto-sensei told us not to do that."
"But it would help Makoto-sensei," Kotetsu argued.
"He's our homeroom teacher. If we become stronger, it reflects well on him."
Changing the taijutsu teacher would improve their strength—and benefit Makoto.
"I think the idea works," Izumo nodded.
"If the teacher leaves because of us, it won't affect Makoto-sensei."
"And if he refuses to leave…" Izumo suddenly had a clever idea.
"The final exam is only a little more than a month away. During the practical combat test, we'll exaggerate the difference between our ninjutsu and taijutsu results."
"That way the school will realize the taijutsu teacher really isn't doing his job."
"But our overall scores must still be good, otherwise the school won't pay attention," Izumo added.
Kotetsu wrapped an arm around Izumo's shoulder and laughed.
"Man, Izumo, you're a genius."
The class all nodded in agreement.
They decided to train even harder, achieve excellent results in the final exam, and replace their taijutsu teacher.
After lunch, instead of returning to his own office, Makoto went to the neighboring office—the one where Tanimura Toshihiro worked.
"Teacher Hagane."
As soon as he entered, several instructors greeted him.
Makoto returned each greeting with a smile before walking over to Tanimura.
He asked Tanimura to step outside for a moment and led him to a quiet place.
"Teacher Tanimura… I'm sorry," Makoto said apologetically.
Tanimura looked completely confused.
"Teacher Hagane… did something happen? Why are you suddenly apologizing?"
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