From the back of the classroom, Ranmaru clenched his teeth in spite and muttered under his breath:
- "I'll shut you up, you strawberry girl!"
Not just Ranmaru, but the entire class seemed to have it out for Akame. However, Akame kept her gaze fixed on the blackboard and the teacher. Kito, on the other hand, busied himself with staring at the ceiling and the beautiful garden outside. The top two students in the theory class were this brother and sister duo. Of course, Kito was second only because Akame helped him cheat. Akari, with a beautiful smile, paused her writing on the board where she had just written "exam":
- "Thank you, Akame-chan! It's clear you're as prepared as always!"
Akame blushed at Master Akari's praise, feeling a flicker of hope inside her. A smile involuntarily stretched her red lips. Akari walked to his desk and pulled out a sealed yellow envelope, breaking the seal to reveal the exam papers:
- "Alright, kids, as usual, cheating is allowed, but if I catch you, you'll be expelled from the class and you'll lose three points from your final grade next year."
A collective groan rose from the class. Ranmaru grumbled:
- "Why three points?! This is just some stupid theory class!"
Akari fixed his icy blue eyes, characteristic of the Yukimura tribe, on Ranmaru. Those cold, frozen eyes only promised bloodshed:
- "Stupid, is it?!"
Ranmaru had made the worst possible mistake. He had insulted Akari's honor as a teacher and theorist. A cold, white aura surrounded the master. Ranmaru slightly shrank back but still stared defiantly into Akari's eyes. Akari placed a cold, threatening smile on his rosy lips:
- "Seems like a Himura is itching to die! How about I make your final exam so tough it'll nearly kill you, and extend your genin training by five years?!"
His smile twisted into a scornful smirk as he crossed his arms:
- "Though, you've already failed once, bringing shame to your family!"
Ranmaru narrowed his dark eyes, glaring vengefully at the war theory master:
- "Do whatever you want, you frosty old hag! When I fail your exam, I'll give you such a beating that you'll regret messing with a Himura!"
Akari's face flushed red to his ears. He bit his lower lip. As a theory master, he wasn't allowed to physically harm his students, but he held the sharp blade of grades in his hand. He took a deep breath to calm himself. Nearly a third of the class was from the Himura family.
The Himura family was known for their semi-demonic nature, having proven their superiority over the Yukimura and Arakage clans for centuries. In each era, the head of any clan could challenge the head of the Himura once, but upon losing, they would remain under the Himura's dominion.