"Master Iruka is a really serious guy. His parents died when he was young, so everything he's accomplished he did by himself,
with a lot of hard work and discipline… He thinks he's helping you to grow strong."
~Mizuki to Naruto, discussing Iruka's severity.

The Academy students sat at lunch, morosely eating their meals. The joy of of break time had been dampened by Iruka-sensei's ominous promise to test them on their guest speaker once they returned.

"You think you'll do okay?" Chouji asked Shikamaru. "You slept through most of that lady's lecture."

Shikamaru shrugged. "All she did was talk about trap building. We covered that already. Reviews are so troublesome."

Ino, overhearing the boy's conversation, leaned forward to chime in. "Well I'm glad that she did a review. Sensei said this test was important, and he made it seem like it's going to be really hard." The blonde paused to reflect on the steel glint in their teacher's eye when he announced the surprise exam. "But how hard can it be, if we know the material already?"

"So, you don't think it will be that difficult?" Hinata asked timidly from the seat beside her.

"Not if you've paid any attention in classes for the last two months," Sakura replied confidently. "But if you're as dense as Naruto…"

"Didn't Iruka-sensei say that we're starting a new topic today?" Shino recalled.

Kiba rolled his eyes. "So he forgot. Who cares? Can we talk about something else already?"

After lunch, Iruka handed out the tests. Upon receiving the sheets of paper, the students immediately relaxed. The Trap-Building Unit Exam last week had been a grueling, practical test. A written exam seemed benign after that harrowing experience. They began- unenthusiastically, but also unafraid.

Only minutes into the test, several of the students started to fidget. Their brows creased in frustration, confusion, annoyance, or some combination thereof. Shikamaru scrutinized the paper before rolling his eyes and settled down for a nap.

After another two minutes, the students began exchanging puzzled glances. Iruka loudly reminded them to keep their eyes on their own paper. After that, they reserved their bewildered stares for the questions in front of them.

Finally, Hinata shyly raised her hand. "Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, Hinata?"

"Is…is this really…I mean…" She took a breath and started over. "Maybe this isn't the test you meant to give us?" With a father as severe as hers, Hinata had a lot to be worried about when it came to her grades.

Iruka obliged her by checking her exam, knowing quite well it was exactly what he meant to give them. "No, Hinata, this is the right test." He offered her a reassuring smile, "Just do your best."

He then flung a kunai behind him, piercing through another student's test paper, and embedding itself slightly into the desk.

"Looking at another student's exam is grounds for failing, Kiba." The sensei walked over and retrieved both the weapon and the boy's test paper. Kiba frowned and grumbled something under his breath, but knew better than to protest.

Thirty minutes later, Iruka announced that time was up. He could tell by the kid's faces and their frantic scribbling that they had performed badly.

Normally this would have been a source of disquiet for the sensei. If most of his students failed an exam, Iruka considered the failure his own. It was just as important to the sensei that he taught well, as it was for them to learn well.

Today, failure was part of the lesson.

Collecting their tests, he glanced through paper after paper. Blank and half-formed answers glared back at him. Iruka sighed. "I see you all did quite poorly."

Sakura, who had been squirming throughout the ordeal, could hold back a protest no longer. "But, sensei!- That had nothing to do with this morning's lesson!"

"Yeah," Naruto exclaimed loudly, quickly taking up his beloved's cause. He stood on his chair and pointed an accusing finger at the teacher. "This whole test was pointless!"

"You said we'd be tested on what the guest speaker taught," Sasuke coolly accused. This prompted his many admirers to rally in agreement.

Iruka interrupted before a class-wide revolt could begin. "I never said I was testing you on this morning's lecture. I told you to pay close attention, because I would test you on the guest speaker after lunch. It's important to listen to what I am actually saying, not just to what you think I'm saying."

The sensei set all but one of the papers down on his desk. He held the remaining test in his right hand. "Now, class, let's go over the answers:

Iruka cleared his throat. "Question number one: What color are Akemi's eyes? The answer is 'hazel.'" He paused and informed his students, "I'll accept similar answers, like amber."

Ignoring the shouted inquiries of whether "light brown," "pale green," or, in one case, "bright purple," would be close enough, he pressed on to the next problem.

"Question number two: What jewelry, if any, was Akemi wearing and where? Describe them with as much detail as possible."

Iruka shut his eyes briefly in reflection. "The answer can include any of the following: Two plain stainless steel bangles on her right wrist, a centimeter wide, a millimeter thick, and six centimeters in diameter. The bangles are nicked, suggesting that she may deflects projectiles with them. A necklace composed of about 43 brown, irregularly-sized wooden beads, engraved with wave-like markings, bound on a tan leather string about her neck. Bonus points to those who correctly identify the bead sizes."

Oblivious to their murmured complaints, he went on. "Question number three: Which is her dominant hand? Neither, Akemi is ambidextrous."

Loud groans rumbled through the class when they realized that the question they hoped to have a 50-50 chance of getting right was really no help at all.

"If you had paid close attention, you'd pick up on it." Iruka stated matter-of-factly. "Now please, hold all comments and questions until the end of the review.

"Next question: What color was her hair-tie? The answer is navy blue, and I'll accept no variation on that one since it exactly matches the Konoha standard-issue navy blue uniform.

"How many times did she place her hands on her hips during the lesson? Eight.

"Ah, here's an easy one: 'Name one other mannerism she demonstrated while speaking publicly.' I'll accept any of the following answers: A slight twitch of her nose before choosing a student to answer a question; holding her left hand palm-up and to the side in the midst of an explanation; periodically sweeping the classroom with her eyes; or tapping her right foot twice when thinking of her next point."

Iruka continued in this manner until he covered every question. He then placed the ungraded exams in his bag to look over later. Unbeknownst to his students, the sensei had no intention of counting this toward their grades. Still, it would tell him a lot about each student's natural skill to see how they had fared.

Iruka smiled brightly, appearing oblivious to the dark looks cast his way. "Now, class, any ideas about why I gave you a test like this?"

"Because you're mean," one student replied earnestly, earning nods of agreement from the others.

"Interesting theory," Iruka commented. "Other thoughts? Why would I give you a test full of questions about Akemi?"

There was a long stretch of silence. Finally, Ino tentatively responded, "Because you like her?"

"Sensei has a cru-ush!" Kiba's sing-songed delightedly.

"Wrong!" Iruka growled. "Come on, class, use your brains. Think." His eyes bore on his students intensely. "Was I testing you on obscure details of a particular Konoha chunin because I think you will be greater ninja by knowing that Akemi has a birthmark on the back of her neck? Does knowing her shoe size increase your chances for survival on a mission?"

He looked around. "Well? Does it?"

Several of the students shook their heads.

"Then why this test?" Iruka asked again.

"Because it wasn't really about the guest speaker!" Sakura blurted suddenly. "It's a test on how much we pay attention to details."

"That," Iruka beamed, "is exactly right. Today, class, we're beginning our unit on Observation and Surveillance.

"A ninja's insight and observational skills will save his life, the lives of his teammate, and the mission, many times over throughout his career. Detailed observation is important for disguise and impersonations, but also vital for identifying traps and anticipating enemy attacks and strategy. It's a core skill in the ninja world.

"This test today was a tool to help you realize your weakness in this area, and serve as a reminder that you never know what information will end up being important."

This speech led directly into their lesson, until finally the class was dismissed.

Students filed out of the classroom and Iruka watched them worriedly, hoping he'd impressed upon them the need to take this topic seriously. For restless youth, observational skills were easy to brush off. And yet the number one killer of shinobi was carelessness. Iruka would do whatever he could to drive it out of them.

Let them consider him mean. If they lived long enough, they might even thank him one day.

"Iruka-sensei?" A soft voice interrupted his musings.

The teacher glanced up at the shy, young Hyuuga. Just from his brief glimpse through the papers earlier, he knew she had fared much better than her peers on this test. Perhaps due to her ocular bloodline limit, the girl was innately insightful.

"Yes, Hinata?"

She fidgeted shyly at the doorway before looking up at her sensei, a blush staining her cheeks. "I think that Akemi likes you too."

Before he could say another word, she was off.

Iruka stared after her retreating form, and when his own blush subsided, he coughed and retrieved a sheet of parchment.

"Silly girl," he chuckled, shaking his head. Iruka proceeded to scrawl out a short thank-you note, as was his practice whenever other ninja volunteered their time in his classroom.

Upon reaching the end of Akemi's note, the pen hovered, hesitant to sign his name just yet. Iruka chewed his bottom lip and, after some thought, included an addendum. "Perhaps I could return the favor by taking you out to lunch?"

As a concerned teacher, he ought to test the accuracy of Hinata's observation.