Chapter 99: New Understanding of Muyue

After joining the Southern Forest training squad for a few days, Nohara Rin gained many new insights.

For example, Muyue's strength.

Although in Rin's impression Muyue was a very excellent teacher, she had always thought that Muyue's teaching skills were superb, and that his ability as a ninja was about the same as other chūnin instructors.

Now Rin realized that this idea of hers was wrong.

Just by the terrifying power of the Fire Release when Muyue taught Shisui's water and fire techniques, Rin could tell that Muyue's strength was out of the ordinary.

Although the ninjutsu classes at the Ninja Academy didn't cover techniques beyond the Three Basic Techniques, the students kept asking, and occasionally a chūnin instructor would show off and perform another technique for the students to see.

Rin had never seen a jōnin use techniques or fight, but she felt that even if Muyue didn't match those jōnin, he was probably very strong among chūnin.

Moreover, Muyue seemed very versatile—he knew a fair amount of ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, and even medical ninjutsu.

Aside from Muyue's strength, upon careful observation, Rin noticed that when he was here he was a bit more relaxed than when he was at the training ground.

And then there was the matter of Obito studying hard last semester. Seeing Obito's sullen face after losing the race and receiving a pile of problems, Rin finally understood why she always saw Obito doing problems last semester.

She had thought it was strange before—if Obito had suddenly fallen in love with studying, his face would have been bitter and reluctant while doing problems, but if he didn't want to study, he really was studying every day, giving a very contradictory feeling.

All in all, Rin was quite happy about becoming Muyue's disciple.

"Damn it, I was just a little short!" Obito sat on the ground, frantically pounding it in frustration.

Just now, he had been a hair's breadth away from successfully running past Might Guy and crossing the finish line first.

"It's okay. This time you were a little short. If you try a bit harder, maybe you'll succeed next time," Rin said soothingly.

Comforted by Rin, Obito instantly bounced back to full health, stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, and shouted with considerable spirit: "Guy, you wait—tomorrow I'll definitely surpass you."

"Obito, your thirty-five problems." Muyue smiled and handed the test paper to Obito.

Seeing each problem on the test paper, Obito's health, which Rin had topped up, was being rapidly drained away again. He took the paper tremblingly, as if accepting a poisoned cup of wine that sealed his fate.

"Obito, didn't you say you loved studying?" Seeing Obito take the test paper with such a desolate and tragic expression, Rin couldn't help smiling and said.

"Yeah, I love studying so much that I feel awful if I don't do a dozen problems a day." Obito nodded, holding back the urge to burst into tears.

"Then should I add a few more?" Muyue asked with a smile.

"Better not. Doing problems is good, but you can't be greedy." Obito refused flatly—adding a few dozen problems every day was already more than enough for him.

"Keep training." Muyue tapped Obito, who was adding his own drama, on the head and said.

Besides teaching Rin medical ninjutsu knowledge, Muyue was also teaching her taijutsu.

Medical ninjutsu can also be used in battle and has considerable lethality. If combined with excellent taijutsu, combat ability won't be lacking—just like Tsunade.

Because it was Saturday, in the afternoon Muyue went to the Sarutobi clan compound to train Asuma.

Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed not busy today. When Muyue arrived at Asuma's house, Hiruzen was sitting in the living room looking at something.

"Lord Third Hokage," Muyue greeted.

Hiruzen nodded in response, then put down the documents in his hand and asked with a smile:

"Muyue, how is that summer intensive training of yours going? Three weeks have passed, and over half the time is already used up."

The Ninja Academy's break runs from mid-July to early September, about a month and a half.

It's impossible to give the students no vacation at all—smoothly transitioning from school to summer training and back to school—so the summer training is scheduled for only five weeks.

"The students are training very diligently and are willing to learn. Basically, everyone has improved," Muyue replied after thinking for a moment.

"I schedule tests every week to record their progress. I'll go get those records now." Muyue continued, then turned to fetch the records.

"No need for that trouble, Muyue. Just bring them along when you come over tomorrow." Hiruzen said with a chuckle.

"But since you say that, it must be quite the accomplishment. Looks like Konoha will gain another special jōnin soon."

Hiruzen planned to go in person at the fifth week to see how much the students had improved.

If it really was effective, he would push for making this kind of intensive training routine.

If Konoha really got caught up in war, Hiruzen might even cancel the regular curriculum for fourth-years and have Muyue train them directly until graduation.

"Old man, I think you're really going senile. Teacher Muyue is so excellent—why not just make him a jōnin outright?" Asuma, who happened to be passing by, couldn't help speaking up for his teacher.

"I feel that my jonin instructor isn't as good as Teacher Muyue."

"A jonin is an important asset to the village; they must not only excel in one area but be outstanding in all aspects." Hiruzen Sarutobi explained.

"Not to mention anything else, Muyue currently doesn't meet the standards just in terms of the quantity and quality of missions—he's far from it. The reason he was promoted to Special Jonin is that I valued his extremely high teaching ability, and combined with decent strength and future promise, I gave him a special promotion."

"I think Teacher Muyue is outstanding in all aspects. Since you rarely go to the Ninja Academy anyway, why not let Teacher Muyue be the principal?" Asuma felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi might as well step down and yield to a worthier person sooner.

Hearing Asuma's filial-mouthed remark, Hiruzen Sarutobi, his blood pressure spiking, rubbed his forehead and waved his hand to signal Muyue to quickly take Asuma away.

Muyue understood tacitly, nodded, and dragged Asuma off to training.

"When will this child ever grow up?" Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed.

Although as the Hokage he really didn't have much time to attend to the Ninja Academy's affairs, and Muyue's teaching ability was indeed strong, Hiruzen Sarutobi could not let Muyue become the principal—at least, the current Muyue was not qualified.

Since the Ninja Academy's founding, there had only been two principals: one was Tobirama Senju, and the other was he, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The establishment of the Ninja Academy held great significance for Konoha. Even though with the refinement of the system the principal no longer held the same powers as before, it still carried some special meaning.

Unless a teacher truly made a huge contribution, Hiruzen Sarutobi's only candidate for the next principal was the next Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi believed that when Asuma grew up, he would understand his series of actions.

I woke up late today, so I'll post one chapter first. There are four more chapters later.