"WTF!, your grandfather isn't dead?, what are you mourning for?!"
"Yeah, it's a waste of our time and emotions."
"You've wasted a minute of each of us. Forty people make up a class. How are you going to compensate us!"
"No, I can't calm down until I give him a beating."
"Beat him and distribute his cards to others"
Clearly, Shimura wasn't well-liked. Usually, he attracted disdain, and now, having incurred everyone's wrath, they were all eager to teach him a lesson.
At this moment, Kushina, who was sitting behind the desk grading assignments, was already irritated from grading. The commotion caused by Asuma and the others only added to her frustration. Suddenly, like a powder keg, she ignited.
She banged the table, stood up, and her hair, divided into nine strands, fluttered slightly. She shouted, "Quiet over there!"
"Yes!"
"As you should!"
As the protagonists of this disturbance, Asuma and Shimura dared not argue. They quickly stood at attention, complying obediently.
"And you all," Kushina glanced at the small ninjas who were watching the commotion, "Have you finished drawing the runes? Is your homework done? It seems I assigned too little homework. I'll have to discuss this with Natsuhiko later..."
Too little homework?
The small ninjas suddenly wore bitter expressions on their faces. Unfortunately, they couldn't argue back and dispersed to their seats, looking troubled as they began to draw talismans.
The classroom finally quieted down.
If other teachers saw this scene, they would surely marvel. They didn't expect that, having recently taken on the role, Kushina could manage this group of little devils so well.
While Kushina herself was a fiend in human form from the previous generation, that alone was not enough to make these little demons bow their heads.
Especially the students from the ninja clans, who typically didn't show much respect for their teachers. After all, these ninja clan children attended the academy as part of the Third Hokage's policy. Besides some cultural subjects, which they needed to learn here, they were already taught actual combat techniques by their clan elders.
Thus, they found it challenging to genuinely respect the academy teachers. However, the situation was somewhat different in Sealing Jutsu class.
Although the knowledge Natsuhiko sensei was currently teaching about Sealing Jutsu was still relatively simple, something they could learn within their clans, the projection jutsu he demonstrated in class caught the attention of many ninja clan members.
While some Ninjutsu experts could reproduce the projection jutsu based on Natsuhiko's principles, they could only achieve simple applications. To achieve effects similar to Natsuhiko—creating a large, vivid, and moving Illusory Domain with a single movement—they were at a loss. According to their calculations, to achieve such an effect, they would need over a thousand seals.
Wasn't this just bullying the honest ones?
The issue was not whether it was difficult or not, but it was overly complex, and the benefits didn't justify the effort. Instead of wasting time on something so complicated, they could learn multiple Ninjutsu techniques with real destructive power, such as the Great Fireball Jutsu.
Clearly, this projection jutsu was not designed following the principles of hand seal Ninjutsu. It required Natsuhiko's unique rune Ninjutsu system to reach its full potential. Therefore, many older ninja expressed admiration, claiming that Natsuhiko sensei had something special.
In a time when everyone was simplifying Ninjutsu, Natsuhiko was going against the current, pushing towards a more complex direction.
The younger generation might not understand the concept, and the older generation usually used just two words to describe people like Natsuhiko: a lunatic!
But at the same time, they understood that every innovation in Ninjutsu was often led by such lunatics. Regardless of whether Natsuhiko's exploration succeeded or failed, it was destined to leave a profound impact on the Ninja World.
What surprised them even more was the news that Natsuhiko sensei intended to teach this projection jutsu freely to all students.
After all, this was a Secret Jutsu that could support an entire clan!
So, after confirming the information, this matter sparked intense discussions within the various ninja clans. Although opinions varied and discussions were spirited, everyone essentially meant the same thing; they just differed in their emotional intelligence.
Those with high emotional intelligence said, "Natsuhiko sensei embodies the Will of Fire and is a true successor!"
Those with low emotional intelligence said, "Natsuhiko sensei is probably a fool."
But regardless of how the ninja clan leaders viewed Natsuhiko, they all gave the same order to their clansmen: "Study well under Natsuhiko sensei and strive to bring a first-grade Secret Jutsu to our clan."
Even those ninja who were dissatisfied with Natsuhiko due to the Sealing Jutsu cards gave the same orders to their clansmen. Some even prayed daily to Natsuhiko, fearing that if he didn't fully reveal the projection jutsu, they might be cursed by that troublesome Sealing Jutsu class.
The young ninjas naturally didn't understand the sentiments of their elders. However, they would attend the Sealing Jutsu class diligently. After all, Natsuhiko had invented the Sealing Jutsu card game, and there were no alternatives. They didn't want to be kicked out of the course due to poor grades, losing the privilege to play the game.
With the favour they needed from Natsuhiko, they transformed from fiends in human form into well-behaved students. Even Kushina, who controlled the distribution of the duelling discs, became a figure they dared not offend, fearing she might deny them the chance to "test" the cards in the future.
Especially when rumours circulated among the senior students that Kushina had once defeated all her opponents in the Ninja School gained her immense accomplishments. The young ninjas now had additional closeness and admiration for Kushina.
...
Seeing that the entire classroom had quieted down, Kushina nodded in satisfaction. She sat back down, continuing to grade the students' assignments.
She held a red pen in her right hand, marking errors one by one on the assignments—brush, brush, brush. After confirming no mistakes were overlooked, she wrote two lines of comments at the bottom of the assignment.
Finally, she closed the assignment book, placing it on the desk to her left, next to a small stack of graded assignments.
Kushina stretched her wrist and turned to look at the thick stack of ungraded assignments on her right. She couldn't help but sigh.
Even though she had threatened the students earlier by saying she would increase the workload, how could she dare? After all, she was the one who had to grade them.
Wasn't this a mutual injury?
Even with the current workload, she didn't know when she would finish grading. Natsuhiko, that bastard!
Kushina couldn't help but complain about her heartless superior, Natsuhiko Amou
.
Since Sealing Jutsu class became the most popular course at the academy, there had been many applications for transferring into the class. If not for the fact that the Sealing Jutsu class was expensive, forcing Biwako-sama to increase the difficulty of the application, it might have become a mandatory course instead of an elective.
With more students choosing this course, there were naturally more assignments to grade.
As Kushina, serving as an assistant teacher, the burden naturally became heavier.
Especially after Natsuhiko took on the role of a flamboyant shopkeeper when grading assignments, Kushina's workload became even more overwhelming. On top of that, he had his own set of twisted logic.
He claimed that only knowing the correct answers was superficial knowledge. According to Natsuhiko, Kushina had to gain a deeper understanding of Sealing Jutsu by summarising the reasons behind the students' mistakes.
Kushina naturally didn't believe this and thought Natsuhiko was trying to shift the responsibility of grading onto her. She even complained to Granny Mito.
However, to Kushina's surprise, Granny Mito actually betrayed her and sided with Natsuhiko after hearing his explanation.
Helpless, Kushina could only accept her fate and took on the responsibility of grading assignments.
The unexpected outcome was that, since she started using Natsuhiko's approach to grading, Kushina actually gained a lot.
While the correct answers were predictable, the variety of strange mistakes made by students helped her gain a deeper understanding of why the correct answers were correct.
The Sealing Jutsu knowledge, which she had memorised through forced repetition under Granny Mito's supervision, was finally becoming her own.
So, even though Kushina didn't say it aloud, she was genuinely grateful to Natsuhiko.
Unfortunately, the only drawback to this method was that grading assignments required a considerable amount of effort and time. Coupled with the mountain-like stack of assignments...
Kushina's gratitude towards Natsuhiko quickly disappeared from her heart.
At the same time, the chatter and storytelling of the students playing cards continuously entered Kushina's ears, making her glance towards the intense battles happening on the field, also making her feel a bit envious.
It was as if a little devil that looked like Natsuhiko was tempting her in her mind, saying, "Since you've been working for so long, why not take a break and play a round?"
Kushina hesitated, thinking that the guy seemed to have a point.
The little devil continued, "Otherwise, take out your card deck and satisfy your cravings."
Kushina hastily shook her head, dismissing the hateful little devil from her mind. Soon after, an image of an angel, resembling Granny Mito, appeared in her heart with a pure smile on her face.
"Play nicely, work diligently, and train well. Remember, Kushina," the angelic figure said.
That's right!
Kushina nodded vigorously.
Now was the time for work, not for playing cards!
She patted her cheeks, gave herself a pep talk, and then picked up an assignment book from the top of the towering stack to resume grading.
However, not long after, someone approached the platform, interrupting her work mode.
Kushina looked up and found that it was Obito.
"Some things got checked off again, how can I fix them?"
(End of this chapter)
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