"Hey… don't look so down."
Sakumo scratched his head, feeling that dealing with these shaken kids was more troublesome than facing ten enemy jōnin.
For someone used to cutting people down, just taking care of Kakashi was already exhausting—now it had suddenly multiplied fivefold.
"This was just a sparring match. Jiraiya will recover. Until then, I'll be your teacher."
"If you have any questions during training, feel free to ask me anytime. As for the training schedule, we'll stick to what Jiraiya originally planned."
Asuma raised his head and looked at Sakumo, feeling a slight sense of reassurance.
As the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma knew about Sakumo Hatake—his father had always regarded him as an important ally.
"Will Jiraiya-sensei really recover?" Rin broke the heavy silence with her question. "Lord Fūma… he shattered all of Jiraiya-sensei's bones. Even his spine wasn't spared..."
As a medical-nin who idolized Tsunade, Rin had a solid understanding of human anatomy.
Although Fūma's attack had been swift, based on the aftermath of Jiraiya's injuries, Rin could roughly determine the extent of the damage.
"Well… he should be able to recover, but it'll take a long time..."
Sakumo hesitated. Given those injuries, the fact that Jiraiya was still alive was already a testament to his incredible resilience.
As for a full recovery? With every bone in his body shattered, he was practically no different from a soft-bodied creature at this point. How was he supposed to evolve back into a vertebrate?
Not to mention, Sakumo had clearly seen a faint red-black aura emanating from Jiraiya's abdomen.
He had witnessed Fūma take down Shukaku single-handedly—so he understood exactly what that meant. It was a sign that Fūma had left something behind—a final move, a curse, or perhaps a deadly seal.
In other words, even if Jiraiya somehow recovered, there was already an irreversible bomb buried inside him. As a combatant, Jiraiya was effectively crippled.
"I see… Thank you, Lord Sakumo." Rin covered her face, suppressing the sadness in her heart.
She had always liked Jiraiya's cheerful and carefree personality as a teacher.
Sakumo's vague response felt eerily similar to the Konoha Medical Corps' usual phrase to the families of severely injured shinobi: "He will live, but don't hope too much."
Meanwhile, Asuma wasn't particularly concerned about Jiraiya's condition. As someone who aspired to "ease his father's burdens," he was far more interested in understanding Fūma's true strength.
"Lord Sakumo… I want to know—who is stronger? You or Uchiha Fūma?"
Asuma hesitated for a moment before asking this somewhat impudent question. But it was a question that captured everyone's attention—including Kakashi.
The young shinobi all turned their gazes toward Sakumo, waiting for his response.
Sakumo blinked awkwardly and fell into deep thought.
As someone who had always been honest, he wasn't the type to lie to himself with empty bravado.
But as a father, looking at his son's hopeful eyes… he couldn't deny that his pride was on the line.
Shaking his head, Sakumo's expression grew slightly more serious as he spoke in a calm, steady voice:
"Strength… or weakness… The fact that you're asking this question shows that your understanding of what makes a ninja strong is still quite shallow."
He swept his gaze across the group of young shinobi, watching them fall into contemplation before continuing:
"A ninja who specializes in genjutsu can kill from a distance without even being seen—strong, right? But if they're caught in close quarters, exposed for even a moment, a single well-aimed kunai can slit their throat."
Kurenai nodded silently. Sakumo's words were clearly referring to her father, Yuhi Shinku.
"A ninja who excels in ninjutsu can fight an entire army alone, as long as they have enough chakra—strong, right?
But chakra natures have strengths and weaknesses, talents differ, and against someone with a Kekkei Genkai, they might still struggle to fight."
Asuma's expression turned serious. This time, the example was obviously about his father.
The Third Hokage was known as the "Ninjutsu Professor," mastering all five chakra natures. Yet, even he had expressed regret on multiple occasions about not possessing a Kekkei Genkai—something that ultimately limited his potential.
"A ninja who specializes in taijutsu can be an unstoppable force in close combat.
If they remain hidden and strike at the right moment, even a Kage-level opponent can be killed in an instant—strong, right?
But against a massive enemy or someone skilled in evasive tactics, they'd be at a severe disadvantage, becoming nothing more than a moving target."
Kakashi gripped the White Fang short sword tightly. Clearly, his father was now using himself as an example.
This was something Sakumo had realized from real battlefield experience. If the enemy was human—even the likes of the Third Kazekage—he was confident he could take them down.
But if the enemy was a tailed beast, then his blade alone wasn't enough to even make them flinch.
During the Second Great Ninja War, he had faced Fū, the perfect jinchūriki of the Seven-Tails. He had been completely suppressed—barely able to keep his squad alive, let alone fight back.
"But then… there are some shinobi who are simply born different—who aren't bound by these limitations."
"For example—Madara, Ghost of the Uchiha."
The First Hokage, the God of Shinobi. The Second Hokage, the Fastest Ninja of His Era. These extraordinary shinobi cannot be measured by normal standards."
Sakumo paused for a moment before finally admitting:
"The Uchiha Fūma you're asking about… has already surpassed the level where I can fairly judge him."
Asuma wanted to say something but hesitated. However, before he could speak, Sakumo's cold gaze cut him off.
"You are all still just academy students. The only thing you should be focusing on is sharpening your fundamentals—not concerning yourselves with the power struggles of Konoha's higher-ups."
"No one is targeting children like you. And none of you, as individuals, represent your clans."
"So, put away those unnecessary thoughts and focus on training. That is what you should be doing."
"It doesn't matter if you're the Hokage's son, the child of an ANBU commander, or just a civilian."
"In the ninja world, the greater your status, the more power you must wield to match it. Otherwise, as a shinobi, there is only one fate waiting for you—death."
"If you don't understand that reality yet… just think of your dear Jiraiya-sensei."
The group went pale as their minds unwillingly conjured up the horrifying image of Jiraiya being torn apart by Fūma—his agonized screams echoing in their ears.
Sakumo smirked slightly before continuing in a softer tone:
"So, remember my words. Forget about status. Focus on being a good academy student. That is your best path forward right now."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
This time, their response was quick and resolute—their previous sense of defeat now completely gone.
"Good. Then we'll meet here tomorrow at nine in the morning."
After dismissing the group, Sakumo placed a hand on Kakashi's head and sighed, "Kakashi, do you understand now? The word genius… isn't an easy burden to bear."
"In Konoha, if you're a genius but don't have a strong enough backing, the weight of expectations alone will crush you."
Kakashi silently nodded.
Even setting aside Obito and Konan, whom he barely knew, he wasn't even confident he could beat Might Guy anymore.
His once-arrogant heart was steadily being tempered—slowly eroding the pride that had come from others' praise.
Sakumo sighed inwardly, a strange thought crossing his mind.
'Jiraiya… I should probably thank you for getting beaten up so badly.'
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