"Training during the day, resting and receiving ideological education at night, while simultaneously simulating real battlefield conditions. Akaba, your educational philosophy is excellent."
Third puffed on his pipe, smiling happily as he spoke.
"At first, many people couldn't transition properly from a student mindset. A strong dose was needed—to weed out those lacking firm determination. Someone like Tenten should be in the taijutsu class."
Akaba submitted everyone's reflections written this morning after their physical training, offering further explanation.
If he really wanted to be strict, there would've been examiners watching during yesterday's training—anyone who couldn't keep up with Might Duy would've had to drink double portions of body-enhancing meal.
But is that even remotely possible?
While Might Duy's physical strength and taijutsu skills might not be the best in Konoha, his endurance was exceptional. No matter how much pain he endured, he persisted until achieving his running goals. This kind of perseverance was unmatched by ordinary people, especially since years of consistent training had given him extraordinary stamina.
These were qualities that couldn't be developed overnight.
If others truly tried to match Might Duy in just one day, Might Duy himself would probably question his life choices in frustration.
After listening, Third took another puff on his pipe.
Yesterday's training sparked plenty of backlash from the clans, but most shifted their stance once the major houses voiced their support.
Now hearing Akaba's reasonable training strategy, he felt completely reassured.
Indeed, entrusting these matters to Akaba was entirely appropriate.
He felt comforted and picked up one of the reflection essays to read.
Hmm, Might Duy—
Seemed to be that child who only excelled in taijutsu.
Third opened the essay, then couldn't help but pause slightly.
Written simply were just a few sentences:
"Naruto's got it so tough! To keep going through all that and still become a shinobi of Konoha—that's the kind of fiery spirit real youth should embody!"
Third took a puff from his pipe to calm down.
I'm having it rough too. Is this really considered a reflection essay?
"Adults, this kid is pretty stubborn. His academic standards aren't high. During illusion training drills, he charged recklessly at an enemy shadow clone and got himself killed."
Akaba actually had quite a headache over this.
Was Might Duy lacking in ability?
No—he actually had solid skills—he was no slouch in taijutsu. The issue lay in his narrow-mindedness; compared to his son Guy, this child was genuinely single-minded.
"That must've been quite troublesome for you."
Third paused momentarily before offering some consolation.
He understood Akaba fairly well. If the problem were purely about ability, then Akaba would eventually cultivate Might Duy properly.
Putting it simply, Danzo himself had tested it—the Eight Gates technique—also known as the Eight Gates Release—had already proven its effectiveness. So long as the later gates remain unopened, the burden on the body wouldn't be overly severe.
This technique suited Duy perfectly.
However,
How could one correct his thought patterns?
"Don't just give him empty words—give me something real to work with."
Akaba said helplessly with a sigh.
"I'll think of a solution."
Even though the Professor was known as the Ninja Sage, he'd never encountered students quite like this before. After all, among his apprentices, even Jiraiya—considered the weakest—was actually exceptionally talented among commoners.
Unlike Might Duy.
He pondered for a long time without finding an answer, until suddenly someone flashed through his mind—Rock Lee.
Rock Lee was pretty headstrong too.
Thinking for a moment, Third said, "Why don't you try Rock Lee's method?"
"Rock Lee?"
Akaba was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected to run into someone from the manga world. Besides, Rock Lee's character wasn't all that impressive later on—he didn't have a clear memory of the details.
But since he'd drawn Rock Lee's storyline before, as soon as he recalled it, everything clicked.
A little notebook?
*A poor memory can't beat even the worst handwriting,* people often say. Since he had such a one-track mind, he should've grabbed a notebook earlier—he completely forgot this detail.
The Third continued reading these after-viewing reflections.
The literature classes at the Ninja Academy weren't taken too seriously, so most of the kids' writings came off pretty childish. Still, their words were heartfelt, especially the girls, who got particularly emotional—many wrote pages and pages, with ink smudged likely by teardrops.
What kind of tear-jerker was that? People actually cried while writing their reviews?
He hadn't experienced the illusion himself, so he couldn't really understand.
But looking around, everyone else seemed deeply moved, so he didn't feel right speaking up.
Soon enough, he finished reading everything. After a moment of thought, he said, "I'm planning to send these reviews to their parents."
"You handle things however you see fit. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
Akaba stretched his joints.
Finally, he'd found a way out of the Preparatory Division—he wasn't about to spend the day stuck in the Hokage Tower.
The Third nodded but then suddenly remembered something else. "By the way, Jiraiya recently asked me if there was a jutsu for accelerating hair growth. Did you draw something like that in your manga?"
"Hair-growth jutsu?"
Akaba blinked.
But quickly, he recalled—it should have been released yesterday. In the Three Great Ninja Battle arc, "Jiraiya" used [Needle Jizo].
It was a unique offensive-and-defensive ninjutsu technique that utilized extended hair as both weapon and shield.
Later on, there were also [Wild Lion's Mane Technique], [Needle Hell], and [Sage Art Hair Needle Senbon].
Right now, Jiraiya definitely hadn't mastered them yet.
Akaba pondered inwardly, his expression gradually turning strange. [Needle Jizo] wasn't easy to master—it was an extremely specialized technique.
Now Jiraiya was asking for a hair-growth jutsu. Could he possibly be trying to develop similar techniques on his own?
"Though he disguised himself with Transformation Jutsu, I could still smell the burnt stench. Do you have any idea how to grow his hair back?"
Hiruzen was deeply troubled.
Jiraiya did have talent—for instance, he'd already started developing [Needle Jizo], which was still just a concept.
The Third estimated that kid must've already reached a fairly advanced level; otherwise, he wouldn't dare use his hair to block jutsu damage. But using hair to defend against Fire Release...
His thinking was truly unconventional.
"After all, this *is* Jiraiya we're talking about," Akaba couldn't help but chuckle.
[Needle Jizo] mainly worked against physical attacks and projectile weapons like ninja tools—it wasn't built to handle elemental jutsu.
Fire Release carried devastating destructive power capable of melting stone in seconds. Even if Jiraiya had mastered [Needle Jizo], how could he possibly reach the level of defending against Fire Release techniques so early on?
He probably went bald.
"Forget it—better lucky than burned alive."
The Third sighed helplessly. Though hailed as the Professor of Shinobi, over the past year, he increasingly felt overwhelmed. Orochimaru, Jiraiya—they kept coming up with more and more bizarre jutsus and problems every day.
Guess you never stop learning, huh? He'd better schedule some heavy reading soon.
"I'll be off now."
Akaba stepped out of the Hokage Tower. Afternoon was the perfect time for a quick snooze somewhere quiet.
There was no need to worry about the Preparatory Division.
Shiragusa Ryosuke had more battlefield experience than Akaba. Although he couldn't handle genjutsu training due to lacking various tricky techniques, he could otherwise completely replace Akaba to lead the training sessions.
After the first day, he didn't need to go there every day for genjutsu training, manga education, and such matters.
Enough was enough.
However, when he returned to the manga shop, Akaba discovered someone squatting at the door, looking depressed and gloomy.
Jiraiya?
Akaba froze for a moment. This guy really did stake out in front of the store.
Well then, there was no way back into the shop.
He tried to sneak off, but Jiraiya surprised him with unexpectedly sharp reflexes this time. Immediately, he accelerated using the Vanish in an Instant technique, rushing toward Akaba.
"Acchan, you owe me my hair!"
A sharp roar full of grievance over his missing locks—though from Akaba's perspective, it wasn't his fault at all.
It was just a manga panel—he could understand if you trained based on it—but who in their right mind uses Needle Jizo to block a Fire Release?
Who else would go bald?
Akaba muttered under his breath internally, but since he'd already been noticed, continuing to run was pointless. After all, they weren't playing hide-and-seek.
Jiraiya caught up, panting slightly.
Still, ever since Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya's taijutsu had improved leaps and bounds—way beyond what it was during the Chunin Exams. Otherwise, there's no way he'd have kept up.
Akaba glanced sideways and sighed. "What does it look like now?"
"You tell me!"
Jiraiya canceled his Transformation Jutsu, revealing his real condition.
Previously, his head of white hair had a large burnt-out spot right in the center, forming an "Ω"-like shape.
In more modern slang, it was textbook "island-in-the-sea-of-hair" baldness.
"You're the one who insisted on practicing Needle Jizo, and then dared use it to block Fire Release. How is this my fault?"
Akaba struggled hard not to laugh.
"It's not exactly your fault, but help me think of a solution! I don't have any hair anymore!"
Jiraiya had waited by the door all day for his hair problem, only seeing Akaba now.
"I can't make it grow back. If not, either shave everything off, or wear a wig, though you might ask Orochimaru."
Akaba was helpless too.
Even if he had obtained Needle Jizo via the System, the hair created through jutsu was temporary. Once chakra was retracted, it reverted immediately without lasting effect.
To actually regrow lost hair involved cellular regeneration, something better handled by scientist Orochimaru.
But to help him out, Akaba casually exchanged for the Needle Jizo technique.
After all, it was just a B-rank ninja art.
With knowledge acquired through the System, Akaba understood this technique far better now.
It required long-term chakra nourishment, allowing the hair to gain extreme vitality before extending into diverse applications.
Simple chakra enhancement alone couldn't fully resist high-damage attacks.
"Orochimaru? No way! I'd rather shave it all off!"
Jiraiya snapped decisively.
This was his last shred of pride—he knew if he showed up at Orochimaru's door over something like this, that snake-faced freak would never let him live it down.
"Then just shave it. Then keep stimulating it with chakra to increase hair vitality. It'll grow back fast, and you'll also develop control over your hair power."
"Regarding hair-based ninjutsu," Akaba said, "I suggest you avoid using it to block extremely powerful attacks before your technique matures. The risk is too high."
"Chakra nourishment? How exactly does that work?"
Jiraiya's eyes lit up with excitement.
So, Akaba explained all the knowledge he had obtained from the system.
Gradually, Jiraiya became less depressed and instead increasingly excited. After hearing everything, he rushed out happily to find a barber for a haircut.
Shaking his head slightly, Akaba turned his attention back to the system's exchange list. He had been too busy yesterday to remember about manga updates—there should be quite a few new ninjutsu available now.
[C-rank Ninjutsu]: Chakra Scalpel
[A-rank Ninjutsu]: Yin Healing Wound Destruction
[Monstrous Strength]: Cherry Blossom Impact
[Pain Technique]: Heavenly Foot of Pain
Various techniques including ninjutsu, partial medical knowledge, and chakra-stimulated nerve attack methods all appeared on the list. Naturally, the most expensive were Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth.
Yin Seal was relatively cheaper—comparatively speaking—as Akaba already possessed its formula, though he simply couldn't understand it. But as an S-rank sealing technique, it still required two thousand points.
Creation Rebirth was even more expensive, requiring a full 2,500 points.
This ability was his last-resort life-saving technique. No matter the cost, he needed to obtain it. Having accumulated nearly ten thousand points, Akaba considered this expenditure trivial.
This afternoon he happened to have no need to go to the Preparatory Division or do any drawing. Therefore, returning to the private chamber in the manga shop, Akaba exchanged for Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth without hesitation.
The Yin Seal was extremely difficult. Just reading the scroll left Akaba completely baffled. But with the system's help, he suddenly "got it."
In reality, he still didn't truly understand it—but he already knew how to use it.
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