Sasuke remained silent, wearing his usual cold poker face as he stared at Ayato's relaxed smile. After a moment, he snorted and turned away.
"Hmph. Boring. I'm going back."
He had no interest in Ayato's antics — he only wanted more power, as fast as possible.
Ayato, leaning lazily against a tree and chewing a lollipop, stretched and said casually,
"Right now you're the slowest one. Being overtaken by Naruto — that's okay with you?
But then again, you are the Uchiha genius. I'm sure you'll figure out something… extraordinary."
Truthfully, with Sasuke's chakra reserves, he hardly needed any "trick." He just needed to burn chakra until he found the right balance. His chakra levels were already at a special jōnin's threshold — and an Uchiha's chakra would only surge higher as the Sharingan evolved.
Naruto was the same. Even without the Nine-Tails, his Uzumaki lineage gave him tailed-beast-level reserves.
Sakura, however, needed technique because her total chakra was small. She couldn't brute-force her way through like the boys.
"Overtaken by that dope…?" Sasuke froze. He glanced at Naruto, who was struggling his way up the tall trunk and breathing hard. Rage flickered in Sasuke's eyes.
Being surpassed by Naruto — the eternal dead-last?
Absolutely not.
He clenched his fists, jaw tight, face darkening. The idea was intolerable.
He turned stiffly toward Ayato, cheeks slightly red with embarrassment, and said through gritted teeth,
"Ayato-sensei… you're the strongest, most reliable teacher I've ever met. And… the coolest."
He swallowed his pride for power. Temporarily.
Ayato nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. I like hearing that. Say more if you want."
Easy.
A proud kid was still just a kid — power was the easiest leash.
Sasuke cleared his throat, fighting down the urge to die from embarrassment.
"…The trick. Tell me."
He lifted his leg awkwardly, imitating what Sakura had done earlier.
Ayato stared at him.
"What are you doing? You want me to treat you like a dog? Put your leg down. Your chakra pathways aren't blocked."
Sasuke froze, then lowered his leg stiffly, face flushing.
"…The trick," he repeated, trying to reclaim dignity.
Ayato held up one finger.
"Fire Style."
Sasuke blinked. "Fire Style?"
"When you use fire release," Ayato said, tone turning serious for once, "you naturally pull your chakra together and direct it toward your throat. Use that feeling — but redirect it to your feet. Same principle."
Sasuke fell silent, thinking.
It was true: when he used Fireball Jutsu, he instinctively guided chakra through his whole body before gathering it at his throat.
"Of course," Ayato added lightly, "don't actually try climbing with your throat. Feet, Sasuke. Feet."
"Do you think I'm Naruto?" Sasuke huffed, stuffing his hands back in his pockets. He took a few steps, paused, turned back stiffly, and muttered:
"...Thanks, Ayato-sensei."
Then he walked off toward the tree to train.
Ayato smirked.
"Tsundere brat."
He watched the trio training hard and muttered to himself,
"At this rate, they'll finish tonight."
He closed his eyes and decided to nap.
—
Three hours later…
Swish.
An ANBU with long, violet hair and a fox mask appeared silently.
Yūgao Uzuki stood like a statue. Her voice was flat, emotionless.
"Ayato-san."
Ayato didn't even look up, still lying on a stone slab, flipping through Make-Out Paradise lazily.
"A rare visitor. ANBU usually doesn't come looking for me."
"Orders from the Hokage," Yūgao said. "All other genin squads have begun missions. If Team Seven continues doing none, their genin qualification may be revoked."
Ayato yawned. Team Seven had been receiving assignments — he'd simply refused every one of them.
Find cats.
Find dogs.
Babysit.
Not ninja work.
Much better to train them properly first.
Yūgao frowned behind her mask.
"Ayato-san. This is a direct order."
Ayato casually flipped a page.
"Mhm."
"This is the Hokage's order," she repeated sharply.
Ayato finally closed the book, lifting his eyes lazily.
"Koyan… I know ANBU live and breathe 'serve the Hokage.' But tell me — since when did the old man get the illusion he can order me around?"
Yūgao stiffened.
"…As the jonin instructor, you should at least take responsibility for your students."
Before Ayato answered, Sakura sprinted toward them, panting.
"Ayato-sensei! Listen! I—I made it to the top of the tree!"
Ayato gave her a gentle pat on the head.
"Good job."
Truthfully, he was surprised — they were progressing faster than he'd expected.
Sakura glanced at Naruto and Sasuke still battling up the giant trunk and murmured,
"I didn't get as high as they did…"
"It's fine. Completing the exercise is what matters."
Ayato pulled up the system panel.
[Mentor–Disciple Task Progress: 1/2
Time remaining: 27 days]
Tree-walking complete. Next was water-walking.
"Tree-walking…?" Yūgao finally processed what she was seeing — Naruto and Sasuke sprinting vertically up the trunk, sweating, slipping, trying again, climbing higher and higher.
She froze.
Ayato had…
Rejected missions not because he was lazy — but because he'd been focusing on training his entire team?
Suddenly, it all made sense.
New genin were fragile fledglings. Throwing them into missions unprepared would be a disaster. By training them first, Ayato increased their chances of survival, improved teamwork, and ensured missions wouldn't fail.
She'd misjudged him.
And more shockingly —
In just two days, Ayato had taught all three genin to master tree-walking.
Yūgao herself had taken seven days when she was a novice.
T-two days…
How is that even possible?
Her eyes slowly widened behind the mask.
Ayato — the most notoriously lazy, irresponsible, and unpredictable ninja in the village — had actually been seriously training his students.
And succeeding brilliantly.
"…I'm sorry," Yūgao whispered. "I misjudged you, Ayato-san."
Ayato blinked, confused.
"Huh? Sure. Whatever you say."
He didn't really care why she suddenly apologized.
What mattered was this:
Team Seven — his "tools" — were about to complete the training he needed for the Resonating Thunderfruit reward.
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