Chapter 73: The Counter
"I'll tell you guys, but you absolutely cannot tell Iruka-sensei, or none of us will have a good time," Tokuma Hyuga said proudly.
Cracking the teacher's Genjutsu was something he had been working on for a long time. After observing for a very long period, he had finally confirmed its completion.
"Tell us!" The other students couldn't wait.
Zaizai Izuno and Shikun Fuma also pricked up their ears. If they learned how, they could use it to act in front of Senior Tonbo Tobitake as well.
"This is a jutsu I developed myself called Throat Guarding Art. It protects the main nerves of the sense of taste and prevents them from being invaded by chakra. I observed for a long, long time before I finally developed it. If the teacher finds out, it'll be trouble," Tokuma said.
He was a bit worried about whether his classmates could keep their mouths shut. But right now, he couldn't keep it in either; having achieved such a feat, he felt like he would burst if he didn't tell someone.
Possessing a high-purity Byakugan, Tokuma Hyuga had secretly activated his eyes to observe since the second time Iruka performed the Genjutsu. The path of the teacher's chakra, which parts of his own chakra were being affected, and where it was primarily targeted—he had seen it all.
If his knowledge base hadn't been lacking, he would have cracked it long ago. It took him several months of collecting data on Genjutsu and medical documents regarding the human sense of taste to finish it.
"We won't say a word! And we'll study acting skills carefully so the teacher never finds out," the students nodded in perfect unison.
To Uchiha clenched his fists, thinking: Damn it, if I had awakened the Sharingan, I could have developed a ninjutsu like that too.
Tokuma mastered the Byakugan, yet as a rival and a scion of the Uchiha, To had yet to awaken his Sharingan. It made him feel anxious.
"La la la, la la la, I'm in such a good mood today." Iruka hummed a tune as he walked toward the office, looking quite happy.
Since you dared to shift the blame to me, I'm going to watch you like a hawk.
Inside the office.
"Iruka, you're in high spirits today!" Mizuki asked with a smile as he watched the excited Iruka enter.
Nearby, Ebisu was also processing assignments. Hearing this, he looked over at Iruka—the teacher who could strike fear into the hearts of students. Although he didn't entirely agree with using such methods to guide students, Iruka's tactics were undeniably effective, even making Ebisu's own work a bit easier.
Iruka laughed. "Yes, I've noticed many students are getting better and better at their studies. I'm happy for them."
"That's true. Thanks to that move of yours, it's really effective!" Mizuki added.
Ebisu thought for a moment and advised: "Iruka, it's better to use that method sparingly. That isn't your true teaching ability. Relying too much on it might make you too dependent, and it doesn't set a perfect example for the students."
As former classmates of Tonbo Tobitake and ninjas stationed within the village, they met and sparred frequently. Ebisu had experienced Tonbo's moves himself, but he had his own philosophy regarding education.
After several years of teaching, he understood pedagogy better than Iruka. He knew Iruka's method had drawbacks; it might make students' thinking too uniform and stifle their creativity in certain areas.
Iruka wasn't stubborn; he had a genuine ambition to nurture Konoha's talent. After thinking it over, he nodded in agreement.
"You're right. I shouldn't abuse ninjutsu. Perhaps it would stifle my own creativity as well."
Ebisu was satisfied. The young man was teachable. "Of course, for those particularly stubborn troublemakers, you can still use it. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!" Ebisu chuckled.
He wasn't a pedant; if there was a useful method, it should be used. Only Mizuki, while maintaining a smile, completely disagreed in his heart.
If I knew that jutsu, I'd make the students study until their brains melted so I could get a promotion.
In the past few months, because there was no direct evidence that he had killed his teammate, Mizuki had finally entered the Academy as a teacher. But he knew his career path was likely at a dead end; with such a suspicion over his head, there was no room for advancement. Therefore, he wouldn't let any opportunity pass him by.
He was currently jealous of Iruka. The guy gets a great opportunity and then gets all sentimental about it. What did students need "creativity" for? They just needed to get strong. The method didn't matter.
Waaah! Waaah!
In the Sarutobi estate, Shinnosuke Sarutobi paced outside the hallway. Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in a chair nearby. When the sound of a baby's cry finally drifted out, a look of pure joy erupted on Shinnosuke's face.
Hiruzen also broke into a smile.
Click.
The door opened, and a medical ninja dressed in white stepped out. "Congratulations, Lord Hokage, Lord Shinnosuke. It's a boy, and everything went very smoothly," the medic said with a smile.
Shinnosuke couldn't wait and rushed inside. Hiruzen felt a great sense of relief as he waited outside.
Over the last few years, Konoha had endured the Third Great War, the Nine-Tails incident, and the Hyuga affair; its talent pool was dwindling. Now that his grandson was born—and with other clans also working hard to increase their numbers during this period of recovery—more and more newborns were arriving. Konoha was recovering quickly, allowing him to relax a bit.
Furthermore, he was satisfied with the emergence of excellent teachers at the Academy. In a few more years, Konoha would regain its original strength.
Tonbo's wife should be due soon as well, shouldn't she?
Hiruzen suddenly thought of Tonbo Tobitake. Based on the timeline, it should be around the same time as his grandson. For the past few months, he had kept Tonbo within the village on internal missions, which was essentially a long period of "light duty."
He was weighing his options: once Tonbo's child was born, should he send this capable combatant out on special missions, or keep him in the village?
Currently, the pressure on Konoha remained high. Even his eldest son was only given a brief window of time to return for the birth. Tonbo's strength was exceptional in Hiruzen's eyes; out in the field, he could handle a lot of pressure. If he stayed in the village, he could only perform tasks that others could do.
Though he didn't want Tonbo to lose out on time with his child—avoiding a situation like the one he had with Asuma—the reality of the world often forced his hand.
"Sigh, we'll see. For now, Inoichi can handle the Analysis Division's duties part-time, and the Barrier Division's development is nearing its end. I'll make a decision once his child is born," Hiruzen sighed.
If only Minato hadn't died, or if Tsunade and Jiraiya were here, Konoha wouldn't be in such a difficult position where subordinates barely had time for their children. But turning toward the room and hearing the cries from within, a smile returned to his face.
"I hope my grandson can grow up to help his grandfather and become a pillar of Konoha."
Tap, tap.
An elderly woman about his age walked slowly toward him. "It seems my grandson is safe and sound." Biwako Sarutobi saw the smile on her husband's face and knew all was well. She stood beside him, her own face lighting up with a smile.
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