111. Old Fools

All of a sudden, Zoro became popular in the Hyuga clan because 2 days after Neji met him, Hiashi and Hizashi came to meet him too when he trains Hiyori in Tsunade's yard. They look rather displeased though, not that he knows why.

"Do you want to train with me too?" Zoro smirks while pointing his wooden sword at them.

"Ninja Hunter, what exactly did you teach Hinata and Neji?" Hiashi asks very seriously.

"What did I teach them? I only gave them some advice through some real practice. They fought me and I pointed out what they lack, that's it."

"But I heard you said a lot about us too, about the Hyuga clan's teaching method."

"So you already know everything I taught them and still ask me as if you didn't know anything? How annoying, just like your teaching method."

"What's wrong with Hyuga clan's teaching method? It's a proven method that has been passed down for generations and has produced many great masters."

"You said it yourself, it's a method that has been used for generations. Time changes but your method stays the same. I don't particularly think it's wrong, but it's not for everyone. How many people in the history of your clan have succeeded and how many didn't? No need to answer me, I know many people succeeded because you still use it. But is that the reason why you don't even try another method? Have you ever thought that the reason those people failed was because your method wasn't suitable for them?"

"They failed because they weren't talented and couldn't understand the teaching with their low talents." Hiashi still has an argument and Hizashi also seems to agree.

"Again with talents. How much do you rely on talents for your life? Do you see this?" Zoro shows the weight straps on his left hand.

"Weights?"

"That's right, weights. But I prefer calling them something else. Hard work." Zoro takes off the weight strap on his left hand and drops it on the ground.

*BOOM!*

It doesn't even fall from a high place, yet it already causes an effect similar to when Lee dropped his training weight during his match with Gaara. Hiashi and Hizashi are shocked by what they see.

"5 tons, that's the total weight on that strap, and I wear 5 straps on my body. Do you think that's talent? No, that's hard work, pure hard work that I've done for many years. You guys always think that Hinata is not talented while his sister is talented and Neji is very talented. I won't say it's wrong if you only see it from their talent to learn from the Hyuga Clan's training method. But have you ever thought that maybe it's just that the method isn't suitable for Hinata? If you need proof, then I think the result of this Chunin Exam is enough proof."

"..... How did you make Hinata that strong?" Hiashi finally asks what he has been very curious about.

"I didn't make her strong, she makes herself strong. Also, if you think that Hinata is stronger than Neji now, then you are wrong."

"What? But she defeated Neji." Hizashi seems annoyed.

"She sure did. But that was not because she was stronger. Just because she was weaker, doesn't mean she couldn't defeat Neji. Strength isn't everything in battle, I'm sure you know this already, you are experienced shinobi, after all. She could win because she was used to fighting someone much stronger than Neji, me. Her short training with me gave her a lot of experience and she also gained more confidence, something that you crushed because you couldn't teach her yet you blamed her for being unable to reach your standard."

"So you say that we are at fault?"

"Of course. If you could train Hinata properly, she wouldn't lose her confidence. You said that she was timid, but that's because you kept discouraging her. She is kind, that's why she couldn't harm her sister in sparring matches, yet you called her a failure. You blamed her personality while there's nothing wrong with it. It's just that you don't want her to be like that, all because of your clan's ridiculous standards for your descendants that need to be cold-blooded and indifferent."

Hiashi frowns while Hizashi has a slight smirk that isn't really visible, but Zoro notices it.

"It's not just Hinata, it's also for everyone else including Neji. Do you think that there's nothing wrong with him? You know that he visited me after losing to Hinata, right? Do you know that he has a very pessimistic view about his own life? He works hard but he always thinks that everything will be useless. All because you, his father kept showing him that no matter what he did, it won't matter in the end. I know that Hyuga has its own rules and hierarchy that you can't oppose. But do you really need to keep discouraging your son because of it? If you really want your son to succeed, then find a way to help him without breaking your rules. He has talent and he is willing to work hard. You can see by how he tried to learn whatever he can without breaking the rules. Yet you as his father only blamed the rules and fate without even helping him achieve his goal. In my eyes, both of you are the same. You are failures, you fail as fathers. Your eyes are considered one of the greatest eyes in the world, yet you can't even see what's right in front of you."

What Zoro says seems to really hurt their ego because they immediately leave with deep frowns on their faces. But Zoro won't just let them leave without adding something else.

"If you still think that talent and fate are everything, then just look at Duy, Guy, and Rock Lee. I'm sure you will understand my points after checking them."

They keep walking away, but Zoro knows they hear him. Verbal fight isn't really his expertise, but it sure feels nice to win one, especially against stubborn old fools like them that still stuck with old inflexible rules.

He knows that Hiashi will change in the future, but right now he hasn't. Besides, the same future might not happen with all the changes he made anyway. But at least he knows that there is a big chance for Hiashi to change for the better, though he doesn't know about Hizashi because that guy was dead in the story.

"Uncle, who are those grandpas?" Hiyori finally approaches Zoro after hiding when those 2 Hyugas were here.

"Oh, they are Hinata's and Neji's father. They ask how I taught their kids because they want to learn it."

"Ah, then sister Hinata and brother Neji will train with their fathers now?"

"Maybe. I can't teach them every time and their teachers are also busy sometimes, so their fathers need to help them."

"I see, they are nice fathers."

"They sure are. But I'm not, so now continue your training. I saw you slacking off in the corner when I talked with them." Zoro grins evilly while pointing away.

"NOO! YOU DEMON INSTRUCTOR UNCLE!" Hiyori shouts angrily while continuing her run.

She has trained for a couple of days and finally feels how hard it is to stay consistent. So Zoro needs to force her a bit and luckily, she still does her training even though it's hard and she complains a lot.

Hiyori always remembers how helpless she was when her family was killed. She knows she needs to work hard to be strong so she won't be put in such a helpless situation again. That's why she keeps training hard even though it's difficult and painful.

Her progress isn't visible yet, obviously, because she has just trained for some days. But Zoro is sure that if she keeps this up, she will become one of the best swordsmen and maybe the best swordswoman in the world one day.

Tsunade has done some tests on Hiyori and as expected, Hiyori doesn't have that much talent for things that require chakra as she is from a normal bloodline. So her chakra amount won't be as high as people from big clans.

But Zoro doesn't care about it because he himself has an average amount of chakra. Yet he can become this strong. The amount of chakra isn't everything, just like how he told those Hyuga oldies that talent isn't everything.

Most samurais in the Land of Iron also have average amounts of chakra, but they can fight equally with shinobi because of their skills. So Zoro believes that Hiyori can be just as strong as top kunoichi even without having as much chakra as them.

Though this means he needs to find suitable practice methods and techniques for her because as he said to those Hyuga shits before, everyone has their own path, and he will help Hiyori find hers.

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Chapter: 161. 5th Division

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