Chapter 48: Learning from Teaching

Chapter 48: Learning from Teaching

Without the necessary talent and strength, some fields remain inaccessible, no matter how intelligent a person may be.

"I see… Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."

Hearing that she wasn't as hopeless as she had feared, Sakura felt relieved. The overwhelming amount of knowledge had shaken her confidence, but now she was slowly regaining it.

Mizuki had no intention of teaching Sakura overly complicated theories or powerful jutsu. The former consisted of research he hadn't yet mastered himself, and throwing advanced theoretical concepts at a Genin was unlikely to yield much patience or success. As for the latter—he didn't even know those high-level jutsu himself, so how could he teach them?

A towering structure required a solid foundation. If he wanted to maximize Sakura's intelligence and learning capabilities, then ensuring she had a strong fundamental base was crucial. More importantly, if the opportunity arose in the future, it wouldn't be bad to have a reliable assistant. Mizuki had accumulated too many research topics that required study, and a single person's energy was limited.

"No wonder scientific research in my past life was built around small teams. Individual effort is insignificant in the face of so much unknown knowledge. Even Orochimaru tolerated Kabuto's constant scheming and insubordination—because talented people are rare and valuable."

"Sakura, let's take a break. Proper rest is important too," Mizuki suggested. "In the meantime, let's chat a bit."

"Okay." Sakura had been studying for a while and was starting to feel fatigued.

"Honestly, I don't quite understand why you chose me as your instructor. There are plenty of stronger shinobi in Konoha who could teach you powerful jutsu. Wouldn't that be a better option?"

At his question, Sakura looked slightly embarrassed. "Aside from you, Mizuki-sensei, I don't really know any other strong ninja well enough to ask for training. And in the Forest of Death, the things you gave me helped a lot. Without them, we might not have passed the exam. So, I felt like you were the best choice. Plus, I thought it might help Sasuke too."

"Oh? You still remember what I told you back then?"

"Yes, Mizuki-sensei! One day, I want to become someone my teammates can rely on. I don't want to hold them back anymore," Sakura said with firm determination.

"Mm." Mizuki figured it was best to clarify something. "To be honest, I'm not sure if having me as your instructor is the best decision. Your talents and affinities might be better suited to another teacher. Learning my methods might end up distracting you from a more optimal path. Whether that's good or bad for you in the long run is hard to say."

"This is my own decision," Sakura said resolutely. "Right now, I believe you are the best teacher for me, Mizuki-sensei."

"Alright, let's not be so serious," Mizuki chuckled. "Let's lighten the mood a bit. Who do you think is the strongest participant in the final exam? And who's the weakest?"

Sakura thought for a moment. "I don't know who the strongest is, but I'm definitely the weakest. If I had to guess, I'd say either Sasuke or Neji is the strongest."

"Haha," Mizuki laughed. "Let me put it another way—who do you think has the most talent? Who will be the strongest in the future?"

Sakura shook her head. "That's even harder to guess… But I do think the Sharingan is the strongest ability."

"Alright, let's talk about that. Assessing the strength of others is an important skill for a shinobi. You should start paying close attention to this in the future." Mizuki continued, "Right now, if all the Chunin Exam participants ganged up together, they still wouldn't be able to defeat Gaara from the Sand Village."

"How is that possible?!" Sakura was stunned. "Is there really someone that strong in the Chunin Exams? What about Sasuke…?"

"You don't need to worry. That's right now. Have faith in Sasuke and Kakashi. One month from now, things will be different. Gaara's strength comes from special circumstances—we'll talk about that later. As for you being the weakest, that's only in a one-on-one arena match. In other situations, the outcome might not be the same."

"Now, let's talk about talent. This is a bit subjective, so I can't say for sure who has the most talent. But, I can tell you who has the least talent."

Sakura looked curious. "Who?"

"Your opponent—Dosu Kinuta from the Sound Village."

Dosu was someone with limited natural ability who had undergone modifications under Orochimaru's experiments. His potential was so low that he had been turned into a disposable tool, proving how little room he had for growth. He was nothing more than a pawn—one that Orochimaru discarded without hesitation.

"So that means…" Sakura seemed to be catching on.

"That's right. If you prepare properly, defeating Dosu won't be difficult." Mizuki explained, "Dosu is dangerous when his abilities are unknown. He can catch people off guard—many Chunin, and even weaker Jonin, could fall to him if they underestimate his skills. But since you already know what to expect, and you have a month to prepare, he's one of the easiest opponents you could face. The only one who might be easier is Naruto."

"Naruto? But he's really strong! How could he be easy to defeat?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Naruto has even more obvious weaknesses than Dosu. If someone directly targets his flaws, even an opponent far weaker than him could take him down."

Sakura's expression turned thoughtful. "I remember… The Third Hokage mentioned something about this after the preliminaries…"

"That's right. Information and preparation." Mizuki nodded. "The key to reaching the final round is not revealing too many of your weaknesses. Now, let's get back to studying. The technique you're learning right now is something that scales with your power. The stronger you become, the more terrifyingly effective it will be."

"Yes, sensei!" Sakura responded eagerly. "But… even if this technique is useful in the future, my strength is still too low right now. Will this be enough to help me become a Chunin?"

"Not yet," Mizuki admitted. "But in a month? Who knows?"

"Hmm…" Sakura couldn't hide her disappointment, but she quickly turned back to her studies.

Mizuki, however, was struck by something she had said.

"Maybe I've been too ambitious…"

For so long, Mizuki had relied on his overwhelming information advantage. His approach to strength was focused on ultimate efficiency, aiming straight for fundamental truths while avoiding anything he considered wasteful. He even looked down on basic techniques and neglected to improve his practical combat skills.

Holding out his right hand, Mizuki channeled his chakra. A flickering red flame emerged in his palm, gradually intensifying in color. The crimson glow deepened, shifting toward blue, until it stabilized into a bright white-blue sphere.

"I've developed all these half-finished concepts… but the only thing that directly enhances my combat ability is the universal elixir—and even that has side effects. I've been preparing to reach for the stars, yet I haven't even ensured my footing on solid ground."

Letting out a sigh, he glanced at Sakura, who was diligently studying.

"Talking with intelligent people really does yield valuable insights. 'Among three people, one will always be my teacher'—the ancients were right."

---

Read up to 20 chapter ahead of time on patreon.com/Legendryweeb

{please give this novel 5 Star review and power stone}

*Thank you*