Chapter 53: Full of Authority
Chapter 53: Full of Authority
As evening approached, another day neared its end.
Mizuki checked on Sakura Haruno's learning progress. It was about what he expected. Whether she fully understood everything yet was another matter, but at least she had developed a rough grasp. Starting tomorrow, she could begin basic training.
"If you have time at home, practice chakra control," Mizuki advised. "For example, like this."
He extended his right hand, and a ball of chakra appeared in his palm. Under his control, it shifted into various abstract shapes—galloping horses, roaring tigers, and other figures.
"And this."
He spread his hand open, and each of his five fingers formed a sharp blade of chakra, which waved as he moved them.
"And finally, this."
Pressing his hands together, he pulled them apart slowly, revealing a thin chakra thread between his palms, drifting and swaying.
Sakura stared, dumbfounded. "You can do this with chakra?"
Previously, she had prided herself on her excellent chakra control. But seeing Mizuki's precise manipulation, she realized how laughable her arrogance had been.
"This actually isn't that difficult," Mizuki said. "With practice, you can do it too. Later, when the conditions are right, I'll teach you even more. For now, these are just exercises you can practice in your spare time. This is just the foundation. In the future, you'll see what shinobi are truly capable of."
Many who had never witnessed the great battles of the future couldn't imagine the existence of jutsu that could shatter mountains and reshape landscapes. Even just a month later, these Genin would witness firsthand the sheer power of the ultimate weapons of the shinobi world—Jinchūriki.
"And this is only the basics?" Sakura was in awe. "What do advanced jutsu look like?"
"There are many who can use jutsu, but only a few who use them well. You're not a stamina monster like Naruto, nor do you have his massive chakra reserves to waste. You're not a natural genius like Sasuke, nor do you have the Sharingan. For you, chakra control is the key to your growth. Everything depends on it."
"I understand. Thank you, Mizuki-sensei."
"No need to thank me. You should go now—your friend is waiting for you."
He gestured toward a nearby alley, where a blonde girl, Yamanaka Ino, was peeking over, trying (and failing) to act nonchalant as she watched them.
"Ino's here? What's she doing here?" Sakura asked, surprised.
"She's been waiting for a while," Mizuki said.
Sakura nodded. "Then I'll be going. See you tomorrow."
"See you."
After Sakura left, Mizuki smirked and spoke to the seemingly empty corner. "She's gone now. You can come out. What are you doing sneaking around?"
"I didn't want to interrupt your lesson," a voice responded.
A ripple in the air distorted, and a figure emerged—it was his fiancée, Chihiro Tsubaki.
"You could've just walked in. Sneaking around like that makes you look suspicious," Mizuki teased.
Tsubaki said nothing, simply walked up and linked her arm with his, leading him home.
"You seem to really enjoy teaching. It's been a long time since I've seen you this happy."
Mizuki blinked. "Really? I'm just doing this because I owe Kakashi a favor."
"But you've never been this dedicated to teaching me ninjutsu," Tsubaki pouted.
"Eh? That can't be right…" Was she jealous? Mizuki reassured himself. "You're already a Chūnin. Of course, I don't need to teach you the way I do a Genin. It's just adapting to the student's level."
He quickly changed the subject. "Here, for you."
He pulled out a pink flower from his sleeve and handed it to her. Tsubaki smiled as she took it. Seeing her happy, Mizuki sighed in relief.
"This isn't a rose—it's a Chinese rose."
"Eh? No way. It's red, it has thorns… isn't it the same thing?" Mizuki was baffled.
Tsubaki giggled. "But I like it anyway."
"As long as you like it, that's what matters," Mizuki said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
---
Meanwhile, Sakura and Ino walked side by side in silence.
"You're not saying anything. Did you come looking for me for a reason?" Sakura finally asked.
"I…" Ino hesitated. "I heard you were working at a flower shop nearby. I figured it had to be Mizuki-sensei's shop, so I came to check on you."
"Thanks for coming to see me," Sakura said with a smile.
"You made it to the third round of the Chūnin Exams, right? I heard all the Genin who advanced have personal training from a Jōnin instructor to improve their skills. So why are you working at a flower shop? Isn't your team leader supposed to be training you?" Ino's voice carried some frustration. "Even if Sasuke is strong and Naruto isn't weak, Kakashi shouldn't just ignore you."
"You misunderstood, Ino," Sakura explained. "Kakashi-sensei is busy, so he asked Mizuki-sensei to train me. And I was the one who requested it. Helping out at the shop is just a side thing."
"Okay, that makes sense. But other people are being trained by Jōnin, while Mizuki-sensei… well…" Ino didn't look convinced. "I don't want the person who beat me to get humiliated in the next round."
"You're overthinking it," Sakura reassured her. "Mizuki-sensei is very knowledgeable. These past two days, I've realized just how big the gap is between Genin and Chūnin. The difference in knowledge alone is overwhelming. No wonder the Chūnin Exams are so hard."
Poor Sakura had no idea how unreliable it was to measure other shinobi against Mizuki's level of theoretical knowledge.
"If you say so, then I won't worry," Ino relented. "But don't think that winning once means you're stronger than me. Next time, I'll beat you."
Sakura chuckled. "You were unlucky last time. You were injured before the match, so I don't consider it a true victory. But Kakashi-sensei said luck is also a part of strength."
"Hmph! You won't always be lucky. Next time, I'll definitely win."
"Then I just have to get even stronger. I'll beat you again," Sakura declared.
"You just keep talking big."
Silence fell between them again as they continued walking.
"By the way… Mizuki-sensei is treating you well, right?" Ino asked cautiously.
"Don't worry. He's actually pretty nice."
"Yeah, I know. He's a bit of an airhead, though. He can't even tell the difference between roses, camellias, and Chinese roses. But he's surprisingly easy to talk to."
Back at the flower shop, Mizuki was contemplating how to establish his authority as a teacher—completely unaware that his awkward, sometimes clueless nature was already well-known to his students.
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