Chapter 36: Not as Good as Mu Yue (Seeking Follow-up Reading)

Asuma, who was protected by Muzuki’s Water Release, instantly felt like he was truly a piece of trash before, because he had been angry at Muzuki due to his dissatisfaction with Hiruzen, and had always had a bad attitude.

However, as a teacher, Muzuki was already very responsible; even though he had never cooperated and had always resisted Muzuki’s training, Muzuki had cleverly made him complete the necessary training.

Although the process was somewhat infuriating, it was for his own good and to make him complete the training.

“Shisui, you can go back first.” Looking at the dejected Asuma, Muzuki knew it was his turn.

Shisui nodded, said nothing more, and turned to continue his cultivation.

Muzuki walked in front of Asuma, patted the dust off him, and helped him tidy his somewhat disheveled clothes.

Finally, Muzuki squatted down on the ground, maintaining roughly the same height as Asuma, and looked into Asuma’s eyes.

The two looked at each other, and Asuma quickly lowered his head, then whispered, “Teacher, I’m sorry.”

“Tell me how you’re sorry to me?” Muzuki asked with a smile.

“I shouldn’t have vented my resentment from others onto you, and I shouldn’t have constantly opposed you and refused to cooperate,” Asuma said, not daring to look at Muzuki.

“You’re not sorry to me, you’re sorry to yourself,” Muzuki said, his expression gradually becoming serious.

Muzuki asked,

“Does your not training affect me?”

Without waiting for Asuma to answer, Muzuki continued,

“No effect. Even if you don’t train and I keep wasting time with you, I still get paid two thousand taels an hour.”

“But you’re different. If you train one hour less, that hour of yours disappears, and you gain nothing.”

For such a rebellious teenager, you have to make the other party feel that everything you do is for their own good, that you are on their side, and that they are the one making the mistake.

“I…” Asuma hesitated, wanting to speak. The more Muzuki spoke, the more regretful he became, and the more he felt like he was a piece of trash.

The more annoyed he had been with Muzuki’s methods before, the higher his favorability towards him was at this moment.

It was no exaggeration to say that Asuma felt that Muzuki, this teacher who had only taught him for a few days, was far better than his Hokage father.

He had outwardly complied but inwardly defied Muzuki’s training requirements, yet Muzuki had not scolded him, and had even praised his strong limbs.

If it had been Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would probably have been furious, his mustache bristling, and then scolded him.

Before starting his lecture, Muzuki had also first helped him brush off the dust and tidy his clothes, and even thoughtfully maintained eye level with him.

Thinking of this, Asuma’s eyes couldn’t help but turn a little red.

Why could a tutor he had only known for a few days praise him so generously, while when he excitedly returned home after getting first place, he could never get praise from his parents?

Was the first place he, Asuma, got somehow less valuable than the first place others got?

The more Asuma thought about it, the more wronged he felt, and he couldn’t help but remember that he had also been defeated by a student who had just entered the Ninja Academy today.

Numerous emotions accumulated together, and finally, they erupted.

Even though Asuma tried hard to control himself, tears still flowed down, drop by drop. He turned his head away, not wanting Muzuki to see.

But how could this escape Muzuki, who had been constantly observing Asuma?

Muzuki did not act immediately, but waited for a while, letting Asuma vent some emotions through crying, then stood up and patted Asuma’s shoulder, taking out a handkerchief and handing it to Asuma.

“Habsheng-sensei… you’re so kind,” Asuma said, taking the handkerchief, wiping his tears, and choking back sobs.

“Unlike my parents, they wouldn’t be like this…”

“That’s because you only remember their bad points and forget their good points.

Think carefully, when you were little, who was it that patiently coaxed you to sleep? Who taught you to walk and run step by step? Who checked on you in the middle of the night to see if you were covered? Who…” Muzuki said earnestly.

Hiruzen might be watching, so he couldn’t just focus on gaining favorability for himself; he also had to help mediate the father-son relationship.

Asuma was speechless. When Muzuki put it that way, he indeed had similar memories in his mind.

“You can think about it carefully in your free time. For now, let’s prepare to start cultivating. You haven’t forgotten what you said earlier, have you?” Seeing Asuma’s conflicted expression, Muzuki brought up the matter of cultivation.

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. From now on, whatever Muzuki-sensei says to train, I’ll train it,” Asuma said, wiping his face clean with the handkerchief.

Now, Muzuki’s image in Asuma’s mind had changed from a cunning and detestable adult to a perfect teacher who genuinely cared for him.

“This week, we’ll continue to practice Chakra control. Next week, we’ll practice Ninjutsu,” Muzuki briefly explained the training schedule.

He certainly wouldn’t teach Asuma the same way he taught Shisui and the others.

Firstly, Asuma’s identity was sensitive. Hiruzen would either personally watch or might send someone to watch, which could lead to Muzuki exposing his strength. Muzuki temporarily didn’t want to show strength exceeding that of a Chunin.

The second reason was very practical: Asuma was just a student, not a disciple, and not worth investing too much effort in.

As Muzuki expected, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was in the Hokage Building, was observing how Muzuki taught Asuma using the Telescope Jutsu.

“In terms of teaching children, Habsheng is indeed excellent.” Watching Asuma go from initial resistance to ultimate respect, Hiruzen Sarutobi affirmed Muzuki’s ability as a teacher.

He wasn’t too surprised that Muzuki could call Shisui.

Because Shisui was a student in Muzuki’s class, and if students from other classes liked Muzuki so much, there was no reason why students from Muzuki’s own class wouldn’t like him.

“However, to have such strength right after entering the Ninja Academy, his talent might even surpass Kagami’s,” Hiruzen Sarutobi thought of his former teammate, Uchiha Kagami.

That was an Uchiha who possessed The Will of Fire and was acknowledged by the Second Hokage.

“It seems more attention needs to be given,” Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, took a puff, and thought.

Shisui was Uchiha Kagami’s grandson and had outstanding talent; Hiruzen Sarutobi had known of his existence before.

He hoped Shisui could become an Uchiha like Uchiha Kagami.

Seeing Asuma begin his training, Hiruzen Sarutobi canceled the Telescope Jutsu and began to handle official business.

Until evening, Hiruzen Sarutobi again performed the Telescope Jutsu to inspect Konoha, and then left the Hokage Building to go home for dinner.

At the dinner table, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile,

“Asuma, are you satisfied with your tutor? This is a teacher I carefully selected for you.”

Asuma’s hand, which had been constantly shoveling rice, stopped. His mind couldn’t help but begin to recall the events of the day.

Before today, Asuma would have answered that Muzuki was a terrible teacher who cheated students.

“Habsheng-sensei is very good, much more skilled than you,” Asuma praised Muzuki while not forgetting to take a jab at Hiruzen.

Although he had been enlightened by Muzuki, his resentment towards Hiruzen wouldn’t disappear in half a day.

“What do you, a child, know? The Three Sannin were all taught by me!” Hiruzen Sarutobi, feeling challenged, bristled his mustache and glared as he spoke.

“It was clearly Aunt Tsunade and the others who had extraordinary talent themselves,” Asuma retorted. Although the Three Sannin were famous, they had all forged their own paths.

“Sometimes, being able to admit one’s shortcomings is also a manifestation of wisdom,” Asuma said, imitating Muzuki’s tone.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was left speechless by his good son. So, admitting it meant he was inferior to Muzuki, and not admitting it meant he lacked wisdom, right?

Seeing his old father’s hesitant expression, Asuma was in a great mood and ate with even more gusto.