“You keep telling me to leave and then to stop. It’s hard for me to deal with this,” Mokutsuki said with a half-smile, looking at Asuma.
“Can’t you just work with me? How about we compromise? I won’t set such high demands, and you’ll listen to me during lessons,” Asuma suggested.
He wasn’t entirely against being taught, but he was just being rebellious and didn’t want to follow his father’s arrangements.
“No, no, no. The high demands aren’t the issue; it’s my lack of ability to meet them. So, I should just leave,” Mokutsuki replied, turning to leave as soon as he heard Asuma’s suggestion.
“Alright, you don’t have to listen to me. Just don’t go,” Asuma called out quickly as he saw Mokutsuki almost reach the exit of the backyard. He was really at his wit’s end with Mokutsuki.
“Can we start the lesson now?” Mokutsuki asked with a smile.
To handle a rebellious student like Asuma, you had to be even more defiant, fighting fire with fire.
“Fine, let’s get this over with. What do you want to teach?” Asuma said, realizing he was out of options.
In his plan, he should have been the one dismissing the tutor and then negotiating terms, keeping control. Although he had mixed feelings about his identity and even resented it, he couldn’t deny that being the Hokage’s son afforded him many conveniences.
Mokutsuki looked around and said, “Let’s train outside; it’s not convenient here.”
After informing Biwako Sarutobi, Mokutsuki took Asuma to a small grove with a river.
“First, let’s test your chakra control. Try climbing this tree,” Mokutsuki said, pointing to a tall tree.
“Climb a tree? That’s easy. Watch me,” Asuma said with a sly grin, thinking of a clever idea.
He walked to the sturdy tree and, without using chakra, climbed to the top like a nimble monkey using his hands and feet.
“See how fast I climbed?” Asuma said proudly, showing off.
He knew what Mokutsuki meant by climbing a tree using chakra, but he deliberately chose not to cooperate.
Observing through his crystal ball, Hiruzen Sarutobi silently rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Although his nickname used to be “Monkey,” he had never done something like this. What kind of child did he raise?
“You’re fast and have strong limbs,” Mokutsuki praised with a smile, not reacting as Asuma had hoped.
Then Mokutsuki found a slender tree, chopped off its branches, and poured oil on it, smiling at Asuma, “That was just a warm-up. Now, let’s start the real tree climbing.”
Asuma looked at the slick, bare tree trunk and grimaced. No matter how good he was at climbing, there was no way he could climb this one without chakra.
“If you can’t climb it, it’s fine. Admitting your limits also shows courage,” Mokutsuki said calmly.
“Who says I can’t climb it? Don’t underestimate me,” Asuma, being the nine-year-old fresh graduate he was, couldn’t handle the provocation. He infused chakra into his feet and steadily walked up the tree to the top.
“Your control is decent,” Mokutsuki nodded, not particularly surprised.
Then, Mokutsuki led Asuma to the riverbank.
“Since tree climbing isn’t an issue, let’s see if you can walk on water,” Mokutsuki said, pointing to the river, continuing to test Asuma’s chakra control.
Aside from a few naturally gifted individuals, most people had a limited amount of chakra, so increasing its efficiency was a good way to enhance strength.
“If you can stand on the water for ten minutes without falling, you can choose your own training from now on,” Mokutsuki offered as an incentive.
“Is that a promise? Don’t go back on your word,” Asuma said, his face lighting up with excitement. He had been wondering how to deal with this annoying tutor, and now Mokutsuki had given him an opportunity.
Walking on water might be difficult for other freshly graduated Genin, but not for Asuma.
With confidence, Asuma gathered chakra in his feet and walked onto the river, moving leisurely. The river was only twenty meters wide.
“That meddlesome old man has too much control. I’ve already graduated and become a ninja, yet he still hires a tutor,” Asuma grumbled.
He looked forward to going home and telling the Third Hokage that his tutor had agreed to let him train freely.
Suddenly, Asuma felt something was off. Looking down, he saw the previously calm river had become turbulent.
“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”
He saw Mokutsuki on the riverbank performing a Water Release jutsu, creating a water dragon that caused the river to churn.
“What are you doing?” Asuma nearly lost his balance and fell into the water, shouting in frustration.
“Simulating battle conditions. The river won’t be calm during a fight,” Mokutsuki said with a smile.
“Besides, it’s also good practice for my Water Release jutsu. The environment here is perfect for it.”
“Of course, if you think you can’t handle it, I can stop. Admitting your limits shows wisdom,” Mokutsuki repeated his tactic.
Asuma swallowed his words. He wanted to prove he could handle it and didn’t need a tutor or the Third Hokage’s arrangements. Admitting failure wasn’t an option.
So, Asuma focused intensely on controlling his chakra to avoid falling.
However, improving chakra control wasn’t an overnight task, and the sudden waves tested his agility as well.
Asuma managed to stay on the water for five minutes before he lost his balance and fell. Mokutsuki quickly pulled him out.
“It seems your chakra control still needs improvement. You can’t start free training yet,” Mokutsuki said regretfully.
“If you hadn’t used the Water Release, I wouldn’t have fallen,” Asuma protested.
“Do you expect the enemy not to use ninjutsu in a fight?” Mokutsuki replied calmly.
“Let me try again!” Asuma demanded, determined to prove himself.
Sometimes, anger doesn’t help solve math problems, but it can fuel one’s determination in battle. This time, Asuma managed seven minutes, falling three minutes short of the ten-minute goal.
After a short rest, Asuma asked Mokutsuki to let him try again. On the third attempt, he lasted seven and a half minutes.
Finally, just as the sun was setting, Asuma managed to stand on the water for ten minutes.
“I did it!” Asuma shouted excitedly, losing control of his chakra and falling into the water, swallowing a mouthful.
When Mokutsuki pulled Asuma out, he was still beaming with excitement.
“Now I can train however I want,” Asuma said, wiping his face and smiling.
“Who said that?” Mokutsuki asked, looking puzzled.
Asuma’s smile froze. “Didn’t you say I could train freely if I stood on the water for ten minutes?”
“Yes,” Mokutsuki nodded, then added, “But I said ‘this time,’ meaning your first try. You didn’t succeed on your first try.”
Asuma recalled the conversation and realized it was true.
What had he been striving for so hard?
Physical exhaustion combined with emotional devastation almost caused Asuma to faint.
Observing intermittently, Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard, convinced of Mokutsuki’s strong teaching abilities.
In just one afternoon, Asuma’s agility and chakra control had significantly improved.
“Tomorrow, I will strike back!” Asuma vowed silently, feeling that he had been put through the wringer all afternoon.
(End of Chapter)
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