"Hokage-sama!"
Masahiko bowed respectfully.
Hiruzen Sarutobi walked up with a smile and asked, "Why do you say it was well-said?"
He swept his gaze around and continued, "What books teach helps you understand the mechanics of a technique, but actual combat is rarely as orderly as a textbook."
"In practical application, you must understand your own tactical needs and change flexibly based on those needs and your own conditions..."
He followed Masahiko's line of thought.
Iruka stood behind them, sweating profusely and nodding repeatedly.
In fact, he was also very excellent, possessing a basic grasp of almost every category of jutsu.
The problem was—
He lacked intuition in application, and the techniques he mastered weren't profound or prominent enough.
This was the current reality for most Chunin.
The mindset of Masahiko and Hiruzen Sarutobi sounded simple, but it was very difficult to actually apply in combat.
"I heard you also set up a Restricted Practical Sparring session?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a smile.
Masahiko nodded and said, "It's limited to the school's curriculum. Everyone spars in pairs. Once they reach higher grades, they can move on to three-on-three or four-on-four combat."
"Very good!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes brightened. Once the Ninjas outside brought in a chair, he gestured for everyone to sit. "Continue your lesson; we'll talk after class."
"Yes!"
Masahiko nodded.
After that, he didn't call anyone else up.
Iruka was already under enough pressure; if he kept calling names, there was no telling what might happen.
He used the topic as a springboard and began his lecture:
"I don't know much about teaching Ninjutsu classes, so today I'll talk about some extracurricular content that won't be on the exams."
"As Ninjas, we usually fight in squads. Therefore, we must be good at playing to our strengths, while our teammates make up for our weaknesses..."
"Take Naruto, for example. His Chakra control is poor, but he has great physical stamina and a large amount of Chakra. As long as it's applied correctly, he can achieve similar effects."
"And the Clone Jutsu..."
He spoke eloquently on stage, causing everyone to quickly forget the earlier demonstration.
Iruka's expression gradually relaxed, no longer showing the intense tension and pressure from before; instead, he became immersed in Masahiko's lecture along with the students.
Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Iruka, a faint smile appearing on his face as he sighed inwardly:
What a sharp and gentle person!
After that, he remained silent and did not interrupt Masahiko's teaching again.
It wasn't until class ended that Hiruzen Sarutobi applauded once more and then left with a smile... inside the office.
"This is your territory; you should be the one hosting me!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a laugh after entering.
Masahiko maintained a restrained expression and quickly smiled upon hearing this, saying, "I'll brew some tea for you."
He brewed a cup of tea and placed it on Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sniff and smiled. "Is this the flower tea made by Kurenai?"
"Uh... nothing gets past you."
Masahiko nodded slightly.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a sip and said, "Your teaching ability is very strong, but your development, research, and combat abilities are even stronger... Why did you choose to become a teacher in the first place?"
"Compared to carrying out missions, a teacher's job is stable and provides free time for research."
Masahiko answered "truthfully."
In reality—
He was only a Chunin. Being out in the field always carried risks. Being a teacher allowed him to hunker down in the school, develop in peace, and survive until the finale.
Awakening the 'System' was purely an accident.
After hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly and said, "But some things must be done by someone."
"This subordinate follows the Village's arrangements."
Masahiko immediately stated his position upon hearing those words.
Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. "There is a mission. After thinking it over, you are indeed the most suitable... but there's no rush for now."
"This subordinate is ready to follow orders at any time."
Masahiko stated his attitude once again.
Nothing else mattered but loyalty!
Hiruzen Sarutobi became increasingly satisfied, his smile brightening, and his tone softened a bit:
"Appointing you as a Teaching Advisor was precisely because I hoped you could utilize your sharp mind. Therefore, I plan to have you participate in the reform of the Ninja Academy's teaching methods."
"In the future, you should offer more suggestions. Things like practical sparring and Social Practice are very good."
Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, "I don't mean anything else, I just feel that with your talent, it would be a waste to only be a taijutsu teacher."
"Yes!"
Masahiko answered again, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past outside.
He was thoughtful for a moment but immediately pulled his attention back.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had also noticed.
He looked outside and asked, "I heard you have a good relationship with Shisui?"
"We've exchanged insights on the Body Flicker Technique, but other than that, we haven't had much contact."
Masahiko answered truthfully.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave a soft sigh. "Shisui is dead."
"What?!"
Masahiko's face was filled with shock, and he didn't respond for a long while.
After a good while, his face darkened as he said, "With Shisui's Body Flicker... the Hidden Cloud Village? It couldn't be the Hidden Mist Village, could it?"
"It's not clear yet."
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and said, "But currently, there is talk within the Uchiha clan that Itachi killed him. So... talk to Sasuke more and try to comfort him."
"Yes, I understand!"
Masahiko's expression was solemn.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up and left.
After he left, Masahiko went out and scanned the area. Near the sink by the restroom entrance, he saw Sasuke leaning against the wall.
"Was that you just now?"
"Yes."
Sasuke nodded.
Then, a look of hesitation appeared on his face.
Masahiko observed his expression and sighed softly. "Is it about Shisui?"
"You know?"
Sasuke seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and nodded in silence.
Masahiko was silent for a moment before saying, "I just heard Hokage-sama mention it. I don't know the specific details yet."
Sasuke was only seven years old, yet he already showed signs of being cool and handsome.
But at this moment, he was full of grievances:
"They say my brother killed him. My brother and Shisui-niisan were the best of friends. How could he possibly kill Shisui-niisan?"
Masahiko patted his hair and said nothing.
Sasuke rambled on with his complaints.
From complaining about the clansmen to his father's silence, and then to Itachi's suppressed emotions today... He hung his head.
"Teacher, I don't know what to do..."
"You're still young. These things aren't something you should be worrying about. Studying and training well is more important than anything."
Masahiko's tone was low.
Sasuke didn't answer.
He had heard enough of these platitudes.
A few seconds later, he whispered:
"I'm fine myself, but my brother has been shut in his Room. The clansmen... anyway, his situation isn't good. I want to ask you to talk to him."
"Your brother and I..."
Masahiko hesitated slightly and said, "I don't have much of a friendship or contact with Itachi. I'm afraid I won't have much to say, but I can only say I'll do my best."
"I just didn't know who else to turn to."
Sasuke's voice was low and full of confusion.
He didn't know many outsiders, and among those he did know, very few were considered wise by him.
Masahiko was the one among those who knew Shisui whom he felt was most suitable to help.
Masahiko nodded, only then reluctantly agreeing.
"I'll accompany you to your house. If it's convenient... I'll check on Shisui too. For now, you should go to class first."
"Thank you, Teacher!"
Sasuke was overjoyed. After thanking him repeatedly, he ran toward the classroom.
Masahiko watched him leave and returned to his office with a sigh.
Sasuke... poor kid!
But, at least he had made contact with Itachi and could report back to Danzo.