Chapter 448: Ebisu's Breakdown
Inside the classroom.
All the new recruits were waiting for their teacher to arrive.
Despite waiting, the room hummed with a lively buzz as students voiced their bright expectations for the future.
This was especially true for the children of figures who excelled in non-ninja industries—such as movie directors, corporate titans, and prominent business owners.
They were no longer content with simply inheriting their parents' achievements; instead, they burned with ambition to surpass them. They wanted to harness the supreme power of a shinobi to achieve things that could only be accomplished with that kind of strength—like building floating luxury hotels out on the open sea, or using ninjutsu to produce blockbuster movies with massive real-life special effects.
Before long, a middle-aged figure slowly approached and entered the room.
The newcomer was none other than Iruka.
Looking out at the faces overflowing with excitement, a warm smile spread across Iruka's face.
He had witnessed that jaw-dropping showcase earlier too; it had been an utterly extraordinary spectacle.
Among those performers were his proudest pupil and his honored master.
Seeing these young students get to experience a grand spectacle like that made him even happier. An event like this was immensely beneficial for the children's growth and inspiration.
The fresh recruit ceremony—introduced only two years ago—had brought about a palpable shift that Iruka could clearly feel.
The current second- and third-year students had all gone through this exact orientation, and their mental drive was night and day compared to how things were back when Iruka himself went to school.
Whether it came to their studies, their mental fortitude, or their inner desire to excel, they were vastly superior in every way.
"Alright, students, quiet down please! Next up is your very first lesson at the Academy. Let me tell you about the history of the Ninja Academy and highlight some of the famous figures who have passed through these halls."
Iruka didn't waste any time with fluff and dove straight into the lesson.
Through decades of dedicated effort, Iruka's teaching methods had improved by leaps and bounds.
He transformed what could have been a dry, tedious history lesson into a vivid and engaging story.
The fresh recruits didn't feel bored for even a second.
At the same time, the knowledge was delivered seamlessly, allowing the students to realize that their Ninja Academy actually possessed a remarkably intense and bloody history.
Only after undergoing countless twists, turns, and major reforms did the Academy achieve the prestigious standing it enjoyed in Konoha today.
Where it was once an incubator for war, it was now an incubator for true shinobi, contributing countless exceptional ninja to Konoha.
In fact, the number of Star-Ranked Shinobi produced over recent years had been growing by the day.
"Teacher Iruka! We want to know how strong the former God of Shinobi and Hashirama Senju and Hashirama's rival Hashirama/Madara were! Were they as strong as Lord Seventh?"
When Iruka reached the part about the First Hokage founding Konoha and the Second Hokage establishing the Ninja Academy, one of the students raised a hand to ask in confusion.
Hearing this, Iruka smiled gently and replied, "How strong were they? They unified a chaotic era, reformed the Shinobi World, made countless contributions, and put an end to an age of endless war. Of course they were strong—exceptionally strong. At the very least, far stronger than me.
As for how they compare to the current Hokage... well, naturally, they were not quite as strong as he is."
In Iruka's eyes, aside from his own master, the single strongest individual in the world today was Naruto Uzumaki.
Bar none.
"Is that true?! If Lord Seventh is even stronger than the First Hokage, why didn't he unify the entire Shinobi World?" another student chimed in with a question.
"Hmm... as for that question, it is because the Shinobi Alliance was formed to resolve the Fourth War, leading to major global reforms. We no longer live in an era of war, nor do we advocate for war—because war is immensely cruel. It causes many, many deaths."
Iruka answered patiently.
Listening to the teacher sing his father's praises, Boruto's lips slowly curled into a proud smirk. I didn't realize Dad was actually this incredible. Right now, he's definitely the strongest ninja around, second only to Uncle Sasuke.
He truly was impressive.
After seeing his old man unleash a technique capable of wiping an entire island off the map, Boruto realized he had severely underestimated his father.
Still... is that Director Tonbo guy even more ridiculous? After all, he managed to create a massive island out of thin air.
"Alright, are there any other questions? Feel free to ask, and I will answer them all," Iruka continued smoothly.
Inojin Yamanaka raised his hand. "Teacher, did the Anbu ninja graduate from the Ninja Academy as well? Are they really strong too?"
"Yes, they're very strong as well—though not quite on the level of Lord Seventh and his peers," Iruka nodded.
As question after question was answered, the new recruits finally settled into the proper atmosphere of the Ninja Academy.
They began throwing themselves eagerly into learning.
The lingering excitement from the orientation ceremony had fired up their motivation, and coupled with Iruka's masterful teaching style, every single one of them was fully engaged.
A bit of a shame... nobody pulled any pranks!
Iruka couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for the days when he frequently used the Eight Fragrances of Fire. While he was now extraordinarily skilled at deploying it, opportunities to use it had become increasingly rare.
Still, that was a good thing.
It proved that his instructional methods were steadily improving, and the Academy's overall educational framework was advancing just as rapidly.
...
On the other side of the Ninja Academy.
A third-grade classroom.
"Next, I would like a student to answer this question. Who should it be..."
SLAP!
The moment the teacher spoke, Saitama Tobitake raised his hand and stood straight up.
His lightning-fast speed made Ebisu's face turn instantly pale with dread.
I misspoke!
The other students burst into a chorus of giggles.
This was far from the first time this had happened.
"Alright, student Saitama... why did you raise your hand this time?" Ebisu asked, feeling an overwhelming headache coming on.
Good grief, Tobitake Tonbo... what kind of son did you raise this time?! He's impossible to handle!
"Didn't you say you wanted someone to answer the question, Teacher?" Saitama asked with a completely innocent, clueless look.
Ebisu was speechlessly exasperated. "I meant I wanted to call on someone who actually knows the answer! Do you know it?"
Saitama blinked. "But my dad told me that whenever the teacher asks a question, I have to raise my hand enthusiastically to be a good student."
Looking at his sincere expression, it was obvious he wasn't lying.
"If you don't know the answer, how are you going to answer it?! Fine... tell me, what are your thoughts on this problem?" Ebisu pressed, clutching his forehead.
Saitama tilted his head to the side. "I don't know."
Dammit!
As expected!
Saitama's blunt response sent the entire third-grade classroom into fits of roaring laughter.
"Saitama really is Saitama! He manages to handle the teacher every single time!"
"I have no idea how someone with a brain like Saitama's even got into the Ninja Academy. He's totally unsuited to being a ninja!"
"What nonsense are you spewing? You know full well how ridiculous Saitama's physical strength is! Even though your chakra control has reached the second stage, you still can't beat him in a fight!"
"Che... I just lagged behind in academics! Sooner or later, I'm going to pass him up. The Vice Director of the Technology Development Bureau once said that wisdom and knowledge are the true stepping stones to human progress. Saitama's grades are terrible—he just happens to have good physical talent. I'll definitely surpass him eventually!"
The students babbled and debated animatedly among themselves.
However, most of the commentary focused on Saitama's dense mind and his absurd physical prowess.
With the classroom descending into complete chaos right under the teacher's watch, Ebisu felt a profound sense of humiliation.
This was an absolute insult to his reputation as an elite private tutor!
This won't do... I need to transfer Saitama to another class... Wait, no, Tonbo specifically asked me to take care of Saitama! But who's going to take care of ME?!
Ebisu looked at Saitama, tears of frustration streaming down his face inside.
This kid was simply too difficult to handle.
He turned to Saitama and pleaded, "Just sit down, and please don't say another word unless I call on you directly!"
"Yes, Teacher! Dad said I have to obey the teacher," Saitama replied obediently, sitting right back down.
This only made the surrounding students laugh even harder.
Saitama was bound to forget that promise in a matter of minutes anyway, and they would get to watch Teacher Ebisu sink back into deep despair all over again.
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