Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

Water escape?

fencing?

Upon hearing this introduction, the last vestiges of expectation in Fugaku and Nawaki's eyes vanished instantly, and their disappointment was clearly visible on their faces.
Just how powerful must an ordinary Jonin be to become their instructor Jonin?
It's a cover-up! Absolutely a cover-up!

"Oh! Right, I forgot to mention one more thing."

Suddenly, Maruhoshi Kosuke slammed his fist into his palm, a look of sudden realization on his face. Upon hearing this, Fugaku and the others' disappointed hearts skipped a beat once more.

I knew it! He's supposed to be a Jonin in charge of instructing them; he should at least have some special skills.
"What is it? What is it?"

Nawaki immediately stood up, urging impatiently. Maruhoshi Kosuke smugly hummed twice, and under the expectant gazes of the three, slowly began to speak.
"Hehe~ I've been honing my culinary skills lately, and I've already achieved some success. You'll be in for a treat from now on~"

"Boom!"

Rope Tree, who had just gotten up and was halfway up, stumbled upon hearing the word "cooking" and slammed his head heavily onto the desk in front of him.

As expected of Konoha's famously stubborn kid, he managed to smash a dented, cracked surface into the sturdy tabletop made of compressed composite materials.

"hiss"

Rope Tree, who had just looked up, winced in pain, clutching his bright red nose; tears were welling up in his eyes.

"What a polite child! I will take good care of you."

Seeing Nawaki bow so deeply to him, Maruhoshi Kosuke was deeply moved and immediately declared that from now on, this kid would eat the first bowl of rice.

"Alright, now it's your turn."

After giving a detailed introduction of himself, Maruboshi Kosuke turned his gaze to Fugaku and the others. His smiling face lacked any of the intimidating aura expected of a Jonin; he seemed more like a kind, approachable uncle next door.

Xiao Mikoto hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand first and spoke.

"I am Uchiha Mikoto, and I am skilled in Fire Release and Medical Ninjutsu."

"What is your aspiration?"

"what?"

Is this step still included?
Mikoto was slightly taken aback, but quickly reacted, smilingly deflecting the question back.

"Dreams? Teacher, you haven't told me yet~"

"Me? My dream is to save enough money to retire normally and open a large bathhouse in the village that integrates eating, living, and bathing."

When Maruhoshi Kosuke spoke, his eyes shone with a striking light; it was clear to anyone with eyes that his words were absolutely sincere.

Well.
What kind of dream is this? Fugaku looked Maruhoshi Kosuke up and down with a strange expression.

Is this guy even a member of Konoha? How come he has no Will of Fire at all? Shouldn't he be talking about something more profound and ambitious at a time like this?
"My dream is to become a wandering female knight-errant, and to help those in need whenever I see injustice!"

Mikoto clenched her little fists, her dark eyes filled with longing for her future, dashing figure.
"Pah~pah~pah~"

"Good dream, next one!"

"I am Nawaki, skilled in Water Release, Earth Release, and Poop Release. I am strong and have a big appetite. My dream for the future is..."

"Stop, stop, stop~"

"Uh?"

Seeing Maruboshi Kosuke raise his hand to interrupt his introduction, Nawaki blinked in confusion.
"The 'poop escape' you're talking about isn't the kind of escape technique I'm thinking of, is it?"

Maruhoshi Kosuke frowned, and as he spoke, he subtly took a few steps back, distancing himself from Nawaki.

Besides the five common ninjutsu, the ninja world is actually not lacking in a variety of other ninjutsu.

Generally speaking, the names of escape techniques clearly reflect their nature.

Could the "poop escape" mentioned by Rope Tree really be made with excrement?
"Hmm, it's a bit complicated to explain. Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"No need! Thank you!"

He quickly spoke up to stop Nawaki from raising his hand to form a hand seal, and Maruhoshi Kosuke, secretly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, said with lingering fear,
"Next time, next time I'll definitely have the chance to learn your secret techniques. Now, tell me about your dream!"

"My dream is to become Hokage!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Nawaki openly expressed his dream of becoming the Hokage.
He knew very well that only by becoming Hokage could he rebuild the glory of the Senju clan and reclaim everything that the Senju clan had lost!

"Very good, very energetic!"

Maruhoshi Kosuke nodded, then turned his gaze to Fugaku.
"Uchiha Fugaku is skilled in Lightning Release, Genjutsu, and Sharingan. As for his dream, it is to defeat that man."

Sitting in his seat, Fugaku, in an attempt to appear profound, rested his chin on his hands, his eyes deep and lonely as he spoke, like a solitary, aging wolf king.

"That man?"

Why does this kid look so bitter and resentful? There's no record of any tragic childhood experiences in his information.
Fugaku's strange dream left Maruhoshi Kosuke completely bewildered. Just as he was considering how to approach the topic, Nawaki, standing nearby, provided the answer first.

"Don't even think about it, you're no match for the rich big brother."

Uchiha Fuyu, a true genius of the Uchiha clan, though stationed in the Land of Waves for extended periods due to missions, occasionally returned to Konoha to pay respects to his ancestors.
His handsome appearance, gentle personality, and extravagant spending immediately won over the hearts of Sheng Shu and the others, who willingly acknowledged him as their elder brother.

"Hmph! Fortune changes every thirty years, don't underestimate the young."

Seeing Nawaki's disdainful expression, Fugaku's face turned red with anger, and he immediately began to hurl threats. Mikoto, sensing something amiss with his words, immediately interrupted him.

"Shh! Young Master Fugaku, have you forgotten Grandpa Gin's instructions? You can't say that!"

"Tsk~!"

Reminded by Mikoto, Fugaku clicked his tongue and didn't bring it up again. However, Maruhoshi Kosuke didn't seem to mind and nodded slightly in agreement.

"That's good. Having a goal to strive for gives us the motivation to move forward. Now that we've gotten to know each other, from this moment on, we're a team. I hope you can all..."

"Akito sack!"

Just as Maruhoshi Kosuke was announcing the official formation of the squad according to regulations, Fugaku suddenly raised his hand to interrupt.
"Fugaku-kun, do you have any other questions?"

Maruhoshi Kosuke still wore that憨厚 (honest and simple) smile.
"We haven't approved of you yet. Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can become our instructor Jonin."

"That's right! We won't entrust ourselves to an unreliable captain."

Fugaku and Nawaki's back-and-forth banter almost explicitly indicated their disdain for the unremarkable Maruhoshi Kosuke.
"Mikoto, is that what you think too?"

Maruboshi Kosuke didn't respond; instead, he turned his gaze to Uchiha Mikoto, who remained silent to the side.
"Senior, the choice is a two-way street. We hope you can demonstrate the strength that will convince us."

"Sigh, kids are such a hassle. I told you long ago I didn't want to do it anymore. The Hokage is really something."

Scratching his head helplessly, Maruhoshi Kosuke had long anticipated that his journey as a team leader would not be smooth sailing, but he never expected things to go wrong right from the start.

"I understand. See you at the training ground west of the village at 8 PM tonight."

Since these kids wanted to test him, hiding anything would only backfire. After simply setting a time and place, Maruhoshi Kosuke left the classroom without looking back.

“Young Master Fugaku, aren’t we going a bit too far? After all, he is the Jonin instructor appointed by the village.”

Once only the three of them remained in the classroom, Mikoto, her brows furrowed, spoke. Fugaku, upon hearing this, pursed his lips, finding it rare that he shared Nawaki's opinion.

"If he really has real talent, it's not too late for us to apologize to him then."

"That's right, that's right! I'm afraid he's just a pretty face that'll collapse at the slightest push."

Inside the principal's office of Konoha Ninja Academy
Maruhoshi Kosuke, who had just left, stood respectfully before Sarutobi Hiruzen, recounting exactly what had happened in the classroom.

"Kosuke, these kids are indeed a bit troublesome. You'll have to work hard from now on."

After listening to Maruhoshi Kosuke's account, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of his pipe and spoke with a gentle expression.

"I don't really care. It's just normal rebellious behavior from kids." Maruhoshi Kosuke shrugged. Don't let his honest appearance fool you; as a child, he was a little pervert who tried to peep into the women's bathhouse using his position.
"Those few, especially Fugaku Uchiha and Nawaki Senju, these two children are crucial to the stability and development of the village, you must keep a close eye on them!"

"Mission accomplished!"

After all, their opponent was a Jonin, so Fugaku and the others, not daring to underestimate him, first went home to rest and recuperate. Once they were fully prepared, they were the first to arrive at their familiar training ground.

The training dummies were standing in an empty space. They calculated the time; Minato and the others should still be on their way. So they rolled up their sleeves and went to find the dummies to warm up.

"Phew, I feel like my Chidori is about to break through."

After a chaotic sparring session, Fugaku, exhausted, collapsed to the ground, thoughtfully looking at his hands, blackened by the smoke of lightning.

If we add shape changes, would Chidori's pinpoint destructive power be even greater?

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Rope Tree, who was lying on the other end, immediately sat up, his eyes full of doubt.
He's used the Rasengan to attack dummies quite a few times, so why hasn't he made any progress?
"Lao Da!"

A crisp voice jolted Fugaku from his exploration of the nascent Chidori Stream. Looking at Minato, whose face clearly showed signs of fatigue, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"You look a bit tired in the Watergate prison?"

Not only Minato, but even the Ino-Shika-Cho trio behind him looked half-dead.

"What happened?"

Seeing this, Rope Tree stood up with a concerned expression and asked,

"Ugh~ Don't even mention it. Our class got a new homeroom teacher, a red-haired, muscular freak. In the first practical lesson, he pulled the four of us out and gave us a good hard training session."

Stretching his aching arms, Shikaku, still quite exhausted from the whirlpool flower arrangement, pouted, his confusion only growing.

"There are so many people in the class, why did that guy pick us out of all people?"

Their seats were carefully selected by him; the probability of them being chosen by the teacher was practically zero.
Mikoto, who was about to go find the dummy, stopped after hearing Shikaku's comment and looked at Fugaku and Nawaki with a strange expression.

Isn't the culprit who betrayed your brother right in front of you?

"Uh"

Feeling guilty, Fugaku and Nawaki didn't dare to meet Shikaku's and the others' eyes at all.
"Oh, that homeroom teacher is really wicked!"

He spoke in support, but his gaze subtly shifted to the side.
Exhausted, Shikaku and the others no longer had the strength to curse Uzumaki Hanamichi, who was being inexplicably targeted. After a long sigh, they instead started asking Fugaku and the others about their graduation.
"Sigh~ Let's not talk about us anymore, Brother Nawaki, didn't you guys already graduate?"

"Right, right, who is your Jonin instructor?"

"Can I borrow your headband?"

"."

Fugaku painstakingly recounted their plan to test Maruboshi Kosuke in return. This incredible maneuver drew admiration and fascination from Minato and the others.
Nara Shikaku, on the other hand, stroked his chin, searching his memory for information about Maruboshi Kosuke.
"Maruboshi Kosuke? I remember he was promoted to Jonin a few years ago and has a very high mission completion rate."

"Newcomer? No wonder he seems so unreliable."

Rope Tree couldn't help but mutter a complaint, perfectly illustrating what it means for prejudice in people's hearts to be a mountain.
Upon hearing this, Shikaku shook his head. Despite his young age, his precocious intelligence was already comparable to that of an adult.

"Brother Nawaki, please don't be careless. This person is a commoner, yet he was able to become a Jonin at such a young age. He must have some unique and extraordinary abilities."

Fugaku, standing to the side, turned his head disdainfully, a chilling red glint flashing in his eyes, which held a hint of ferocity.

"So what if you're a Jonin? Even a veteran Jonin would be at a disadvantage in front of these eyes."

As an Uchiha who had awakened the three-tomoe Sharingan, he certainly had the right to say such things.

"Shua~!"

As soon as Fugaku finished speaking, everyone present felt a blur before their eyes, and suddenly an unfamiliar figure appeared in front of them.

"who is it!?"

The alarms immediately went off, and with lightning speed, Rope Tree grabbed the bewildered Ding Zuo and pulled him back.

The others followed suit, keeping their distance from the uninvited guest.

The newcomer stood still, observing the wary crowd with great interest, a mischievous smile playing on his rugged, honest face.

"Sorry, I just went to buy some groceries, so I'm late."

Holding up a large bag of groceries, Maruhoshi Kosuke, who was a few minutes late, spoke to Fugaku, whose face was stiff.
"Phew, it's you."

Upon seeing that the visitor was Maruboshi Kosuke, Fugaku let out a long sigh of relief, then frowned slightly.

What a fast teleportation technique!
"are you ready?"

After placing the ingredients in the rest area, Maruhoshi Kosuke unslung the longsword from his back, walked into the training ground, and waved to Fugaku and the others.
"I haven't eaten yet, please hurry up."

"Hmph! Who do you think you are?"

Upon hearing this, Fugaku's eyes widened, and he exchanged a glance with Nawaki beside him. The two, who had already developed an exceptionally strong tacit understanding, knew what to do without needing to say a word.
"Eat my punch!"

The thick-skinned Nawaki struck first, his fist, glowing with a ghostly blue light, aimed straight for Maruhoshi Kosuke's face.

"Wow, it's superhuman strength!"

He raised an eyebrow in surprise; he hadn't expected that Nawaki's self-introduction of "great strength" meant superhuman strength.
Maruhoshi Kosuke didn't hold back, but he also didn't overestimate himself. He kept one hand behind his back and the other raised in a gesture of resistance, using only one hand to avoid being accused of bullying a child.
"Oh!"

"You have some strength, but it's very inconsistent. You've just mastered it, haven't you?"

Maruhoshi Kosuke, who blocked Nawaki's powerful punch with one hand, had a nonchalant expression. After only one move, he had already gauged the depth of Nawaki's technique.

"Hehe, now's the time!"

Rope Tree, who was being teased, was not angry. Instead, between his comments, he revealed a smug expression.

"Oh?"

The next second, Maruhoshi Kosuke felt a chill down his spine and instinctively turned his head, only to be met with a pair of scarlet eyes radiating a cold aura.
The continuous flow of ocular power transforms into nourishment for the technique, unleashing genjutsu that even a Jonin might struggle to resist.
A red glint flashed in Maruhoshi Kosuke's eyes, his expression instantly dimmed, and he stood frozen in place, as if he had lost his soul.
"Jonin? Hmph~ Nothing special."

Seeing that he had subdued the Jonin Maruboshi Kosuke using only Sharingan genjutsu, Fugaku wiped the sweat from his brow and let out two smug snorts.
"The idiot rope tree is selling well."

"Haha, even without you, I can handle him."

Rope Tree curled his lip in disdain; he still had many trump cards up his sleeve!
"Alright, stop bragging and let's wake this charlatan up first."

Fugaku shook his head, signaling Nawaki to physically wake up Maruboshi Kosuke, who was hypnotized by his genjutsu, so he could properly mock this mediocre Jonin later.
"give it to me!"

"Wait, Rope Tree!"

As Nawaki watched Asamaru Hoshikosuke throw his fist, Mikoto, who was overseeing the battle, suddenly sensed something was wrong and immediately shouted for the other side's assistant.
However, it was too late; Nawaki's little fist had already slammed heavily into Maruhoshi Kosuke's abdomen.

"what!"

Minato and the others, who had been intently watching the battle from the sidelines, cried out in alarm, instinctively closing their eyes, unwilling to witness the horrific scene.
Besides Dingza

Everyone was watching intently, but he wrinkled his little nose in confusion, looking around in the air as if searching for something.
Where is that hot pot smell coming from? Is anyone camping nearby?

"Pfft!"

To everyone's surprise, instead of the muffled thud of fists landing as they had expected, there was an explosion similar to a water bag bursting. Maruhoshi Kosuke's water-transformed figure crashed to the ground, splashing water up to half a person's height.
Wow~!

"Ptooey! What's going on?"

"It was a water clone; we were tricked."

Nawaki, who had been doused with water, frantically wiped his face, while Fugaku, having discovered the truth, turned ashen-faced.
When was it changed? Where is the original?

While everyone was focused on the training field, in the neglected rest area, two furtive figures were sitting around a large golden pot, feasting on their food.
"Hey Yin-san, where did you buy this hot pot broth? It's really potent!" (End of Chapter)