Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.

Who knows, the next one might be a genius.

Who knows, the next manuscript might be a masterpiece that will shake the ninja world.

But thirty years have passed, and his passion has long since faded.

Over the past thirty years, Masashi Kishimoto has seen too many young people who dream of becoming famous overnight with a single book.

One by one, people walked in carrying thick manuscripts, their eyes shining, saying, "This is what I poured my heart and soul into writing. It's bound to be a hit. You'll see for yourself when you see it."

Then he looked at it.

The results of it?

That's utter nonsense.

The logic is chaotic, the writing is immature, the plot is clichéd, the characters are flat, and some sentences are even incoherent.

When Kishimoto Masashi refused to accept the book, those people immediately turned hostile, saying that he was blind and didn't understand literature at all, and that his book would definitely be a hit in the future, and that he would regret it later.

At first he would try to explain, but later he simply stopped trying.

He's an editor; he's read more books than the average person has ever read. He can tell what's good and what's trash at a glance.

At this moment, Masashi Kishimoto was flipping through the manuscript in his hand, but he didn't really have any expectations.

Young people, in their early twenties, what good stuff can they write?

Literature is different from being a ninja.

As a ninja, you might become a Chunin at six years old and a Jonin at thirteen, like Kakashi Hatake; or you might become Hokage in your early twenties, like Minato Namikaze, and become famous throughout the world.

But literature is different; literature requires accumulation.

Without more than a decade of reading experience and a solid foundation in writing, one cannot produce good writing.

Masashi Kishimoto flipped through the pages as he thought about it.

His movements slowed down.

His brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze became focused.

Ok?

This story...

The main character of this book is named Enjo Touma.

He was originally the young patriarch of a large clan. He was exceptionally talented from a young age and was a well-known child prodigy in several nearby towns. He became a Jonin at the age of ten and was full of vigor. Everyone said that he was the future hope of the clan.

But an unexpected change occurred; his strength suddenly began to decline, getting worse day by day and month by month, until he was forced to regress to the level of a genin.

Those in his family who had once flattered him gradually distanced themselves, while those who had once groveled before him began to whisper behind his back, mocking, coldly eyeing, and ostracizing him.

When he was fifteen, his fiancée, with whom he had been betrothed since childhood, came to visit him.

Upon reading this, Masashi Kishimoto sat up straight.

He swore he hadn't read such a captivating novel in a long time.

This beginning, this setting, this turning point.

Masashi Kishimoto couldn't wait to flip through the pages, eager to know what would happen next. Would the protagonist be crushed? Would he rise up in retaliation? Was the woman he had been betrothed to since childhood here to fulfill the engagement, or did she have other motives?

He turned to the next page.

Gone.

Masashi Kishimoto paused for a moment, then turned a few more pages.

Really gone.

He raised his head and looked at Qiu Shui, his eyes filled with a complex emotion.

What's going on?

Why did it have to stop happening now, whether it was early in the morning or late in the evening?

It left him feeling uneasy and conflicted.

Qiu Shui noticed his expression and felt a little unsure.

Although the world is relatively culturally barren, his novels are not the kind that are very explicit or violent. In addition, since it was his first time writing a novel, he didn't know if he could catch the editor's eye.

"How is it?" Qiu Shui asked tentatively, "Does it meet the standards for publication?"

Masashi Kishimoto was silent for two seconds, then smiled and said enthusiastically, "Your novel is very well written, and it fully meets our publisher's publishing standards."

Qiu Shui breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, we'll discuss the contract.

Masashi Kishimoto took out a blank contract from his drawer and began discussing the details with Akisui: how many words needed to be written each month, how copyright profits would be divided, and how promotional resources would be allocated.

"Established literary masters like Jiraiya can receive 20% of the royalties," Masashi Kishimoto explained. "But as a newcomer publishing your first book, you can only receive 10%."

He paused, then added, "This is the industry standard; all newcomers go through this process."

Qiu Shui nodded without any dissatisfaction. After all, the trope of supporting characters and passersby being overwhelmed by the protagonist's domineering aura was outdated.

Before leaving, Kishimoto Masashi asked him to leave a pen name. Shusui thought for a moment and, instead of using his real name like Jiraiya, wrote down the words "sleep until you wake up naturally".

Tuesday morning at 8:55.

Unlike usual, Qiu Shui didn't arrive at the classroom right on time. At 8:55, he appeared at the door, followed by Fujino Daikuma from the same office.

The two walked into the classroom one after the other.

The proctors for the ninja school exams are randomly assigned. To prevent teachers from covering up for students cheating, two teachers are assigned to proctor each exam. Today, the first exam for Class 1 of the fourth grade is proctored by Akisui and Fujino Daikuma.

"Teacher Qiushui!"

As soon as Qiu Shui entered the classroom, a chorus of greetings rang out, and he responded with a smile and a nod to each one.

Koji Murata followed behind Akisui, silently watching this scene. A deep sense of envy appeared in his eyes. He had also been a teacher in Class 1 of the fourth grade before. Back then, when he walked into the classroom, the students would go about their business as usual, and few of them would look up at him, let alone take the initiative to greet him.

But now?

As soon as Qiu Shui entered the door, it was like a celebrity making an entrance.

Koji Murata sighed inwardly. Comparisons are odious, and he could only silently walk to the corner next to the podium and stand there.

Qiu Shui walked to the podium, placed his hands on either side of the lectern, and scanned the class as he announced, "The exam is about to begin. Check your pens one last time. You can leave the questions you don't know for now. Finish the questions you know first and try not to leave any blanks. If you really don't know the answer, write a few words on it. You might be able to guess one or two points. After you finish, check carefully and make sure there are no problems before handing in your paper."

Qiu Shui's face turned serious. He said, "Whispering is forbidden. Any cheating is strictly prohibited. Anyone caught doing so will receive a zero. Do you all understand?"

"Understood!"

The whole class answered in unison.

Naruto Uzumaki took a deep breath, clenched his fists and placed them on his knees, his face showing an unprecedentedly serious expression.

I must do well on the exam today.

You must be 100% serious.

If we were to ask who in the entire class least wanted Teacher Qiushui to be punished, it would undoubtedly be him.

Although he still hasn't made many friends, at least his classmates don't dislike him like before, his teachers don't ignore him like they used to, he can still eat hot meals every day, and he has someone to keep him company.

Hinata Hyuga lowered her head slightly, her hands clasped on the table, her eyelashes fluttering gently.