Valuing Talent

The half-day of instruction passed quickly, at least for Sasuke. A single pointer from a strong ninja can save a ninja from countless detours.

He felt himself slowly getting stronger, and he wished he could have this kind of treatment every day.

As the sun set, Shuichi noticed Sasuke was covered in dirt but still pushing his Lightning Release to its limits, and jokingly interrupted him:

"Wow, that's impressive! As expected of Sasuke, his mastery of Lightning Element surpassed Itachi's in just half a day."

This arrogant kid, thankfully still retaining some semblance of his senses, trembled slightly as if exhausted, and pouted as he complained, "Brother doesn't even need Lightning Element..."

"Haha, I almost forgot, it seems like it's like this!" Shuichi's lips curled into a smile as he pulled his Hokage Hat back onto his head.

That's all for today. Make sure you get some rest when you get home. It's best to balance work and rest when you're practicing spiritual cultivation. Remember to ask your mother to prepare plenty of food.

"Okay..."

The Hokage usually has a lot of things to do, and only Shuichi, who controls the Wood Clone do the work, has a lot of free time.

The Ninja Academy has three semesters a year, each lasting three months, with a one-month vacation during the semester.

The first batch of award recipients consisted of just over 20 students, representing outstanding individuals from all classes in grades four, five, and six.

Within a month, apart from spending about half a day Sasuke on the first day, the children who received guidance afterward were not treated so well. Shuichi would only need to spare some time during his breaks from work to give them pointers for about ten minutes.

Of the remaining people, only Haruno Sakura and Neji Hyuga spent more than an hour with the Lord Hokage.

The Hyuga Clan has its own unique system, which is not very compatible with traditional Ninjutsu styles.

Shuichi taught Neji some chakra control techniques and practical close combat skills, but he'll probably have to rack his brains for new instruction next time.

Haruno Sakura was his main focus of observation. After Shuichi's detailed testing, the little girl was indeed quite talented, with her two most outstanding aspects being her chakra control and intellect.

The Ninja Academy's curriculum is insufficient to unlock her potential. While her knowledge is not the problem, her biggest weakness lies in combat ability and tactics, which puts her at a significant disadvantage compared to children from ninja clans due to her birth background.

This is easy for Shuichi, given his chakra manipulation, Water Release, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu fighting skills.

He quickly instilled a large amount of knowledge into Sakura and agreed to check her cultivation progress next semester, intending to test her abilities using methods common to his lineage...

With no major wars in recent years, and with Konoha's reputation spreading throughout the surrounding countries, the ninjas' missions have been progressing smoothly.

With a low casualty rate and generous monetary rewards, the village's finances are in excellent condition.

With money in hand, there are more things you can do.

Shuichi is a Monopoly doesn't lack money, and as the Hokage, he would never embezzle village income.

After consulting with the two consultants, the Medical Department received more research funding.

Based on the research findings on White Zetsu Cells provided by Tsunade, and with the Hokage's promise, experiments to produce transplantable artificial organs using the First Hokage Cells were officially put on the agenda.

Currently, limb transplantation is quite difficult, and only Tsunade and Shuichi in the village are capable of performing it. The high cost limits its widespread adoption.

Once this technology matures, many wounded ninjas, as long as they are not dead, can be rescued and even continue to serve. As long as proper secrecy measures are taken, it will be a good thing from any perspective.

In addition to increased research investment in various departments, the compensation and subsidy measures for ninjas are becoming increasingly comprehensive.

Outside the central area of Konoha, on a certain street, busy workers were shocked to discover that...

The righteous Lord Hokage, in broad daylight, barged alone into the widow's house... Could it be...?

"Oh, there are also Anbu following them. That's alright then!"

The onlookers, who had been secretly watching the room, were somewhat disappointed as they watched a young woman with medium-length bangs see Shuichi and the Anbu Ninja out.

Fortunately, nothing much must have happened in such a short time, otherwise, people would inevitably have more sensational gossip after dinner.

"Lord Hokage, thank you so much..."

Haruno Mebuki said enthusiastically, "Why don't you stay for lunch? The village's subsidy is really timely for Sakura and me."

"Haha, let's leave it for today. We'll save it for later, when Sakura becomes an excellent ninja."

Shuichi smiled and said, "That child's training intensity has increased recently, so we must make sure his nutrition keeps up."

"The scholarship will be awarded every six months from now on. This is a new policy in the village. Sakura earned these through her own hard work, so please accept them without worry."

Because of the Butterfly Effect caused by his own time travel, Shuichi inevitably feels sympathy for Sakura, who lost her father at a young age.

Although he couldn't be blamed for things beyond his control, helping the Haruno family within his means wouldn't be a problem, and the policy of rewarding underprivileged students at the Ninja Academy would also strengthen the ninjas' sense of belonging—a win-win situation.

Having personally delivered the remaining scholarships to several other institutions and successfully boosted his reputation, the Lord Hokage returned to his office.

Seeing his clones working hard, Shuichi was very satisfied. He waved one of them aside and sat down at his desk.

"I've played through all the game discs on the console multiple times, and playing it again seems a bit boring..."

After resting with his eyes closed for Shuichi suddenly remembered the Third Hokage's ball... no, it was Crystal Ball.

He buried his head between his legs and rummaged around for a while, quickly pulling out the item and placing it on the table. He then channeled chakra to connect to the Konoha Barrier, locking his observational focus on the Ninja Academy area...

Summer has passed and autumn has arrived; the second semester of the Ninja Academy has begun on schedule.

As soon as many students entered the classroom, they focused their attention on the few top students who had received guidance from the Hokage, curious about how they had changed.

"Sakura, what exactly did the Lord Hokage teach you? Tell me!"

Yamanaka Ino tugged at Haruno Sakura's shoulder, tilting her head to the side, determined to get to the bottom of it.

"It's nothing, just some chakra control techniques," Sakura chuckled, recalling earnestly. "And the content is rather complex; there are some parts I don't understand yet, and it takes a lot of effort to comprehend them."

"Tch, you definitely don't want to tell me!" Ino rolled her eyes.

Anyway, I have plenty of time this semester, and I'm sure I can uncover her secret.

"..."

The murmurs only subsided when Iruka-sensei walked in.

Surprisingly, Iruka seemed to have read the students' minds. After introducing the semester's courses, he cleared his throat and said, "Students, please note that considering you will be graduating in just over a year, the number of practical assessments this semester will be increased."

"To better help you improve, the school plans to test your true skill level first. Now assemble on the playground, and we'll begin our combat training immediately!"

After he finished speaking, the students below became excited again. They wondered how much change the Hokage's guidance would bring. Surely they could see some results through combat training.

They were all eager to find out more, and then decide how hard they would work this semester based on that—in short, many students had a lot of internal drama and were skeptical about the cost-effectiveness of the reward.

After all, the guidance period is so short. Trading it for a whole semester of not being playful seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?

... On the playground, Iruka held a battle chart, and the students formed a small circle in the center of the field, and the battle training immediately began.

"Sasuke Uchiha versus Takanashi Chiba!"

Upon hearing the teacher's voice, the two boys stepped out from the crowd.

One person's expression remained unchanged, handsome and aloof.

The other person looked distressed and could only grit their teeth and prepare, hoping not to lose too quickly.

"Start!"

Thump thump...

The sound of fists and feet colliding rang out instantly, and it was over in the next moment. Sasuke only took less than two seconds to pin his opponent to the ground, rendering him unable to move, and he almost swallowed a mouthful of dirt.

"Sasuke is too strong, this matchup doesn't seem to be very effective..." The students watching discussed among themselves.

The Uchiha Clan's geniuses have crushed everyone else; this has happened many times before, and everyone is used to it. It doesn't necessarily mean that the Hokage's guidance is very effective.

"Next match: Haruno Sakura vs. Yamanaka Ino."

"Here she comes! Let's see how Sakura has changed!"

Countless curious gazes focused on the pink-haired girl; four students in her class had received instruction from the Hokage.

Sakura definitely earned her spot through her exam scores; she's never been good at fighting.

Ino is considered a dominant force among the girls, and only Ino, Hyuga Hinata in Taijutsu, can fight her to a standstill.

Will the outcome of this clash between the two most beautiful girls in the class be different from before?

Ino stepped out with a confident smile, "Sakura, I won't hold back. Let's see what changes you've made!"

Upon discovering that her best friend had become one of the first to receive training from the Hokage, she didn't stay idle during her vacation. She secretly asked her father to intensify the training in order to maintain her "suppression" of Sakura.

Of course, Ino would never reveal this, and instead, she went to great lengths to gather information about her rivals as soon as school started.

From this perspective, women, regardless of age, are inherently cunning creatures...

Sakura didn't speak, but simply walked seriously to the center of the field and stood there, her mind replaying her sparring session with Shuichi, the techniques he taught her, and the results of her recent training.

Only after completing the Confrontation Seal and receiving Iruka's command to "begin" did she slightly bow, step aside, and raise her hands to assume a fighting stance.

The two girls faced off for about a moment, only shifting their feet slightly to the side.

Seeing that her opponent wasn't in a hurry, Ino couldn't hold back any longer. Ino figured that her opponent already knew her moves, so she accelerated and rushed over with small, quick steps. When they were close, she aimed and threw a sharp left hook.

Snap!

Who would have thought that Sakura was a completely different person? Using her back foot as a pivot, she suddenly sidestepped back, completely unhurried.

After giving way, he quickly lowered his center of gravity and easily grabbed Ino's fist with one hand.

Without giving her opponent time to adjust, she suddenly pressed down with her hand, twisting Ino's arm painfully.

In the blink of an eye, before the other person could break free, Sakura forcefully swung the hand to the side.

She firmly grasped the initiative she had created, and the momentum of her force left Ino no time to adjust.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Sakura leaped close, her slender shoulder slamming into the other's small chest with a loud thud.

Ino felt a sharp pain in her body, and as she stepped back, she tripped and lost her balance, falling to the ground.

Sakura pressed on relentlessly, quickly closing the distance and pinning Ino down by her waist. She then straddled Ino's back, twisting her arms around Ino's to completely immobilize her.

"This..."

"Hiss!"

Even Iruka, who was watching, was astonished, let alone the other students; the battle was completely one-sided.

Sakura, who has always been at a disadvantage, achieved an unbelievable victory in her first match of the semester, against a formidable opponent who had previously suppressed her.

Wow, Sakura has become so amazing!

"Yeah! Last semester he couldn't beat Ino at all, but now it's the other way around."

"This is absolutely a transformative change..."

Sasuke was observing intently, also became a little serious. Although the battle was short, he had discerned quite a bit.

Haruno Sakura's agility and movement frequency are much faster than before, and her moves have become more methodical.

The key is that his punches and kicks are enhanced with chakra, greatly increasing his physical strength, which allows him to steadily catch Ino's punch on the first strike.

With so many factors combined, it's not surprising that the battle turned out to be one-sided.

Maintaining a steady and even flow of chakra during battle is something even he struggles with now, yet this girl's chakra control is far superior to his own?

"He truly lives up to my expectations as an opponent; it seems I can't let my guard down in training."

Sasuke stared intently at the cute girl, his mind filled with simulations of their battle.

Sakura's Shurikenjutsu is practical and unpretentious, and when combined with powerful punches and kicks, it becomes even more threatening. If he didn't use Ninjutsu, he might not be able to win easily.

Excellent chakra control is closely related to the speed of learning Ninjutsu, which means that as long as the opponent has the resources, they can master Nature Transformation in a shorter time, making them a formidable opponent in the future.

"The winner, Haruno Sakura, Seal of Reconciliation."

"Heh, that chest strike..."

The Crystal Ball image shows Ino dragging Sakura out for interrogation, Shuichi strange smile, recalling the size of the two in the original work...

He quickly dismissed the thought and immediately resumed his serious expression, after all, the Hokage's persona couldn't be ruined.

Shifting his gaze to the straight- Sasuke's face, Shuichi could easily guess what the kid was thinking.

However, aside from the idiot Obito, women in the Uchiha Clan only slow down the awakening of their Sharingan. Pressure and competitors are a good thing.

In just one match, all the students present truly felt the weight of the Hokage's guidance, and many of them planned to work harder this semester.

Aside from Shikamaru muttering "Women are terrifying," Naruto's expression was the most interesting.

The Butterfly Effect didn't stop him from becoming a die-hard Sakura fan. Originally, Sakura was just someone who was good at studying and cute.

But now the other person has become a top student admired by everyone, while he is just a mediocre student with no special talents. The gap between them seems to have widened suddenly.

"Hateful..."

Naruto clenched his fists, remembering the Hokage's guidance, something he hadn't previously taken to heart.

Because the Third Hokage didn't seem like anything special back then.

Also because he repeatedly boasted that he wanted to become Hokage,

Furthermore, because he consistently ranked at the bottom academically and occasionally skipped classes to play, the title of "outstanding student" seemed to be completely out of reach for him.

But reality told him that this was an opportunity to find love and transform himself.

If he doesn't take the initiative to change, he will fall further and further behind others, especially his "arch-enemy" Sasuke...