Teach Us

Early in the morning, before Shen Ye had even opened his eyes, shouts rang out from outside.

"Shen Ye, the sun's already up, and you're still in bed!"

"Yeah, Shen Ye! We're all waiting for you, so hurry up!"

Shen Ye rubbed his eyes. Having his sweet dream interrupted out of nowhere put him in a terrible mood, but all his good friends were outside, so he couldn't take it out on them.

After a quick wash and getting dressed, Shen Ye went outside.

"What are you guys doing here so early?"

"The Ninja Academy is closed today, so we thought we'd ask you to come train with us."

Shen Ye gave the two of them an exasperated look.

"I give up. If you're determined to get beaten up by me, then fine. I'll give you what you want."

He stretched and headed toward the training ground. Shikaku and Minato exchanged a glance, shrugged, and followed him.

Before they'd even met up with Shen Ye, the two of them had agreed that no matter how badly they got beaten today, they'd make sure to learn as much from him as they could.

As a good friend, Minato hadn't hidden from Shikaku that he was learning the Flying Thunder God Technique.

The two of them had even planned to use this chance to get as much training out of Shen Ye as possible and make real progress.

Before long, the three of them reached the training ground. It was already packed, and finding a place with enough room to train was difficult.

"Shen Ye, over here!"

Akimichi Choza waved from a distance. A huge open space bordered by trees surrounded him.

"So the three of you planned this out in advance."

"Heh, a chance like this doesn't come often. Of course we have to make the most of it."

Minato scratched his head sheepishly. He'd already had a taste of how much training could improve his jutsu, so he valued this opportunity all the more.

As the three of them walked toward Choza, they suddenly punched him in his large belly.

Choza didn't even have time to react before the force passed through his body.

He hadn't moved an inch, yet he suddenly couldn't muster any strength at all. It was as if every chakra pathway in his body had been blocked.

"What just happened? There was so much force, yet not a sound."

"Now I understand how Shen Ye can beat Genin so easily."

Shikaku and Minato looked on with longing, each imagining how long it would take them to reach that level.

A few breaths later, Choza suddenly realized he could move again.

Still astonished, he quickly flexed his arms, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Even the Hyuga Clan's members couldn't control chakra this precisely. It was enough to show just how terrifying Shen Ye's strength was.

"Since you trust me so much, I'll teach you a little jutsu."

Shen Ye rolled his neck and walked over to Shikaku. Leaning close, he whispered a couple of things in his ear.

Shikaku's expression changed from shock to delight. Without saying anything to the others, he ran straight into the forest to begin his day of training.

Seeing the envy on Choza's and Minato's faces, Shen Ye smiled and went over to Choza.

"I don't know much about your clan's jutsu, so all I can do is help you control your techniques more precisely."

"That's more than enough. The Akimichi Clan's jutsu all depend on precise chakra control."

Shen Ye placed a hand on Choza, channeling a fine flow of chakra into him.

Gradually, Choza noticed a change in his body. He sat down nearby and continued to focus on the sensation by himself.

"Shen Ye, am I next? I can't wait any longer."

"Not you. You should focus on mastering the Flying Thunder God Technique first."

Minato looked a little disappointed, but obediently headed into the woods to start his day of training.

The forest was a much better place to train than the Ninja Academy. It let them experience real combat more vividly and adapt faster to the battlefield, where life and death hung in the balance.

Watching the people around him flail about, Shen Ye felt bored.

Just then, Jiraiya appeared in front of him. Shen Ye's eyes shifted, and an amusing plan immediately came to mind.

"Hey, Jiraiya, want to play a game?"

"A game? What kind?"

"Just a simple game of tag. If you catch me, I'll give you all the money I have and let you go on a drinking spree."

Jiraiya had been about to turn him down, but the moment he heard "drinking spree," he perked up and eagerly agreed.

Shen Ye grinned, pushed off the ground, and sprinted away, leaving Jiraiya staring after him in astonishment.

He hadn't expected Shen Ye to take off so quickly. By the time he looked again, Shen Ye had vanished from the training ground.

"That kid can really run."

Jiraiya stretched his limbs and leisurely set off after him. A chase was a long game, and he wasn't in a hurry.

Gradually, the scenery in Jiraiya's field of vision changed completely. The houses grew sparse, replaced by one forest after another.

Shen Ye stood atop a towering tree and looked behind him, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen.

"Why's he so slow? Looks like he isn't taking this chase seriously."

"Why are you standing around, Shen Ye? I'm right in front of you."

Shen Ye frowned. Jiraiya's voice had come from behind him, yet he hadn't seen Jiraiya catch up along the way.

"Fine, you win this round. But I don't have a single coin on me, so the bet's settled."

Shen Ye shrugged casually. He'd already figured out how to handle things the moment he saw Jiraiya, so losing the game didn't matter.

Jiraiya's lips curled into a grimace as he could only curse Shen Ye for being shameless in his heart.

Suddenly, the wind howled around them. They looked at each other and instinctively moved closer.

"Judging by that noise, whoever it is sounds like trouble."

"Maybe it's the person you've been looking for all along. Think you can take him down?"

"Don't get in the way, kid."

With that, Jiraiya pushed off the tree and shot away in a blur, disappearing into the forest and leaving Shen Ye standing alone.