Teach Us

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

"Shen Ye, the sun is already hitting your backside and you're still not up!"

"That's right, Shen Ye, we're all waiting for you alone. Hurry up and get out here!"

Shen Ye rubbed his eyes; having his sweet dream interrupted for no reason put him in a terrible mood, but since his good friends were the ones outside, he couldn't really lash out.

After tidying up briefly, Shen Ye put on his clothes and stepped outside.

"What are you few doing running over here so early?"

"The Ninja Academy is closed today, so we wanted to call you to the training ground to practice."

Shen Ye rolled his eyes at the two of them in resignation.

"I really have to hand it to you two. Since you insist on being slaughtered by me, I'll satisfy you."

Stretching his limbs, Shen Ye headed toward the training ground, while Shikaku and Namikaze Minato exchanged a glance, shrugged, and followed behind.

Before meeting Shen Ye, the two had already agreed that no matter what kind of brutal beating they faced today, they would learn as much as they could from him.

As a good friend, Namikaze Minato had not hidden the fact that he was learning the Flying Thunder God technique from Shikaku.

The two had even calculated in their hearts that they would take this opportunity to squeeze Shen Ye for all he was worth and make significant progress.

Before long, the three arrived at the training ground, which was already packed; finding a spot large enough to train was quite difficult.

"Shen Ye, over here!"

Akimichi Choza waved from afar, surrounded by a large open space adjacent to a forest.

"So the three of you planned this out early this morning."

"Hehe, an opportunity like this is rare, so of course we need to cherish it."

Namikaze Minato scratched his head sheepishly, but having tasted the sweetness of improving his ninjutsu, he cherished it all the more.

The three walked slowly toward Akimichi Choza, and without warning, Shen Ye threw a punch at Choza's fat belly.

Before the latter could react, the force had already penetrated his body.

Although Akimichi Choza didn't move an inch, he found himself unable to muster any strength, as if his entire meridian system had been sealed.

"What just happened? Such immense power, yet there wasn't even a sound."

"I finally understand why Shen Ye can defeat genin so easily."

Longing filled the eyes of both Shikaku and Namikaze Minato as they fantasized about when they might reach such a level themselves.

After a few breaths, Akimichi Choza suddenly felt his body regain its mobility.

Surprised, he hurriedly moved his arms, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Such precise control of chakra was something even the members of the Hyuga Clan couldn't achieve, which was enough to show just how terrifying Shen Ye's strength truly was.

"Since you trust me so much, I'll impart a little bit of ninjutsu to you."

Shen Ye rolled his neck and walked over to Shikaku, whispering a few words into his ear.

Shikaku's expression shifted from shock to joy, and without acknowledging the others, he rushed straight into the forest to begin his day of training.

Seeing the envy on the faces of Akimichi Choza and Namikaze Minato, Shen Ye smiled and walked over to Akimichi Choza.

"I don't know much about your clan's ninjutsu, so I can only help you control your techniques with more subtlety."

"That is already enough. All the ninjutsu of the Akimichi Clan stems from the exquisite control of chakra."

Shen Ye placed his hand on Akimichi Choza, and a subtle flow of chakra transferred into him.

Gradually, Akimichi Choza sensed the changes in his body, then sat down alone to continue contemplating it.

"Shen Ye, is it my turn next? I can't wait."

"You should forget about it; you'd better focus on mastering the Flying Thunder God technique first."

Namikaze Minato was a bit disappointed, but he obediently walked into the forest to begin his day of training.

Compared to the Ninja Academy, this place was much better suited for cultivation, allowing for a more authentic experience of real combat and faster adaptation to the life-and-death battlefield.

Watching the others moving about haphazardly, Shen Ye felt a sense of boredom.

Just then, Jiraiya appeared before him, and as Shen Ye's eyes darted around, an interesting plan formed in his mind.

"Brother Jiraiya, how about we play a game?"

"A game? What kind of game?"

"Just a simple game of tag. If you can catch me, I'll give you all the money I have so you can go out and paint the town red."

Jiraiya, who had initially intended to refuse, became interested the moment he heard the words "paint the town red," and he nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Shen Ye chuckled, pushed off the ground, and turned to run, leaving a stunned Jiraiya standing in place.

He hadn't expected this guy to get into character so instantly, and when he looked for Shen Ye again, his figure had already vanished from the training ground.

"This guy sure runs fast."

Loosening his joints, Jiraiya began to pursue him at a leisurely pace; a chase was a long process, and Jiraiya was in no rush.

Gradually, the scene within Jiraiya's field of vision underwent a heaven-turning, earth-shattering transformation; the surrounding houses grew sparse, replaced by stretch after stretch of forest.

Shen Ye stood atop a tree trunk that pierced the clouds, turning his head to look behind him, yet he did not discover Jiraiya's figure.

How is this guy so slow? It seems he didn't take this chase seriously at all.

"Shen Ye, what are you hesitating for here? I'm already right in front of you."

Shen Ye furrowed his brows. Jiraiya's voice had actually appeared behind him, yet he hadn't seen him catch up at all along the way.

"I'll count this round as your win, but I don't have a single gold coin on me, so the wager is already settled."

Shen Ye shrugged nonchalantly. He had already thought of every possible response the moment he saw Jiraiya, so it didn't matter even if he lost the race.

Jiraiya curled his lips, able only to curse Shen Ye's shamelessness in his heart.

Suddenly, the wind whistled and the trees swayed; the two exchanged a glance and instinctively moved closer to one another.

"Judging by the commotion, it sounds like an opponent not to be trifled with."

"Perhaps it's the very guy you've been searching for all along. Do you have the confidence to take that guy down?"

"Don't drag me down, kid."

After saying this, Jiraiya exerted force through his feet and launched himself off the tree trunk, his body flickering and vanishing completely into the jungle, leaving Shen Ye standing alone in place.