Children Must Be Won Over Through Their Mothers

"Teacher Toji... he's so gentle."

It took Matsumoto Kazuka a while to come back to herself before she softly replied, "Yes, Teacher. Her name is Little White."

Toji smiled faintly. "All things in the world ultimately tend toward a balance of yin and yang. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures, yet she likes clinging to you. That means... Kazuka, hot blood flows through your veins. You're a very warm person."

He played with the white snake a little longer before handing her back to Matsumoto Kazuka. "That's also why I chose you as class leader. A person with warmth in their heart cannot be a bad person."

"My students may lack talent as shinobi, but they must be good people."

"Teacher Toji..." Matsumoto Kazuka's eyes reddened slightly.

In all her life, this was the first time someone had praised her so generously.

Others only saw that she kept snakes for company, then whispered among themselves that she was cold, ominous, and a freak. No one had ever, like him, told her in such a gentle yet resolute tone—you are very warm.

Respect, along with an almost devout longing, quietly planted a seed in her heart.

At that moment, she wanted to become someone as warm as Toji.

Toji said nothing more and lowered his head to flip through the homework he had collected, page by page.

What profound insights could children around ten years old possibly write about the Three Medical Principles?

He did not actually care about the contents.

He was merely using it as an excuse to be a teacher who praised his students and create more natural opportunities to interact with Matsumoto Kazuka. Her future child would be a rare genius in the Shinobi World...

And children had to be won over through their mothers.

"Very well written, Kazuka." Toji closed her workbook. "I was right about you. You have your own unique understanding of the principles. Your enrollment file says your shinobi talent is average, but you have a strong desire to explore Ninjutsu Science."

Kazuka restrained the moisture in her eyes and returned to her usual cool demeanor, lowering her head somewhat bashfully. "Yes, I'm not very good at ninjutsu..."

"No, I don't care whether my students have talent for ninjutsu."

Toji's tone was earnest. "Everyone has a field they excel in, a place where they can shine. What I want to ask is, why are you so fascinated by Ninjutsu Science?"

"Because... I simply like it?" Matsumoto Kazuka answered uncertainly.

"My talent for ninjutsu isn't good, so I wanted to develop ninjutsu that I could learn too. And because of Little White, I was often bullied by older children before. So I wanted to learn Medical Ninjutsu well. That way, even if I couldn't beat them, I could quickly heal myself."

"..."

After hearing that, Toji felt little stir in his heart.

He only thought that one reason Orochimaru had launched the Konoha Crush Plan might have been related to his mother's childhood experiences with bullying.

The Shinobi World was just such a place, filled with bullying.

Konoha had its own share of troublesome people as well.

From civilian children to princesses of shinobi clans, almost everyone had suffered something similar. People here assumed that only the strong deserved respect and followed the law of the jungle.

That was precisely why his "gentleness" seemed so precious.

There was no telling yet how much talent Matsumoto Kazuka had for "science." Still, her original motivation for pursuing "scientific exploration" lacked some depth compared with Orochimaru's obsessive pursuit of truth.

"I see. I understand now."

Toji looked gentle, but his tone was especially serious. "Matsumoto Kazuka, I do not pity you. Pity is an insult to the strong. And in you, I see the qualities needed to become strong."

"I specialize in Medical Ninjutsu, but I also have some insights of my own into ninjutsu development. Kazuka, would you become my disciple?"

"I've always been your disciple, Teacher..."

"I mean not merely as a disciple in the Medical Corps. I mean that after graduation, you would still be assigned under me and participate in my research projects."

"Of course, that might not be fair to you. Graduation is still far away, and during that time, you may encounter shinobi more outstanding than me. I myself am not skilled in elemental techniques. You can go back and think it over before making your choice."

"No!"

Matsumoto Kazuka said firmly, "I'm willing to become your disciple. In my heart, there is no teacher more outstanding than Teacher Toji."

Toji smiled gently and raised a hand to remove his plain glasses.

Under Matsumoto Kazuka's blank stare, he gently placed them on the bridge of her nose.

"This is the first gift from your teacher. Wear them, and those who used to bully you will no longer dare look down on you."

Matsumoto Kazuka ran her fingertips over the temple arms, which still retained his warmth, her voice trembling slightly. "Thank you, Teacher Toji."

"I don't like excessive sentimentality. Between teacher and disciple, we should prove each other's significance through our actions."

As he spoke, Toji rose and took a notebook from the bookshelf behind him. "I will demand the strictest standards from my disciples. That goes for the Medical Corps and for Ninjutsu Science as well."

"This records one of my core research projects. Starting today, you will study and comprehend it every day. I will assess you regularly, until you are qualified to officially participate in research with me."

Toji paused, his tone filled with inexplicable emotion.

"The subject of this research is—the Curse Mark."

Curse Marks had a very long history in the Shinobi World.

However, there were exceedingly few varieties. Basically, only major shinobi clans had related research, and their results were regarded as secrets never passed on to outsiders.

Curse Marks were broadly divided into two types: Binding Curse Marks and Sage Transformation Curse Marks.

Yet regardless of which type, the one who truly developed them to their fullest was the later Orochimaru.

Toji's research into Curse Marks had progressed extremely slowly, and the results he had achieved were limited.

This thing was probably like mathematics. If you could not do it, you could not do it. Without talent, it was impossible. Even piling up time with a long lifespan might not yield results.

Taking Matsumoto Kazuka as his disciple was, beyond showing the Senju brothers his ties to the village, more an act of planting a willow without intending to enjoy its shade.

After all, she was the future mother of Orochimaru.

What if she was the true source of Orochimaru's talent for developing Curse Marks?

It was shameful for a mentor to steal a student's achievements, but a disciple filled with admiration for her teacher would most likely willingly offer up her research results with both hands in hopes of earning recognition.

And all he needed to do was smile and watch it happen.

The Binding Curse Mark would let him work without restraint on his experiments involving Uchiha Yan; the Sage Transformation Curse Mark would greatly increase his strength.

Either one would do.

On the road back from Gospel Hospital to the Ninja Academy, quite a few "acquaintances" who had once bullied Matsumoto Kazuka approached them. Someone was about to step forward and start trouble, only for a companion to grab him and quietly warn, "Look at her glasses."

The plain glasses reflected a faint gleam in the evening light. Several faces changed at once as they began whispering among themselves.

"Why is she wearing Lord Toji's glasses?"

One of them grew a little flustered. "How about... we buy her a gift and apologize?"

"Tch, what are you afraid of? Does she dare retaliate against us?"

"What if she tells Lord Toji bad things about us, and the hospital refuses to treat our injuries later?"

Doctors were people one could never afford to offend.

Not if they did not want to be left without recourse when they were injured.

"Lord Toji won't treat patients differently. But I heard she's already joined the Medical Corps. What if she becomes a doctor too someday..."

"Right, right, right! Lord Toji definitely won't do anything to us. But that cold-blooded freak Matsumoto Kazuka will definitely take revenge on us at the hospital."

"Stop talking. Let's go apologize to her instead."