After Two and a Half Years of Studying, I'm Actually Becoming a Teacher?!

"What? Uncle Third, you want me to manage the Ninja Academy for a while? You want me to be the principal?" Liuxia's voice carried a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

The Third Hokage smiled slightly, the light of wisdom flickering in his eyes as his fingers tapped gently against his pipe. "No, Liuxia, not as principal. I simply feel the Ninja Academy needs a touch of rejuvenation. Where the leaves of Konoha dance, fire ignites. The firelight will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. The academy needs youthful perspectives as well." As he spoke, the Third Hokage lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thin wisp of smoke. "Besides, you completed your mission during the last Chunin Exams perfectly; the surrounding countries that were once wavering have now firmly stood on our side."

Liuxia paused for a moment, then offered a wry smile. "Youthful perspectives? Please, Uncle Third, I've only been practicing—er, I mean, I've only been studying for two and a half years. When it comes to education and management, I'm completely clueless."

The Third Hokage patted Liuxia's shoulder gently, encouraging him. "Liuxia, don't underestimate yourself. Your wisdom, courage, and leadership are exactly what the Ninja Academy needs. I believe you can bring new vitality to the school and inspire the potential of the young ninjas. In short, I leave it all to you. Your task force is still being arranged, so just take charge of the academy for a while. It's the perfect chance to motivate your juniors and help them truly feel the Will of Fire. That is your mission."

Liuxia opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say more, but the Third Hokage interrupted him with a firm tone. "There are no 'buts.' Go execute your mission, Chunin Liuxia. Obey the village's arrangements!"

Liuxia nodded helplessly. "Alright, Uncle Third, when should I report?"

"I've already made arrangements over there. You will be responsible for the Will of Fire curriculum for Kushina's class." The Third Hokage's tone carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

"Huh?" Liuxia's mouth fell open in shock.

"What 'huh'? That's it. Go report and prepare well; I'll make sure they give you a certain degree of freedom." The Third Hokage waved his hand, signaling that Liuxia could leave, then took another deep drag of his pipe, lost in his own thoughts.

Liuxia had no choice but to accept the order. Though he felt a bit apprehensive, he also felt a spark of excitement. This isn't just a new challenge, he thought to himself, it's teacher-student and brother-sister dynamics—don't make it too exciting. Plus, I can keep an eye on that brat Minato and see if he has any improper intentions toward my sister. He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and promised firmly, "Yes, Lord Third Hokage, I will do my best to complete the mission!"

The Third Hokage was very satisfied with his arrangement, thinking to himself: At the end of the day, Liuxia is still just a child. Children are always full of potential and need proper guidance. The Will of Fire will influence him and help him grow into a pillar of the village. Having him teach the Will of Fire is a brilliant move—the process of preparing lessons is, in itself, a process of being molded. To prevent him from refusing, I specifically assigned him to Kushina's class; that will give him a greater sense of responsibility and mission.

The more the Third Hokage thought about it, the more he felt like a modern-day Zhuge Liang. He blew away the smoke from his pipe, puffed on it contentedly, and pulled the crystal ball from his drawer, preparing to "inspect" the village to see if it was developing prosperously.

"Boom!"

With a deafening crash, the office door turned into a projectile and flew away. The Third Hokage was just about to lose his temper when he heard Tsunade's familiar voice.

"Old man, we're back! Hey, you're peeping again? Take a break and do some real work, will you!" Seeing the Third Hokage staring at that crystal ball again, Tsunade knew he was conducting his so-called "patrol."

"Old man, what good stuff are you looking at? I told you to teach me that Telescope Technique! You always keep the good stuff to yourself; include me next time." Jiraiya looked excited, while Orochimaru, standing quietly to the side, looked at them speechlessly. What kind of freaks are these? he thought. Experiments are much more fun. I've been on missions for so long, I don't even know how my treasures are doing.

"Cough, cough, cough," the Third Hokage was so irritated by the group that he began to cough. "Tsunade, how many times have I told you to knock! I was patrolling the village! The money to fix that door is coming out of your mission rewards! You'd just lose it gambling anyway."

"I just had a streak of bad luck!" Tsunade was furious. Deducting her money again—what a stingy old man.

The Third Hokage turned to Jiraiya and pushed him away in disgust. "Enough, Jiraiya. I've told you, the Telescope Technique can only be mastered by the Hokage to patrol the village!"

"Tch, stingy old man!" Jiraiya muttered, looking unconvinced.

The Third Hokage looked at his prize pupil, the most well-behaved of the three, Orochimaru. He felt that Orochimaru was the best, though he didn't know that Orochimaru was likely silently roasting him in his heart. "Good, since you're all back, I have something I need to discuss with you."

While the Third Hokage and the future Sannin were plotting in the office, Liuxia had already arrived at the gates of the Ninja Academy with a light step. Looking at the gate that had witnessed his growth for two and a half years, a surge of uncontrollable excitement welled up in him, and he couldn't help but want to perform a self-created singing and dancing R-ninjutsu.

However, it was past the arrival time, and the campus was quiet, save for the occasional birdcall. Just as Liuxia was about to push the gate open, he heard a shout.

"Hey, little student, come here." Liuxia turned to see the old ninja who had been guarding the gate for years. It was said that he had been here since the founding of Konoha, silently guarding this entrance. Later, when the Second Hokage established the Ninja Academy, he was assigned to guard the school gate, and he had been doing so for countless springs and autumns.

"Grandpa Gatekeeper, what's the matter?" Liuxia walked over with a hint of confusion.

"Little student, you're late. Come over and register your name." The old ninja's voice was raspy but carried an unquestionable seriousness.

"Grandpa, it's me, Liuxia! Don't you recognize me?" Liuxia was caught between laughter and tears; he was a celebrity in the village, yet he was being treated like a tardy student.

"Liu what?" The old ninja frowned, clearly unfamiliar with Liuxia's name.

"Liuxia!" Liuxia raised his voice, hoping the old man would hear him clearly this time.

"What-xia?!" The old ninja still didn't seem to understand, looking completely bewildered.

Liuxia sighed helplessly, secretly amused that his fame hadn't reached the old man. He leaned down, moved close to the old ninja's ear, and said word by word, "Grandpa, it's me, Liuxia! I graduated a while ago, and I even said goodbye to you!"

The old ninja blinked, seemingly struggling to remember, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh, Nawaki! You already graduated, what are you doing here? You're not allowed in after graduation!"

Clearly, the old ninja still hadn't remembered Liuxia and had confused him with Nawaki. Liuxia was about to explain when he heard a familiar voice. "Liuxia, you're here. Why aren't you going in? I thought the Third Hokage hadn't told you yet." The academy administrator walked out and saw Liuxia talking to the gatekeeper.

Liuxia turned around and smiled at the administrator. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just chatting with the old man. Let's go in."

"Alright!"

The old ninja finally smiled. Although he hadn't fully grasped the situation, seeing the interaction between Liuxia and the administrator put him at ease, and he went back to his rocking chair.

The administrator walked with Liuxia through the familiar campus, passing the training grounds and classrooms he had stepped into countless times, each spot filled with memories. Finally, they arrived at an area Liuxia had never entered: the administrative wing. It was quiet and solemn, a stark contrast to his usual school life. As a good student, Liuxia had never been here, though Nawaki would surely have been familiar with it. Just as he was feeling curious, he heard the administrator finish his briefing and quickly tried to look serious.

Just as Liuxia was immersed in his curiosity about the new environment, the administrator's words interrupted his thoughts. "In short, you will be in charge of two classes, primarily teaching the Will of Fire. This is your office, and the teaching materials are all here. Come on, I'll take you to meet the students."

Hearing that he was going to meet the students, a surge of uncontrollable excitement welled up in Liuxia. He imagined the expressions on Kushina's and the other students' faces when they saw him as their temporary teacher, and he couldn't help but smile in anticipation.

"Alright, sir. I can't wait to meet them." Liuxia's voice was full of enthusiasm and vitality.

The administrator nodded, seemingly satisfied with Liuxia's attitude. "Very good. I believe you can inspire the students' potential and help them better understand the Will of Fire."

They walked down the hallway and arrived at the classroom door. The administrator knocked gently, pushed it open, and introduced him to the students: "Class, this is your new teacher, Liuxia. He will be in charge of your upcoming lessons."

Liuxia walked into the classroom, his gaze sweeping over the young faces, their eyes filled with curiosity and expectation. When his eyes met Kushina's, he saw the surprise and joy in hers.