Kneeling Down

The two had just left their house and hadn't even walked a hundred meters.

Suddenly, a little boy darted out from the side street, carrying money in his hand, and ran quickly towards the music store.

The old man recognized the little boy; he was the same little boy named Nakamura who had heard him play the instrument three days ago.

He wanted to take the boy as his disciple, but the boy's parents disagreed because his family was poor, and the boy eventually refused.

But now.

The little boy's hurried appearance puzzled the old man, who then asked him a question.

"Nakamura, what's wrong? Why are you running so fast?"

"I'm going to my instrument lesson, I'm afraid I'll be too late if I'm late," the little boy said without turning his head, and ran off as fast as a rabbit.

However, the little boy recognized the old man's voice at this moment. He turned his head and saw the old man's dark face. The little boy was instantly embarrassed.

"Tell me, what exactly happened? Who are you learning an instrument from? I took you on as my apprentice three days ago, and you said your family wouldn't let you learn. Now look at you, running around like a rabbit, learning an instrument from someone else."

The old man spoke with a dark expression, clearly very angry. He was helpless; he had offered to pay for three meals a day to take on a disciple, but no one would come. Now, this little fellow actually wanted to become someone else's disciple.

Such differential treatment infuriated the old man, to the point that his face turned ashen.

"This... this isn't my fault, it's just that Teacher Naruto's music is so beautiful, I've never heard such beautiful music before," the little boy said with admiration in his eyes.

"Teacher Naruto? That sounds amazing! Who is Teacher Naruto?"

The old man was taken aback, somewhat confused, wondering if a master had come to the village.

"It's that boy who rents from your shop, his name is Naruto. He plays music incredibly well, and he even designed a new instrument!" the little boy quickly explained.

"Is that the young man? His music is beautiful. And he even designed a new instrument?" The old man was bewildered by these words, finding it hard to believe.

"Yes, that new instrument is called Ocarina, and it sounds amazing," the little boy said again.

"Impossible! Do you know how difficult it is to create a new musical instrument? How could it be designed so easily? You've definitely been fooled," the old man said with a dark face.

"I wasn't fooled, you'll see in a moment. I'm off now." The little boy ran off in a flash, not wanting to face the old man's stern face any longer.

"Hmph, this little boy doesn't know anything, he's definitely been fooled. How good can the music played by a teenager be?" the old man continued with a dark face.

"Father, it's true. I listened to that music too. It's incredibly beautiful. I've never heard music like that before. It feels like it touches your soul." The old man's son said.

"Striking the heart my ass! What do you know about music? You've studied for ten years and can't even play a single piece properly, yet you talk about striking the heart? Get lost!"

The old man was already furious, and then his own son sided with someone else, which made him even angrier and more furious.

After scolding his son, the old man, as angry as an indignant rooster, headed towards the shop, vowing to expose Naruto's identity as a fraud.

Furthermore, they wanted to drive Naruto away so he could stop lying to Naruto in the village.

Bang!

Ouch!

Another little boy darted out from the side, tripped and fell because he was running too fast, but he didn't care about that and kept running with the money in his hand.

He even muttered to himself as he ran, "I can't be late, I must become Teacher Naruto's apprentice."

The little boy muttered something and ran off, but the old man who had just arrived looked increasingly grim, because he recognized the little boy as well—another boy named Little Tree from three days ago.

But now things are different.

The two children who refused to become his disciples actually took the money and went to become disciples of others. This infuriated him so much that his eyes turned red with anger.

"You despicable liar, I will expose you, I will!"

The old man spoke angrily and strode forward, but stopped when he was almost at the shop.

Because in front of the shop, a large crowd was gathered outside, and many children, accompanied by their parents, were waiting with money in their hands.

Judging from their demeanor, they seem to be preparing to become Naruto's disciples. Moreover, there's a child among them who used to be his student but gave up because he said he couldn't learn music. But now, they've all come here.

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry! These damn bastards actually came here to become my apprentices. Just wait, I'll expose this fraud."

The old man was furious. He rudely pushed aside the people blocking his way and swaggered into the crowd like a crab.

This behavior made everyone frown inwardly. They thought of the old man's past when he took on apprentices, and looking at the situation on the spot, they understood the reason.

It was clear that the old man was feeling resentful and wanted to cause trouble, which made everyone frown slightly as they considered whether to stop him.

While they were thinking...

The old man had already arrived at the shop entrance and then pushed the door open.

But the moment he pushed open the door, a melodious and lighthearted tune suddenly rang out.

To the old man's complete surprise, the music played was exquisitely beautiful. The moment he heard the sound, it was as comforting as encountering a warm hot spring on a cold winter's day.

It was as if a cool breeze had arrived in the sweltering heat, making everyone feel comfortable from head to toe. The music even had a mysterious melody that could strike the heart and even the soul.

In that instant.

Everyone who heard the sound closed their eyes, listening intently to the beautiful music. Everyone remained silent, trying their best to listen and enjoy the comfort and warmth that came from within.

The sound was so bizarre that people reacted in various ways: some smiled gently, some shed tears of joy, and some cried while laughing.

In short, they come in all shapes and sizes, each unique.

The old man was completely immersed in the beautiful music. Even though he had been burning with anger before, he had to admit that the music was just too beautiful.

If my music is likened to candlelight, then this music is like the bright moon.

The music was so beautiful it seemed otherworldly; the old man had never heard music like it before.

Therefore.

When the music stopped, the old man remained quietly savoring the experience, still captivated by the lingering, soul-stirring notes.

Ta-ta-ta!

The rhythmic footsteps broke everyone's reverie, and they immediately opened their eyes, looking towards the shop entrance and at Naruto walking out.

"Why are you pushing the door open?" Naruto asked the old man calmly.

"I!"

The old man took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, knelt down with a thud.

"Teacher, please accept me as your disciple!"

Gaa!

The entire room fell silent. Those who had previously thought the old man was there to cause trouble stared wide-eyed at him kneeling on the ground. Although they felt it was only natural, they still found it hard to accept.

No way.

The age gap is too large. It's quite astonishing that someone with such a large age difference would have the courage to become an apprentice.

Therefore, some people found it difficult to accept.