Hiruzen Sarutobi takes a student

"Lord Hokage!"

The chunin teacher was even faster than the Yellow Flash when it came to reporting someone.

In no time at all, he was standing in Hiruzen Sarutobi's office.

"What's wrong?" Hiruzen turned toward him, and the teacher hurriedly explained what had just happened.

This was the Shadow Clone Technique, possibly even the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.

Techniques like these were beyond the reach of civilian ninjas. Given the recent rumors about Hiruzen's staunch protection of Kazan, the chunin teacher naturally assumed Hiruzen had taught him the technique.

"Lord Hokage, please stop indulging Kazan!"

"Even if Kazan defeated Kakashi, staying at the Ninja Academy to study is still what matters most!"

He hoped Kazan would study diligently at the academy and become a pillar of Konoha someday.

With that kind of potential, Kazan had all the more reason to take his studies seriously.

Hiruzen understood. The teacher before him had clearly misunderstood his role in this.

Still, he wasn't entirely wrong. Hiruzen really was indulging Kazan.

But ordinary people often couldn't understand the world of geniuses.

"Come with me. I was just planning to head over there myself."

Hiruzen put away the border intelligence reports and led the teacher outside.

Puzzled, the teacher followed Hiruzen all the way to Back Mountain.

The closer they got, the louder the noise became, and the tremors coming from Back Mountain grew increasingly violent.

Only when they drew near did the chunin teacher realize that someone was causing all of this.

That someone was Kazan, recently hailed as one of Konoha's "twin prodigies." He was pounding the mountainside, punch after punch.

He was actually using a mountain to practice his punches.

"Kazan, stop for a moment!"

Kazan turned at the call. He showed no surprise at finding Hiruzen and his classroom teacher there.

His shadow clone's memories had already returned to his mind along with its chakra. He knew what had happened at the academy.

"You..."

Kazan looked a mess. Training his Observation Haki had left his face swollen from the beating his own shadow clones had given him.

Of course, the most alarming sight was his fists. They were so red they looked ready to bleed at any moment.

Seeing this, the teacher finally understood why Hiruzen was "indulging" Kazan.

This wasn't indulgence at all. Kazan's training methods were simply too brutal.

"Do you understand now? For Kazan, the academy is nothing more than a carefully tended greenhouse."

"I'm sorry, Lord Hokage."

The teacher took a deep breath.

After seeing how Kazan trained, he had to admit the academy really was like a greenhouse.

Such an environment wasn't suited to a "wild beast" like Kazan. What grounds did he have to insist that Kazan attend classes?

"But... Kazan is still a child. I believe it would be best for him to return to the academy until graduation."

Teachers like Iruka weren't common, but they weren't all that rare, either.

Quite a few academy teachers were among the more good-natured ninjas.

Those who enjoyed fighting or wanted to advance themselves either took missions outside the village or earned distinction on the battlefield. Most of those who stayed behind to teach disliked combat.

Kazan's teacher was clearly one of them.

He always gave extra care to children who had lost their parents.

Hiruzen paused at his words, then smiled.

The teacher still didn't understand.

Still, he didn't mind helping Kazan forge "bonds" with the village that reached deep into his soul. Only then would Kazan devote everything he had to the village without reservation.

Just like those departed souls resting in Konoha Cemetery.

He chuckled. "Inoue is right. Kazan, what you should be doing now is enjoying your childhood."

"I'm not going back to school. If you insist, I'll apply for early graduation."

War was looming. Where would he find the time to coast comfortably through school?

"Kazan..." The teacher wasn't ready to give up.

He saw Kazan as a child much like Kakashi.

Having lost his parents at a young age, Kazan had grown up without the warmth of a family.

That was precisely what he wanted to help make up for.

"There's no need to apply for early graduation. If you don't want to go back, you don't have to."

"Lord Hokage..."

"Let me finish. From now until his academy graduation, I will personally teach Kazan."

What?!

The chunin teacher was stunned once again. This was the Third Hokage!

Hiruzen had been very young when he became Hokage, only in his early twenties. With the First Shinobi World War underway at the time, he had had no time to take on students.

Only after the First Shinobi World War ended, when the academy's first class graduated, had he accepted students.

Those three were the Sannin, now renowned throughout the Shinobi World.

Later, with the Second Shinobi World War and the academy settling into its proper routine, Hiruzen had never taken on another student.

Even if he was only teaching Kazan until graduation, that would still make Kazan something of his disciple.

With that in mind, what reason did the chunin teacher have left to send Kazan back to class?

"Then... sorry for the trouble, Lord Hokage. Kazan can be quite a handful. I hope you'll be patient with him."

Before leaving, he made sure to remind Kazan to study hard under the Hokage, behave himself, and so on.

Kazan had to admit that, while the world of Naruto was fraught with danger and Konoha hid plenty of dark secrets, the people here really were pretty decent.

"Inoue is a good teacher."

"Yeah."

Kazan didn't deny it.

Their years together had made it clear to Kazan that Inoue really was a good teacher.

Then he turned to Hiruzen. "So, old man Third, how are you going to teach me?"

Even with the Hokage standing before him, Kazan showed no respect whatsoever.

He figured that came from the Garp Template. After all, he was a good boy who respected his elders and cared for the young.

Hiruzen didn't mind. Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kushina all called him that anyway.

It was proof of the unbreakable bonds between them.

"Although I'm known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, taijutsu isn't really my specialty. I don't have much to teach you in that regard."

He was being modest.

His taijutsu was hardly poor. In his youth, his prowess in battle had earned him the title of God of Shinobi. Teaching an ordinary ninja taijutsu would have been child's play for him.

Of course, that applied to ordinary ninjas. Kazan wasn't one of them.

"This is a technique I prepared for you. It should be useful."

He took out a scroll he had prepared beforehand. Kazan accepted it and opened it, only to discover that it contained the Senju Clan's Monster Strength Fist!

It was called Monster Strength Fist.

But really, Cherry Blossom Impact was a more fitting name!

It was a secret technique of the Senju Clan, an advanced method of using chakra.

It involved concentrating chakra at a single point, then releasing all of it in one burst without wasting any.

"This is an A-rank ninjutsu created by my teacher, the Second, based on the First's Adamantine Strength Immovable..."

So this was another of Tobirama Senju's creations.

Kazan had thought it was a secret technique passed down through generations of the Senju Clan.

Still, that makes sense...

Hiruzen's mention of Adamantine Strength Immovable had reminded him that Big Pillar's immense strength came from taijutsu combined with Wood Release—or, rather, Asura chakra.

But Hashirama Senju was the only member of the Senju Clan to awaken Wood Release. Naturally, the creation of Monster Strength Fist had required the talents of the Second, a grandmaster of ninjutsu.

Really, whenever a Konoha technique's creator was unknown, attributing it to Tobirama Senju was a safe bet.

"I haven't mastered this technique myself, but I've seen it used."

Both the Second and Tsunade had mastered it. Tsunade in particular used it as her finishing move, so Hiruzen had seen and heard enough to teach Kazan without any trouble.