I Want to Learn This

Yesterday, the teachers for each subject had only given a rough introduction. Today, formal classes began.

Less than fifteen minutes into the lesson, Hoshi was already starting to fidget. It was not that he was a poor student; the teacher's explanations were simply far too long-winded.

The Ninja Academy teachers taught a group of six-year-olds. Many things were difficult for children to grasp after hearing them only once, so the teachers could only repeat key points over and over again.

For six-year-old children, this was the most appropriate teaching method. But for Hoshi, who possessed an adult's way of thinking, it was torture.

In his view, the only truly meaningful part of a lesson was the first five minutes. The following forty minutes were nothing but pointless chatter, repetition, and examples.

If you already knew the multiplication table, and someone spent forty minutes repeating that one plus one equaled two, you would go crazy too.

Unable to bear it any longer, Hoshi simply stopped listening and pulled out that Dagger from his Ninja Tool Pouch, spinning it beneath the desk.

This was a small habit he had developed in this life, as well as an unconventional method of Swordsmanship training. It improved the dexterity of both his hands while earning him a small amount of experience.

The reason he had thought to spin a Dagger whenever he had nothing to do was entirely because of a theory from a novel he had read in his previous life.

The book said that true masters were as accustomed to their blades as they were to their own hands. When they held a blade, they never feared cutting themselves, because the blade had become a part of their body.

Only upon reaching that level could one's Swordsmanship be said to have truly entered the hall.

That theory had left a deep impression on his chuunibyou-era self, so much so that he still could not forget it after transmigrating.

After a full day of Swordsmanship practice, when his whole body ached, Hoshi would spend his free time after dinner doing this kind of training. With the talent granted by Weapon Mastery and a year of tireless effort, he had become quite skilled at making the Dagger dance in his hand.

Hoshi believed that no one had noticed his little movements beneath the desk, but he had forgotten that there was a blonde little girl behind him who could see everything he did perfectly clearly.

Like Hoshi, Tsunade was also a little unable to stand this long-winded teacher. Grandma Mito had already told her everything he was teaching.

Bored, Tsunade could only look around the classroom to find amusement.

That girl from the Inuzuka Clan was secretly petting her dog again. Should I go take a look during break? That dog seemed pretty cute.

Akimichi Teisei from the Akimichi Clan was eating again. He was already so fat, yet he still dared to sneak food. If it were me, I'd be too worried to eat.

That Hoshi guy can't sleep, so he's just staring blankly into space. How boring. Wait, why does he keep lowering his head every now and then? Thinking this, Tsunade stretched her neck to see what Hoshi's hands were doing beneath the desk. The moment she looked, she could not look away.

So, so amazing! Watching the exquisite Dagger in Hoshi's hand spin at high speed as though he were performing magic, Tsunade was instantly captivated.

That Dagger-spinning pose was so cool. It was just as cool as when I shook dice cups.

Watching the Dagger flutter gracefully through Hoshi's fingers like a butterfly dancing among flowers, Tsunade inexplicably felt a surge of confidence. I could do that too.

As the sole inheritor of Grandpa Hashirama's gambling skills, I, Lady Tsunade, learned gambling at three and roamed the casinos of the Land of Fire as if no one else existed at five. Learning to spin a little Dagger today should be no problem.

But she had not brought a Dagger, Kunai, or anything similar today. What was she supposed to do? After looking around, she found that only the pencil in Yazi's hand was as slender and long as a Dagger.

Emmmm, a pencil it is. It's a little cheap, but it won't affect Lady Tsunade's performance.

Without another word, she snatched the pencil Yazi was using to take notes. Under Yazi's aggrieved gaze, Tsunade imitated Hoshi's movements and began her performance.

Gripping the pencil between two fingers, Tsunade wore a confident smile as she began her performance.

Then... there was no then. The pencil traced an arc through the air before crashing to the floor and rolling far away, as if silently mocking Tsunade's clumsiness.

Watching the pencil fly so far away, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Very well. You have successfully caught this lady's attention.

Tsunade turned and held out her little hand toward Yazi. Yazi sighed inwardly, but she did not dare say that Tsunade simply could not learn it.

She could only silently take another pencil from her pencil case and hand it over.

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

After four or five consecutive attempts, not a single pencil had remained in Tsunade's hand for even one second. Looking at the pencils scattered all over the floor, a vein bulged on Tsunade's forehead.

Her hand unconsciously tightened, and with a crack, the pencil in her hand snapped in two.

Seeing the last pencil fall in battle, Yazi looked like she was about to cry as she said in a pitiful voice, "Princess, that was the last pencil."

"I know!"

Tsunade's irritated reply made Yazi shudder, and tears nearly fell from her eyes. She hurriedly said, "I'll pick all the pencils up for you right now."

"Hey, Yazi."

Tsunade grabbed Kazematsuri Ayako and pulled her back, saying helplessly, "How many times have I told you? We're friends. You're not my servant, so why are you so afraid of me?"

"B-but..."

Tsunade waved a hand, put on a stern little face, and said:

"No buts. Don't cry!"

Yazi tried hard to hold back her tears. Only then did Tsunade smile and reach out to pinch Yazi's cheek.

"That's more like it. Pick up the pencils after class. First, watch me settle the score with that Hoshi."

With that, Tsunade let go of Yazi and turned around, ready to settle the score with Hoshi.

In Lady Tsunade's eyes, Yazi had nearly cried because Tsunade had lost her temper. Tsunade had lost her temper because she could not spin the pencil. She had tried to spin the pencil despite not knowing how because Hoshi had piqued her interest. Therefore...

This had nothing to do with Tsunade. Hayate Hoshi, come take the blame! Yazi beside her was rather dumbfounded. What did Hoshi have to do with her spinning pencils? But how could she dare question Princess Tsunade's decision? She could only let Tsunade go find Hoshi.

Tsunade gathered herself, struck a fierce pose, and poked Hoshi in the back. Hoshi was startled by the sudden jab, and the Dagger fell when his hand paused.

Fortunately, he was quick enough to snatch it out of the air and precisely catch the handle. After putting the Dagger back into his Ninja Tool Pouch, Hoshi turned around somewhat irritably.

But the moment he turned and saw Tsunade's face, half his irritation vanished. It could not be helped; that little expression was just too adorable.

Tsunade's cheeks were puffed out like little buns, and her slightly furrowed brows made her look adorably fierce, hitting Hoshi right in his soft spot.

"What is it?"

Tsunade pointed at the small portion of the Dagger sticking out from Hoshi's Ninja Tool Pouch and said, "I want to learn this."

As for the update schedule, it should currently be one chapter at noon and one chapter at five in the afternoon. After school starts, because of evening study sessions, updates will be much later—usually one chapter at ten at night and another at midnight. So after school starts, readers are advised to save them for the next day instead of waiting.