Ninja Academy
"Ebara's back," a student whispered.
"Vacation's over already?"
"Happy times fly too fast!"
"We're back to hellish training!"
"I just hope Ebara slacks off and skips class."
"I hope your hope comes true!"
"I hope you hope his hope comes true!"
Amid the groans, a figure strode in confidently.
Who else but Ebara?
Taking the podium, he flashed a dazzling smile, his teeth practically sparkling with a ding.
"Miss me, kids?" he asked, brimming with expectation.
"Me! (^ω^)♡" Uchiha Mikoto shot her hand up.
Ebara ignored her.
She always stole the spotlight.
Not this time—he'd learned his lesson.
If she weren't such an adorable little loli, he'd have swatted her already.
Wonder how long a cute loli like her would cry if I punched her? he mused, suppressing the urge.
Pushing aside the impractical thought, he turned to Minato, expecting a warm response.
Minato, the good kid, was always a crowd-pleaser.
Mikoto, seeing Ebara's silence, raised her hand even higher. "Teacher, I missed you!"
Ebara ignored her again, staring at Minato.
His intense gaze made Minato squirm, as if saying, Speak up or you're toast.
Minato stood reluctantly. "I… missed you."
Ebara's face lit up. "Great! I missed you all too. Minato, what'd you miss about me?"
Minato froze. After days apart, Ebara's shamelessness hadn't changed.
He hesitated. "I was wondering if something happened to you, being gone so long."
He wasn't lying. A genin like Ebara shouldn't be sent on long missions.
Soon after, Shikaku chimed in. "Yeah, Minato was worried sick."
Choza pushed up his sunglasses. "Inoichi finally calmed him down."
Ebara leaned in eagerly. "How'd you comfort him, Inoichi? Spill."
Inoichi drawled, "I told Minato to think positive. Maybe Teacher Ebara reincarnated into a rich family."
The classroom went silent, then erupted in laughter.
"Inoichi's a genius!"
"My stomach hurts from laughing!"
"Inoichi's such a goof!"
Even Ebara couldn't help but chuckle.
"Nice comforting. Don't do it again."
His expression turned serious. "Enough chit-chat. Everyone, to the training field!"
"Yes…" came a scattered reply.
"What's with the weak response? Didn't eat breakfast?" Ebara barked, glaring.
"Yes!" Minato shouted loudly.
Inoichi, Shikaku, Choza, and others joined in, belting out their response.
On the Field
"The next three days are mine," Ebara said, scanning their faces. "Prepare yourselves."
The kids' faces were blank, but they groaned inwardly.
"Line up by teams!" Ebara ordered.
From day one as their teacher, he'd divided them into six teams of six, each with a leader—strong kids to set examples.
"Start practicing shurikenjutsu. Two hours, then a test. Standard rules: ten shuriken each. Bottom six scorers, and their entire teams, run ten laps around the field. If two from one team rank lowest, twenty laps. And so on."
He grinned wickedly. "In the extreme case—say, one team sweeps the bottom six—congrats, you win the ultimate prize!"
His smile terrified them.
"Understood?"
"Understood!" they shouted, shivering.
To them, Ebara was shameless and ruthless, merciless in punishment.
Each team, led by their captain, began practicing.
No one wanted to be in the bottom six.
No one wanted their team to monopolize the list.
Ebara didn't slack, spending the first hour checking their form, offering pointers to the unskilled.
He'd trained hard in shurikenjutsu. Not perfect, but he hit 99 out of 100.
Shurikenjutsu relied little on talent, but its ceiling was low.
The team-based training proved effective.
Most kids hit at least 70% of their targets.
Minato, Choza, and others nailed every shot, spending more time coaching their teammates.
Satisfied, Ebara nodded.
He pulled out three scrolls from the Third Hokage, studying them.
One was Shadow Clone Jutsu—no explanation needed.
One was Wind Style: Net Trap, a control skill with decent damage.
One was Wind Style: Wind Cutter, pure offense, powerful if mastered.
"Which should I use the Comprehension Bread on?" Ebara mused.
All three were below A-rank, compatible with the bread (Chapter 61).
He chose Shadow Clone Jutsu—highest potential, versatile, and teachable to the kids.
His mission to Yoen and Chiyo's ambush (Chapters 57-59) made him feel the Second Ninja War looming.
Teaching them more could save their lives.
He placed the Comprehension Bread on the Shadow Clone scroll.
The text copied onto it. He took a bite—tasty.
But flavor faded as a flood of Shadow Clone knowledge surged into his mind.
He instantly mastered what he couldn't before.
[Comprehension Bread used successfully. Host has learned Shadow Clone Jutsu, proficiency: Beginner!]
Beginner was enough for now.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
In about two seconds, an identical clone appeared behind him.
"Takes too long," he muttered. "Gotta practice."
Shadow Clones could confuse enemies, making them hard to read.
Faster was better.
Staring at his clone, a bold idea hit.
"They say a clone's experiences, feelings, and memories return to the user when it dispels. If I used Transformation Jutsu with a clone…"
He suddenly understood why the Second Hokage invented Multiple Shadow Clones.
And why he never married.
The Second's ninja way? Only wimps chase women. Real men screw themselves!