Gekko Chizan glared viciously at Hatake Sakumo, while the latter burst into hearty laughter.
"You're really Hatake Sakumo? The famous White Fang of the Leaf?"
"How did I never realize you were such a bastard?"
"Pakura was brought back by me. Logically, she should be joining the Gekko clan!"
Damn that White Fang of the Leaf! He must've planned this from the start! Showing up now to steal her away!
As Gekko Chizan roared in fury, Hatake Sakumo casually shrugged his shoulders.
"Joining your Gekko clan?"
"Between the Hatake clan with me in it, and you—just a punk—who do you think is more convincing?"
"Sure, you've earned some merit now, but compared to me, you've still got a long way to go."
"With my backing, she can join Konoha smoothly. Maybe give you another ten years and you'd have a shot. But for now? Not happening."
Gekko Chizan knew he was right, but that didn't make it any less frustrating!
What if—just what if...
If Gekko Chizan wanted to pursue Pakura, but she became Hatake Sakumo's adopted daughter—
Wouldn't that mean he'd have to call Hatake Sakumo dad in the future???
Holy crap! Just the thought of that conniving, sarcastic middle-aged man he once used One Thousand Years of Death on becoming his father-in-law... Gekko Chizan felt like his future just turned pitch-black.
"Hmph, don't think I don't know what you're plotting!"
"I'm telling you, even when that day comes, we'll keep things separate!"
"Don't you dare expect me to call you Dad!"
Hatake Sakumo blinked, question marks practically written all over his face as he watched Gekko Chizan leap from the rooftop.
But this was Hatake Sakumo—he only needed a second to piece together what Gekko Chizan had meant.
And then he roared with laughter.
"Hahahaha! You little brat! I wouldn't have even thought of that if you hadn't said it!"
"Nice! That's a solid route!"
"Hahahahahaha! You will call me Dad—I swear I'll make you say it!"
...
Leaping down from the rooftop, Gekko Chizan immediately activated Transparent Release and silently sneaked to the back of the class where Pakura was teaching.
Even if it was just one of Hatake Sakumo's shadow clones present, he didn't care.
That damn old man—so infuriating! If only his One Thousand Years of Death was fully mastered...
He'd blow up this clone with one hit for sure!
But then he saw Pakura demonstrating hand seals to her students, and his attention was instantly drawn.
Despite having been in Konoha for quite a while, Pakura's clothing style hadn't changed at all.
That back of hers... hiss... ha... it looked really good.
"Your hand seals must be precise—aim for stability over speed."
"If you form the seals incorrectly, the ninjutsu will fail to channel. That's a critical flaw in battle."
"So, twelve hand seals—repeat them three times!"
Pakura was in charge of the ninjutsu fundamentals course. The reason for teaching outside?
She didn't like classrooms—it reminded her too much of her past.
Back then, she had also been a student. Because of her Scorch Release, she had always been singled out, even at school.
All her training had been conducted by specially appointed jōnin.
In a massive classroom, she had sat alone, day after day, year after year.
That stifling environment remained vivid in her mind even now. She hated classrooms...
Pakura shook her head to cast out the unpleasant memories, then refocused on the students practicing hand seals.
"Asuma! Focus and practice properly!"
"Your hand seals are sloppy!"
Asuma? Gekko Chizan looked over when he heard the name—well, well, wasn't that the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi? Asuma of the Sarutobi clan.
But this Asuma still looked very green.
"Aaahh, I already know all twelve hand seals."
"Can't you teach us ninjutsu now? I want to learn ninjutsu!"
No doubt about it—Asuma at this stage was a total rebel.
"No. If you can't master the basics, there's no point in learning ninjutsu."
"Asuma, do five more rounds of the twelve seals!"
Pakura, though only eighteen, was a strict teacher.
(Supplemental setting: Pakura is three years older than the protagonist.)
"Tch, I'm not doing it. What are you gonna—"
"Oww!"
Rebellious to the core, Asuma didn't even listen to his own father—so how could he possibly obey a young-looking female teacher?
He instantly rejected her command and was about to throw in a sarcastic jab.
But before he could finish, he tripped over something and fell flat on his face.
His wail shattered the calm, focused training atmosphere.
Pakura frowned slightly, confused by Asuma's sudden fall.
But the next second, she heard a familiar voice.
"Asuma, a man must respect women. I remember telling you that, didn't I?"
"A teacher, regardless of age or status, deserves respect—you clearly haven't learned that well enough."
The unexpected voice and gradually appearing figure startled the students, who scattered in alarm.
But the moment they realized it was Gekko Chizan, they quickly returned to their spots, cheering:
"Chizan-sensei, you're back!"
Pakura saw that familiar figure and the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
She thought: This bastard's up to his Transparent Release mischief again... but seeing Asuma get a taste of his own medicine is oddly satisfying.
"Owowow, Chizan-sensei—don't kick me!"
"I was wrong, okay?!"
Gekko Chizan watched Asuma scramble up in panic and allowed himself a slight grin.
Then he scolded him fiercely:
"You cause trouble during class and ignore your teacher? I'm going straight to your dad!"
"If he doesn't punish you, I'll steal his pipe and force him to beat you!"
"Let's see what he chooses—his pipe or his son!"
Asuma's face instantly drooped. He knew exactly what kind of temper his father had.
If the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen heard about this—he'd rip him apart.
As the student of the Second Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a man who deeply respected his teachers.
He absolutely couldn't stand anyone who didn't.
Asuma's actions were basically jumping up and down on a landmine—asking for it.
"Alright then, let's get back to class."
"I'm heading to the other side."
Gekko Chizan gave Pakura a meaningful glance, then shot a nasty glare at Hatake Sakumo's shadow clone.
He turned and headed toward the taijutsu class, planning to check out Chen's course—the strongest taijutsu user in Konoha.
Pakura watched Chizan's retreating figure and smiled faintly.
That smile alone caused her entire class to erupt.
"Whoa! Pakura-sensei smiled—it was so bright!"
"This is gossip! Huge gossip!"
Pakura quickly wiped away her smile and snapped sternly:
"Have you all finished your practice?"
"Each of you—five more rounds!"
"Immediately! Right now!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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