Chapter 53: Give and Take Between Friends
At noon on Thursday, Tanimura approached Mugetsu.
"Mugetsu-sensei, the students of Class 1, Grade 1 are really too much! They're practically making it impossible for me to teach!" Tanimura complained, looking thoroughly worn out.
He had clearly underestimated the students when he claimed earlier that he didn't mind.
After yesterday's full afternoon class, he felt completely drained. All he wanted was for the day to end early.
Though he didn't have a class with them on Thursday, he did on Friday morning—and to avoid another miserable experience like Wednesday's, he came to Mugetsu in advance, hoping to leverage his authority over the class.
"Sigh… those kids. They clearly promised me," Mugetsu sighed, feigning indignation on Tanimura's behalf.
"Don't worry, Tanimura-sensei. I'll speak to them this afternoon. I'll make sure they don't give you trouble again."
Hearing Mugetsu's words, Tanimura relaxed a little—but still uneasy, he added,
"Mugetsu-sensei, would you mind stopping by during my class tomorrow? I'm afraid they won't listen unless you're present."
If the entire year's worth of classes turned out like Wednesday's, Tanimura wasn't sure he'd survive until bonus time. Being disliked by one or two students was tolerable—but when the whole class rejected you, it was brutal.
"No problem," Mugetsu nodded without hesitation.
"With your support, I feel much better," Tanimura said gratefully.
Once their conversation ended, Tanimura returned to his office.
Mugetsu silently watched him leave and couldn't help thinking: Three years of teaching, and he still doesn't understand students at all.
Asking Mugetsu to step in and suppress the students would only make things worse. The students wouldn't resent Mugetsu—they'd just dislike Tanimura even more.
From their perspective, Mugetsu was simply helping a struggling colleague, which was admirable.
But Tanimura… was weak and unaware of it, lacking self-awareness and trying to use the homeroom teacher to shield himself.
Mugetsu reflected on it more deeply and realized he might've misjudged Tanimura.
This was the Ninja Academy—completely different from his past life. If it weren't for Class 1's outstanding performance, Tanimura wouldn't have reached such a desperate point.
Shaking his head, Mugetsu pushed the thought aside and returned to his office.
After all, Tanimura had made a request. How could he refuse? That would be too petty.
He was the universally praised and flawless colleague—Hayate Mugetsu.
Back at his desk, Mugetsu resumed practicing calligraphy.
"Hey, Mugetsu-sensei, did you change your brush?" Ueda Aya noticed immediately.
"Yes. A student gave it to me," Mugetsu said with a gentle smile.
"That's wonderful! I've been teaching for years and never received a gift from a student," Ueda said, clearly envious.
Ikeya Yu, overhearing her, seized the chance to jab:
"Ueda, maybe reflect on the difference between your popularity and Mugetsu-sensei's. Comparing yourself to him is a little... lacking in self-awareness."
Ueda was momentarily speechless.
Truth hurts more than lies.
Seeing her deflated expression, Ikeya Yu looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
"It's probably because Ueda-sensei's students are just shy. They probably want to give her a gift but don't dare to," Mugetsu offered with a kind tone.
"Mugetsu-sensei, you really know what to say," Ueda replied, smiling. Even if she knew it was just a comforting remark, kind words were always welcome.
Kimura Sugito, watching the scene from the side, felt like Ikeya Yu's eternal single status made perfect sense.
When it was almost time for class, Mugetsu left the office and returned to his classroom.
He didn't start the lesson immediately. First, he addressed the issue Tanimura had brought up.
"Didn't I tell you not to speak ill of Tanimura-sensei, especially not during his class?" Mugetsu said, his expression pained.
"Mugetsu-sensei, did the Taijutsu teacher complain to you?" Kotetsu asked, a bit baffled. It was the first time he'd heard of a teacher complaining about students—and exaggerating while doing it, no less.
"We didn't interrupt his class. We only gave suggestions after he finished teaching," Izumo added, feeling wronged.
Sure, the man's teaching wasn't great, but no one had spoken out while he was actively instructing. Everyone had watched attentively, done their training seriously, and focused on preparing for the upcoming practical exams.
"You must never interrupt Tanimura-sensei during class, and don't speak poorly of him either," Mugetsu instructed, avoiding a direct answer to Kotetsu's question.
But his tone and timing made everything clear. Even if he didn't say it outright, the students all understood—Tanimura had complained, and Mugetsu was now covering for him.
"We understand," the students all nodded. What they would actually do on Friday, however, was another matter entirely.
Mugetsu nodded and smiled, then began the lesson.
[Lecture Completed]
[Evaluation: A]
[Reward: Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet]
---
After school, Mugetsu led his disciples through their routine training. In the evening, he returned to his home in the Main District.
But tonight wasn't his turn to host a dinner—it was his turn to freeload.
"We've eaten at your place so many times—it's a little awkward. Today, you take a break and try our cooking," Minato said, inviting Mugetsu over.
Minato and Kushina had each prepared two dishes.
Before they started eating, the two had Mugetsu try their cooking first. Mugetsu wanted to suggest eating together, but when he saw their hopeful faces, he understood—it was a test.
He took a bite of Minato's grilled fish first.
To be honest, it wasn't the kind of grilled fish he was used to. It wasn't a whole fish—just small palm-sized fillets, marinated lightly and grilled with a pinch of salt.
"It really preserves the original flavor. It's quite delicious," Mugetsu praised.
But he didn't just hand out compliments. He pointed out minor flaws too—like the grilling time being slightly off.
For each of the four dishes, he gave fair feedback. Some had more praise, others more suggestions.
"Hehe, not bad for homemade dishes, right?" Kushina asked with a big grin.
She was genuinely happy that their food had been approved by a cooking expert like Mugetsu.
"Minato and I are already practicing braised pork with preserved vegetables. Next time, you have to come taste it!" Kushina added excitedly.
Mugetsu smiled and nodded. "Of course. I have to make sure my two students are progressing properly, after all."
They ate, chatted, and relaxed.
Minato mentioned hearing some Jonin talk about Mugetsu—specifically how their kids complained that he taught better than some of their own Jonin instructors.
Hearing that, Kushina also praised Mugetsu's teaching. She hadn't seen him at the Academy, but she'd watched him explain cooking techniques—and even that felt like a masterclass.
Mugetsu didn't go out of his way to act modest. Instead, he praised both of them in return.
He said if Minato ever became a teacher, he'd be beloved by students—and Kushina too...
With a warm atmosphere and genuine laughter, they enjoyed dinner together, each achieving their own little goals.
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