This is probably the greatest kindness he's shown to the students in over a month.
It's not for increasing favorability to enhance training efficiency, nor is it to gain reward promotions by making students work harder through various methods—it's simply a hope that these children can strengthen their abilities to survive the future war.
Having been here for less than five months, Mokgetsu didn't have a sense of belonging to Konoha, only wishing to enhance his power to remove the Curse Seal on himself.
But he felt that anyone who had received modern education wouldn't bear to watch ten-year-old children go to the battlefield to kill.
Unfortunately, Mokgetsu himself was like a clay Buddha crossing the river, unable to protect even himself, busy developing while worrying about being discovered by the old cunning Danzo; no matter how unwilling he was, it was of no use.
With Sarutobi Hiruzen, the highest superior, present, Mokgetsu sensibly invited Sarutobi Hiruzen to give a speech after he finished talking.
"Frankly, I was a little worried before coming here today, but after seeing the progress you kids have made, I'm relieved." Sarutobi Hiruzen showed a benevolent smile.
"To see the new generation of the village work so hard, I'm gratified because the struggles and sacrifices of our predecessors were not in vain; the village has been growing vigorously."
As he spoke, Sarutobi Hiruzen uttered that famous phrase of the Will of Fire.
"Wherever the leaves of Konoha dance, the fire burns without end. The fire will continue to illuminate the village, helping the new leaves to sprout."
"You are the new leaves of Konoha, and there's nothing more gratifying than watching you grow." The Third Hokage said with a pipe in his right hand, his left hand behind his back, face full of smiles.
Mokgetsu stood behind the Third Hokage, facing the students with a gentle smile.
He recalled a saying, that year at eighteen, standing like a lackey.
After the Third finished speaking, it was indeed time to end, and also time to dissolve.
However, the students didn't immediately disperse; instead, they pulled Mokgetsu back and blindfolded him, saying they had a surprise for him.
Using Perception Ninjutsu to probe the surroundings, Mokgetsu let the students push him along.
"Ta-da, a super-large five-layer cake."
Accompanied by Anko's energetic voice, Mokgetsu's eyes were uncovered and regained his sight, only to see himself surrounded by students. In front of him stood an oversized cake only slightly shorter than him, with eighteen Kunai-style sweet decorations on top and a dense array of small candles all over the cake.
"Teacher Mokgetsu, thank you for your guidance over the past month!" the students said in unison.
Among the more than three hundred students, actually, over half of them were not very familiar with Mokgetsu before the special training. Some had just been in his class once, while others might only have heard of his reputation.
But during the one-and-a-half months of interaction with Mokgetsu, they all came to like this skillful and exceedingly gentle teacher.
Initially, during group assignments, many students were disappointed in Mokgetsu, thinking he was also the type of teacher who discriminated against students based on performance, grouping those with poorer and average grades together for laissez-faire.
But they soon realized they were wrong; the grouping was not about favoring high-performing students but a more reasonable teaching arrangement.
Although Group A contained mainly the excellent students from each class, Mokgetsu didn't favor Group A. One Shadow Clone took care of one group, while the original body iteratively taught three groups, ensuring no group received more attention.
Every student had received guidance from Mokgetsu's original body; even if they didn't actively seek out Mokgetsu with questions, he would willingly offer teaching upon noticing beside them.
Mokgetsu could accurately call each of them by name rather than "Hey, you, that's wrong."
Mokgetsu said that the students were hardworking and diligent, but the students knew Mokgetsu was even more hardworking and diligent than they were.
While they were cultivating, Mokgetsu was teaching; during their breaks, Mokgetsu seldom rested, seizing the chance to discuss cultivation-related theoretical knowledge.
Even when they're exhausted from individual cultivation, Mokgetsu had to juggle teaching three groups and create three Shadow Clones to fill in the time when the original body was unavailable, truly doing the work of four people alone.
Excellent students might not feel it clearly, but those ordinary and poor students seldom cared for by teachers genuinely felt warmth from Mokgetsu.
What they hadn't received from ordinary teachers, they unexpectedly found in this famously outstanding teacher, truly surprising the students.
This has become the primary motivation for many students' efforts; after all, such a wonderful Teacher Mokgetsu couldn't be let down.
"The cake was bought collectively by everyone. The eighteen Kunai represent Teacher Mokgetsu's eighteenth birthday, and there are a total of 359 candles, one inserted by each of us..." Obito enthusiastically explained the students' heartfelt intentions to Mokgetsu.
Gazing at those innocent smiling faces around him, Mokgetsu's eyes glinted, feeling somewhat moved inside.
Students at this age are pure; if you're good to them, they'll be good to you.
Even though they don't know what purpose lies in the heart of the one being good to them.
"Do what you can when you're capable enough," Mokgetsu thought to himself.
Despite this world being rotten to the core, there are still many lovable people.
"I've received your feelings, it's such a trouble for everyone," Mokgetsu said with a smile as radiant as the warm sun.