Malphegor
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HSU: Ch. 196
🕑 Added 2025-02-13 22:07:16 +0000 UTCThe inclusion of cultural studies was the biggest change in the Ninja Academy from the Second Hokage's era to the Third Hokage's era.
Starting from Hiruzen's time, cultural studies became one of the main subjects in the Academy. Students would take these classes from the foundation stage all the way to the practice stage.
Many students were eager to progress to the application stage as soon as possible, largely because it meant they wouldn't have to take cultural studies anymore.
However, the two cohorts that Masashi was observing were currently at the end of their practice stage, so they still had to attend these classes.
Although the Ninja Academy had undergone several expansions, the classrooms remained the same as they were at the beginning. The classroom design followed the philosophy of "providing a comfortable space for a relaxed learning environment."
In simple terms, the classrooms were spacious and well-lit, ensuring that the students wouldn't feel mentally stressed due to a cramped environment. But it wasn't just the space that was large.
The windows were big to allow ample natural light. They were also designed for easy escape in case of emergencies—after all, what kind of ninja had never jumped out of a window?
To match the spacious classrooms, the blackboards were also large. According to official explanations, this symbolized the enthusiasm of the teachers and their high expectations for the students.
The doors, on the other hand, were just ordinary doors. However, when designing them, enough room was left for mischievous students to express their creativity.
The podium was wide enough to accommodate hands-on lessons, allowing teachers to conduct practical demonstrations or small-group teaching sessions. The goal was simple: to ensure that every student received adequate attention from their instructor.
As Masashi walked down the hallway, he stopped at each classroom, observing the students inside.
As expected, while the students weren't exactly dozing off in their cultural studies classes, they certainly weren't paying much attention.
This was a stark contrast to the foundation stage students, who were still full of curiosity. By the time students reached the practice stage, the pressure of competition set in, making them more interested in strengthening their abilities rather than attending cultural studies classes, which they found dull.
However, there were exceptions.
When Masashi reached the third classroom, he saw Haku and Karin.
Both didn't notice that he was standing outside the window. They were both fully engrossed in the lesson.
"These two children are very diligent," the department head remarked. "Even in cultural studies, which most students at this stage find boring, they remain focused."
"They've been through hardship," Masashi replied with a smile. "They joined the village later than others, so they cherish their opportunities more. Hardship breeds appreciation. They understand the value of every lesson."
"That's true," the department head agreed.
For children who joined the village midway, gaining admission to the Academy was a high hurdle. But once they were in, they were usually the most hardworking, never wasting any opportunity to learn.
After watching for a while, Masashi moved on.
At the fourth classroom, he spotted three familiar faces—Guy's students from the original timeline.
Rock Lee, who lived by the motto "Hard work!" and actually embodied it, was easy to recognize—not just because of his thick eyebrows but because every action he took screamed "effort."
Just looking at him, you'd immediately think: "This guy works insanely hard!"
Then there was Tenten. She was also easy to recognize.
But the most distinct one was Hyūga Neji.
Given the close relationship between the Uchiha and Hyūga clans, Masashi was well-acquainted with Hiashi and had seen his prized son before.
This version of Neji didn't seem as burdened by fate as in the original timeline, but he wasn't exactly lively either. It was clear that he was trying hard to keep his focus.
At the podium, the instructor was diligently teaching. Cultural studies, when put simply, were about instilling the Will of Fire.
Of course, they couldn't be too blatant about it, so the lessons were framed as discussions on strengthening a ninja's conviction.
For someone like Neji, however, this wasn't particularly inspiring.
After all, in the Hyūga branch family system, strong personal beliefs weren't exactly encouraged.
Neji was a genius, and geniuses matured quickly. His level of maturity was on par with Itachi at the same age. The difference was that Itachi pursued the Will of Fire, whereas Neji sought something else entirely…
That was an internal matter of the Hyūga clan. Out of respect for their allies, the Uchiha clan had no intention of commenting on it.
But if this ideology were ever forced upon the Uchiha members, there would be a full-blown rebellion within minutes.
Masashi was absolutely certain—if anyone tried to teach his kids this nonsense, he'd make sure that person and their teachings disappeared from existence.
---
Neji, who was doing his best to focus, suddenly felt someone watching him.
He turned around and saw Masashi standing outside the window.
He was momentarily stunned.
As Hiashi's son, he knew that Masashi had come to teach at the Academy, but he hadn't expected him to arrive so soon.
Out of instinct, he wanted to stand up but quickly remembered that he was still in class.
Outside, Masashi smiled and nodded at him before moving on to the next classroom.
Then he saw Sasuke.
Most of the Konoha 12 from the original timeline were in this classroom, making it the most interesting one so far.
First, there was the "Sneaky Trio": Chōji was secretly snacking. Ino was sneakily staring at Sasuke. Shikamaru was sneakily sleeping—with his eyes open.
Then there was the "Blatant Trio": Naruto was openly sleeping. Sasuke was openly practicing his calligraphy. Kiba was openly playing with his puppy.
The most serious student turned out to be Konohamaru—oh, and that wide-foreheaded girl, who was probably Sakura.
The rest of the students were average—not particularly attentive but not completely distracted either.
However, compared to the previous classrooms, the students here were noticeably less engaged. As soon as Masashi arrived, many students noticed him.
Sasuke, realizing who it was, was startled and instinctively hid his notebook.
Kiba Inuzuka's eyes lit up, and he grabbed his puppy's paw, waving it in greeting…
After glaring at Sasuke, he concluded his observations and left.
"Masashi-sama, there's no need to be upset. These children are all quite talented," the department head said with a chuckle.
"I know," Masashi sighed. "But Sasuke, well…"
"He is a bit mischievous, but his test scores are among the best," the department head reassured him. "You know that he, Naruto, and Konohamaru stand out far above their peers."
"Alright, I've made my selections," Masashi announced.
"Oh? Which students have you chosen?" The department head looked relieved—he could finally get some peace at home.
"How many spots do I have?"
"Six. You'll narrow them down to three during the graduation exam."
"Then it's simple. Sasuke, Naruto, and Kiba. Plus Haku, Karin, and Neji."
"I see. Understood."
---
The Ninja Academy had everything well-prepared.
Especially for Masashi, the first jonin to respond to the new teaching program—every detail was meticulously arranged for him.
However, considering the students' reactions, he planned to catch the tail end of the practice stage. Once the students truly entered the application stage, he would personally tutor and provide special training to the students he selected.
On a personal level, he also wanted to take time to understand the other students and teach them a few things.
Since he was already here, he might as well teach a few more public lessons.
Upon arriving at his office, he sat down and began contemplating what he should teach.
His main focus was on Neji and Kiba.
Of course, there was plenty of time to think about it slowly.
For now, the first priority was the content of the public lesson.
For students in the practice stage, the thing that interested them the most—without exception—was ninjutsu.
And by "ninjutsu," they naturally meant the dazzling variety of elemental techniques.
Masashi had also gone through that stage, so he completely understood.
Precisely because of that—he would not teach them elemental techniques.
At least 80% of shinobi on the battlefield weren't killed by elemental ninjutsu.
The deadliest weapons in this world weren't any of the overwhelmingly powerful jutsu, but rather kunai and shuriken.
The most lethal elemental technique was actually the explosive tag used in fire jutsu.
As cruel as it sounded, for many Konoha ninjas, the moment they graduated from the Ninja Academy was the peak of their ninja careers—after that, they would remain genin for life.
The techniques that would accompany them through their careers would never be an array of advanced ninjutsu.
Turn-based-style ninjutsu battles were a "romance" exclusive to jonin and Kage-level ninjas.
With this in mind, Masashi spent the entire morning preparing his lesson plan.
By the time he returned to the Ninja Academy, it was already lunchtime.
He informed the staff in the teaching office about the afternoon class schedule, then returned to his office and took a nap on the couch.
An hour later, he woke up right on time.
It was time to begin.
Feeling refreshed, he stood up, did some warm-up exercises in the office, and practiced his friendly teacher smile in the mirror. Satisfied, he stepped out the door.
Textbooks? He had never brought a textbook to class.
People could complain all they wanted—he wasn't going to change.
Stepping out of the building and onto the training field, he found that the students hadn't come down yet. So he used his Magnet Release to create a warm sand chair and sat down to rest.
Today's weather was quite nice. The sun was just right—not too harsh, but warm and comfortable.
Finally, the first student came out of the building—it was Haku.
As soon as he spotted Masashi basking in the sun on the training field, he was overjoyed. He immediately used the Body Flicker and dashed over in a flash.
"Teacher!"
"Mm." Masashi smiled in satisfaction.
As expected, Haku was the most punctual.
Truly worthy of being his disciple.
Sasuke, on the other hand—not only did he daydream in class, but he also dared to be late!
"Good afternoon, Teacher," a crisp voice called from the side.
"Mm. You're very punctual too," Masashi said, skillfully patting Karin's head. The little girl beamed with happiness after being praised.
Behind these two punctual students, the chatter of children grew louder as more students rushed outside.
Looking at the situation, it seemed like most of them were arriving around the same time.
Among the crowd, only Sasuke was acting a little sneaky.
Ever since he was caught secretly practicing calligraphy with his father's books by his mother, he had become obsessed with his little "secret writing game." Of course, his only real opponent was his mother herself.
His father, on the other hand, was quite pleased. Although he couldn't openly say it in front of his wife, he was very proud that his youngest son admired his calligraphy so much.
As for Itachi, in his eyes, everything Sasuke did was adorable.
If anyone asked, the answer was simple: "It's part of being a ninja."
The only one who was truly furious about it was Mikoto.
Since Masashi and Mikoto considered each other like siblings, he would help keep an eye on Sasuke.
But honestly, Masashi had to say—even the White Snake Sage had stopped watching Fugaku's livestreams. Now, it was all about Sasuke.
He had reason to believe that the White Snake Sage probably knew Sasuke's training progress better than he did.
After all, the Sage had been obsessively waiting for Sasuke to become a practitioner of Ryūchi Cave's Senjutsu.
"Sasuke, what are you hiding for?" Masashi gave his student a mischievous look. "You were having so much fun in class earlier. Come on, let your teacher appreciate your latest work."
"You can't do this," Sasuke said, knowing he couldn't escape. So he decided to rely on his "backup plan." "Granny Sage told me you're not allowed to criticize my handwriting."
That only made it worse.
Hearing this, Masashi found it utterly absurd.
Two years ago, after being endlessly nagged by the White Snake Sage, he had taken Sasuke to Ryūchi Cave again. The Sage had been so delighted that it almost merged with the ground in joy.
All because Sasuke had written a birthday greeting for it.
Which was hilarious—considering even the White Snake Sage probably didn't remember its own birthday. Sasuke had just marked the day of his first visit to Ryūchi Cave as the Sage's birthday.
If it had been anyone else, the Sage would've killed them on the spot.
At the very least, they would've been torn apart by a hundred snakes.
But instead, the Sage had been overjoyed.
It was so happy that it no longer wanted Sasuke to call it "Sage"—saying it sounded too distant. Instead, it insisted that he call it "Granny Sage."
That level of favoritism was completely out of character for the Sage.
"And now you think not paying attention in class is justified?" Masashi displayed the shamelessness of an adult. "... Forget it, I won't criticize you today. Go line up with the others."
"Oh…" Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief and obediently went to stand in line.
Among the students, Lee watched this scene with envy.
At this point in his life, Lee longed for recognition.
But no one had ever truly acknowledged him before—let alone received the attention of a top-tier jonin like Masashi.
Now, as the students lined up, Lee silently found his place without saying a word.
Even within the Ninja Academy, a natural hierarchy had already formed.
The stronger and more popular students naturally occupied better positions, while others were left on the fringes—everything was dictated by an unspoken "ranking" in their minds.
Masashi didn't interfere.
Once the students were all in place, he stood up from his sand chair.
Many of the students curiously eyed the unusual seat.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Masashi. Before you enter the application stage, I will be your homeroom teacher."
"Wow!" The students let out excited cheers.
Masashi smiled.
"Seeing you all so lively puts me at ease. Now, for today's first lesson—let's go on a field trip!"
