Hiruzen had been stunned so many times that he eventually gave up trying to understand how Makoto was learning everything so fast.
He just couldn't wrap his head around what kind of monster he had taken in as a student.
At first, he had thought Makoto was just a particularly talented civilian, someone who reminded him of Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Minato.
That was the reason he decided to take him under his wing.
But never in his wildest dreams did he expect this decision to lead him to train someone who might surpass all of his previous students.
With a tired sigh, Hiruzen weakly waved his hand. "That's enough for today."
"You've learned chakra control exercises and two Fire Style techniques. Now, it's up to you to practice and master them through daily training. You can take the rest of the day to do whatever you want."
Then, as if remembering something, he added, "Oh, right. Team 7, Kakashi's team, the one you saw yesterday, is training at Training Ground No.3 today."
"They're doing a drill, and I've already given Kakashi a heads-up about you. If you're interested, you can go check it out."
He continued, "As I told you before, being Hokage means I don't have much time to teach you. But as a ninja, you'll have to go on missions. For now, you'll need to team up with other teams."
"Before you start taking missions, it would be good to get familiar with Team 7. I'll keep teaching you as we go, but remember, don't let arrogance or impatience cloud your judgment. Learning takes time, and trying to rush it will only hold you back."
"And most importantly, never forget the Will of Fire! If you truly want to become a great ninja, it's something you must understand."
"Wherever the leaves fly, the fire will continue to burn. That fire will illuminate the village, and from it, new trees will grow…"
And with that, Hiruzen spent a full hour lecturing Makoto about the Will of Fire, making sure to drill the philosophy deep into his mind.
[Senju Tobirama: Is he sick? He barely spent half an hour teaching, but then he talked about the Will of Fire for a whole hour. Is this training or brainwashing?]
[Uchiha Madara: My head is pounding just listening to him. Does his mouth never get dry?]
[Senju Hashirama: I have to admit, being able to talk nonstop like that is a skill in itself!]
[Uchiha Izuna: At this rate, I'm seriously worried Makoto might end up brainwashed...]
Finally, after an entire hour, Hiruzen finished his lengthy speech and gave Makoto a warm smile. "Makoto, do you remember what I just said?"
Makoto confidently replied, "Of course! Wherever the leaves are flying, the fire is uncontrollable! The fire will burn the whole village and all the trees!"
Hiruzen's lips twitched after hearing his words. He stared at Makoto in disbelief before raising his hand and knocking him lightly on the head. "With that sleepy look of yours, I can tell you weren't paying attention!"
He let out a long sigh and shook his head helplessly. It looked like he still had a long way to go before he could set his student on the "right path."
[Uchiha Izuna: Hahahahaha! I take back what I said earlier. Even if that monkey tries to brainwash Makoto, I'm pretty sure it won't work on him.]
[Uchiha Madara: Pfft! Hahaha! Since I joined the chat group, I've laughed more than I ever have in my entire life.]
[The fire is going to set the whole village on fire and burn all the trees! Hilarious! Is this the legendary Will of Fire?]
[Senju Hashirama: …So the Will of Fire is just about burning wood now?]
[Senju Tobirama: Shut up, brother! Please, stop using your remaining brain cells]
With that, Hiruzen wrapped up his lesson for the day. The funny part was that Makoto had gained absolutely nothing from the session. If anything, he had just wasted time coming here.
After all, he had already mastered everything Hiruzen had taught him. The two eventually parted ways, Hiruzen heading back to his office while Makoto wandered through the streets, looking for something to do.
He knew Kakashi wouldn't show up on time, so there was no point in rushing to the training ground.
Instead, he decided to relax and hang out with Naruto and the others.
But before that, he decided to eat.
And what better place to eat than Ichiraku Ramen?
Makoto had eaten there plenty of times before and had even taken the opportunity to carefully observe Otsutsuki Uncle Ichiraku.
Honestly, with how mysterious the guy was, Makoto sometimes wondered if he might secretly be an Otsutsuki. But no matter how much he observed, Ichiraku always squinted his eyes so much that they couldn't be seen.
It was impossible to tell anything from his expression.
"Hey, Uncle! One bowl of Ramen!" Makoto called out with a grin.
Ichiraku turned to him with an exasperated smile. "Makoto, How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not your uncle! Why do you keep calling me that? I swear, you never used to call me that before!"
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