Chapter 36: Not as Good as Mutsuki
Asuma, protected by Mutsuki's Water Release, instantly felt that he was not worth much as before. He had been harboring resentment towards Lord Third and had been venting it on Mutsuki, maintaining a hostile attitude.
As a teacher, Mutsuki had been very responsible. Even though Asuma had been uncooperative and resistant to Mutsuki's training, Mutsuki cleverly managed to make him complete the necessary exercises.
Although the process was a bit frustrating, it was all for his own good, aimed at helping him complete the training.
"Shisui, you can go back first." Seeing Asuma's low spirits, Mutsuki knew it was his turn.
Shisui nodded without saying much, turned around, and went to continue his practice.
Mutsuki walked up to Asuma, patting off the dust on his body and tidying up his somewhat disheveled clothes.
Finally, Mutsuki squatted down on the ground, maintaining a height similar to Asuma's, and looked into Asuma's eyes.
They locked eyes, and Asuma quickly lowered his head, then whispered, "Sensei, I'm sorry."
"How exactly do you think you've let me down?" Mutsuki asked with a smile.
"I shouldn't have vented my grievances on you, shouldn't have opposed and resisted cooperating with you all the time," Asuma replied, avoiding eye contact with Mutsuki.
"You haven't let me down; you've let yourself down," Mutsuki said, his expression gradually turning serious.
Mutsuki asked, "Doesn't not training affect me?"
Before Asuma could respond, Mutsuki continued, "It doesn't. Even if you don't train, I'll keep spending time with you. I still receive my salary of two thousand ryo per hour."
"But it's different for you. Skip training for an hour, and your hour is gone, with nothing gained," Mutsuki continued.
Dealing with such a rebellious youth requires making them feel that everything you do is for their benefit, that you are on their side, and that they are the ones making mistakes.
"I..." Asuma hesitated in his words. The more Mutsuki spoke, the more remorseful he felt, realizing how unworthy he had been.
Despite his previous annoyance with Mutsuki's methods, his appreciation for him had significantly increased in this moment.
Without exaggeration, Asuma felt that Mutsuki, his sensei for only a few days, was much better than his own father, the Hokage.
Despite going against Mutsuki's training requirements, Mutsuki didn't scold him. Instead, he praised Asuma for his strong limbs.
If it were Sarutobi Hiruzen instead, he might have been angered, stroking his beard, glaring, and scolding him.
Before delivering any lectures, Mutsuki first helped him brush off the dust from his body, tidied his clothes, and even considerately maintained eye contact.
Thinking about this, Asuma's eyes couldn't help but turn slightly red.
Why was it that a private tutor, whom he had known for only a few days, could generously praise him, while every time he came home excited about achieving something, he never received praise from his parents?
Was his "first" not as significant as the "firsts" of others?
The more Asuma thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, especially recalling that he had been defeated by a new student earlier today while he already graduated.
Various emotions accumulated and eventually erupted. Despite Asuma's efforts to control himself, tears still flowed down, and he turned his head away, not wanting Mutsuki to see.
However, it was impossible to hide anything from Mutsuki, who had been attentively observing Asuma.
Mutsuki didn't act immediately. Instead, he waited for a while, allowing Asuma to release some emotions through tears before getting up. Mutsuki patted Asuma's shoulder and handed him a handkerchief.
"Yumi-sensei, you're really kind," Asuma said, wiping away his tears and choking up.
"Not like my parents; they wouldn't do this..."
"That's because you only remember the bad things they did to you and forget the good," Mutsuki said with a solemn tone.
"Think carefully. Who was the one tirelessly putting you to sleep when you were a child? Who taught you to walk and run step by step? Who checked if you were covered well at night? Who..." Mutsuki spoke with heartfelt emphasis.
Lord Third might be watching, so it's not just about gaining favor for oneself; it's also necessary to mediate the father-son relationship.
Asuma couldn't find the words to say. As Mutsuki spoke, he indeed recalled similar memories.
"You can take some time to think about it when you're free. For now, let's prepare to begin training. Have you forgotten what you said earlier?" Mutsuki, seeing Asuma conflicted, shifted the conversation to training.
"Of course not. From now on, Yumi-sensei, I'll practice whatever you say," Asuma said, wiping his face with the handkerchief.
Mutsuki's image in Asuma's mind had transformed from a cunning and unpleasant adult into a genuinely caring and perfect teacher.
"For this week, let's continue practicing Chakra control, and next week, we'll focus on Ninjutsu," Mutsuki briefly outlined the training schedule.
He wouldn't teach Asuma the way he taught Shisui and the others. Firstly, Asuma's identity was sensitive, and Lord Third might be watching directly or indirectly. It could lead to Asuma exposing his strength, and Mutsuki currently didn't want to reveal abilities surpassing Chunin level.
The second reason is quite practical; Asuma is just a student, not a disciple, and it's not worth investing too much energy.
As Mutsuki anticipated, Sarutobi Hiruzen, currently in the Hokage Tower, was using the Telescope Jutsu to observe how Mutsuki was teaching Asuma.
"In teaching children, Yumi is indeed outstanding." Watching Asuma transition from initial resistance to ultimate respect, Sarutobi Hiruzen affirmed Mutsuki's teaching abilities.
He wasn't too surprised that Mutsuki could bring Shisui. Shisui was a student in Mutsuki's class, and even students from other classes liked Mutsuki so much. It made sense that Mutsuki's own class wouldn't be an exception.
"However, to possess such strength right after enrollment, the potential may even surpass Kagami's." Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled his former teammate, Uchiha Kagami, who had the will of fire acknowledged by Lord Second.
"It seems I need to pay more attention." Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe and took a puff while contemplating.
Shisui is the grandson of Uchiha Kagami and possesses exceptional talent. Sarutobi Hiruzen had known of his existence before.
He hopes that Shisui can become an Uchiha like Uchiha Kagami.
Seeing Asuma starting his training, Sarutobi Hiruzen canceled the Telescope Jutsu and began attending to official matters.
Until evening, Sarutobi Hiruzen used the Telescope Jutsu again to inspect Konoha before leaving the Hokage Tower to go home for dinner.
At the dinner table, Sarutobi Hiruzen asked with a smile, "Asuma, are you satisfied with your private tutor, Yumi-sensei? I carefully selected him for you."
Asuma, pausing from his continuous eating, couldn't help but recall the events of the day.
Before today, Asuma would have answered that Mutsuki was a lousy sensei who deceived his students.
"Yumi-sensei is great, much better than what you teach," Asuma praised Mutsuki while not forgetting to take a jab at Lord Third.
Although Mutsuki had comforted him, his resentment towards Lord Third wasn't something that could be dispelled quickly.
"What do you know, you little kid? The Sannin were all trained by me," Sarutobi Hiruzen retorted, stroking his beard and glaring.
"Clearly, Aunt Tsunade and the others already had extraordinary talents," Asuma countered. Though the Sannin were famous, each of them carved out their own path.
"Sometimes, acknowledging one's shortcomings is a sign of wisdom," Asuma imitated Mutsuki's tone.
Sarutobi Hiruzen found himself at a loss for words against his own son. Admitting would mean not measuring up to Mutsuki, while not admitting would imply a lack of wisdom.
Seeing his old father struggling with words, Asuma felt in high spirits, making his meal even more enjoyable.
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