Chapter 89: The Wheels of Fate Begin to Turn
Chapter 89: The Wheels of Fate Begin to Turn
"Get to that place, and you'll have fewer questions!" Obito sprinted at top speed, his eyes glowing red as he fixated on the finish line.
He had never longed to reach a destination this quickly. If asked where he most wanted to be at that moment, Obito would unequivocally respond: the finishing line.
Might Gai had a more extended path to traverse, so Obito couldn't see him for the time being. However, he soon detected, from the noise generated by his own rapid running, that Might Gai's pace was gaining on him.
Obito was aware that he couldn't match Might Gai's speed, and being overtaken would mean certain defeat.
Gritting his teeth, he focused on the chakra technique that Makoto had taught him to increase his speed.
He channeled more chakra into his legs, hoping to gain extra acceleration.
"To surpass everyone, to become the strongest!" Might Gai felt a fiery determination surging through his body. He relentlessly pushed himself to move faster, striving to close in on Obito.
As they approached the finish line, the distance between them continued to shrink. When they were about to cross the finish line, it felt as if Obito and Might Gai were running parallel to each other.
*Swiish*
Suddenly, Might Gai's figure vanished from Obito's side and reappeared at the finish line.
As Obito reached the end, he collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, filled with regret.
He couldn't help but pound the ground with his hand, realizing that he had received a hundred questions the previous day and now had to tackle dozens more.
He was facing the prospect of returning to the days of answering questions in installments.
"I hate this!" Obito muttered.
"Obito managed to finish half a second early, reducing his question count to thirty-five. On the other hand, Gai crossed the finish line first, finishing a second earlier, exempting him from answering any questions." Makoto announced the results of the competition.
Upon hearing that he wouldn't have to answer any questions, Might Gai celebrated with a smile and a triumphant fist pump.
Makoto used his identification technique to assess Might Gai and found that the recent competition had increased his proficiency by three points.
"One may not be able to learn math under pressure, but they can certainly physically grow at an accelerated pace," Makoto mused, acknowledging the effectiveness of the game. Both Obito and Might Gai had achieved better results in their full-out sprints.
"Take a break and have some water," Makoto said, helping Obito up and offering him a bottle of flammable water. Obito took a long swig from his bottle, feeling revived yet a bit dizzy.
"At this growth rate, Obito, you'll be done with the challenge by the end of the week," Makoto remarked.
"Gai, my friend, hic, you won today, hic, but don't ya get too comfy, hic! I'm tellin' ya, hic, I'll be the one crossin' that finish line first, hic, tomorrow!" Obito declared.
Might Gai responded with enthusiasm, "Haha, I'm motivated, but the first one to reach the finish line will be me!"
Makoto observed his students and thought that this was how his disciples should be.
However, he regretted that Shisui couldn't participate in such a harmonious and friendly training.
Shisui's strength and deep theoretical knowledge meant he had no fear of answering questions. Additionally, Shisui could use the shadow clone to assist with question-solving.
...
On Tuesday, Makoto conducted his usual class. He had completely grasped the rhythm of teaching and was capable of controlling the grading process like any regular class.
He could decide whether to earn chakra or learn ninjutsu.
Makoto chose to recieve on chakra in the morning and get ninjutsu in the afternoon.
"Damn! Teacher Makoto's guidance on these basic skills clearly exceeds what you'd typically expect from a jounin's." Raid remarked, observing the students from Group B who had mastered tree climbing and water treading under Makoto's guidance.
"The genin who didn't sign up for this training will probably regret it profoundly when they find out."
Raid found himself a bit envious of those students at the school. If he had had such an excellent teacher during his time at school, he would undoubtedly be much stronger than he is now.
"Hey, buddy, have I tricked you before? Just trust me," Asuma patted his shoulder.
"Teacher Makoto isn't just good at teaching the basics. If he knows it himself, he can teach it well," Asuma explained.
"Even though Teacher Makoto is a great teacher, the special training here is intense. I feel a bit embarrassed getting outperformed by a bunch of school students," Kurenai confessed, her face showing a hint of sadness.
She wasn't sure about others, but she felt a little ashamed about being overshadowed by the school students.
"Don't worry, Kurenai, the two of us will work hard together and aim to secure two positions in the top three," Asuma quickly reassured her.
"Why, do you think I can't compete with you?" Raid raised an eyebrow.
Asuma wished Shisui were here to kick away this idiot. He couldn't quite grasp the mood in the room.
However, it wasn't Shisui that appeared.
It was him, Makoto! To offer them guidance.
Time flew, and soon, it was time for the class to end.
[Completed a large-scale teaching]
[Evaluation: A]
[Rewards obtained: Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere, Earth Release: Earth Flow River]
Both ninjutsu were quite valuable, and Makoto was quite satisfied with today's gains.
Back in the main city, Makoto coincidentally ran into Minato and Kushina, who were on their way out.
"Makoto, we're heading to a meeting. Please make sure to prepare some food for us," Kushina and Makoto exchanged waves.
Minato cast Makoto a helpless glance. He was about to suggest that Makoto didn't need to cook their meals today.
"I'll make extra portions of vegetables and leave them for you to heat up. You can enjoy them later," Makoto said with a warm smile, understanding Minato's unspoken request.
It would be convenient to provide a little extra for them.
Surprisingly, Minato and Kushina returned earlier than expected. Just as Makoto was about to leave for his disciples' training, they knocked on his door.
Makoto planned to head to their place later in the evening. He had a permanent shadow clone there to oversee things, so it wouldn't disrupt their basic training.
A dinner meeting is definitely not a minor affair.
"Those brutes from the Land of Thunder are infuriating. They've assembled an army to attack Sunagakure while it's leaderless," Kushina lamented.
Makoto already had a pretty good idea of what was happening.
The gears of the Third Ninja War had officially begun to turn.