Konoha: Who Says the Shinobi World Can't Play Hunter?

Chapter 40: Like a Ninja

Kazama put away the scroll, running through the hand seals and chakra flow patterns in his mind. He wasn't fully proficient yet, but for this situation, it should work.

"Earth Release: Earth Wave!"

His hands flashed through the seals, then slammed down onto the ground. Chakra surged from his palms, pouring into the earth.

The ground before him began to shift and roll like waves, layer upon layer undulating outward. After several cycles of this, the soil in front of him was completely broken up—far more finely than if he had simply dug it up by hand.

Four entire furrows of land had been tilled effortlessly by his Earth Wave jutsu, the soil finely crumbled, perfectly even, and completely avoiding the irrigation trenches. All that was left was to rake out the grass.

"Alright, I'm done with my section. The rest is up to you guys. Work hard—if you finish by noon, you won't have to suffer the afternoon sun and get tanned."

Kazama clapped his hands together, dusted them off, and proudly walked over to the shady tree that Hayate had chosen, sitting down with an air of accomplishment.

---

"So this was your reason for choosing a farming mission?" Hayate asked, finally understanding.

"Partly," Kazama admitted. "I wanted to see if jutsu could be used for farming. Even if I retire one day, I'd still have a useful skill."

Hayate was speechless. You just became a ninja, and you're already thinking about retirement?

"Partly? What's the other reason?"

"For them." Kazama's eyes flicked toward Nobuko and Ichirō. "You must have noticed, Sensei. They're barely different from fresh graduates. Their improvements over the past year came from time, not training. What they need now is rigorous conditioning to unlock their potential."

"And you're using farming for that?"

"No, I'm using missions for that," Kazama corrected. "There are so many D-rank and C-rank missions. If we complete them like ordinary people, what's the point? Ninja still need to improve their skills. Today is their first lesson: 'A ninja can approach any task like a ninja.'"

Kazama crossed his arms, his voice filled with conviction.

---

"You have high expectations for them." Hayate was pleasantly surprised. Kazama had changed so much in just one day—from lazy and indifferent, to a calculating combatant, and now, a team-oriented thinker.

"I chose them as my teammates, which means they have potential. They just need guidance. That's where you come in, Sensei."

Kazama grinned.

Hayate looked momentarily uncomfortable. "I'm not great at lecturing. I'd rather teach by example. Just ask me when you need help."

"No, Sensei, in my opinion, teaching through action is the mark of a great teacher. And besides, you're an elite jōnin. Not many teams get a sensei of your caliber. When I first heard, I thought I was getting special treatment."

"You are getting special treatment." Hayate thought back to when the Hokage assigned him this squad. He had been reluctant at first, but Kosuke had personally requested it. He couldn't refuse an old friend. Of course, he couldn't exactly say that out loud.

"So you want to use your technique to make them think differently?"

"Exactly. D-rank missions can be done by civilians, so why are ninja hired for them? If the Hokage allows these missions, there must be value in them for ninja as well—we just haven't been seeing it."

Hayate considered this for a moment. "That makes sense. What's your next step?"

Kazama smirked. "Now, I wait for them to start struggling. Some things can't be taught through words. People learn best through experience. Today, they're going to understand firsthand that even in farming, a ninja should think like a ninja."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the results." Hayate still wasn't sure if Kazama's method would work, but he was intrigued nonetheless.

---

The work was grueling. Even as ninja, tilling the soil manually was exhausting. Nobuko was already struggling.

Kazama had finished his section in an instant with his jutsu, while Ichirō—blessed with natural strength—was pulling ahead. Despite being the hardest worker, Nobuko was falling behind.

She gritted her teeth and raised her hoe again.

But determination alone didn't make the soil softer.

Her energy was running low, and the furrow of land she needed to till seemed endless.

---

"Aren't you going to step in?" Hayate asked.

"I'm hoping she figures it out on her own."

"Not everyone is good at independent thinking, especially in unfamiliar situations. A little guidance can open doors."

Kazama sighed. "You're right. But why me? You're the sensei."

"You caused this situation. You fix it. If she starts crying, you deal with it. Now get going."

Kazama groaned.

---

He approached Nobuko, who was sitting on the edge of the field, hugging her knees.

"Crying?" Kazama asked.

"I'm not crying. I'm just resting." Nobuko sniffed, wiping her face.

"Uh-huh. Then why are your eyes red?"

"That's not important! I just…" She trailed off.

Kazama crouched beside her. "You're a ninja. You shouldn't be farming like a regular person."

Nobuko blinked. "Huh? What do you mean? It's still just farming…"

Kazama said nothing, letting the idea settle in her mind.

Leaving her to think, he moved on to Ichirō.

Unlike Nobuko, Ichirō was still going strong, his body glistening with sweat. His breathing was heavy, but he refused to stop.

"Ichirō, take a break." Kazama handed him a water bottle.

"Okay." Ichirō smiled and drank deeply, finishing the entire bottle in one go.

Then he picked up his hoe, ready to continue.

"Hold on. Let's talk first."

"But—Nobuko—she needs help—"

"I get it. You want to finish your part quickly so you can help her, right?"

Ichirō nodded vigorously.

"But that's too slow. You're both getting exhausted. What if I told you there's a faster way?"

Ichirō hesitated. "Can I really learn it? I'm slow at learning things… people always tell me that."

"You won't know unless you try. Want to give it a shot?"

Ichirō nodded.

"Alright. Watch closely—let me show you a ninja's way to farm."

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