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

Chapter 41: Like a Ninja (Part 2)

"Did you see how I used Earth Release to till the soil earlier?"

"No."

"..."

Kazama sighed.

"Forget it. Just follow my lead. The hand seals for Earth Release: Earth Wave are..."

He carefully guided Ichirō through the process, ensuring that he understood the chakra control needed. Kazama was determined not to let any confusion discourage him.

Ichirō was focused, trying his best to copy the hand seals, though his movements were clumsy. Still, he followed Kazama's instructions exactly. When the time came, he pressed his hands against the earth, attempting to channel his chakra.

But nothing happened.

The chakra simply disappeared into the ground without effect.

Kazama and Ichirō stared at the still, unchanged soil between them.

The silence was awkward.

"Kazama... I don't think I can do it." Ichirō's voice was quiet, his usual cheerful expression fading into disappointment. He tried to smile, but it was forced.

Kazama frowned. He could tell how much it hurt Ichirō to feel like he wasn't good enough. How many times had this big guy been told he was slow? How many times had he been left behind?

"Don't be stupid," Kazama snapped. "You think you can master a jutsu in one try? I studied this technique for three months before I got it right. And you want to succeed on the first try? What are you, some kind of genius? Quit whining and try again. Let's figure out what went wrong."

Ichirō blinked, momentarily stunned by Kazama's scolding. But then, something in his expression changed.

Kazama's words weren't meant to mock him—they were reassuring.

If even Kazama needed months to learn this, then failing a few times was normal.

Maybe… just maybe… he could do it too.

---

Ichirō tried again.

His second attempt resulted in a tiny bump in the ground.

"Good! That's progress!" Kazama encouraged.

The third attempt made the bump slightly bigger.

The fourth and fifth attempts showed even more improvement.

By the tenth attempt, Ichirō was drenched in sweat, but the bulges in the soil were visibly larger.

Kazama clapped him on the shoulder. "That's enough for now. Your chakra reserves are running low. If you force it, you'll just mess up your control. Rest, drink some water, then finish your part of the field the old-fashioned way."

They returned to the tree where Hayate was waiting.

The jōnin was watching them with an unreadable expression.

"Ichirō is strong and has plenty of stamina, but he lacks finesse. I wonder if he has an Earth affinity… We should test his chakra nature with paper tomorrow." Kazama mused.

"Leave that to me," Hayate replied, smiling. "I'll bring some chakra paper tomorrow. You've already done the hard part—I just have to get the results."

Kazama nodded in thanks. It wasn't easy for a genin to obtain chakra paper, but for a jōnin, it was no trouble at all.

---

Meanwhile, Nobuko had yet to move from her spot.

"What about her?" Hayate asked.

"Let her think," Kazama replied.

"Not everyone is a natural problem-solver. Some need a push," Hayate pointed out.

"True, but Nobuko isn't like Ichirō. She's smart—she memorized every page of our academy textbooks and mastered all the basic techniques. That means she's capable of figuring things out on her own."

"So that's why you taught Ichirō directly, but left Nobuko to think for herself?"

"Exactly. Ichirō is straightforward—he needs clear instructions. But Nobuko? She's supposed to be our strategist. If she can't think for herself, we'll have to do all the thinking for her, and that's too much work for me."

Hayate sighed, shaking his head. "Your confidence is overwhelming."

---

Nobuko finally moved.

But she didn't complain.

She didn't hesitate.

She had figured it out.

"I don't completely understand what Kazama meant about thinking like a ninja, but… the biggest difference between a ninja and a civilian is chakra. A ninja can use chakra."

She gripped her hoe tightly.

Focusing, she channeled chakra into the tool. A faint blue glow covered the handle.

Nobuko raised the hoe and swung it down.

The blade sank into the earth like a hot knife through butter.

"It worked!"

Encouraged, she continued, adjusting the amount of chakra with each swing.

Every strike was smoother.

Every movement more efficient.

Kazama grinned as he watched. "Looks like she figured it out."

Hayate, however, frowned. "She's wasting too much chakra."

"She'll realize soon enough," Kazama replied confidently.

---

Sure enough, Nobuko soon started to struggle.

Her swings became unsteady.

Her breath grew heavier.

Her chakra was draining fast.

She paused, frowning. "This method works, but it's exhausting… I need to adjust something."

Instead of using chakra to power her swings, she focused on enhancing the cutting edge of the hoe itself.

With a slight shift in technique, she achieved the same efficiency—without nearly as much strain.

---

Hayate watched in stunned silence.

"You planned this."

"Yep."

"You're telling me your goal wasn't just for them to complete the mission faster, but to train their chakra control through daily tasks?"

"Bingo. If they learn to apply chakra efficiently now, it'll help them in real combat later."

Hayate sucked in a sharp breath.

He had underestimated Kazama.

---

As realization set in, Hayate's mind raced.

This method… it actually makes sense. Different missions require different applications of chakra control. In a way, this is a practical and adaptable form of training…

Then, another thought struck him.

If Kazama was going to push himself, if Ichirō was going to get stronger, if Nobuko was going to improve—

What about me?

Hayate suddenly felt the pressure.

If his students kept growing at this rate, could he even keep up as their sensei?

He had to.

He would.

Hayate clenched his fists. "Alright. I need to step up my game too."

---

After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Kazama.

"Since you seem to have all these bright ideas, do you have any recommendations?"

Kazama blinked.

"Huh?"

"Your teammates—my students. If you were in my position, how would you train them?"

Kazama tilted his head.

"That's simple. Tailor their training to their strengths."

"That's obvious. Be specific."

Kazama smirked.

"First, we need to understand their chakra natures. Second, we assess their raw abilities—strength, speed, endurance, reaction time. We don't come from ninja clans, so we don't have inherited techniques. That means we need to build them up from the ground level, one step at a time."

Hayate raised an eyebrow. "That's surprisingly well thought out."

"Of course," Kazama grinned. "This is my team we're talking about."

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