Chapter 601: End of the Lesson
Chapter 601: End of the Lesson
In the Land of Rain, within the city of Rikudo, Scorpion woke up punctually in the morning and, after finishing his dental and facial routine in the bathroom, he opened the door, ready to head to the Shinobi cafeteria for breakfast.
As soon as he opened the door, Scorpion spotted Nagato standing under a large tree about ten meters from his doorway.
Nagato nodded at Scorpion, and the two made their way together toward the cafeteria.
"Look, you don't live around here, so why do you insist on coming over every day? I don't need your supervision to complete my tasks. After all, I also want to regain my freedom as soon as possible," Scorpion said irritably as they walked.
Ever since that day he skipped breakfast and work, Nagato had been waiting for him at his door every morning to eat together.
Before Scorpion's body clock adjusted, Nagato would even knock on his door to wake him up if he overslept.
This annoyed Scorpion, as only his parents had ever managed him like this, not even his grandmother.
Seeing that Nagato seemed to be developing a habit of supervision, Scorpion became exasperated, no longer concerned about Nagato's hold over his freedom.
"It's not supervision," Nagato shook his head.
He wasn't there to be a watchdog; he simply wanted Scorpion to develop the habit of eating on time and to alleviate Scorpion's loneliness.
Both of them had lost their parents at a young age, and Nagato saw a bit of himself in Scorpion.
Before he met Yahiko and Konan, Nagato had wandered aimlessly, often feeling like he had no place in the vast Land of Rain or the ninja world, and no one to rely on.
Although their situations might have been different, Nagato could sense the loneliness emanating from Scorpion.
Nagato wanted to be for Scorpion what Yahiko had been for him—a source of companionship to dispel loneliness.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to act like you're my older brother now?" Scorpion couldn't help but mock.
Nagato gave a thoughtful expression before asking, "When is your birthday?"
If he couldn't be Yahiko to Scorpion, then perhaps being an older brother figure would do.
"November 8th," Scorpion answered instinctively.
"Then there's no problem with our ages. I was born on September 19th of the same year, just a couple of months earlier," Nagato nodded.
Whether in terms of age or height, he was more than qualified to be Scorpion's older brother.
Scorpion glared at Nagato, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he retorted, "So what if there's no problem with our ages? I never agreed to this arrangement."
"Let's go eat breakfast," Nagato said calmly.
Scorpion suddenly felt annoyed at Nagato's nonchalant attitude.
Despite being the same age, why was Nagato always so calm in the face of his provocative words, making it seem like he was overreacting and throwing a tantrum?
Scorpion thought about it carefully, and indeed, Nagato's demeanor reminded him of an older brother gently indulging a mischievous younger sibling.
"We have Souzoukei-sensei's class later, so we should head there soon," Nagato said, noticing that Scorpion had stopped in his tracks again, his expression sour as he stood lost in thought.
Today was the fourth day of the unlimited lecture series. They had attended the classes on the previous two days as well, and since there were quite a few Sand Ninjas present, Mu Yue had given Scorpion a small favor—she would not maintain the sealing technique during the lecture period, allowing Scorpion to use his transformation technique to disguise himself.
Scorpion had indeed considered using this opportunity to make a run for it.
With so many ninjas suddenly gathered in Rikudo, he figured it would be challenging for the Shinobi to manage them all, and with his seals inactive for over a dozen days, it seemed like the perfect chance to escape.
But then he remembered what Souzoukei had said about the consequences of escaping and being caught—a tripled sentence—and Scorpion hesitated to take the risk.
Scorpion had witnessed Nagato's sensing abilities firsthand, and he wasn't confident in his ability to outrun Nagato, especially with the enigmatic Souzoukei in the mix. He didn't want to gamble and risk losing any chance of revenge.
Scorpion didn't respond, merely walking silently toward the cafeteria.
Although he didn't particularly like Souzoukei, Scorpion had to admit that the title of 'Ninja Master' was well-deserved.
Scorpion, a puppet master, usually had little interest in others' ninja techniques, but even he found himself engaged during Souzoukei's lectures.
After the two finished their meal, Scorpion used his transformation technique and made his way to the training field where the lecture would take place.
They arrived neither too early nor too late, and the field was already filled with quite a few people.
"Last time it was seven days, now it's eight. I wonder if the total number of teaching days will increase to nine the next time," one ninja speculated.
"That's unlikely. Souzoukei-sensei's lectures are so high in quality that they must require a lot of preparation. We can't predict when the next one will be," another replied.
As they waited for Mu Yue to arrive, the gathered ninjas chatted amongst themselves.
Nagato and Scorpion made their way to the spot where they had stood during the previous two classes and waited quietly.
About twenty minutes later, Mu Yue arrived at the training field and made her way to the podium amidst a chorus of greetings from the ninjas calling out, "Souzoukei-sensei."
Time flew by, and Scorpion soon found himself immersed in the fading light of dusk.
After finishing dinner with Nagato at the Ninja cafeteria, Scorpion headed to the research lab that Mu Yue had specially prepared for him to continue his research on puppet prosthetics.
Usually, Scorpion conducted his research during the day, but with the ongoing lectures, he had to adjust his schedule and work at night instead.
As he entered the lab, Scorpion's thoughts occasionally drifted to Kakashi and Nagato, but soon enough, he became fully engrossed in his research once more.
Scorpion's introduction to puppetry hadn't been under the happiest of circumstances. It was Chiyo who had taught him puppetry to help him cope with the pain of losing his parents.
However, once he started, Scorpion genuinely grew to love the art.
Puppets didn't die or mysteriously disappear, and even if they broke, they could be fixed. To Scorpion, this eternal existence was true art.
As a result, Scorpion often became so engrossed in his work that he forgot about eating and sleeping.
"It's getting late; you should wash up and get some rest," Nagato reminded him, stepping into the research lab from the adjacent training room.
Scorpion glared at Nagato, irritated at being forcibly pulled out of his exploration of the ocean of puppetry techniques.
It was like being woken up in the middle of a deep sleep or having your bowl of food snatched away just as you were about to eat—how could he not be annoyed?
"We have Sensei Souzoukei's class tomorrow, and the day after is a rest day," Nagato explained.
Scorpion's imposing aura weakened noticeably, but he retorted, "Even if I research for another four hours, I'll still be able to get up early without feeling tired!"
Scorpion didn't particularly adore Souzoukei's classes; he merely found them interesting. What concerned him more was the possibility of Souzoukei deciding that the disguise technique was no longer necessary if he skipped class, thus taking away his little privilege of being able to work on his puppets.
"Alright, I believe you. Go on back," Nagato nodded.
Scorpion's forehead creased into a frown, his insincerity evident.
However, the thought of losing his small privilege made him relent with a cold huff, and he left without further argument.
"The wisdom of mortals," Scorpion thought to himself. "Once I transform myself into an eternal body, what's a mere week without sleep?"
The more he thought about it, the more Scorpion felt the frailty of the flesh. It was such a waste to spend seven or eight hours a day sleeping. If only that time could be spent on research and learning—the efficiency would be astounding!
...
Happy times always passed by too quickly, and soon enough, it was the last day of the second round of unlimited lectures.
On this day, Mu Yue arrived at the training field not ten minutes early as usual, but a full thirty minutes before the start of the class.
"Hey, has time passed so quickly? Is it time for the lesson already?" One of the ninjas exclaimed in surprise at seeing Souzoukei.
Because Mu Yue was always so punctual, they subconsciously associated her arrival with the lesson being only ten minutes away.
"Did everyone wake up late today?"
Someone noticed that the number of people in the field was lower than usual.
"Why did you come half an hour early?" Old Purple wondered.
Since he usually arrived around this time, he immediately realized that Souzoukei had come earlier than usual.
"Maybe because it's the last class? After all, we were told it would be an eight-day course," Four Tails mused.
"So it's already the eighth lesson?" Old Purple blinked in surprise.
His time in Rikudo had been fulfilling. On days without classes, he would go to the Ninja classroom to read books and listen to discussions, making him lose track of time.
"We still have thirty minutes until the lesson begins. In the meantime, I will randomly select some ninjas..." Mu Yue began, proceeding with the usual routine of answering questions before the lesson.
To make the last day a little different and give more ninjas a chance to ask questions, she had arrived earlier than usual.
Hearing that they had thirty minutes until the lesson, the ninjas below couldn't hide their delight.
Previously, five to six people would be chosen within ten minutes, but today, with thirty minutes, their chances of being selected had significantly increased.
Those who arrived later were initially startled to see Souzoukei already standing on the podium, thinking they were late. It was only after speaking to others that they realized she had come earlier than usual.
By the time there were only fifteen minutes left until the lesson, most of the ninjas had arrived.
The bad news, however, was that he came much earlier than expected, taking everyone by surprise.
But no one seemed to mind, as they were all focused on listening to Souzoukei's insightful answers.
Since most of the ninjas' questions were similar in nature, answering one person's query often benefited many others.
"I wonder if he can answer my question," thought Hanzo, his eyes fixed on the podium where Souzoukei stood, effortlessly clarifying the doubts of the assembled ninjas.
He was curious about Souzoukei's skill in Water Release and wondered if he was more proficient than himself.
However, Hanzo did not want to be picked by Souzoukei.
He did not want to be in a situation where he had to seek guidance from Souzoukei in front of everyone.
Hanzo knew that Souzoukei would not pick him, especially after he had warned him beforehand.
The thirty minutes before the start of the class passed quickly, and as expected, Hanzo was not chosen.
"What if I challenge him to a private duel and restrict it to only Water Release techniques? Would he accept?" Hanzo thought of a more straightforward approach.
By fighting, he would immediately know how skilled Souzoukei was in Water Release.
It was indeed a good idea, but Hanzo's face showed a rare hint of hesitation.
He had to admit that ever since he met Souzoukei, even if they only compared their skills in Water Release, which was Hanzo's forte, he was not confident that he could defeat Souzoukei.
Moreover, this duel held no value for Hanzo.
If he won, it would not enhance his reputation, and it might even further diminish his fame.
Hanzo was known as the strongest in Water Release in the ninja world, and if he, the master of Water Release, challenged Souzoukei, who was known for his Fire Release, and won, it would not be impressive.
If he lost, however, the title of the strongest in Water Release would pass to Souzoukei.
"Today, we will be covering..."
As Souzoukei's lecture began, Hanzo's restless thoughts finally settled, and he focused on listening to the class.
"All the classes have now concluded, and I hope you have all gained something from them."
It was Souzoukei's voice again that snapped Hanzo out of his contemplation of the lecture content.
"It's over already? It feels like it just started yesterday," one of the ninjas sighed.
The months without Souzoukei's lectures had felt like an eternity, but these past few days of classes had flown by.
"Yeah, it feels like a day goes by so quickly here," another ninja nearby chimed in, sharing the same sentiment.
There seemed to be something magical about Souzoukei's classes that made time fly.
"Eight lessons, just like that," Old Purple mused, feeling a mix of emotions, including a hint of excitement.
Like the others, he felt that the time spent in class had passed too quickly, and he wished there was more.
But the end of the lectures also meant that Old Purple would soon get to meet Souzoukei, and this thought excited him.
Before setting out on his journey, Old Purple had wanted to meet Souzoukei out of admiration for his achievements and to witness the legendary ninja teacher in person.
Now, after traveling through the Rain Country, from the southern regions to the northern reaches and eventually to Rikudo, his experiences had given him a deeper understanding of Souzoukei.
Yet, the more he learned about Souzoukei, the more intrigued he became, and his desire to meet him only intensified.
Hanzo glanced at Souzoukei, but in the end, he did nothing and said nothing. He simply turned and walked away.
A Rain ninja who noticed Hanzo's silent departure immediately used body language to alert the other Rain ninjas who hadn't realized what was happening, and they quickly followed suit.
After the lecture, most of the ninjas dispersed, while a small group remained behind for various reasons.
Old Purple was one of those who stayed.
After the class, he had a meal at a restaurant near the inn and then returned to his room, where he spent his time reading and awaiting news from the Ninja Sect.
Old Purple expected to receive a response within a couple of days, and he anticipated that it would take about a week before he could meet with Souzoukei in person.
After all, it was reasonable for Souzoukei to take some rest after conducting such an extensive lecture series.
"Do you have time tonight? If you're free, I can take you to meet Teacher Souzoukei in an hour," Nagato offered as he approached Old Purple.
Old Purple was surprised. He hadn't expected that Souzoukei would choose to meet on the same day the lectures ended.
"Yes, I'm free," Old Purple replied promptly.
He was genuinely free and available at any time.
PS:
The "xx year" in the original text is not a specific year in the Naruto world. It is derived from the characters' ages and information from the official databooks.
Since there is no established chronology in the original work, only "xx year" is used, and yes, Nagato and Scorpion were indeed born in the same year.
(End of Chapter)
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