Chapter 77: Might Gai's New Mission

"Gai, you seem to be in great shape today." On a bright Sunday morning, Makoto arrived at the training ground, only to find that Might Gai was already there, engaged in vigorous exercises, performing deep squats while lifting a large boulder.

"I think your words from earlier, Teacher Makoto, make a lot of sense. Engaging strong opponents with honor and integrity can truly convert training results into personal strength. So, last night…" Might Gai mentioned his recent challenge against Kakashi.

He recounted the experience to Makoto.

"The fact that you're taking my words to heart pleases me, Gai," Makoto responded with a smile.

"As long as you continue putting in the hard work, I firmly believe you will surpass Kakashi and become the strongest. You're a genius of perseverance!"

A genius of perseverance.

When Might Gai heard these words, his body immediately shook.

"With your guidance, Teacher Makoto, I'm very confident in my path to becoming the strongest," Gai declared, his face radiating enthusiasm.

Every time he reflected on the changes he had undergone, Might Gai increasingly recognized the significance of Makoto's role in his life.

In fact, even slower learners like Might Gai and Obito, after being Makoto's disciples for some time, couldn't help but notice something extraordinary about their teacher. The strength that Makoto demonstrated went far beyond the level expected of a Chunin instructor.

Nevertheless, Might Gai didn't dwell on this anomaly. He felt Makoto's sincerity and genuine desire to help him improve.

Whenever their strengths significantly improved, Gai could sense that Makoto celebrated their progress even more than they did.

Aside from Makoto, Gai had observed such behavior only in his father.

"With Teacher Makoto's guidance, I will defeat Kakashi sooner or later!" Gai expressed unwavering confidence in both himself and Makoto.

[Disciple Might Gai sets a training mission]

[Training mission: Defeat Kakashi]

[Reward: Depends on the degree of the mission's completion and the strength gained during the mission]

Observing the training mission that had finally emerged, Makoto quietly nodded to himself. He had essentially mastered the mechanism for triggering these missions.

More than two months had passed since the first training mission had been initiated. Through continuous experimentation, Makoto had discerned some of the conditions governing the activation of these missions.

The training tasks predominantly relied on the personal aspirations of the disciples. For individuals like Might Gai and Obito, the missions were relatively easy to initiate but difficult to terminate at will.

Shisui, however, remained untouched because he stood as the unmatched prodigy among his peers. No one pushed him to achieve further, as he casually occupied the top position.

Makoto had made multiple attempts to trigger a training mission from Shisui, but despite prolonged efforts, it remained unattainable.

Makoto speculated that these missions might not be suitable for the pursuit of long-term objectives. Otherwise, given Shisui's character, he would have likely set a mission to alter the Uchiha clan's fate.

Alternatively, it could be that trust levels were not yet sufficiently high, with only trust level three unlocking training tasks. Perhaps trust level four would bring new developments.

Although there were currently no training tasks, Makoto continued to prioritize Shisui's growth.

Shisui's natural talent and relentless training had caused his chakra reserves to swell dramatically. At present, he received more chakra from training Shisui than from training both Obito and Might Gai combined.

Moreover, Shisui was the sole disciple who had triggered a strength-growth reward.

Makoto anticipated that it would take some time for Obito and Might Gai to reach this milestone.

Shortly afterward, Shisui also arrived, preparing for their training.

Seeing all three of them together, Makoto gathered them and commenced instruction on the art of chakra control.

Obito, the last to arrive, couldn't help but feel a hint of envy when he saw Might Gai and Shisui deep in their training.

Yet, Obito's thoughts were quickly distracted by concerns about the price and the challenging physical task ahead.

"You need to learn how to dodge swiftly while maintaining forward momentum," Obito muttered to himself, practicing his chakra nature transformation as he pondered a solution to this problem.

He knew that resolving these challenges was imperative. Otherwise, even if he reattempted the physical task, he'd only receive three more test papers.

"I suppose nighttime running and exercise may help. It should enhance my leg strength," Obito mused, believing that strengthening his legs could improve his speed and reduce fatigue when using chakra.

...

With the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, taking the lead, the arrangements for the summer special training were quickly settled.

For fourth-grade students, all of them are forced to return to school for this special training, unless there were special circumstances. Exceptional students in other grades had the option to decline the special training invitation.

The primary focus of this special training wasn't on the recent genin graduates or standout students from other grades. Instead, it was aimed at the fourth-year students who were on the cusp of graduating.

The Ninja School dispatched teachers to personally inform and talk with parents.

Makoto believed that in the harsh ninja world, there were very few parents who wouldn't want their children to grow stronger. Regardless of what the Konoha textbooks might say about ninjas, it was undeniable that the profession was extremely dangerous.

News about the Third Kazekage's disappearance had spread throughout Konoha. Anyone familiar with the current landscape of the ninja world understood that war was looming.

Recalling the past tensions between Kumogakure and Konoha, it was highly likely that Konoha would be embroiled in the conflict.

Makoto himself made the selections for outstanding students in each grade. He chose eight students per grade and instructed the teachers to base their selections on actual performance.

As Makoto's first-year class excelled in the first grade, four students from his class were chosen: Shisui, Anko, Kotetsu, and Izumo.

Anko, upon hearing that she would have to return to school for another month of special summer training, was understandably perplexed. The vacation hadn't even lasted a week, and school was resuming?

Fortunately for Anko, this summer training was purely practical, with no theoretical classes, and was still under the guidance of her favorite teacher, Makoto. Exceptional students seldom refused such opportunities.

On the other hand, only about a dozen genin graduates applied for entry into the special training. Makoto understood that most graduates had greater trust in their instructors from their respective teams than in the chuunin teachers at the Ninja School. Having doubts about one's superior could be problematic.

Due to this summer special training, Makoto felt it necessary to provide a comprehensive report to Danzo, outlining all the details of the training.

Danzo seemed satisfied with how the mission had been executed. In his response, he also rewarded Makoto with a secret medicine from his resources.

In his message, Danzo suggested that Makoto should perform to the best of his abilities so that the Third Hokage might consider promoting him to the rank of special jounin. The rest of the message contained somewhat superfluous content.

Makoto didn't have any intentions of using the secret medicine; after all, it was a gift from Danzo.