Chapter 508: Rewards for Advanced Classes
Land of Rain.
As news of the unrestricted lectures spread, the area around the Shinobi Sect base grew lively.
Some shinobi from far away arrived early and settled nearby, waiting for the legendary Ninja Master's official classes to begin. Since Sosuke started lecturing at 9 a.m., and it was considered quite early, even the most eager shinobi from the nearby Land of Rain chose to arrive the night before and stay overnight.
No one could fully know what others were thinking, but the innkeepers and vendors near the Shinobi Sect base were overwhelmingly grateful to Sosuke. They practically wished he would hold events like this every week.
As the leader of Amegakure, Hanzo naturally could not rush to the Shinobi Sect base early in the morning and draw attention, so he also arrived in advance.
Disguised as a wandering shinobi, Hanzo stood among the crowd and quietly observed the bustle around him.
"Iwagakure shinobi, Sunagakure shinobi… even Konoha has people here." Hanzo watched the mixed crowd and already anticipated the chaos that could follow.
Among the great villages, some were currently at war. Enemies meeting face to face would inevitably spark conflict.
"Anyone who intends to fight, leave the town. Fighting inside town limits will be treated as troublemaking, and all damages must be compensated." A patrolling member of the Shinobi Sect shouted the warning as he passed.
Sosuke had considered the risk long ago. Too many shinobi gathering would naturally invite trouble. His stance was simple. Fighting was allowed, but it could not disturb ordinary people, and it could not disrupt his lectures.
"They've prepared quite a lot," Hanzo thought. He withdrew his gaze and turned back toward the inn, but a shout from the street caught his attention.
"That looks like Pakura, Sunagakure's hero!"
Hanzo subtly scanned the area and spotted Pakura standing at a street corner, completely undisguised.
"That face, no mistake. It's Sunagakure's Scorch Release hero."
"A shinobi of her level actually came to listen to Ninja Master Sosuke's lecture?"
The wandering shinobi were stunned.
To them, Pakura was already an untouchable figure, someone far beyond their reach.
Hanzo sneered inwardly. What was Pakura?
Even he, Hanzo the demigod, had come out of curiosity.
Hanzo estimated that if he attended without a disguise, tomorrow's shinobi world headlines would be about him and Sosuke. And it would not be favorable for him. After being defeated by Sosuke, showing up at Sosuke's lecture would look like submission, no matter how it was spun.
Pakura noticed the stares and whispers around her, but she did not care.
Most of the people here were ants in her eyes, beings she could crush whenever she wanted.
"Kitsuchi… why is he in the Land of Rain again?" Hanzo's eyes narrowed as he spotted Kitsuchi, also undisguised.
The moment people recognized Kitsuchi, the crowd gasped again. His reputation was no weaker than Pakura's, and because he was the Tsuchikage's son, it carried even more weight.
"Even Kitsuchi, the Rock Fist, is here. Are there other big figures hiding with disguises, or ones who haven't shown themselves yet?" someone said boldly.
Hanzo said nothing. He simply returned to the inn in silence.
…
"It's really lively. As expected of Teacher Sosuke," Yahiko exclaimed as he looked down from a high vantage point. "With one call, so many shinobi respond. If they could all join the Shinobi Sect, our strength would multiply several times over."
Working alongside Sosuke made Yahiko see his own shortcomings more clearly. The original Akatsuki would have struggled immensely to grow into what the Shinobi Sect had already become.
"Uh… that's probably impossible," Nagato said after thinking it through. "Even wandering shinobi won't join an organization that easily."
"Also, many of them are shinobi from villages. Whether for personal interests or for other reasons…"
"Hahaha, of course I know," Yahiko cut in, throwing an arm around Nagato's neck as he laughed. "I'm just joking."
He was not naive enough to believe strengthening the Shinobi Sect could be done in such a simple way.
"But Nagato, you really changed a lot," Yahiko said, smiling. "You feel more and more formidable."
In the past, Nagato was so reserved that people had to drag words out of him. Now he could speak freely, and he could speak with clarity.
"Everyone changed," Nagato replied, his gaze fixed on the distant crowd. "Because Teacher Sosuke guided us."
Saying Sosuke had changed the Land of Rain might still be too early, but Sosuke had unquestionably changed them, making them all better.
"Yes," Yahiko said, stretching his arms wide. "It's great that everyone is moving forward together."
If one had to name who recognized Sosuke the most within the Shinobi Sect, Yahiko would be among the top, if not the very first. To prevent potential problems inside the Shinobi Sect, he even disbanded Akatsuki, the organization that once carried his growth and his dreams.
…
The next day.
On the open ground of the Shinobi Sect base, the Ninja Master's class that everyone had been waiting for was about to begin.
There was no luxuriously decorated venue. No tables. No chairs. Even Sosuke, the lecturer, only stood on a slightly raised platform so the crowd could see him clearly.
Yet despite the humble conditions, almost no one complained.
The Ninja Master, famous across the shinobi world, did not even have a seat. With that in mind, it felt perfectly reasonable for everyone else to stand.
"This is Sosuke, the one who defeated Hanzo the demigod. He looks so young, maybe not even thirty."
"Yes. A powerhouse this young, yet there was no news about him before he defeated Hanzo. He really hid his abilities."
Some shinobi discussed Sosuke's fame and combat achievements.
"I wonder what he'll teach. I hope it isn't just basic jutsu."
"He used Fire Release when he defeated Hanzo. Fire is normally countered by Water, so he must be incredibly proficient with Fire Release to pull that off. Maybe he'll explain Fire Release?"
Others were focused on the lecture's content.
Hanzo listened to their chatter with an unreadable expression. His eyes stayed fixed on the platform.
Sosuke stood on the platform, activated his Byakugan, and swept the audience with a calm glance. Including the Shinobi Sect members, there were roughly a thousand people present.
Most were shinobi from nearby small villages and scattered wandering shinobi. There were fewer from the great villages.
This was within Sosuke's expectations.
It was the Third Shinobi World War. Many shinobi had no free time, and some simply could not spare the time to come. If it were peacetime, the crowd would be far larger.
Because there were too many people, Sosuke did not use the Appraisal Technique on everyone. Instead, he checked the panels of those with especially strong chakra.
[Name: Kitsuchi]
[Chakra: 68000]
[Skills: Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient: 4000/15000), Earth Release: Fist Rock (Proficient), Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique (Proficient)...]
After confirming there were no issues, Sosuke began.
"Hello, everyone. I am Sosuke. I will be teaching you now, so please try to remain quiet," Sosuke said, amplifying his voice. At the same time, he released a measured amount of his presence.
In a world where individual power truly existed, strength commanded respect. To prevent unnecessary trouble, Sosuke did not mind letting people feel the weight behind the title Ninja Master before the lecture even began.
A vast chakra pressure swept across the open ground. Some chunin nearer to the front turned pale, dread creeping into their hearts.
"What a powerful presence," Pakura thought, secretly startled.
Under Sosuke's calm and reasonable tone, the entire area quickly fell silent. No one chatted anymore. Every eye turned toward him.
"This course will last seven days," Sosuke explained. "It will mainly cover chakra nature transformation and shape transformation, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and more."
To aim for the S rank advanced course reward, Sosuke had prepared thoroughly. He knew the final score was not only influenced by attendance, but also by the quality of the teaching itself.
These attendees came from different lands and different villages. If he wanted the lesson to be useful to most of them, he had to cover content that applied broadly.
"Such a wide scope. Will this really work?" Kitsuchi was surprised.
He had assumed Sosuke would lecture on what he was most famous for, Fire Release. But this sounded like Sosuke was prepared to explain everything.
"Chakra nature transformation," Sosuke continued, "is something I believe most of you are familiar with."
Many people nodded. Aside from rare cases like Guy, most shinobi focused heavily on nature transformation during training.
Stronger nature transformation meant stronger ninjutsu. Pure taijutsu specialists were a minority.
"Earth Release can control the ground and alter the hardness of substances."
Sosuke formed a hand seal, and an earth pillar rose beside him.
"Wind Release makes your chakra thin and sharp, like a blade, capable of cutting."
Sosuke placed his palm against the earth pillar. Wind blades burst from his hand, slicing the pillar into large stone blocks in an instant.
"Lightning Release has strong penetrating power and is also suitable for diffusion."
A flash of lightning erupted, shattering the stone blocks into a pile of smaller rocks.
"Fire Release is defined by heat and combustion."
Brilliant, high temperature flames poured from Sosuke's hand, adding fresh scorch marks to the rubble.
"Water Release chakra is easily shaped, making it suitable for many forms."
With Water Release chakra flowing, Sosuke waved his hand and created a stream of water that moved as if it had a will. It became a soft whip, then sharpened into a sword, shifting smoothly under his control.
In the blink of an eye, Sosuke demonstrated all five natures and explained their core traits.
"How incredible," a shinobi in the crowd thought, shaken. "He didn't say much, but every word hit the point."
That shinobi trained Wind Release. He suddenly realized that no matter how many teachers talked around it, the essence really was thin and sharp. He needed to dive deeper in that direction.
"Is that all?" Pakura felt mildly bored.
Sosuke's explanation was good, but for a shinobi at her level, this was foundational knowledge.
"We all know chakra natures have restraining relationships," Sosuke continued. "Using those relationships well can give you an advantage in battle."
"This is one important reason we must continuously deepen our chakra nature transformation. If your level is high enough, the restraining relationship is not absolute. Fire Release can suppress Water Release."
The crowd nodded.
Sosuke's fame had exploded because of that very truth. His victory over Hanzo using Fire Release was proof of an exceptionally high level.
Hanzo's face remained stern. Sosuke did not mention names, but Hanzo still felt targeted.
As Sosuke went deeper, Hanzo grew more serious.
He wanted to understand how he had lost that day. Even with constant rain as his advantage, he still lost to a man using Fire Release.
Midway through the lecture, Sosuke judged that words alone would be hard to grasp. He had the crowd step back slightly. Then he entered Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, compressed his chakra, and flicked a spark to the ground.
"Next, I will randomly select someone to come up and try to extinguish it with water," Sosuke said as his gaze swept the crowd.
Hanzo frowned and lowered his head slightly, trying to reduce his presence.
Meanwhile, many shinobi were eager. This was a rare chance to interact directly with Ninja Master Sosuke.
"I invite the friend wearing a mask to come up and try," Sosuke said, pointing straight at Hanzo.
Hanzo: …
He strongly suspected Sosuke had already recognized him. Otherwise, why him, out of so many people?
"What luck! He hit a one in a thousand chance," the nearby wandering shinobi said with envy.
Hanzo felt nothing but exhaustion. His luck had clearly run out.
Still, he stepped forward expressionlessly.
He told himself it could be coincidence. His disguise skill was strong, and he had never personally interacted with Sosuke before. Recognition should not be that easy.
And with so many watching, refusing would only stand out. That might actually lead Sosuke to look closer and discover the truth.
Hanzo did not want to end up on tomorrow's headlines, so he could not afford exposure.
"May I ask your name?" Sosuke asked, smiling.
"Hattori," Hanzo answered casually.
"If you, Hattori, have mastered Water Release, you may use it to extinguish the flame," Sosuke said. "If not, we have a water hose you can use."
Hanzo nodded and stared at the high temperature flame.
This fire was unusual. The closer he got, the more he could feel the heat climbing.
"Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
After a brief pause, Hanzo formed hand signs and used a basic Water Release, spitting it toward the flame.
He wanted to unleash Water Release at full power, but doing so would likely expose him.
Sizzle!
The water stream evaporated rapidly on contact, yet the compressed flame did not weaken at all.
"Please use a stronger Water Release," Sosuke instructed.
Hanzo forced a little more power, pretending to struggle. He produced a thicker stream of water, but the result was the same.
"Who else would like to try next?" Sosuke asked, letting Hanzo step aside for the moment.
"Me! Me!"
"Choose me! I'm great at Water Release!"
The crowd surged with enthusiasm.
Sosuke used the Appraisal Technique and selected a few shinobi with decent proficiency, letting them try one after another.
Without exception, their Water Release evaporated, and Sosuke's flame continued to burn steadily.
The spectators were stunned. Sosuke's Fire Release felt beyond human.
And it was.
A perfect level Fire Release chakra nature transformation, strengthened further by Flame Breathing Chakra Mode, and refined with compression techniques. While it could not compare to Amaterasu's inextinguishable nature, it was far beyond what ordinary Water Release shinobi could handle.
"Interesting," Pakura murmured, her expression sharpening. This pure Fire Release looked even stronger than her Scorch Release.
Sosuke dismissed the flame, returned to the platform, and continued.
He explained the key points of Fire Release chakra nature transformation and Water Release chakra nature transformation in an easy, digestible way.
"Is his Water Release also extremely strong?" Hanzo felt a chill as the thought formed.
Listening to Sosuke's explanation of Water Release, Hanzo gained real insights. He could clearly sense there were aspects he himself had not refined enough.
"Or maybe his foundations are simply too solid," Hanzo thought, "and his theoretical understanding is too deep."
Time passed quickly.
Without anyone noticing, it was already 1 p.m. When Sosuke announced a break, many shinobi finally realized four hours had gone by.
Even shinobi who did not train Fire or Water release were absorbed. Sosuke taught well, and he often extended his explanations, occasionally touching on other nature transformations.
"I came to the right place," a Rain shinobi said, excited. "I didn't expect Sosuke to understand Water Release so deeply."
Some parts were too profound for his level, but the lecture strengthened his foundation and clarified his path forward. The gains far exceeded his expectations.
"Yeah," the Rain shinobi beside him said, still puzzled. "I don't even know how it ended up like this. Ninja Master Sosuke feels approachable. He's a strong person, but he doesn't act arrogant."
Facing former enemies and many shinobi unrelated to the Shinobi Sect, Sosuke still maintained that attitude and taught seriously. It did not match the image Hanzo had spread.
"Shh. Don't say nonsense," the first Rain shinobi hissed, quickly covering his friend's mouth. He glanced around nervously, worried that Rain ANBU might be nearby.
Only when he saw that the closest people were wandering shinobi who had just interacted with Sosuke did he relax slightly.
"Just learn seriously. Don't start thinking about things like Ninja Master Sosuke being good and Hanzo being bad."
Even if he also believed Sosuke was good, they were still Rain shinobi. Whispering a little in private was one thing, but if certain people heard such words publicly, they could be labeled spies.
Hanzo watched them quietly, his thoughts complicated.
After all his negative propaganda, it now felt useless, and it might even damage his own reputation.
After the one hour break, the class resumed, and not a single shinobi left.
In the afternoon, Sosuke chose Lightning and Earth Release chakra nature transformation. There were too few Wind Release users present, so he planned to lecture on Wind alongside Yin Yang chakra transformation on the second morning.
As the afternoon session ended, lines of black text flashed across Sosuke's panel.
[System: Completed a high level lecture. Beginning settlement.]
[System: Evaluation: S.]
[System: Rewards: Chakra Nature Transformation Insight, Fire Release Chakra Nature Transformation +10, Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation +122, Earth Release Chakra Nature Transformation +96, Lightning Release...]
[System: First completion of a high level lecture. Gained skill: Enlightenment.]
With meticulous preparation, Sosuke succeeded.
The rewards for an S rank high level lecture looked similar to those from intermediate lectures, but "understanding" was replaced by "insight," and the proficiency increases across nature transformations were far greater. Sosuke could feel it was not merely a larger number on the panel, yet because it was his first time receiving it, he could not fully examine every detail immediately.
Sosuke's gaze shifted to the newly acquired skill.
.....
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