This wasn't the first time Jiraiya and the others had heard such words. The first time they met Hiruzen Sarutobi, he had given them a test.
It involved the three of them trying to snatch two bells from Hiruzen Sarutobi's body. Whoever failed to get a bell would be tied to a stake.
At that time, the three had just left the Ninja Academy. Besides the basic Three-Body Technique and some ninja common sense, they knew nothing else. But now, after studying under Hiruzen Sarutobi for many days, they had begun to master chakra nature transformation and had some experience in ninja combat.
However, just like the purpose of this training, they were no longer facing the familiar Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the never-before-seen Fumori Masaki.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had a high aptitude, not only mastering all five chakra nature transformations but also reaching a state of proficiency. Even Tobirama, who also used other chakra natures, did not surpass Hiruzen Sarutobi in proficiency outside of Water Release. Hiruzen Sarutobi's taijutsu was also superb, but he was more accustomed to using complex ninjutsu that combined various elemental releases, treating taijutsu as a supplementary method.
Fumori Masaki's fighting style was completely different from Hiruzen Sarutobi's. If Hiruzen Sarutobi was a person with a rich combat strategy, then Fumori Masaki's method was very monotonous—his moves always emphasized three points: speed, ruthlessness, and precision. No other unnecessary movements were needed; he would directly eliminate the enemy.
Facing such an opponent, their combat style naturally couldn't be the same as against Hiruzen Sarutobi. However, Jiraiya and the other two clearly lacked enough experience to make that judgment. Thus, the tactics they employed were still the same as their usual routine from the test with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Fumori Masaki had anticipated this, or rather, he had hoped for it. Only by facing it firsthand would they know how to deal with different enemies.
Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's chakra natures were as Fumori Masaki remembered: Jiraiya's was Fire Release, and Orochimaru's was Earth Release. These should be their innate chakra affinities. However, Jiraiya had only just begun to master his, while Orochimaru had already achieved some success. He truly was a genius; at this age, Fumori Masaki only knew two people, Itachi Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha, who could use ninjutsu of such intensity.
As for the girl named Asumi, Fumori Masaki was a bit surprised. She wasn't studying medical ninjutsu but genjutsu, which made him truly feel that the Sannin were no longer the Sannin he knew. However, upon closer thought, whether the title of Sannin would even exist was still an unknown.
The trio's tactics basically involved Asumi using genjutsu for restraint, while Jiraiya and Orochimaru jointly used elemental ninjutsu to launch attacks in the form of a complex ninjutsu. Even for children with weaker abilities, the power of their attacks, amplified by the complex ninjutsu, was not to be underestimated.
For a group of children, they were already very good, but in Fumori Masaki's eyes, there were still many flaws. The most serious one, in his opinion, was their excessive imitation of Hiruzen Sarutobi's complex ninjutsu, being constrained by its flashy appearance and neglecting other factors. To put it bluntly, it was all showy and impractical.
It looked very similar to the complex ninjutsu used by Hiruzen Sarutobi, but in reality, it was completely different. Hiruzen Sarutobi's was only outwardly flashy, but in practice, he adhered to practical rules. The types of ninjutsu he used were precisely suited for combat, and the combined complex ninjutsu was just right, without any wasted chakra. His true methods for defeating enemies were even more unadorned.
For example, it was exactly like Kakashi Hatake. Although Kakashi Hatake had mastered thousands of ninjutsu, he didn't just throw out any ninjutsu. Instead, he chose the most suitable ninjutsu with the least chakra consumption based on the enemy's type, and finally, he would finish them with a single Chidori.
What Jiraiya and the others didn't understand was the direct and straightforward combat method. The essence of ninja combat ultimately boiled down to this. In the past, when ninjas assassinated enemies, they had to focus on high efficiency and precision. Although times had changed somewhat, this fundamental principle never changed.
In another world, there was a saying about returning to simplicity. When a technique reached an extremely high level, unnecessary and superfluous things had to be discarded, presenting only the most direct method.
Although they would likely understand this flaw when they grew up, now was not the time for a slow approach. Fumori Masaki would only employ certain methods. Because he didn't want them to think he was bullying the young, Fumori Masaki consciously limited his strength and didn't use other powerful ninjutsu, only engaging them with ordinary ninjutsu.
Next, Jiraiya and the others saw that Fumori Masaki simply used the basic Three-Body Technique to continuously dodge their attacks, approaching them. Then, he took out a short staff-like weapon, struck each of them once, and knocked them to the ground.
Fumori Masaki controlled his strength very well; the three only felt pain but were otherwise unharmed, without even a scratch. Watching them get up from the ground, Fumori Masaki said, "Alright, the battle is over."
"Ouch, that hurt. Kazamori-sensei, you really didn't hold back at all," Jiraiya complained, rubbing his head where he had been hit.
"I held back a lot. Neither my strength nor my speed exceeded yours, right? The only things I didn't relax on were my mastery of ninjutsu and my timing," Fumori Masaki shrugged. "Think back to the battle just now. How exactly did I manage to defeat you?"
"I see, I understand," Orochimaru muttered, as if he had gained some insight.
"What do you understand?!" Jiraiya glared at Orochimaru.
"Use your not-so-bright brain to think about it," Orochimaru said expressionlessly.
"You bastard..." Jiraiya almost rolled up his sleeves to fight Orochimaru but was stopped by Fumori Masaki.
Fumori Masaki smiled and said, "No need to rush. If there's anything you don't understand, I'll answer all your questions. After all, the purpose of this training is teaching, not to make things difficult for you. You should ask what needs to be asked."
Fumori Masaki adhered to the principles of teaching without discrimination and teaching according to aptitude. Orochimaru was a smart child; for him, a hint might be enough, and letting him figure things out on his own might be better. However, Jiraiya was not as gifted, and expecting him to figure things out on his own would be a troublesome matter, potentially leading to him not understanding anything and hindering his growth.
Therefore, when teaching his students, Fumori Masaki adopted the same approach as Tobirama had when teaching them in the past: he would directly create three shadow clones to provide one-on-one instruction, focusing on unearthing their individual potential rather than employing a standardized teaching method.
After saying this, Fumori Masaki sat directly on the ground and said, "Let's rest for a bit. You probably don't have much chakra left after going all out. I'll analyze the battle we just had for you."
Fumori Masaki then reviewed the entire battle, then began to analyze each person's response, their psychological thoughts at the time, why they took that step, why they did what they did, and where the loopholes were. He explained exactly how he avoided their attacks so clearly that even Jiraiya understood.
"Kazamori-sensei is so thorough! Hiruzen-sensei never explains in such detail," Asumi said, surprised.
"Yeah, yeah, Hiruzen-sensei only cares about Orochimaru. He just gives him a hint and he understands, so he doesn't need to explain in detail to us," Jiraiya said.
"Really?" Fumori Masaki remembered Hiruzen Sarutobi saying that he also cared a lot about Jiraiya and Asumi.
"Jiraiya is exaggerating a bit. Hiruzen-sensei just doesn't explain as thoroughly as Kazamori-sensei. In fact, there probably isn't anyone else in the village who explains as thoroughly as Kazamori-sensei," Asumi said.
"I can say that with confidence," Fumori Masaki smiled. "Hiruzen is probably a genius himself, so he can't fully understand the feelings of ordinary people. When he thinks he's explained something very clearly, you might not necessarily have understood."
"Exactly, exactly, that's the feeling!" Jiraiya exclaimed.
"I'll mention this to Hiruzen. If your potential isn't fully unleashed because of this, then it would truly be a great loss," Fumori Masaki said. "At your age, it's the fastest and best time for growth, and there can't be any negative influences. You will all be the people who support the tree of Konoha when you grow up."
The three had heard similar sentiments from Hiruzen Sarutobi. Honestly, they didn't know if they could truly become the pillars of Konoha, and their eyes flickered with unease, confusion, and nervousness.
Fumori Masaki looked at the three children before him. He looked at Orochimaru, whose eyes were not yet tainted by the desire for immortality, but instead filled with a clear light, only longing and confusion for the future.
"I hope you can always maintain such clear and bright eyes in the future," Fumori Masaki said to Orochimaru, then looked at the other two.
"I hope you can have a successful life without regrets in the future," Fumori Masaki said to Jiraiya.
"I hope you won't be saddened by the people around you and can live happily," this is what Fumori Masaki said to Asumi.
Seeing the three confused gazes, Fumori Masaki said, "These are my wishes for you."