"If that's the case, there's no way anyone would want to teach here~"
Hatake Satoru didn't look too surprised.
Other than Kirigakure's insane graduation system, under Obito's control, hardly anyone who comes in ever gets to leave.
As soon as someone enters the Land of Water, they get followed by the Anbu.
Any teachers who tried to run probably disappeared into the mist forever.
The gatekeeper gave an awkward smile, pulled out two freshly wiped keys from the drawer, and handed them over.
"Well, you're already here, might as well try to get used to it."
"These are your dorm keys. Third floor, second room from the left."
"Well, I'm not planning on leaving now that I'm here. Thanks, old man!"
Hatake Satoru took the keys, grinned brightly, and tossed one over to Shisui.
As the two walked deeper into the school, the gatekeeper nervously shrank back and shut the gate behind them.
"Is this even a real school? They didn't even give us a basic test for teachers."
"Feels like just anyone can walk in and start teaching, huh?"
Shisui looked around, feeling uneasy.
The ground was wet in many places, with dark green moss growing around the buildings and in every crevice.
The whole place gave off a rotting smell.
It was strange enough that Hatake Satoru even managed to get a job here.
Kirigakure went all out keeping people in or out like it was a prison,
but when it came to educating the next generation, they couldn't have cared less.
It was like they were just pretending to care.
"Anyone who gets this kind of job info clearly isn't a normal person~"
"This place isn't really about learning. It's more like a training ground. Teachers are just opponents for the students to fight."
Hatake Satoru waved the job listing in his hand and dramatically looked up at the building next to them.
Shisui followed his gaze, quietly taking in the floors nearby.
"These students seem like they're on edge, like they're afraid of something.
They look worn out—like they haven't rested in a while."
"It's a mess. A lot of their chakra flows are off."
Shisui rested his chin on his hand and watched the scattered students hidden among the floors.
There weren't many of them, but they were all trying to stay out of sight.
"Ohhh—found it! Looks pretty big~ No wonder it's a two-person room."
Hatake Satoru put his hand on his forehead like a sun visor, stood on tiptoes, and swayed from side to side as he looked up.
Clearly, he and Shisui weren't looking at the same thing.
Tch.
Shisui silently sighed. Hoping Satoru would do anything normal was giving him way too much credit.
"Sorting out these students won't be too hard. Let's check out the dorm first."
Hatake Satoru grinned and tugged Shisui toward the stairs.
If nothing else, the students here were probably all afraid of one person—
The one most likely to graduate.
In a regular school, a super talented kid might just make others jealous.
But here, slip up even once, and you might lose your life.
Just as Hatake Satoru and Shisui reached the stairs, a young voice suddenly called out:
"You've got some guts!"
"You still dare to come here and be a teacher!"
The voice sounded like a kid's, but the way he said it was ridiculously cocky.
Puddles on the ground slowly began to connect, like they had a mind of their own. The water rose and came together mid-air, forming the shape of a child, probably not even ten years old.
He had short white hair that lay flat against his face and pale purple eyes.
A smug grin stretched across his face, showing off a mouth full of sharp, shark-like teeth.
This was Hozuki Mangetsu, the child genius from Kirigakure Village who could wield all seven of the legendary swords.
"That's the Hydration Jutsu!"
Shisui had been through war before, so he realized what was happening almost instantly.
Before his body had even fully recovered, Hozuki Mangetsu raised his hands like guns and pointed at them.
"Water Gun Jutsu!"
The moisture in the air quickly gathered into small water bullets. They weren't big, but they were fast and packed a serious punch.
The water bullets shot forward like real bullets, flying straight at the two of them.
As he fired, Hozuki Mangetsu kept shouting "pew pew!" like he was having fun.
Shisui instantly dodged, and the moment he did, the spot where he'd just been got hit, leaving a small crater in the ground.
He may have looked like a kid, but those attacks could seriously kill someone.
It was a weird mix—childlike playfulness mixed with brutal force.
A kid who hit that hard... wasn't he just a product of war?
At least in war you fought enemies. This kid was going all-out against his own people.
Hatake Satoru stood calmly in place and raised one hand, stopping the flying water bullet in mid-air.
The bullet instantly lost its force and floated above his palm, turning back into a harmless little water ball.
His hand hovered just a short distance from the water ball, keeping it suspended.
Hozuki Mangetsu stared wide-eyed at Satoru. He had never seen anything like this before.
Usually you either dodge or knock an attack away—that's how people deal with this stuff.
But turning a bullet back into a water drop? How was that even possible?
"How did you do that…?!"
Just as Hozuki Mangetsu landed, a water bullet zipped past his cheek and slammed into the wall behind him.
The wall instantly caved in, and cracks spread from the impact point like a spiderweb, stretching nearly a meter wide.
"I haven't even unpacked yet. Kids like you should really work on their patience."
Hatake Satoru held his suitcase in one hand and lazily waved at Mangetsu with the other.
"Let's go, let's go. Time to check out the place."
Satoru flashed a grin, then happily dragged Shisui up the stairs with him.
Shisui stumbled a bit as he was pulled along, but still glanced at Hozuki Mangetsu, who stood frozen where he was.
Blood trickled down the kid's pale cheek, his whole face filled with disbelief.
Someone had actually hit him with water?
It was so fast he didn't even have time to turn part of his body into water.
And that one hit? It was way stronger than anything he could do with his own Water Gun Jutsu.
Mangetsu slowly touched his cheek, then turned around to look at the wall behind him, still marked with deep cracks.
His eyes lit up instantly. Those lame teachers from before were nothing compared to this guy!
His voice echoed through the whole school.
"That was amazing!!!!"
"Hurry up and come back down so we can really go at it! I'll be serious this time!"
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