The third-floor dorms used to be classrooms, now converted into living spaces. Besides two beds placed on either side, there were just a pair of desks and chairs.
Other than that, most of the space was left empty.
The whole room felt bare, like it wasn't meant for long-term use.
Some unopened daily supplies were still sitting on the desks—it seemed they were already prepared for the teacher's frequent absences.
The Land of Water had a damp climate, and the place was wrapped in thick mist all year round.
Even though the dorm was kept as clean as possible, mushrooms were already growing in the corners.
Hatake Satoru glanced around casually. It was pretty much what he expected.
It was a school dorm, after all—not like they could expect too much.
Shisui didn't really care where he slept. As long as he had a place to lie down, he was fine.
To him, this didn't feel like moving into a new home—more like being out on a long mission with Hatake Satoru.
"That kid's got energy, huh~"
Hatake Satoru leaned on the balcony and looked down. Hozuki Mangetsu was standing there, eyes shining as he looked up at him.
"Other than him, the rest don't seem so happy."
Shisui glanced at the building next to them, where a few students were peeking at them with cautious eyes.
Though, it wasn't really fear—it was more like the way wild animals act around someone stronger.
They were watching.
For now, they looked quiet and obedient, but the second something went wrong, they'd probably all jump at the chance to attack.
Being watched like that made Shisui a little uncomfortable.
It felt like he couldn't let his guard down for even a second.
First, they had to shut down Hozuki Mangetsu's arrogance, then maybe pull a few of the others out for a lesson.
Hatake Satoru wasn't exactly interested in training useless students, but being stared at like prey wasn't ideal either.
Mangetsu's arrogance probably came from being called a genius for too long, never having really lost before—no wonder he was cocky.
But deep down, he still wanted to chase after and challenge the strong.
Hatake Satoru set down his suitcase, locked the door, then jumped down with Shisui from the balcony to stand in front of Hozuki Mangetsu.
In the middle of the school yard, Hatake Satoru stretched out his arms and warmed up a bit.
"First off, I'm Hatake Satoru, and this here's my assistant, Mochizuki."
"Starting today, I'm your new teacher."
He instantly felt all kinds of stares locking onto him. Even if no one stepped out, they were definitely listening.
Hatake Satoru nodded, satisfied, then reached out and gave Mangetsu's head a little pat.
"You wanna spar with me? Sure~ But how about trying my assistant first?"
"If you can't even beat him, you should probably think twice about facing me."
"But even if you lose to him, you can still come challenge me later~"
Shisui blinked, confused, thinking he was just watching from the sidelines. He pointed at himself with a puzzled look.
"??"
Hatake Satoru gave him a big cheerful smile and even added a playful little wink with an imaginary sparkle.
Hozuki Mangetsu clearly wasn't thrilled with this setup.
From what he'd seen, Shisui just looked like a normal ninja—nothing special at all.
Mangetsu frowned slightly, then his eyes lit up as he smiled wide, showing off his sharp white teeth.
"I guess that's fine. But what if I kill your assistant?"
Shisui's expression stiffened. This kid really had no filter.
It felt like ever since he got close to Hatake Satoru, everyone he met had been worse and worse at talking properly.
Hatake Satoru couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Compared to him, Shisui might not seem like much—but against a kid like that, he was more than enough.
"Guess he underestimated you."
Hatake Satoru shook his silver hair and took a step back with a playful grin, leaving the fight to Shisui.
While Shisui faced off with Hozuki Mangetsu, Hatake Satoru turned his attention to the students hiding around the school.
Hozuki Mangetsu, barely in his teens, didn't have his signature sword yet. The weapon he started with was just a plain katana—nothing special.
He charged in, swinging it with full force. The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged unnaturally.
The humid air of the Land of Water, thick with mist, gave a huge boost to his speed.
But just as his blade was about to land on Shisui, Shisui vanished on the spot.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Mangetsu.
With a splash, his punch landed in cold, wet water.
Right before the hit, Mangetsu's body turned into a slick, flowing liquid.
His now-liquid neck twisted in an eerie, unnatural way, revealing his grinning face as he looked back at Shisui.
Hatake Satoru nearly spat out the water he was drinking.
The whole scene looked straight out of a horror movie. Why did a simple fight end up looking like a ghost getting revenge?
Without hesitation, Mangetsu shaped his hand like a gun and aimed at Shisui's head.
But the moment he pulled the trigger, Shisui's body shattered like smoke, leaving only a small crater on the ground.
"Hell's Mirror Technique."
Shisui's calm voice came from the side.
Just like that, the fight turned completely in his favor. Mangetsu's gun-hand faltered, then dropped.
Even without using his Sharingan to stay hidden, Shisui had no problem casting Genjutsu.
Especially against a kid.
Mangetsu's chakra went out of control, and his body returned to normal.
Shisui quickly pulled back his hand—if he hadn't, he probably would've punched right through the kid.
Mangetsu's eyes lost focus as he collapsed backward.
From a nearby building, one of the hidden students quickly formed hand signs and muttered under his breath.
"Water Style: Wild Water Wave!"
Before Shisui could catch his breath, a torrent of water burst out from the building, like a crashing waterfall.
They had clearly been waiting for a moment of weakness to strike.
Shisui immediately pressed his thumb to his lips and fired back with a massive Fireball Jutsu.
The bright red fireball clashed with the rushing water and pushed it back for a moment.
But water beats fire—his fireball only held it off for a second.
"You're not allowed to jump in without permission."
Hatake Satoru's voice came from the side, light as ever. Then he casually reached into Shisui's weapon pouch, pulled out a kunai, and coated it with a pale blue gas.
The dark kunai sliced through the air and shot straight toward the building.
......................................
.......................................
---
Read 30 advanced chapters on my patreon
patreon.com/GustinaKamiya
---