Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Your Strength Dictates How Others Treat You

Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Your Strength Dictates How Others Treat You



As the war dragged on, even the Land of Fire, with its abundant resources, began to feel the pressure. Prices for goods, especially fruits, continued to skyrocket.

Aida Sui cautiously ate his watermelon, chuckling awkwardly.

"My mom said the war's messing up trade routes, so prices are climbing fast. She's been stressing about our household expenses."

Being from a civilian family, Aida Sui wasn't as well-off as Ryoji Uchiha or Hyuga Suzune.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Takuya agreed, nodding slightly as he set down the watermelon rind. "So, what brings you here? Didn't Kushina tell you I'd be out here?"

"Yes, Captain." Aida immediately put down his half-eaten watermelon, stood up, and gave Takuya a deep bow. "I came to ask for some guidance with my training."

Takuya had expected this.

Since Snowy had told him Aida was coming, Takuya had already guessed his purpose-it was about training and getting stronger.

For a fresh graduate with no clan backing, the best way to grow stronger was to seek guidance from their mentor. For civilian ninjas, this was often the only route.

Of course, whether the mentor was willing to teach or share experience or even offer support—was entirely up to them. No one would judge Takuya if he decided not to teach anything at all.

Just look at the original series, for example.

Take Kakashi's team: Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Aside from some basic training, Kakashi spent most of his time focusing on Sasuke, barely teaching Naruto and Sakura anything. Yet in the end, Sasuke didn't even appreciate it and ended up trying to kill him.

Ridiculous!

This was one of the reasons Takuya despised the student-teacher dynamic in the world of ninjas.

He could train you, teach you, and give you the best tools, but the student might still turn against him. Takuya wasn't about to fall into that trap.

To avoid these kinds of nasty situations, the best solution was simple: don't take on students. "I can help you with some basic training," Takuya said, laying it out clearly. "But if you want to learn advanced jutsu, sword techniques, or taijutsu, you'll have to earn it yourself. You'll need to trade for that knowledge with your own contributions later."

He didn't want Aida to get his hopes up, so it was best to be straightforward.

"I understand, Captain. I'll work hard on my training."

"Good. Have a seat."

Takuya motioned for Aida to sit back down. He picked up another slice of watermelon and chewed thoughtfully as he considered what to do next.

Aida sat cross-legged, waiting anxiously in silence. He kept his eyes on Takuya, too nervous to speak.

realities.

Those kinds of people didn't just get themselves killed-they endangered everyone around

them too.

After giving Aida some time to process his words, Takuya continued.

"I might have Uchiha blood, but I was treated like a nobody when I needed support the most. No one cared. No one wanted to help."

"But now, those same people who once ignored me are the ones trying to kiss up to me. And

do you know why?"

"Because I got stronger."

"So stop worrying about gaining others' approval. When you're strong enough, both the Uchiha and Hyuga will have no choice but to accept you as a true teammate." "Alright, that's enough for today. From now on, we'll focus on the basics. Forget about learning powerful jutsu, taijutsu, or swordsmanship. What you need most right now is a solid foundation. We'll start with chakra control."

"This place has everything you need. Start by practicing tree climbing and walking on water.

The goal is to gather chakra at your feet and maintain it. Keep at it until you can climb to the top of the tree without falling and walk across water without sinking. When you can do that, your basic training will be complete."

Ninjas from powerful clans were ahead of the game, not just because of their bloodline but because of the training they'd been given since childhood.

While Aida had been learning the most basic lessons at the academy, others had already been

training for years.

"I got it!"

Determined, Aida shook his head to clear away his doubts. Then he gritted his teeth and

started practicing.

Most ninja who excel at jutsu have good chakra control, and Aida was no different.

On his first try, he managed a few steps up the tree before slipping and falling, hitting the

ground hard.

Takuya, leaning against the tree, yawned. "Keep going."

**********

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