Hokage, no one knows better than me how to cultivate talent.

"You demon fox monster, you want to be Hokage? Dream on!"

"The Third Hokage was the strongest Hokage, how dare you say such a thing? You truly don't know your place!"

"You're always at the bottom of the class in every exam, I really don't know where your confidence comes from?"

"Naruto-kun..."

Hinata Hyuga, sitting in the back row, saw this scene and her eyes showed worry.

Qiu Shui slowly walked up to the podium, her gaze sweeping over the students below, and said seriously, "Why are you mocking Naruto's dream? Did he ever mock you when you shared your own dreams?"

The classroom fell silent for a moment, then a student stood up defiantly: "Teacher, you may not know, but he's that fox demon monster from the village."

"The teacher knows," Qiu Shui said calmly, looking at him. "But what does that have to do with you mocking his dream?"

The student opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Qiu Shui looked around the class and asked, "I want to ask you a question: Naruto, whom you call the Demon Fox, has anyone personally witnessed him harming anyone over the years?"

silence.

Those students who had laughed the loudest just moments before, those who usually threw stones at Naruto, insulted him, and shoved him, were now involuntarily lost in memories.

Where did their impression of Naruto come from?

Parents' admonitions, neighbors' whispers, adults' disapproving glances...

But if you asked them to name a single bad thing Naruto had ever done that hurt someone, they couldn't name a single one.

"No, I don't think so," Qiu Shui answered for them, her voice softening. "To understand a person, you shouldn't just listen to what others say, but observe how that person acts in their daily life."

Naruto felt as if a nuclear bomb had entered his eyes. He turned his head and stared blankly at Shusui, feeling that Shusui's figure was incredibly tall and seemed to be glowing all over.

Qiu Shui didn't pursue the matter further with the students who had mocked him, nor did she try to comfort Naruto. She simply began today's lesson naturally: "Alright, everyone, go back to your seats. After listening to your introductions, I noticed that many of you dream of becoming Hokage. Although some teachers have mentioned this before, in this lesson we'll continue with the Will of Fire. Does anyone know who came up with the idea of ​​the Will of Fire?"

The question of who posed the Will of Fire brought the previously noisy classroom back into silence. Some looked up at the sky, some pretended to read, and some, though they knew the answer, were afraid of giving the wrong answer and losing face in front of their classmates.

Sakura Haruno, being a top student, immediately raised her hand, and Ino Yamanaka, not to be outdone, also raised her hand.

Naruto Uzumaki immediately raised his hand and blurted out, "I know, the Will of Fire was definitely proposed by the Hokage!"

Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka immediately formed a united front and glared at Naruto.

Naruto noticed the unfriendly looks from the two men and subconsciously swallowed.

Qiu Shui smiled and nodded in affirmation: "Naruto is right, the Will of Fire was indeed proposed by the First Hokage." He paused, then said seriously, "But you must understand, why did the Will of Fire arise? What is its true meaning?"

The classroom quieted down, and the students, sensing the change in the teacher's tone, unconsciously sat up straight.

"Every few years, the ninja world is engulfed in war over resources. In places you can't see, countless predecessors have shielded you from the wind and rain with their own flesh and blood. The peaceful life you enjoy today, the peace of mind to study at school, and the hot meals you can have at home are all thanks to their struggles and sacrifices."

"Disregarding life and death, protecting those behind them—this selfless dedication is the Will of Fire."

Although these children had not experienced war, children in the ninja world are usually more precocious. They could vaguely perceive the weight of their teacher's words and could also vaguely feel the meaning behind those sacrifices.

After a moment, a student spoke up: "When I grow up, I want to become an excellent Will of Fire ninja and protect the village like our predecessors!"

"I'm going to visit these heroes at the cemetery after school!"

"I'm going too!"

Qiu Shui nodded in satisfaction as she watched this scene.

He knew that the Third Hokage, that old geezer, was probably spying on him in his office with a crystal ball right now, so the content of his lecture was very much in line with the Will of Fire.

Qiushui had received nine years of compulsory education and could see that the Will of Fire itself was not the problem. The problem lay with those who used the Will of Fire as a pretext to justify their bad deeds.

For example, Danzo Shimura, the Nabekage, used kunai to stab Susanoo, used Izanagi as a substitute technique, and sealed the bridge with his life in a fit of rage.

"Well said." Qiu Shui gestured for everyone to be quiet. "Next, I will tell you how the First Hokage pacified the chaotic world, why the Second Hokage established the Ninja Academy, how the Third and Fourth Hokage protected the village during the war, and how they gained everyone's recognition to become Hokage. After listening, you will understand what the true Will of Fire is like."

He used vivid language to tell the stories of the Hokage of each generation, sometimes passionate and stirring, sometimes gentle and down-to-earth, and occasionally interspersed with a few jokes, making what could have been a boring history lesson interesting and fun.

The four lessons passed quietly amidst the children's focused attention and laughter.

Qiu Shui has always abhorred the practice of extending class time and has resolutely resisted this bad habit by practicing what he preaches. The moment the bell rang, he decisively announced, "get out of class dismissed."

When the bell rang to signal the end of get out of class, many people were stunned for a moment.

"Huh? get out of class is over?"

"So fast?"

"Why does it feel like I've only had one class?"

Kiba Inuzuka sat in his seat, unusually not rushing out for some fresh air right away.

He looked down at his open notebook, which contained several lines of neatly written text.

Inuzuka Tsuru stared at those words for a few seconds, finding it unbelievable even to himself.

The Inuzuka clan are naturally unrestrained and love freedom. They enjoy running in vast places and hate staying in small, enclosed spaces.

This was the first time in his four years of schooling that he had listened so attentively to an entire class—no, two classes.

Even Nara Shikamaru, who was sitting in the back row, was unusually not sleeping on the table. Instead, he sat up straight with a serious expression on his face.

He felt that the teacher's lectures were quite interesting.

Next to him, Choji Akimichi was frantically unpacking potato chips. He usually either slept or ate in class, but he actually listened attentively for two lessons, which he found unbelievable. As soon as get out of class ended, his stomach started rumbling loudly, so he had no choice but to go on a rampage.

Aburame Shino sat in the corner, expressionless as always, without making any unnecessary movements, as if she were a monk who had been welded to her seat.

The area around Uchiha Sasuke's location was bustling with activity.