Chapter 22: The Ninja Academy System is Unreasonable!

Words : 1430 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Lack of flexibility?" Tsunade summarized. Kyohiko nodded. "Yes, in my opinion, high-level ninjas need a lot of theoretical knowledge, but at the genin and chunin levels, practice is more important than theory." Then, he used tree climbing and water walking as examples. "As a genin, do I need to know why tree climbing and water walking improve chakra control? No, I just need to know that using these methods will make me stronger!" Tsunade fell into deep thought. Kyohiko’s words... She had never considered this before, but upon hearing it, it made a lot of sense. For most genin, much of the theoretical knowledge is useless, and in-depth study is meaningless. However. To go from genin to chunin, some knowledge is essential. "But this was established by the Second Hokage..." "The Second Hokage was great, but he also had his limitations. The system itself should change with the times." "But a lot of the knowledge is useful." Tsunade frowned. She wasn’t arguing for the sake of it but was engaging in a debate with Kyohiko and herself. This matter needed to be handled with great care, and the direction had to be confirmed as good before implementation. "You think chunin need this knowledge, right?" Kyohiko said. Tsunade nodded. "But you also said that chunin need it, so it shouldn’t be taught in the academy. It should be something genin learn and improve upon after graduation." Kyohiko said. Tsunade thought about it and couldn’t help but agree. Genin... In practice, what they use most are ninja experience and combat skills. "Stratify and categorize..." Tsunade’s thoughts gradually became clearer. The academy had crammed a lot of theory into the curriculum, but for most civilian children, this theoretical knowledge was "not satisfying" and didn’t help them get stronger. From their perspective— Rather than learning all that, it would be better to understand the basics and spend more time improving their strength. At least that way, they could survive on the battlefield or in missions after graduation. Survival comes first. This line of thinking was correct. Tsunade thought for a moment and said, "Your idea is good. Anything else?" "I’m just sharing what I’ve encountered and thought about. As for how to implement it, I have no idea." Kyohiko chuckled awkwardly. Tsunade rolled her eyes. "So you’re just telling me?" "Yeah! You’re waiting for news in the village recently, right? Since you’re free, you might as well find something to do. Working on this is better than losing money at the gambling house." Kyohiko replied naturally. At first, Tsunade thought it made sense, but by the end, she couldn’t help but feel her veins bulge. "Kid, do you want a beating?" What kind of talk was that! Did she always lose money? But thinking about her luck... Alright. Winning money was indeed less likely than losing. Tsunade calmed her anger and said, "Take these inside. There’s only this much for now. Once you finish, I’ll bring more." "There’s more?" Kyohiko was stunned. Tsunade nodded. "Of course. Without enough knowledge and practice, how could so many techniques be created?" She sat to the side, calm and composed, with no intention of helping. But in reality, Tsunade was pondering Kyohiko’s words. The academy taught very basic techniques, and combat skills were limited to shuriken throwing and basic taijutsu. In terms of combat, it didn’t teach much. For clan-born children, this was fine. But for civilians, it was unfair. Kyohiko’s point... Was clearly suggesting that she take the lead in reforming the academy. Tsunade had the prestige, but she also had her own reservations. Kyohiko read beside her, while she was lost in thought. The two didn’t disturb each other. After a long time, Tsunade stood up. "Take your time reading. I’ll head out first. If you have any questions, ask your teacher." "Alright." Kyohiko didn’t look up. He was completely absorbed in the books. The diary in his hand contained scattered thoughts and knowledge, and based on the writing, it seemed to be related to the creation process of the Shadow Clone Technique. "Senju Tobirama truly was a genius!" Kyohiko couldn’t help but marvel. Unconsciously, his stomach growled. He was hungry! Looking outside. The sun was high, and the heat was unbearable. He was already drenched in sweat. "It’s already noon?" Kyohiko couldn’t believe it. He looked down. He had only read four or five notebooks... How could he finish all of them? "Prioritize what’s important. I need to pick out what I need most and take my time with the rest." Kyohiko regained his composure. These books were precious, but they were also time-consuming. He didn’t have the luxury of burying himself in them. First, focus on what he needed and turn it into strength! What he needed most right now... Was the Shadow Clone Technique. He got up and left the house, had a meal, and after some searching, finally found Jiraiya at his home. Jiraiya seemed to be writing something, with some faint ink stains on his hands. "What’s up?" "Teacher, I want to learn the Shadow Clone Technique." Kyohiko said. Jiraiya was stunned for a moment. "You want to use it to read?" "Yes. I’ll practice the techniques I need now, while the shadow clones read. That way, I won’t waste time." Kyohiko nodded. Jiraiya’s expression turned serious. "That’s a method, but it’s dangerous. If you’re not careful, it could even be fatal. You must be careful and not take risks." "I understand." Kyohiko nodded. Jiraiya immediately taught him the hand seals and tricks for the Shadow Clone Technique. It was a B-rank technique. Kyohiko had read about it before and knew some of the theory. Getting the hand seals and tricks saved him time researching. Back home, he studied it and tried it once... Thanks to his improved chakra control and Tobirama’s notes, he quickly grasped the trick. Soon. The "Skills" column added "Shadow Clone." After a few more attempts and some practice. It reached the "Proficient" level. "These ideas and tricks let me improve faster and save a lot of time." Kyohiko understood. This only increased his motivation to read. Shadow Clone Technique! The clone appeared, glanced at him, and silently sat down to read. Kyohiko began his training. Following Tobirama’s notes and his own ideas, he practiced the "compression" nature transformation process, which could serve as a training exercise for "chakra control." ... In the evening, Tsunade found Jiraiya again. "How is it?" "I thought about it carefully and think it’s feasible. These are some of my ideas. There shouldn’t be too much resistance." Jiraiya took out his outline. It included— Tree climbing and water walking training. Basic ninjutsu training. Taijutsu. Team coordination. Tsunade also handed over her own draft, which outlined the changes she thought could be made— Early cultivation! Jiraiya was surprised after reading it. "Pre-cultivating talents suitable for becoming medical ninjas?" "More accurately, pre-cultivating those with the interest and talent. A lot of the knowledge required for medical ninjas needs to be learned early. It’s not something that can be achieved overnight." Tsunade explained. Jiraiya nodded. He understood but was still shocked by Tsunade’s boldness— This wasn’t just adding to the curriculum; it would directly change the academy’s system and operation. She had been so depressed before, but now she was full of energy. Was Kyohiko really that capable? Could it be... That they’d need Kyohiko to keep her around in the future? Jiraiya pondered. Tsunade whispered. "What I’m worried about is the old man, the old guy from the Anbu, and those two advisors. They’re all very conservative. They didn’t support me back then with the medical ninja initiative." "Ahem, don’t call Danzo that. He was once a student of the Second Hokage and has done a lot for the village." Jiraiya coughed lightly. Tsunade scoffed. "That was in the past. Now, ha, what have they done?" "Well..." Jiraiya sighed, knowing Tsunade was right. Not to mention the past. The incident with Hatake Sakumo—the Third Hokage had to bear at least some responsibility for his inaction, and the Anbu guy was even harder to judge. He had sensed something was off back then but never expected Sakumo to take such an extreme step. Talking about this, both he and Tsunade felt a bit disheartened and disappointed. However. Looking at the outline in their hands, Jiraiya and Tsunade felt reinvigorated. "Should we ask Orochimaru for his opinion?" "Him?" Tsunade thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure. If we can get his support, the three of us submitting it together should be a sure thing." "Right."

Chapter 22: The Ninja Academy System is Unreasonable!

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