Without the corresponding strength and talent, some things were simply domains only geniuses with superior intellect could touch.
"I understand. Thank you, Teacher Mizuki," Sakura said, relieved that she wasn't as bad as she had feared. Her self-confidence, previously shaken by the overwhelming amount of knowledge, finally recovered somewhat.
Mizuki hadn't intended to teach Sakura anything overly complicated or powerful—after all, the former involved topics he hadn't completely explored yet, and it was hard to say how much patience a Genin would have for purely theoretical concepts. As for the latter, if he himself couldn't perform them, how could he teach her?
Even the tallest building begins with a solid foundation. Since the goal was to maximize Sakura's intelligence and learning ability, a solid base became absolutely essential. Right now, what mattered most was imparting his system of strength to her. If possible, finding a reliable assistant later wouldn't be a bad idea either. He had accumulated far too many research topics, and one person's energy was always limited.
『No wonder scientific research in my previous life relied on small teams; individual strength is just too insignificant in the face of countless unknowns. No wonder even Orochimaru tolerates someone like Kabuto Yakushi, who's always scheming behind the scenes and frequently disobeys orders—he's a rare talent indeed.』
"Sakura, take a short break. Combining work with rest is important," Mizuki suggested out loud. "If you have time, let's just chat a bit."
"Okay." After studying so long, Sakura did feel a bit tired.
"To be honest, I don't quite understand why you asked me to mentor you. There are plenty of stronger Ninja in Konoha who could teach you much more powerful Ninjutsu. Wouldn't that be better?"
Hearing Mizuki's question, Sakura replied awkwardly, "Other than you, Teacher Mizuki, I don't really know many other strong ninja well. Plus, back in the Forest of Death, the tools you gave me helped me a lot. Without that, we might not have even passed the exam. So I think you're the right teacher for me, and I can also help Sasuke."
"Oh? You still remember what I told you back then?"
"Yes, Teacher Mizuki. One day, I'll become the one my teammates can count on. I won't be the one dragging them down anymore," Sakura declared firmly.
"Hmm," Mizuki thought, realizing he should clarify something. "To be honest, I'm not sure whether teaching you is truly the best choice for your growth. Your talent and strengths deserve a more suitable teacher. Learning my knowledge now will divide your focus, and may bring uncertain consequences for your future."
"This is my own choice. I believe you, Teacher Mizuki, are the most suitable teacher for me right now."
"Alright, no need to be so serious," Mizuki smiled. "I never said I didn't want to teach you. Let's switch to a lighter topic. Tell me, who do you think is the strongest in the third exam? And the weakest?"
Sakura thought for a moment and said, "I'm definitely the weakest. As for the strongest, I think it must be either Sasuke or Neji Hyuga."
"Hehe," Mizuki chuckled at her answer. "Then let me rephrase. Tell me, who do you think has the greatest potential? Who will be the strongest in the future?"
"Actually, I'm not too sure about that either," Sakura said, shaking her head. "But I think Sasuke's Sharingan is the most powerful."
"To put it this way," Mizuki told Sakura, "accurately judging strength and weakness is an important skill for a ninja. From now on, you should pay close attention to this. At present, if all the other Chunin Exam participants combined their efforts, they still wouldn't be able to defeat Gaara from Suna."
"How could that be?" Sakura was greatly shocked. "There's such a powerful ninja participating in the Chunin Exams? Then what about Sasuke..."
"Don't worry," Mizuki reassured her. "I'm talking about the current situation. You should have confidence in both Sasuke and Kakashi. The situation might change after a month though. Gaara's power has special reasons behind it, which we won't go into right now. It's true you're at your weakest during open duels, but that doesn't always hold true in other situations."
"Talking about talent now—it's somewhat subjective. I can't clearly say who possesses the greatest talent. However, I do know who has the worst talent—your opponent, Dosu from Otogakure."
Being transformed into tool-like beings through Orochimaru's modifications due to limited abilities shows just how low their potential ceiling really is. Otherwise, why would Orochimaru discard them so easily as pawns?
"So what you're saying is..." Sakura asked, seemingly beginning to understand.
"That's exactly what you're thinking," Mizuki confirmed. "In fact, as long as you prepare properly, defeating Dosu won't be difficult. For someone like Dosu, if you lack intelligence on him and get caught off guard, not only could he defeat your group of Genin, he could even overpower lower level Chunin. But since you already know about him and still have a month to prepare, Dosu is actually one of the easiest opponents you'll face—second only to Naruto Uzumaki."
"Naruto? Is he really that easy to handle? I think he's actually pretty strong," Sakura responded incredulously.
"Naruto Uzumaki's weaknesses are even more obvious than Dosu's. As long as his weaknesses are specifically targeted, even opponents significantly weaker than him could take him down. Remember what the Third Hokage said after the preliminary round matches?"
"Intelligence and response strategies?" Sakura murmured.
"Precisely," Mizuki affirmed. "How to advance to the third stage without revealing too many of your own weaknesses—that's the key point. Alright, let's continue studying. What you're learning now is actually a divine technique whose effectiveness grows along with your power. When you become stronger later on, you'll realize this technique acts as a power amplifier, significantly boosting your battle readiness."
"Yes, teacher," Sakura replied. "However, although this will definitely be useful in the future, my current strength is too weak for me to demonstrate its true potential. Can I really become a Chunin using this?"
"Not at the moment," Mizuki answered. "Whether it'll help after a month remains to be seen."
"I see," Sakura couldn't hide her disappointment as she turned away to resume studying.
The speaker didn't mean much by it, but the listener took it to heart. Sakura's last unintentional words seemed to remind Mizuki of something.
"Seems I've been aiming too high, reaching too far."
From the very beginning, thanks to Mizuki's overwhelming intelligence advantage, his approach to strengthening himself had always focused directly on the core essence, aiming for maximum efficiency without wasting effort. He had even somewhat looked down upon basic ninjutsu, never bothering to improve his actual abilities, merely conducting chakra control training.
Thinking this, Mizuki extended his right hand and channeled chakra. Red flame erupted from his palm, gradually condensing and intensifying as its hue shifted from red toward blue. Eventually, it formed into a radiant white-blue orb.
[He had completed countless unfinished formulas, yet none could directly enhance battle power except for the still-imperfect omnipotence pills. He had prepared himself to grasp the moon in the Ninth Heaven, yet he couldn't even be sure if his steps on solid ground were steady enough.]
Letting out a slight sigh, Mizuki glanced at Sakura, who was deeply engrossed in her studies.
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