504. Offering Advice / 505. Thinking It Through

But even though it had only been a single day of training, the intensity had been far too much. They truly could not hold on any longer.

Everyone, you’ve worked hard. I’ve brought the best food available here. Rest for tonight, and we’ll continue training tomorrow!

Hearing Izayoi Sakamaki’s words, the Hokages all breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally relax.

However, the Hokages also understood that the training ahead would only become more and more demanding.

This time, it was because they were only beginning to experience Izayoi Sakamaki’s world.

So there had been no real danger. Once they became accustomed to it in the future, they would discover that these situations would grow increasingly dangerous.

This was also something they had to adapt to. Only by going through this kind of training could they truly adjust in the future.

Only then could they grow, become stronger, and reach higher and farther.

Of course, Izayoi Sakamaki also told the Hokages that as long as they trained hard, they would eventually become the strongest beings in this world.

Although they truly felt that this kind of training was far too cruel for them, there was simply no better way now.

They could only grit their teeth and continue training, no matter how unwilling they felt inside.

Still, the Hokages were a group with backbone. They were not the kind of people who feared death, so they did not act weakly or voice any refusal. They merely accepted it in silence.

If they wanted to become stronger, they could only give more of themselves.

They were all smart people, and they understood this very clearly.

So they all chose to accept it silently.

Their strength was still growing, and changes were also taking place in their bodies.

These changes were raising their strength as well.

However, this growth was limited. It could not raise their strength to its ultimate limit.

Moreover, it could only make their physical fitness a little stronger than before. Nothing else had changed.

Even so, their physical fitness had improved tremendously, which was enough to satisfy them.

They all understood very well that reaching their current level was inseparable from Izayoi Sakamaki’s training.

Therefore, they did not dare slack off in the training Izayoi Sakamaki had given them.

Izayoi Sakamaki could only urge them to intensify their training. He could not think of any better method either.

After all, Izayoi Sakamaki’s training methods were not yet comprehensive enough to draw out everyone’s potential.

Of course, he also taught the Hokages a new technique.

Izayoi Sakamaki knew that if they did not step up their training, they would have no chance of winning when the enemy came.

There were simply too many powerful enemies outside, enough to terrify anyone.

Izayoi Sakamaki did not believe he could protect this world by himself.

So he had to raise his strength as quickly as possible.

Only by becoming strong could he protect this world better.

Of course, Izayoi Sakamaki had not forgotten his other trial.

He needed the Hokages to learn a technique from the set he taught them, one that could withstand powerful attacks.

It also had to be a life-saving technique, so they would not be left helpless when facing powerful enemies.

They might even be able to kill their opponents instead.

Only by becoming stronger could they protect what they wanted to protect.

Therefore, this training was extremely cruel and arduous. Whether they wanted to or not, they had to get through it, again and again.

Because they were Hokages, they had to endure enormous pressure.

This was their only hope of survival.

Devising Strategies

Izayoi Sakamaki was also quite helpless. He had not expected them to be so unruly. It was not that they disobeyed him; they simply could not settle down and train properly. If they failed to train with peace of mind, they would definitely lose the competition. Since he already knew that they would lose in the competition—

How could he possibly let them relax their training? If they slackened off, they would definitely lose, so he had to do everything he could to reverse this dangerous situation.

After all, as their leader, if he did not think for their sake, who would? Yet they did not understand that he was doing this for them. Instead, they thought he was determined to make them win the competition.

The outcome of this competition did not mean much to him. Even if they won, it would merely bring him a little glory and would not benefit him much.

But for them, this competition was a chance to prove themselves. If they missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to find another one like it. So they had to seize it.

If they missed this chance, they might never become known. That was why he wanted them to give it their all, but they seemed not to take any of this to heart.

So he still had to train them. If he did not think for them, they would surely do whatever they pleased. They would do anything they wanted—how could that be acceptable?

Thus, he wandered alone through the grass. Only the quiet environment outside could ease the anger in his heart, for his mood was truly awful. That was what Izayoi Sakamaki thought.

But no one could understand him. At that moment, Izayoi Sakamaki saw Uchiha Kyu by a small river and was quite puzzled as to why he was there. After all, Uchiha Kyu was his good friend.

Though Uchiha Kyu did not seem to understand the matter very well, he knew some of the reasons behind it. If Izayoi Sakamaki spoke to him, perhaps he could help him think of a solution.

So he walked over and said to Uchiha Kyu, "Uchiha Kyu, you probably know about what’s been happening to me lately, right? See if you can think of any way to solve it. I’m truly at my wits’ end."

"That group of Hokages is far too mischievous. They don’t take my words to heart at all, so I don’t know what method I should use to deal with them. If I don’t discipline them now, they’ll definitely run wild."

"If they run wild, they definitely won’t be careful in the competition. If they lose that competition, I’ll certainly feel very guilty, because I’m their captain, their leader."

"I can’t keep their hearts in check, and they keep acting so wild. If they lose the competition, it will definitely be my fault. And I don’t want them to lose it."

"So can you help me think of a solution? Right now, I feel like you’re the only one who can help me come up with an idea. After all, I’m all alone now, because no one truly understands me."

Uchiha Kyu thought about it and felt that Izayoi Sakamaki had a point. Although he did not understand the matter very well, he also knew that this group of Hokages was far too mischievous. If they were not disciplined—

Then they definitely would not accomplish anything and might instead cause even greater trouble. Therefore, he strongly supported Izayoi Sakamaki’s decision. However, Izayoi Sakamaki looked extremely discouraged now, and he clearly needed someone to help him.

In any case, he had nothing to do and was quite free. Why not use this time to help him? Izayoi Sakamaki was his good friend, after all. If he did not step forward in a time of need—

Then how could he call himself Izayoi Sakamaki’s good friend? Wasn’t that what good friends were supposed to do? Thus, Uchiha Kyu said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "I think the same as you. That group of Hokages really does need discipline."

"If they are not disciplined, it will certainly be very difficult for you to make them win that competition. So I very much agree with your idea. But we have no way to change their lively nature right now."

"They’re not just lively; they have a wild temperament. So we must take things slowly. We absolutely cannot rush them, because that will definitely provoke their rebelliousness."

"So we have to take things one step at a time. Don’t be so depressed. If even you are like this, what are they supposed to do? Don’t you think?"

Think It Over Carefully

Izayoi Sakamaki felt that Houyi’s words made some sense. He really should not rush them, but if he did not give them a sense of crisis, they would never know what they should do or understand the importance of this competition. So he still had to give them some sense of urgency. However, he had racked his brains and could not think of any method, because he was already out of ideas.

So he asked Uchiha Kyu, "Then what do you think we should do now? We have to come up with a way to discipline them. If we don’t think of a solution, they’ll continue as before."

"So can you think of a way to make them settle down and devote themselves to training? If they do not train, how can their skills improve? We have to find a way to make them train willingly."

"But I can’t think of anything, because I’ve already used every method I could think of, and none of them fall for it. So I want to ask whether you have any ideas."

"Because you are my best friend now, and one of my supporters. If even you won’t help me think of a solution, I truly won’t have any ideas left. So use your brain and think."

"Think of a way to make them realize the sense of crisis, make them understand the importance of this competition, and stop acting so wild. If they keep this up—"

"Then the consequences will definitely be severe. I don’t want to see them fall to rock bottom either. Who would want to fall to rock bottom?"

"Although climbing back up after hitting rock bottom is indeed something inspiring in life, I don’t want them to fall that far."

Houyi felt that Izayoi Sakamaki had a point. They really should be given a sense of crisis, because without it, they could not understand the importance of the competition. Only once they felt that sense of crisis—

Would they intensify their training and win the competition together. They seemed to think the competition was nothing special, but they did not know it represented the pinnacle of their lives.

If they did not fight this competition seriously and lost it, it would undoubtedly become a huge regret in their lives. By the time they regretted it, it would be too late.

There was no medicine for regret in this world. By then, even if they wanted to regret it, they would not be able to undo it. However, Izayoi Sakamaki had already used every available method, and Uchiha Kyu did not seem to have any ideas either.

After all, he did not seem much smarter than Izayoi Sakamaki. Any method Izayoi Sakamaki could think of, he could think of too. And any method Izayoi Sakamaki had not thought of, he could not think of either. Their intelligence seemed about the same.

But three cobblers could outwit Zhuge Liang. If he and Izayoi Sakamaki thought carefully, they should be able to find some way to deal with this group of Hokages. After all, these Hokages were like his own children.

Could he really not think of a way to deal with his own children? No matter how mischievous they were, he would have a way to teach them.

Then he came up with an idea. Uchiha Kyu said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "I think we should cancel their rewards and establish a rule: whoever performs well can receive a reward."

"Before, it seemed that as long as they participated in the competition training, they could receive prizes. I think that does not distinguish between good and bad performances. We should change the reward system."

"As long as they stand out in training matches, meaning they have their moments of brilliance, we give them prizes. I think that would be very good, because it could motivate them and make them understand the sense of crisis."

"They like prizes very much, so we should use that preference to give them a sense of urgency. This might be a good method, because only then will they be motivated to train. Without such motivation—"

"I’m afraid it will be difficult for them to train. So I think this should be a good idea. I wonder if you agree."

Izayoi Sakamaki thought about it, but still shook his head. He felt that this would probably not be good, because he had to honor what he had promised. Since he had already promised to give them rewards, he could not go back on his word.

That would indeed hurt the Hokages’ feelings. If they no longer trusted him, what right would he have to be their leader?

Thus, he said to Uchiha Kyu, "I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let’s think of another way."

Considering Corporal Punishment

Kagami Uchiha’s idea definitely would not work for them now. Izayoi Sakamaki had once promised those rewards with such certainty, saying it himself. If he suddenly canceled them now, would that not be slapping himself in the face?

That would mean breaking his word! Izayoi Sakamaki would absolutely never be that kind of person, so he firmly rejected what Kagami Uchiha had said.

"I’m telling you, even if the situation were desperate and this were the only method in front of me, I would never carry it out. Don’t even think about it."

Izayoi Sakamaki spoke to him with complete certainty. His tone made it clear to Kagami Uchiha that he would absolutely not do such a thing.

The urgent matter was not to cancel those rewards, but to think of something better that could resolve these problems.

Kagami Uchiha naturally did not understand Izayoi Sakamaki, but this was not a decision that he alone could make. Kagami Uchiha stood to the side with an expression that said it had nothing to do with him.

"Fine, fine. Since you have a better method, think of it yourself. But there isn’t much time left. I’d like to see what kind of solution you come up with."

Izayoi Sakamaki felt helpless after hearing those words, since the two of them clearly did not agree.

He knew he could not rely on anyone in this matter anymore. He could only use his own mind and think carefully.

Kagami Uchiha’s dismissive attitude showed that he had begun to push responsibility for this matter away.

He wanted to leave it all to Izayoi Sakamaki. Izayoi Sakamaki had no time to keep arguing with him, so he sat down on the ground and began to think carefully.

The main reason was that there was not much time left. If they did not quickly train these Hokages, they definitely would not win the competition. They would lose face and suffer a crushing defeat.

They were not participating in the competition merely to prove that they existed. Since they had entered it, they had to do well.

Izayoi Sakamaki sat on the ground, thinking about these things and slowly sorting through whether he had any leads at all.

If he wanted these Hokages to train properly now, he could only rely on himself. The method Kagami Uchiha had suggested simply would not work.

And Kagami Uchiha was too stubborn for Izayoi Sakamaki to persuade him in a short time.

Instead of trying to guide Kagami Uchiha’s thinking, he might as well carefully consider what exactly should be done about this matter.

The reason those Hokages were so disobedient now was that his training was somewhat too harsh, making them unwilling to persist and causing them to develop a rebellious mentality.

Should he reduce the intensity of their training? That definitely would not work.

There was not much time left. If they did not persist with such high-intensity training, they would only embarrass themselves at the competition.

All their training was for the sake of performing well in the competition and achieving a good ranking.

These Hokages had no sense of honor at all. Even though they knew the competition was close, they were still laughing and fooling around.

They did not even train properly anymore, and Izayoi Sakamaki did not know what he should do.

In the competition that would take place in a few days, only Izayoi Sakamaki was anxious. Although Kagami Uchiha was anxious too, Izayoi Sakamaki would absolutely not use the method he had proposed.

"Come over and discuss this with me properly. Training these Hokages is not my responsibility alone. You can’t dump all these tasks on me. Let’s discuss whether there’s a better method. Don’t waste any more time."

Izayoi Sakamaki felt that it would be difficult to consider these matters alone. After all, he had never experienced this kind of problem, so there was no way he could immediately think of the best decision.

Thus, he turned and called to Kagami Uchiha, who was standing beside him, asking him to consider whether there was any better method than the one Kagami Uchiha had suggested earlier.

"In my opinion, those Hokages have already begun to grow restless. Why don’t we cancel those rewards and give them a warning? That way, they’ll feel a little pressure…"

The moment Kagami Uchiha opened his mouth, he repeated what he had said before. Izayoi Sakamaki immediately shook his head.