512. An Experimental Journey / 513. Constantly Encouraging

"Then it might leave you with no motivation to improve during training, and it could also cause you unnecessary trouble and psychological harm. That’s why, as your coach…"

"I will take full responsibility. So don’t worry—I will definitely fulfill my promise. And you wouldn’t doubt my words, would you?"

"Because I have never lied, nor have I ever said anything I failed to do. Since I have made this promise here today, I will definitely carry it out."

Naturally, everyone trusted Izayoi Sakamaki deeply. Izayoi Sakamaki held a very important place in the Hokages’ hearts, so as long as it was something he promised, they would believe him. Besides, Izayoi Sakamaki had never lied.

Thus, the Hokages believed Izayoi Sakamaki’s words. At the same time, Naruto was very happy, because after this incident, he realized that only Izayoi Sakamaki was sincerely good to him. For that alone, he had to train properly.

Only training could make Izayoi Sakamaki happy. This training match was a competition Izayoi Sakamaki had always hoped for. If they could win, not only would they live up to Izayoi Sakamaki’s expectations, but Naruto’s standing among the Hokages would also soar.

This was a very good thing, so he had to work even harder. Thus, he said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "Izayoi Sakamaki, don’t worry. We’ll definitely give it our all. We won’t say anything more now."

"We’ll prove ourselves through our actions."

Izayoi Sakamaki was also very happy. He did not want to bring up what had happened earlier, because Madara Uchiha had been the one who suggested canceling the bonus. There was no need for them to know that.

Although he was someone who did not lie, they did not need to know about this matter. There was no benefit to telling them, and it might even hurt Madara Uchiha’s feelings.

So, he would not mention it if he could avoid it. Madara Uchiha was his good friend, after all, and it was only natural for him to protect his friend.

He was willing to shoulder all responsibility to protect his friend. Besides, Naruto had not said this was his fault, so there was no need to tell them.

A Trip to the Laboratory

Seeing how seriously they took their training, Izayoi Sakamaki felt very gratified. They had finally found what they should be doing. Before, they had thought nothing mattered and had not taken training seriously. But now they had changed, so he needed to view them differently. They were no longer that same group of mischievous Hokages, and he had high hopes for them.

If they trained seriously, they would definitely win the championship. He understood their strength very well. Once they got serious, they would throw themselves wholeheartedly into everything they did. Once they became fully absorbed…

They would naturally care deeply about every task. Izayoi Sakamaki believed in their strength. Watching from the side, he felt comforted, and a happy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. They had finally come to their senses.

All the methods he had thought up to make them come around had not been wasted. He had truly racked his brains for them, yet nothing had worked before. Now it seemed that adding a reward had some effect.

It could stimulate their motivation to train. It was not easy for him to see them striving so hard, because he had never seen such a sight before. They gave him great hope. If they did not work hard to improve themselves…

Then he truly would have no solution. If he had no hope in them at all, then his heart would be dead. If the people he led could not accomplish his goal, he would surely consider himself a complete failure.

But since they were training so seriously, he should give them some extra encouragement. Of course, not merely by adding chicken legs to their meals, but by helping them relax mentally. Faced with such intense training…

They were under far too much pressure. They needed some time to unwind. If they could not relax, both their hearts and minds would remain tense. If one’s heart and mind were overly tense…

Then one could not do anything well. Izayoi Sakamaki understood this very clearly. So he needed to think about how to ease their moods, because the training was simply too intense.

He had personally experienced the pressure of training before. It truly was not something an ordinary person could endure. He understood their current situation very well. Although the competition was drawing close, they still needed to rest when it was time to rest.

So he said to everyone, "I feel that this round of training has been very hard on you, and you have all put in a lot of effort. So I’ve decided to take you out for some fun. But I haven’t decided where yet, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to tell me."

"Still, I’ll have the final say. I need to make sure all of you return safely, because I’m taking you out to have fun, not to run wild."

"So think carefully about where you want to go. There isn’t much time left before the competition, so don’t get too carried away."

The Hokages truly wanted to go out and have fun, but it was not really appropriate for them to make suggestions. If they were choosing a place to have fun, they would naturally want somewhere more uninhibited, but the competition was so close.

So it was impossible to go somewhere overly indulgent to relax. They should leave everything to their coach’s arrangements. This was not the time for playing. If they wanted to play, they could simply have skipped training. Right now, training was the priority.

Still, they really were under a lot of pressure. Thus, they said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "We should leave that to you. We think our most important task right now is training, so you can arrange anything outside of training. Whatever arrangements you make…"

"We’ll follow them. We listened to your arrangements throughout training because we regard you as our coach, as our mentor. We’ll leave everything to you. To be honest, we haven’t thought of anywhere we want to go."

"Time is already so tight, so it would indeed be a little unfair if you didn’t let us relax. Izayoi Sakamaki, just decide for yourself. Wherever you want us to go relax, take us there."

"We definitely won’t be picky, and we definitely won’t object. Don’t worry. You know what kind of people we are, don’t you? You’ve treated us so well—how could we possibly have any complaints about you? Just find us a place. We’ll definitely go."

Always Encouraging

Izayoi Sakamaki thought for a long time before deciding to take them to the laboratory. There were many poisonous substances in the laboratory, and what they were currently training was their powers of observation. If he made them find a nonpoisonous item among all those poisonous ones, would that not be an excellent test of their observation skills? The more he thought about it, the better the idea seemed.

However, he could not tell them about it yet. If he told them, they would definitely prepare in advance. Since this was meant to test them, he could not let them prepare. Only on-the-spot performance…

Could train their most genuine abilities. So he discussed it with Madara Uchiha. Izayoi Sakamaki said to him, "I think I should test how much their observational abilities have improved."

"They have been training for so long, but I still don’t know what results they have achieved. Even though they train hard every day and stay up late, I truly don’t know how much progress they have made."

"So I want to see whether they can find one nonpoisonous item among so many poisonous ones. Do you think this is a good idea? To be honest, I’m not sure whether it is good either, but I’m willing to try."

"I don’t know whether they will object. I’m afraid they might not accept it, because I would be making them understand their true abilities beforehand."

"I think it is very good for them to understand their own abilities in advance, but if they realize they are terrible, they will definitely be disappointed."

"So I do not want anything to go wrong. But there is no helping it—this is a path they must take if they want to succeed."

Madara Uchiha thought Izayoi Sakamaki had a point, but he did not dare voice an opinion. The previous incident had frightened him. If he offered a bad suggestion and the Hokages found out…

They would come looking for trouble again. He was not Izayoi Sakamaki, so he could not make decisions regarding anything the Hokages did. Still, he needed to give Izayoi Sakamaki some advice, because those Hokages were truly terrifying.

But Izayoi Sakamaki was his friend, and he could not just watch his friend make a mistake. So he said, "I’m afraid this might not be appropriate, because they may not yet understand their true strength."

"If you let them learn their actual abilities too early, they might become discouraged. They might even resent you. So I think you should not do it yet."

"I don’t think doing that would benefit you. Besides, I think the Hokages have been training well. You cannot let them suffer a setback halfway through, can you? If you insist on doing this…"

"Then pretend I said nothing. I’m only offering a suggestion. I can’t make the final decision—that still depends on you. Even offering this suggestion was difficult for me."

"Honestly, I do not want to interfere in matters between you and the Hokages. Those Hokages make me very nervous. But I still have to remind you of what I should remind you of."

Although Izayoi Sakamaki felt that Madara Uchiha had a point, he could not retreat whenever he encountered a difficulty. This really was a way to test the Hokages’ observational abilities. If he missed this opportunity…

Then they might not be able to correctly understand what weaknesses they needed to fix. That would not be good for them either. Thus, he said to Madara Uchiha, "Although the Hokages may not agree with this…"

"I still have to speak with them. Letting them recognize their shortcomings is a very good thing, in my opinion. No matter what difficulties lie ahead, I will overcome them. That is what I think now."

"Although you are thinking of me, I will still stand by my principles. But I will not blame you just because you oppose my idea, because you truly mean well. Still, I have to think of the Hokages’ well-being."

"It feels as though all my hopes rest on the Hokages now. If they cannot accomplish something for me, I feel as though my life will pass by in bland mediocrity. So I must seize this opportunity."

"At the same time, I want them to face the competition with their best mindset. I do not think testing their observation skills will make them neglect the competition, because if that happened…"

"Then I do not think they would be able to display their advantages in the competition at all. They would not know where their weaknesses lie. So don’t worry—I will definitely persuade them."

A Test

Izayoi Sakamaki then said to the Hokages, "I have a good place in mind: a laboratory. There are many poisons in that laboratory, so I want you to find one bottle of nonpoisonous medicine among them."

"Although this is a great challenge for you, because finding the nonpoisonous medicine through your powers of observation would indeed be difficult…"

"This is also one of the best ways to test your abilities. If you can find it, it will prove that you can win the championship in that competition. It will also prove your own abilities."

"So I think this is a very good idea, but I do not know whether you can agree to it. This matter has both benefits and drawbacks for you, because it can let you recognize your shortcomings in advance."

"You may back down because of that. But if you succeed, that will be another matter entirely. I hope you can view this opportunity correctly. Of course, I cannot force you. I am only making a suggestion."

"If you do not want to go, there is nothing I can do. If you do not want to go, then continue training here in peace. I have nothing else to say."

After Izayoi Sakamaki finished speaking, his expression was very dejected. He did not know what to do at this point. All he could do was wait for the Hokages’ response.

If the Hokages did not answer him, then that would mean they did not want to go. If they did not want to go…

Then it would mean his idea could not gain their approval. That would make him very sad, because this was the best method he had come up with after racking his brains. If they did not agree to this method…

Then he had no other options. They could only continue training here in peace and wait for the competition to arrive.

The Hokages were very helpless after hearing this. They had not expected Izayoi Sakamaki to have such a plan. They had never trained with such meticulous detail before.

If they were asked to select a nonpoisonous one from so many poisons, that would definitely be impossible. He was clearly making things difficult for them. Thus, they said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "I don’t think we can complete this task."

"This isn’t letting us relax at all. It will only make us even more nervous. Although we said before that we would join any activity you arranged, this isn’t an activity you arranged for us."

"This is clearly a task. So we should not participate, right? Although you are our boss, you also need to respect our wishes. And our wish is not to go."

"It is not that the activity you found is bad. We just do not want to undergo mental training right now. We are already exhausted from training every day, so continuing to train would really be a little too much."

"I can’t accept this, so I hope you can understand us, Boss. We train every day, and it is already very hard. Please understand us and stop tormenting us."

"Right now, even giving us a few minutes to relax would already be pretty good. Yet you still want to torment us. What is that supposed to mean?"

Izayoi Sakamaki was also helpless. He had not expected them to think that way. But he was doing this entirely for their sake. So he said to them, "Actually, I am doing this completely for you. Of course, if you do not want to go…"

"Then you do not have to. I am not forcing you. I am only telling you my suggestion. But I believe you can do it, because I think this is an opportunity for you to prove that you have strength."

"If you do not prove yourselves, you may think you are already very powerful. I hope you can recognize reality. If you are not actually strong but still think you are, would that not be humiliating?"

"So you need to understand yourselves correctly. Only after you correctly understand yourselves will you have a chance to participate in that competition and win it. That is what I think. I hope you can understand."

"Anyway, I support you. Whatever you think, I will support you. I truly think this is a very good opportunity—an opportunity that must not be missed."

The Hokages also felt that Izayoi Sakamaki’s words made some sense. They really had become immersed in the belief that they were very strong. If they did not take on a difficult challenge, it would indeed be hard to break the current situation. Thus, they nodded.

They said to Izayoi Sakamaki, "All right. Since that is the case, we’ll agree to your request. Let’s set off immediately."

Crazy Complaints

Izayoi Sakamaki earnestly encouraged the Hokages. No matter how desperately they tried to refuse his encouragement, they knew it was useless. Even if they refused, Izayoi Sakamaki would definitely make them do it. Helplessly, they could only force themselves to go along with it.

"I believe in you. Have some confidence in yourselves. I believe in you this much—if you do not believe in yourselves, then what good are you? No matter whether others believe in you, you must believe in yourselves."

"Enough nonsense. Whether you refuse or go willingly, you have to do this. Always believe one thing: I will never harm you."

"I will only make you stronger and stronger, until you stand at the peak of this world."

Izayoi Sakamaki patiently tried to persuade the Hokages. Hearing his words, they looked at one another, then looked at Izayoi Sakamaki. Seeing the serious expression on his face, they nodded.

How could they not understand what Izayoi Sakamaki had said? They knew they should believe in themselves, but they had never done this sort of thing before. They could not accept it right away.

But Izayoi Sakamaki had already backed them into a corner. Now, they could only try bravely.

"All right, then we’ll try it once. But if we encounter danger, what are we supposed to do? If we cannot find that thing, are we really going to die in there?"

"I believe you would not give up on us so easily. This is also our first time doing such a task. Even if we are outstanding in your eyes…"

"We are bound to be unfamiliar with it the first time, and it will probably take a lot of time. Can you really bear to watch us suffer and struggle in there?"

The Hokages still wanted to persuade Izayoi Sakamaki. They had never done something like this before, so they were still extremely worried. That was why they spoke to him this way. Hearing them, Izayoi Sakamaki shook his head.

Since Izayoi Sakamaki had made them participate in this drill, he had already made up his mind to make them stronger, better, and more outstanding. If he went easy on them because of this, then being merciful to them would be the same as being merciful to the enemy.

Izayoi Sakamaki would never foolishly do something like that. Seeing him shake his head, all the Hokages became frightened.

"Don’t scare us like that! What do you mean by shaking your head? Say something! You’re making us too scared. We’ll join, we’ll join, all right?"

"Whether you participate willingly or are forced to participate, you cannot change this fact. All I can tell you is that if you do not find that thing within a certain amount of time, you will be poisoned."

Izayoi Sakamaki merely said this calmly to the Hokages. There was no expression on his face, and his tone was extremely cold. Hearing his words, the Hokages became even more frightened.

Yet Izayoi Sakamaki continued, "Ever since you entered, you have triggered the air mechanism here. Didn’t you feel a cool breeze when you came in? It felt quite comfortable, didn’t it?"

"But you were wrong. That air contains poisonous gas."

"This poisonous gas will not kill you quickly, nor will it show any effects right away. But if you stay here for too long and still cannot find the thing…"

"Then you will slowly become poisoned. Even if you take the antidote afterward, it will still have some effect on you."

"Since I made you participate in this drill, I will not let you off easily. Whether you hate me now or thank me later, I am doing this for your own good."

"If you are not strict with yourselves, do you still expect others to be merciful to you?"

Izayoi Sakamaki revealed his purpose. He was not afraid that the Hokages would hate him, because he knew that no matter how excessive his actions appeared, he would never truly harm them.

Izayoi Sakamaki understood very well how cruel this world was. To make the Hokages stronger, he deliberately spoke and acted this way. Besides, there was some exaggeration in what he said.

He wanted to test the Hokages’ personalities, abilities, and mental fortitude. If they panicked immediately after hearing this and became incapable of doing anything, Izayoi Sakamaki could only be disappointed in them.

They had done nothing yet, but they had already begun to fear. Izayoi Sakamaki understood clearly that fear could affect many people’s judgment and prevent them from making the correct choices.

"Ah, really?"

"No wonder I felt a cool breeze when I came in. I even thought it was comfortable. I never expected it to be poisonous gas. Izayoi Sakamaki, are you trying to harm us?"

"Izayoi Sakamaki, although I know you are doing this for our own good, isn’t this method a little too cruel? Even if everything you said is right, this is truly too serious for us."

The Hokages all began speaking at once after hearing Izayoi Sakamaki’s words.

As Expected

Hearing what the Hokages said, Izayoi Sakamaki merely replied calmly, "Think whatever you want. I’m leaving this matter to you. Whether you can complete it or not, you must persist through this test."