Chapter 7: Asuma's Attention
Yamada Juki asked curiously, "Even Asuma-sensei doesn't know? Does that mean our teacher is some nobody?"
Yamada Juki looked a little disappointed.
After all, he felt Kihon Toichi seemed very strong. He ought to be a very impressive ninja.
Asuma noticed Yamada Juki's mood and quickly said, "Probably not. As far as I know, all the instructors assigned to lead a graduating class are Jonin."
"Your teacher definitely is too. It's just that I don't know every single ninja in Konohagakure."
Only after hearing that did Yamada Juki look less dejected.
Although he had been very afraid of Kihon Toichi during the earlier test, he was also glad that his teacher was a powerful ninja.
Following a powerful ninja was the fastest way to become a powerful ninja himself—that was Yamada Juki's thinking.
At that point, Shikamaru asked, "What did you mean earlier when you said your instructor's test almost got you killed?"
He was very curious. It was only a test—surely it couldn't be that brutal, right?
Asuma also looked at Yamada Juki.
He didn't approve of using overly harsh methods on students either.
Even Kakashi wouldn't put students in actual danger.
Asuma worried that Kihon Toichi might be using cruel methods on his students.
It wasn't as though such things had never happened before, but in Konohagakure, it was forbidden.
Yamada Juki glanced at Yoruha, then said, "Actually, it wasn't any special test. It was more like our teacher used some kind of Mental Ninjutsu on us and nearly made our minds collapse."
"If it weren't for Yoruha, Ta-ko and I might really have died."
By now, Yamada Juki had already realized that Kihon Toichi's Pressure had mainly been directed at Yoruha.
Otherwise, Kihon Toichi wouldn't have regarded Yoruha so differently.
Most likely, the Pressure had been concentrated on Yoruha at the time, while he and Tanako Hon had only suffered a very small part of it.
Yoruha had just put a piece of grilled meat into his mouth when Asuma, Shikamaru, and Ino all turned to look at him at the same time.
Yoruha paused. "What?"
While Yamada Juki had been talking with Asuma and Shikamaru, Yoruha hadn't been listening at all.
To him, the various meats on the table were far more attractive.
Yoruha had lived in this world for twelve years, and he had never really had any friends.
Other than training, eating all kinds of good food was his usual pastime.
Faced with everyone's gaze, he looked puzzled.
Asuma was even more puzzled. He had once read Yoruha's file, and the boy hadn't shown any outstanding performance in the Ninja Academy.
So how was it that, from Yamada Juki's account, he sounded like someone very capable?
After thinking for a moment, Asuma asked Yamada Juki, "Your teacher used Mental Ninjutsu on you—what exactly did it feel like?"
Yamada Juki thought about it, then said, "It felt like I was standing in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, with countless ninja rushing at me. It felt like I was being stabbed to death dozens of times, and I couldn't escape that environment at all."
After he said that, Tanako Hon shrank in on herself with lingering fear.
Kihon Toichi's Pressure had already left a shadow in her heart.
She would probably never forget it for the rest of her life.
From Yamada Juki's description, Asuma roughly guessed what kind of technique Kihon Toichi had used.
And he also more or less guessed his identity.
"No wonder I've never heard his name."
"He's probably from Anbu."
"Anbu?"
Everyone but Yoruha looked at Asuma in confusion.
Asuma took a drag from his cigarette and said slowly, "Yes, Anbu."
"Anbu is one of Konohagakure's departments, an organization that protects the village from the shadows. It gathers a large number of powerful ninja."
This was the first time the others had heard of such a department.
Even Shikamaru and the others, though they came from prominent clans, didn't know about Anbu.
Or rather, they simply didn't usually pay attention to that kind of information.
Shikamaru gave Yoruha a deep look.
From Asuma's description, he could tell how formidable Anbu was.
And yet Yoruha had actually withstood the mental suppression of a ninja like that.
Asuma thought the same. He looked at Yoruha, who was still eating grilled meat.
No one else was eating. Only Yoruha had all his attention on the food.
The meat on the table seemed more interesting to him than the topic everyone was discussing.
Asuma knew better than anyone what kind of force a ninja from Anbu represented.
And all the instructors for this class were Jonin.
That meant Yoruha's teacher was a Jonin as well.
Asuma was very clear on how strong an Anbu Jonin was.
And yet Yoruha had endured that kind of mental suppression.
Afterward, he even looked perfectly fine.
That alone was enough to show that Yoruha was anything but ordinary.
Meanwhile, Yamada Juki, completely oblivious to the looks on Asuma's and Shikamaru's faces, was thoroughly shocked by what Asuma had just said.
"Anbu? Kihon-sensei sounds really strong."
"As expected of Sensei."
What Yamada Juki cared about was whether Kihon Toichi could teach him powerful ninjutsu and make him into a strong ninja.
And to do those two things, Kihon Toichi himself absolutely had to be very strong.
Shikamaru glanced at Asuma.
Asuma shook his head.
Shikamaru had originally wanted to ask Yoruha about the details, but seeing Asuma's attitude, he didn't say anything.
After that, Asuma didn't ask Yamada Juki any more about the test.
But he kept the matter in mind, thinking that he should talk it over with Kakashi.
A student who had only just graduated from the Ninja Academy had somehow managed to withstand the Genjutsu of an Anbu Jonin.
That was extremely strange.
And besides, Yoruha had always seemed average back in the Ninja Academy.
So how could he possibly possess such strength?
Was it simply that his spiritual energy was unusually strong?
All of that would require investigation.
Yoruha, however, didn't notice what Asuma was thinking.
And even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have cared.
He hadn't displayed anything too shocking.
His mental strength was just a bit exceptional, that was all.
After the barbecue meal ended—
Yoruha became much more familiar with the Ino-Shika-Chō trio, as well as Yamada Juki and Tanako Hon.
That night, on the way home, Yamada Juki said to Yoruha, "Yoruha, Ta-ko and I don't go the same way. You walk her home."
Then he ran off without giving Yoruha a chance to refuse.
Yoruha froze.
Tanako Hon's fair face immediately flushed red.
Yoruha frowned. "What's with that guy?"
He assumed there must be something urgent at home.
Tanako Hon lowered her head shyly, unconsciously nudging at the ground with the tip of her shoe.
She didn't say a word.
Yoruha turned to look at her and smiled. "I'll walk you home."
After all, it was night. Even though Tanako Hon had already graduated from the Ninja Academy and counted as a ninja now, she was still a girl.
And not just any girl, but the daughter of a wealthy family. Who knew whether someone might try to kidnap her?
Tanako Hon nodded shyly.
Ever since she had seen Yoruha stand unmoved under Kihon Toichi's Pressure at the training ground, she had developed a favorable impression of him.
And Yoruha himself was handsome too.
At this age, children were just starting to feel attracted to the opposite sex.
Yoruha, however, didn't think of Tanako Hon as someone his own age.
He saw her as a child.
After all, Yoruha's mental age was that of an adult.
Even if he had been momentarily struck by how pretty Tanako Hon was, it was only with an appreciative gaze.
What he had really thought was how nice it would be if he had such a cute little sister.
The two of them walked side by side down the brightly lit streets. To outsiders, they looked like a perfect young pair.
People on the road even turned to look at them from time to time.
Both of them were very attractive.
Some passersby even assumed they were a couple.
In this world, both boys and girls matured rather early.
It was extremely common to start dating at this age.
And with Tanako Hon wearing such a shy expression and her cheeks slightly red, it was impossible not to misunderstand.