Sai is indeed a promising student, with excellent comprehension.
It's at least much easier to teach him than that girl, Karin.
Speaking of which, among the disciples he currently has, Karin is the weakest in terms of pursuit of ninja achievement and comprehension.
She's still young, and her efforts are forced.
Of course, the Uzumaki Clan bloodline is there.
Adamantine Sealing Chains, Kagura Shingan sensory ninjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, Monster Strength... they completely outclass Naruto and an Sasuke before his Sharingan awakened.
Even Sarutobi Asuma sometimes wished she could be more driven.
...
Sarutobi Asuma didn't teach much in the first lesson.
After dissecting the secret jutsu and helping Sai establish confidence, direction, and goals, he split off a Shadow Clone to guide him through basic training.
Chakra Nature Transformation, Chakra Control.
These are what he values most!
And now they have also become highly valued by many Konoha ninja.
The Ninja Academy, Genin Preparatory Class, Chunin Special Training Class, Jonin Special Training Class – Sarutobi Asuma has left a deep imprint.
For over a decade, this influence has even permeated the very blood of Konoha ninja.
Before the various reforms in Konoha, the Ninja Academy did not have training programs like Water Walking, Tree Climbing, or climbing sheer cliffs.
Even Tsunade and the others only underwent such training after becoming disciples of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
But now, without completing these exercises, not only is it difficult to get into the Genin Preparatory Class, but even graduating from the Ninja Academy is a challenge.
Ever since Namikaze Minato reformed the Ninja Academy, especially after the gradual development of the South Sage Continent, Konoha's Ninja Academy has adopted a policy of broad admission and strict graduation.
The scale of the Ninja Academy has expanded more than tenfold over the years. After gaining full control of the Land of Origins on the South Sage Continent, they even opened a branch school there, selecting promising young talents from the Land of Origins for training in Konoha.
Therefore, Konoha's ninja force has grown steadily over the years, but its quality has not only not declined but has significantly improved due to the extremely rigorous teaching.
Neither Sarutobi Asuma nor Namikaze Minato intended to train cannon fodder.
Of course, With so many children entering the Ninja Academy, there are always some with poor aptitude, and even with effort, they struggle to meet the requirements.
There are quite a few who cannot truly graduate and become Genin, and even those who are sent back for retraining are still unsatisfactory.
But they cannot continue studying at the Ninja Academy indefinitely.
So, Konoha's Ninja Academy has a rule that students are forcibly graduated at age 16, but they do not immediately become Genin.
As a result, Konoha now has a rank below Genin.
Apprentice Genin!
Before the reforms, these ninja would have been the cannon fodder Genin of the past.
Of course, In the eyes of many mid- to high-ranking Konoha officials, these individuals are not that bad.
At the very least, they have mastered the Three Basic Ninjutsu, and with enough time, mastering one or two Ninjutsu is not a problem.
By the time they are in their twenties or thirties, with sufficient experience and if they haven't died, they will be quite competent Chunin.
Of course, Namikaze Minato and Sarutobi Asuma have not given up on these individuals either, as substantial resources were invested in their training.
It's worth noting that not only is admission to the Konoha Ninja Academy currently free, but there are also various subsidies, especially for children from civilian families.
This is only possible because Konoha's shipbuilding technology is constantly improving, and they have begun to travel to the South Sage Continent by ship.
Coupled with the continuous improvement of large-scale Space-Time Teleportation Arrays, which are becoming larger and more frequent, leading to more frequent exchanges with the South Sage Continent, a large influx of resources and manpower has made this support possible.
Otherwise, Konoha would have gone bankrupt long ago.
If Konoha went bankrupt, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire wouldn't stand for it.
In fact, Sarutobi Asuma had heard from Namikaze Minato that the Daimyo of the Land of Fire felt a great threat upon learning about the situation on the South Sage Continent.
His economic support for Konoha has been steadily declining in recent years.
A few years ago, Konoha could still recruit orphans and even civilians from all over the Land of Fire, but now the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has restricted this.
Furthermore, last year, Namikaze Minato's idea of expanding Konoha Ninja Academy's enrollment to the entire Land of Fire was also blocked by the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Therefore, in the past two years, the relationship between Konoha and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has inevitably become somewhat tense.
Sensing danger, the Daimyo of the Land of Fire first created the Twelve Guardian Ninja and then began training ninjas within the Daimyo's manor, using the Guardian Ninja as a foundation.
Sarutobi Asuma only learned about this when he met with Namikaze Minato today.
Watching his Shadow Clone take Sai away, Sarutobi Asuma began to ponder.
Currently, the Daimyo's actions did not affect Konoha's operations, as South Sage Continent was providing support.
Although the Land of Origins had a much smaller population than the Land of Fire.
In recent years, Konoha had increased its penetration into South Sage Continent, not only fully controlling the Land of Origins but also gradually infiltrating two other port-based nations.
The combined population of these three nations now reached over 600,000.
However, who would complain about having too much money?
Moreover, Sarutobi Asuma had the intention of stepping on the Daimyo.
He could be a savior, but he would never be a mercenary leader!
"The Twelve Guardian Ninja should have a considerable bounty, right?"
"After all, in the original story, I was worth 35 million Ryo, and other members were worth several thousand Ryo. With the Daimyo of the Land of Fire stirring things up so much, it shouldn't be any less."
"Kakuzu must be getting thirsty already…"
A cold killing intent flashed in Sarutobi Asuma's eyes.
As for whether the Twelve Guardian Ninja were good people… did any ninjas ever truly do good?
He certainly didn't consider himself a good person!
And the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was even less of a good person!
After sending a message to his Kakuzu clone, Sarutobi Asuma had a thought, and a water screen appeared before him.
As the water rippled, a group of little brats appeared within the screen.
Sarutobi Asuma couldn't help but smile, yet he also felt a bit of disdain.
Within the water screen, among the playing children, the most eye-catching was the significantly taller kid wearing a necklace, with a golden gourd at his waist, and bubbles coming from his nostrils.
Little Nawaki!
He was almost three years old.
Considering that children need playmates, Sarutobi Asuma and Tsunade had been living in the Senju Ancestral Home for the past few years. The presence of neighbors all around was beneficial for the children's growth.
Now, little Nawaki had become the leader of the pack among children his age.
It couldn't be helped, the genes were good.
However, he was covered in dirt, like a little bandit, directing a group of kids in a game, which was indeed a bit unsightly.
"It's better to have a little cotton pad, so much less mischievous!"
"He's really not cute at all…"
Sarutobi Asuma snorted lightly, then thought of Yūhi Kurenai, "It's about time."
It had been over two years since Yūhi Kurenai had mastered the Kekkei Genkai, Dream Eye.
With the assistance of Sage Cursed Seal 1.0, the Kekkei Genkai had essentially integrated into the genes and could be passed on to descendants.
"This time, I must have a daughter!"
Sarutobi Asuma decided.
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