As the saying went, thinking about something was meaningless unless you actually acted on it.
Encouraged by the elderly Nara clan member, Kakashi finally sat down at the shogi table with complete confidence and began what could only be described as a painful donation spree.
Watching him lose money so enthusiastically, Hayashi almost felt nostalgic.
In another life, whenever he met people like this, he usually had only one thought:
Can you lend me some money for lunch too?
While focusing on the game, Kakashi removed the massive blade strapped across his back and carefully leaned it beside his chair.
After months of training, he was finally capable of wielding the weapon properly. Unfortunately, the blade itself was still absurdly oversized for his current height, making the entire scene look unintentionally ridiculous.
Kakashi clearly didn't care.
He treated the weapon like treasure.
At this point, he practically slept with it every night.
Nearby, Asuma and Might Guy stood stiffly beside Hayashi without saying a word.
Although the three students already knew each other, things felt different now.
Hayashi was no longer just a familiar senior from the village.
He was their jonin sensei.
That change in status naturally made them nervous.
Hayashi glanced at the two boys briefly before returning his attention to the files in his hands.
Compared to Kakashi, the difference between them was already obvious.
Not that this was surprising.
The gap had existed for years.
Now it had simply grown wider.
Might Guy still had the potential to surpass Kakashi one day through pure effort and mastery of the Eight Gates.
As for Asuma...
Hayashi only had one evaluation.
Hopeless.
He calmly reviewed the information in front of him.
The structure of Team One was simple.
A genius.
A politically protected heir.
And an eternal underdog.
Kakashi was naturally the genius.
If Hayashi had not deliberately delayed his advancement, Kakashi would already have become a chunin long ago.
More importantly, Kakashi wasn't merely his subordinate.
He was his true disciple.
There was a major difference between a jonin instructor and an actual master-disciple relationship.
Kakashi would eventually become Naruto's jonin instructor, but Jiraiya was Naruto's true master.
One relationship focused on missions and standard growth.
The other involved inheritance.
Hayashi viewed Kakashi the same way.
Over the years, he had deliberately corrected many of Kakashi's flaws.
Kakashi no longer possessed the cold obsession with mission completion that he once would have developed.
Nor did he carry the arrogance of ignoring teammates.
Naturally, Hayashi also reserved the best resources for him.
Just like Orochimaru had done in the past, Hayashi had already arranged for Kakashi to sign the summoning contract of Ryuchi Cave.
Combined with the ninja hounds Kakashi had raised since childhood, he now possessed two separate summoning techniques.
As for Might Guy...
He was the definition of a late bloomer.
His written exam scores were terrible.
The only reason he graduated at all was because of his taijutsu talent.
In this timeline, Might Duy had never sacrificed himself against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Without that legendary event, the village still underestimated taijutsu specialists.
Many shinobi simply viewed Guy as a strange kid who couldn't use ninjutsu properly.
Hayashi understood his true potential though.
That was why he specifically requested Guy for his squad.
To some extent, Guy was also half a disciple to him.
Their relationship resembled the bond between Hayashi and Tsunade.
Because of that, Hayashi intended to let him sign the Ryuchi Cave contract as well.
Guy's chakra reserves weren't especially large, but they were enough for basic summoning techniques.
In the future, even if he couldn't summon massive snakes, smaller summons from Ryuchi Cave could still serve reconnaissance purposes and greatly improve survival rates.
Right now, however, Guy was still weak.
The reason was simple.
He couldn't open the Eight Gates yet.
Which meant his true growth had barely begun.
Fortunately, he was also the student Hayashi worried about the least.
Then there was Asuma.
The biggest headache in the squad.
Asuma was the Third Hokage's son.
That single fact complicated everything.
This was the Hokage personally assigning his own child into your team.
Refusing wasn't an option.
Whether Asuma genuinely wanted to grow stronger or was merely polishing his reputation, Hayashi still had to guide him properly.
And most importantly...
Nothing serious could happen to him.
Minor injuries were acceptable.
The Third Hokage might even praise realistic field training.
But death?
Absolutely impossible.
If Asuma died under his command, Hayashi's political future inside Konoha would collapse instantly.
For troublesome students like this, the safest option was to treat them even more carefully than your own disciple.
Honestly, Hayashi would have preferred a decorative teammate who contributed nothing except occasional romantic drama.
At least that would have been less stressful.
Still, he had already put considerable thought into improving Asuma's combat abilities.
The Ryuchi Cave contract was out of the question.
That kind of inheritance couldn't become common property.
Besides, Enma, the Monkey King summoned by the Third Hokage, likely wouldn't acknowledge Asuma anyway.
The summon barely respected Sarutobi Shinnosuke.
There was no reason for it to suddenly favor Asuma.
Fortunately, Hayashi had already located a suitable summoning beast for him.
All that remained was completing the proper mission to secure the contract.
Overall, Team One's configuration was actually balanced.
All three members specialized in close combat.
Asuma possessed Fire Release and Wind Release for ranged support.
Might Guy excelled in direct taijutsu engagements.
Kakashi served as both the strategist and the decisive finisher.
Honestly, if Guy possessed larger chakra reserves, this team could already rival the younger generation of the Sannin.
Hayashi quietly continued reading through the files while intentionally ignoring Asuma and Guy.
Part of being a shinobi was learning patience.
Kakashi, at least, had improved considerably in that regard.
Despite already losing the equivalent of an entire C-rank mission payment, he continued sitting at the shogi board with terrifying persistence.
His mental resilience was becoming suspiciously similar to Tsunade's.
Hayashi suddenly realized something horrifying.
What if Kakashi eventually became a combination of Jiraiya and Tsunade?
A gambling addict who also read inappropriate novels.
That possibility alone sounded dangerous.
As expected, Kakashi eventually lost ten straight games and exhausted every bit of savings he had accumulated over the past two months.
His expression became pale.
His fingers twitched slightly as he stood up from the table.
Not because he wanted to stop.
Because he literally had no money left.
Hayashi looked at him with amusement.
"Still interested in playing?"
Kakashi immediately shook his head.
"Absolutely not."
Hayashi nodded approvingly.
"Good. Remember this lesson. If an older woman ever invites you to a casino in the future, attack immediately and run. Don't waste time listening to her."
Kakashi froze.
For some reason, he felt like his teacher was setting him up for disaster later in life.
After a brief hesitation, he still nodded obediently.
"I understand."
Hayashi then turned toward the other two.
"Might Guy, what's inside that bag?"
Guy immediately revealed his signature sparkling smile.
"Gifts! I prepared presents for my teammates and Hayashi-sensei!"
Hayashi raised an eyebrow.
This kid really understood human relationships.
Promising.
"Let's see them."
Guy eagerly unzipped the backpack.
Then he proudly revealed three identical green bodysuits.
"They're specially made training suits! Extremely breathable and perfect for youth!"
Silence filled the plaza.
Even if the material was priceless silk, it was still an aggressively green bodysuit.
Hayashi suddenly felt a headache forming.
He slowly turned toward Kakashi and Asuma.
"Your teammate prepared gifts for you. Why are you both standing there?"
The two boys looked horrified.
But under Hayashi's stare, they reluctantly accepted the outfits anyway.
Hayashi himself immediately sealed his own suit into a storage scroll the moment he received it.
"Might Guy, Asuma."
His expression suddenly became serious.
"Welcome to Team One."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
"However, before officially becoming genin under me, you still need to pass one final test."
"If you fail, you'll return to the academy for another year."
"Believe me, I have the authority to make that happen."
Asuma and Guy both stiffened immediately.
A test administered by Hayashi definitely wouldn't be easy.
"What kind of test?" Asuma asked cautiously.
Hayashi smiled faintly.
"You have two choices."
"First option, the two of you work together and attempt to defeat me. I will not hold back."
"If you fail, back to the academy."
Might Guy immediately looked terrified.
Asuma nearly choked.
Fight Hayashi?
That wasn't a test.
That was attempted suicide.
Hayashi continued casually.
"Second option, wear those green bodysuits and run two full laps around Konoha."
"You must pass through the commercial district."
Might Guy's eyes lit up instantly.
"So simple?!"
He immediately chose the second option.
Asuma looked like his soul had left his body.
"How is that simple?!"
Hayashi folded his arms.
"Choose."
Asuma's face twitched violently.
After glaring at Guy for several seconds, he finally gritted his teeth.
"I'll take the second option."
No matter what happened, he absolutely could not afford to be sent back to the academy.
Especially not if Kurenai heard about it.
Hayashi smiled like a fox who had successfully trapped his prey.
"Excellent."
"The first lesson I'll teach you is this."
"A shinobi needs thick skin. Caring too much about other people's opinions will only hold you back."
"Now go change."
"Yes, Hayashi-sensei..."
Asuma answered weakly before dragging himself away like a condemned prisoner.
Watching him leave, Hayashi turned toward Kakashi.
Kakashi immediately spoke.
"Sensei, don't worry. I'll supervise them."
Hayashi sighed.
"Kakashi, I've told you this before."
"You can have many acquaintances, but true companions are rare."
"If you ever meet people worth trusting, you should genuinely stand beside them."
Kakashi blinked.
Then Hayashi pointed directly at the green bodysuit.
"Your teammates are about to humiliate themselves publicly. Why are you standing here acting innocent?"
"Go change clothes too."
"...Yes."
A few minutes later, the three boys stood together in matching green training suits.
Hayashi looked at them silently.
Then he smiled.
"Ah... youth."
Naturally, he had absolutely no intention of wearing one himself.
Tricking other people was fun.
Actually believing the nonsense yourself was another matter entirely.
Looking at the trio running awkwardly toward the commercial district, Hayashi leaned comfortably against the stone bench.
"This generation really is too young."