As a Genin with extensive experience handling D-rank missions, Kakashi naturally ended up taking on the role of teaching the younger members of the team in Hayashi's place.
It was practically a tradition within the Sannin lineage.
Back then, Orochimaru barely paid attention to Team One. Most of the time, Hayashi was the one leading Mikoto and Nawaki across battlefields and dangerous missions.
Later, when Jiraiya encountered the three of them, he shamelessly tossed Minato into Hayashi's squad as well.
Tsunade had done similar things. She practically let Kushina fend for herself.
By this point, Hayashi already had years of experience taking care of younger shinobi.
Now that it was Guy and Asuma's turn, there was no way he was personally going to escort the two of them through endless D-rank chores. He handed everything over to Kakashi.
Poor Kakashi had already graduated early and spent enough time doing tedious missions alone. Now he had to babysit two rookies while continuing the same exhausting routine.
Even he started questioning life.
Still, missions were missions. Hayashi never neglected their actual training.
After the war, Konoha planned to host the upcoming Chunin Exams during winter. The event would gather shinobi from multiple nations, making it one of the largest examinations in recent years.
Time was running short.
The Land of Wind, Land of Water, and Land of Earth had already confirmed participation. Several smaller nations would attend as well.
As for Kumogakure, the situation remained uncertain.
Technically, the Hidden Cloud Village was still in conflict with both Konoha and Iwagakure. The Fourth Raikage neither declared full war nor pursued peace negotiations, leaving the entire situation unresolved.
Still, based on the intelligence Hayashi gathered, there was a high chance Kumogakure would sign a peace treaty with Konoha before the Chunin Exams began.
To make sure Guy and Asuma could successfully become Chunin, Hayashi spent most of his time figuring out how to strengthen the two of them.
After all, as a genius, he could not allow the members under him to become dead weight.
Guy, however, never required anyone to worry about him.
Even when his body trembled from exhaustion and sweat soaked his clothes, he still gritted his teeth and completed every part of his training.
Since Guy specialized almost entirely in taijutsu fundamentals, Hayashi focused on broadening his combat style.
He gradually taught Guy several advanced taijutsu techniques, helping him understand their core principles rather than forcing him to rigidly memorize every movement.
Naturally, Hayashi did not favor one student over another.
The Fire Release and Wind Release ninjutsu he taught Asuma were all highly practical techniques within their respective ranks.
He even personally taught Asuma a Wind Release technique he had developed himself.
Although Asuma lacked Guy's terrifying endurance, he still trained seriously.
Kakashi was already far ahead of them, while Guy trained like a man possessed. Under that pressure, Asuma quietly became competitive as well, afraid of being left behind.
On top of that, Hayashi had promised to help him find a powerful summoning contract in the future, making the boy even more motivated.
Even so, both of them improved slightly slower compared to Kakashi.
Kakashi's mastery of the Hatake Sword Style had already become extremely refined, faintly resembling Sakumo's combat style.
He had also fully grasped both Lightning Release and Earth Release nature transformation.
Sometimes, while Hayashi explained Wind Release principles to Asuma, Kakashi would quietly listen nearby and occasionally offer surprisingly sharp insights of his own.
By September, Team One had finally escaped the endless nightmare of D-rank missions.
To reward the three of them, Hayashi decided to take them outside the village for higher-ranked assignments. At the same time, he intended to expose them to real combat experience.
Hayashi firmly believed that true teamwork could only be forged during actual missions.
Before leaving, however, he first needed to visit the Fire Daimyo's residence.
The Fire Daimyo had exhausted himself from years of overwork and sleepless nights, eventually damaging his health beyond recovery.
As a result, he decided to abdicate and pass the title to his son, Mitsuhide.
The once honest and straightforward young man who often spoke about preserving the Daimyo family's legacy was finally about to become the new Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
Hayashi attended the succession ceremony not as a Konoha shinobi or the head of the Uchiha Clan, but simply as Mitsuhide's friend.
After spending several years serving as a Guardian Ninja, the two had developed a strong relationship.
Of course, Mitsuhide also understood the importance of building political connections.
As the Daimyo, he could not directly interfere with Konoha's affairs, but maintaining good relationships with influential shinobi was never a bad thing.
Since Hayashi had once served as a Guardian Ninja under the Third Hokage's arrangement, their friendship did not violate any political boundaries.
What surprised Hayashi the most was unexpectedly running into Danzo at the Daimyo's residence.
Ever since the war ended, Danzo had practically buried himself inside Root.
Hayashi knew exactly what he had been busy with.
Danzo had been monitoring Orochimaru and Yi while they conducted various experiments.
Yi's abilities far exceeded Orochimaru's expectations, and with his assistance, the research had already begun producing results.
Under normal circumstances, Danzo rarely left Root at all.
That was why seeing him appear at the succession ceremony caught Hayashi off guard.
The two did not exchange many words.
For now, both sides maintained an unspoken balance of mutual noninterference.
Aside from that, Hayashi also went to visit Princess Tamako.
Tamako was four years younger than him. The mischievous little girl who once helped Oichi escape an arranged marriage was already sixteen years old.
Naturally, she still had not reached the age for marriage herself.
Within the Daimyo's residence, Kakashi also appeared surprisingly familiar with the surroundings. Since Oichi came from the Oda Clan, Kakashi had spent considerable time there as well.
Guy and Asuma, however, looked completely overwhelmed.
It was their first time leaving the village and visiting such a prosperous place. Asuma especially looked dazzled by everything around him.
Still, there was one thing that disappointed him during the trip.
Rumors claimed that Hayashi and Princess Tamako shared a special relationship, possibly even an engagement.
Yet after meeting, the two merely drank together and casually talked about recent events without showing even the slightest romantic atmosphere.
Even after they left, Asuma continued complaining about how anticlimactic it all felt.
"How about joining the Guardian Ninja after you grow up?" Hayashi casually asked.
"Sounds great," Asuma answered immediately.
In his eyes, the Daimyo's residence was prosperous, luxurious, and most importantly, far away from the Third Hokage's supervision. Life there seemed completely carefree.
"Then what about Kurenai?" Hayashi asked.
"You expect her to stay in the village waiting for you all those years alone?"
Asuma instantly froze.
Hayashi secretly shook his head.
As expected, this brat really did have the makings of a hopeless flirt.
Making a girl wait for years while wandering around outside, what kind of nonsense was that?
In the original timeline, if the Twelve Guardian Ninja had not collapsed due to internal conflict and political struggles, Asuma probably would not have returned to Konoha at all.
The man clearly had the heart of a wanderer.
Especially once he grew that beard.
While Asuma remained conflicted, Team One successfully completed their first B-rank mission.
Afterward, instead of returning directly to Konoha, the group immediately headed toward the Land of Honey.