Yamata Jumoku looked surprised. "Even Asuma-sensei doesn't know him? Then… is our teacher a nobody?"
Jumoku sounded disappointed. He had thought Kimoto Doichi was extremely strong and must be a well-known ninja.
Seeing his reaction, Asuma Sarutobi quickly reassured him. "That shouldn't be the case. All instructors assigned to new graduates are jōnin. Your teacher should be one too. I just don't know every single shinobi in the village."
Hearing this, Jumoku relaxed a bit. Even though he'd been terrified during the earlier test, he still felt relieved that their teacher was strong. In his mind, a powerful teacher meant a better chance to become strong himself.
At that moment, Shikamaru Nara asked, "You said your instructor's test nearly killed you. What happened?"
He couldn't imagine a test being that brutal.
Asuma also looked at Jumoku. He didn't agree with using excessive force on students. Even Kakashi Hatake wouldn't push students into real danger. In the village, overly cruel training was strictly forbidden.
Jumoku glanced at Orion. "It wasn't exactly a normal test. Our teacher seemed to use some kind of mental technique. It almost broke us mentally. If it weren't for Orion, Tako and I might've actually died."
By now, Jumoku had figured out that most of the pressure had been focused on Orion. Otherwise, Doichi wouldn't have looked at him the way he did.
Orion was quietly chewing a piece of grilled meat when he noticed Asuma, Shikamaru, and Ino Yamanaka all staring at him.
He blinked. "What?"
He hadn't been listening to the conversation. To him, the food on the table was far more interesting.
Orion had lived in this world for twelve years without making many friends. Most of his time was spent either training or eating good food. Their sudden attention genuinely puzzled him.
Asuma was even more confused. He had read Orion's academy records before. Nothing stood out. So why did Jumoku speak of him as if he were exceptional?
Asuma asked, "What exactly did you feel during the test?"
Jumoku thought for a moment. "It felt like standing in a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Countless ninja rushed toward me. It felt like I was stabbed to death dozens of times. I couldn't break free."
Hearing that, Motoya Tako shivered. The memory of Doichi's pressure still haunted her.
Based on the description, Asuma could guess the kind of technique used—and who Doichi likely was.
"So that's why I didn't recognize his name… He must be from the Anbu."
"Anbu?"
Everyone except Orion looked at him in confusion.
Asuma took a drag from his cigarette. "The Anbu are a special division in the village. They operate in the shadows to protect Konohagakure. The unit is made up of highly skilled shinobi."
This was the first time most of them had heard of the organization. Even those from noble families didn't usually know much about it.
Shikamaru looked at Orion thoughtfully. If Doichi truly came from Anbu, then the pressure he unleashed would have been immense. For Orion to withstand it… that was no small feat.
Asuma felt the same. An Anbu jōnin's mental pressure was no joke. And yet Orion had endured it and now sat there casually eating barbecue.
That alone showed something unusual about him.
Jumoku, however, focused on something else entirely.
"So our teacher really is amazing. No wonder he was so scary!"
To him, a strong teacher meant stronger guidance.
Shikamaru glanced at Asuma. Asuma shook his head slightly. That subtle gesture stopped Shikamaru from pressing further about the test.
Although he didn't say anything more, Asuma kept this matter in mind. He planned to talk with Kakashi later.
A fresh academy graduate enduring an Anbu jōnin's mental pressure… it was extremely unusual. Orion's performance in school had been average, so how could he have such mental strength?
Was it just strong willpower? Or something more?
It needed investigation.
Orion, however, didn't notice Asuma's thoughts. Even if he had, he wouldn't have cared. He hadn't shown anything too shocking—just a bit more mental resilience than average.
After finishing their meal, Orion, Jumoku, Tako, and the members of the Ino–Shika–Chō trio had become more familiar with one another.
On the way home, Jumoku said, "Orion, Tako's house isn't on my way home. You should walk her back."
Before Orion could refuse, Jumoku had already run off.
Orion froze. Tako's cheeks turned pink.
"What's with him?" Orion muttered.
He assumed Jumoku had something urgent to do.
Tako kept her head down, her toes tapping the ground nervously.
Orion glanced at her and smiled. "I'll walk you home."
After all, it was nighttime. Even though Tako had graduated and was now a shinobi, she was still a girl—and one from a wealthy family. Who knew what kind of trouble might be waiting out there?
Tako nodded shyly.
Ever since seeing Orion withstand Doichi's pressure without flinching, she'd started to feel drawn to him. Combined with his appearance, it was easy to develop a crush at that age.
But Orion didn't see her that way. In his mind, she was still a kid. Even if he thought she was pretty, he admired her the way one might a cute little sister.
They walked together under the bright lights of the village streets. To passersby, they looked like a perfectly matched pair.
More than a few people turned to look at them. Their looks attracted attention easily. Some even assumed they were a young couple.
In this world, children tended to mature early. It wasn't unusual to see young people already experiencing romance.
And with Tako's shy expression and flushed cheeks, misunderstandings were unavoidable.