Asuma halted, briefly wondering if he had misheard.
It was not praise like "I'm proud of you" or "well done," but it was still an evaluation Asuma had never received before.
The first time he took first place in practical combat at the Ninja Academy, he had rushed home excitedly to tell Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Yet Hiruzen Sarutobi had shown little reaction. He had merely given a flat "Mm," as though something utterly insignificant had happened.
At first, Asuma had hoped to hear the words "I'm proud of you" from Hiruzen Sarutobi. Back then, he had greatly admired his Hokage father. He was the Hokage—the Hokage everyone yearned for and respected.
No matter what achievements Asuma earned at the Ninja Academy, he could never gain Hiruzen Sarutobi's approval. His expectations gradually fell. At first, he had hoped for Hiruzen Sarutobi's praise, but later on, he would have been satisfied even if Hiruzen Sarutobi merely nodded at him.
But there had been nothing. Hiruzen Sarutobi had never nodded even once at his accomplishments. In Asuma's memories, Hiruzen Sarutobi only lectured him, telling him to learn from his steady older brother and to measure himself against Orochimaru during his Ninja Academy days.
"As if you needed to tell me. Mu Yue-sensei taught me this," Asuma said with a curl of his lip.
Although Asuma still did not look kindly on Hiruzen Sarutobi, the atmosphere had clearly eased considerably.
"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me. I have quite a bit of experience with Combination Ninjutsu," Hiruzen Sarutobi said, exhaling a cloud of white smoke.
"Can you even teach it properly?" Asuma was deeply skeptical.
He did not doubt Hiruzen Sarutobi's understanding of Combination Ninjutsu or his own strength. After all, being Hokage carried real weight. But whether he could teach