"Teacher, you always treat us to ramen. When are you going to treat us to a proper barbecue?"
Asuma could not help complaining.
Ichiraku was delicious, but even the best food got old when you ate it every meal.
Kyoichi glanced at him and said, "Barbecue? No problem. I'll treat you. You pay."
"Huh?"
Asuma was stunned.
Could that even be called treating someone?
Could you really do that?
"I only just became a Jonin, and these past two months I've either been in the hospital or teaching classes. How much could I possibly earn? If I treated you to a barbecue, I'd have to live on air for the rest of the month."
Kyoichi said this grumpily.
Although he had the System Panel, poverty was unavoidable.
He had considered starting a business, but he had been far too busy lately and simply had no time for that sort of thing. He had tried to scam some research funding, but all he got was a bookstore license...
It was hard!
The three children could not relate to discussions about making a living or money. Shisui especially had grown up in the Uchiha clan and was only five years old. He had no idea what pressure from daily life meant.
In reality, he was pondering the previous battle.
Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Sword Technique, Genjutsu!
He was practically well-rounded!
What attracted him most was still the move the teacher had used to restrain him.
Imprintless Genjutsu.
More precisely—
Imprintless Sword Genjutsu!
How had he done that?
"Teacher, I have another question. How much of your strength did you actually use this time?"
Asuma was curious.
Kyoichi was far too powerful!
He had practically defeated each of them with a single move, leaving them no chance to resist.
How much strength was that?
Kyoichi himself could not say for sure. After thinking it over and weighing it carefully, he said, "Thirty percent? Maybe less. Any technique, when combined and used flexibly, will be more effective than rigidly performing one move after another."
"He's a Jonin. If he needed to use his full strength against us, wouldn't that be the end of us?"
Kurenai Yuhi found it perfectly reasonable.
Jonin were the village's strongest combat force aside from the Kage. Although Kanda Kyoichi had only just been promoted, his strength was right there for all to see. Beating the three of them was easy—more than easy.
Kyoichi had not been boasting, either.
He had not fully unleashed his Taijutsu or Body Flicker Technique. He had not used the Seven Heavenly Breathing Methods, Eight Gates, or Earth Spear, and he had not actively activated the properties of the Thunder God Sword.
If he used them, the three of them, with their current strength, would not last even a second.
At this moment, Shisui asked, "Teacher, that last technique of yours... was it Phantom Sword Style?"
"It's a theoretical Sword Technique created by the Second Lord. It isn't complete yet. The effect I'm aiming for is to plunge the opponent into an illusion the instant I draw my sword, then kill them in one strike with Iaido."
"If you can really combine them, that would be terrifying!"
Iaido.
Asuma had an impression of it.
He had "died" to that sword.
If it could be combined with Genjutsu to create an illusion the instant the sword was drawn, even making someone lose focus for only a moment would be enough to kill them. Kyoichi was simply too fast—
When Asuma saw the sword being drawn, he had not even reacted before Kyoichi was already in front of him.
Moreover.
That had definitely not been Kyoichi's fastest speed.
The teacher had not used his full strength. If he went all out, that strike would inevitably be even more terrifying.
"Ninjutsu is rigid. Only by combining and using it flexibly can you develop your own style. That ambush of yours was coordinated quite well. If you had been dealing with a Chunin, you might already have killed them."
Kyoichi did not simply tear them down.
The three of them were still very strong. With Genjutsu control, Great Breakthrough combined with Great Fireball, and their coordinated Ninjutsu, even an Elite Chunin might not be able to withstand them.
While acknowledging them, Kyoichi glanced at the System Panel.
[Completed the 'Teamwork' lesson.] [Evaluation: Excellent!] [Reward: Wind Style: Vacuum Blade]
Wind Style?
Kyoichi had not expected that.
This was currently his only Wind Style Ninjutsu.
It was not that he lacked Ninjutsu scrolls. He simply had too much to do: his clone practiced Sword Technique, his main body trained, and he taught his students. To practice Wind Style Ninjutsu, he would need to create at least one more clone.
But—
That would reduce their quality and duration, and it would be exhausting. His main body might not be able to deal with unexpected incidents.
Receiving a Wind Style Ninjutsu was not bad. It saved him the research process for nature transformation, and this was a B-rank Ninjutsu at that.
The ramen arrived.
As he ate, Kyoichi said, "My Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Sword Technique are all decent. My Medical Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are average. Kurenai, Shisui, you'll have to rely on yourselves for Genjutsu. I can't use Fire Style. In other areas, the three of you can each choose one discipline to specialize in."
"Specialize in?"
The three of them were slightly surprised, but quickly understood what he meant.
It was not difficult to understand.
Specialization meant their main direction of development.
"You don't need to answer right away. Go back and think about it. Eat first."
"..."
The three of them silently picked up their chopsticks. Their minds were filled with the matter, so how could they have any appetite?
Kyoichi smiled until his eyes narrowed.
They were children, after all.
When it came to major decisions, indecisiveness was inevitable!
At this moment.
He frowned slightly.
Had the Shadow Clone dispersed?
Kyoichi soon understood what had happened—
Minato Namikaze had invited him to supervise an assessment.
Wasn't Team 7's tradition just snatching bells? It was such a simple exercise. Why had they asked him to supervise?
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Kurenai Yuhi was extremely observant.
She quickly noticed that Kyoichi had become distracted.
"Team 7 invited me to supervise and observe their assessment. Do you want to come along?"
He had not thought of it at first.
But when Kurenai asked, Kyoichi immediately realized—
Since you invited me, it shouldn't be too much to bring my three students along, right?
Using Kakashi and the others as negative examples would be absolutely perfect!
Shisui's eyes lit up. "Who's in Team 7?"
"Jonin Minato Namikaze. The others are Obito, Rin, and Kakashi."
Kyoichi only answered after finishing his noodles.
The three children instantly lost interest in eating. One by one, they excitedly said, "We're going!"
"All right. Hurry up and eat. We'll go take a look afterward."
Forest of Death.
The other members of Team 7 had already arrived. Minato Namikaze had yet to show up, but he was on a hilltop in another location where he could see Kakashi and the others.
"I'll go over later. Should I first say that I'm going to keep Kakashi?"
"Right. Just say that Kakashi is a Chunin and won't have to return to the Academy no matter what. Rin has talent as a medical ninja, so you can also speak ambiguously and let her pass."
"Okay, okay. Anything else?"
"After that, use the two available spots to make an issue of it, divide their team, and then add a few test questions after the fight."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm."
Minato Namikaze nodded repeatedly, his face filled with admiration and agreement.
The three children present were speechless.
Asuma and Kurenai in particular—
Shisui had figured it out earlier, while the two of them had only vaguely guessed.
After listening from beginning to end, they finally realized that it had all been a scheme.
Of course.
They did not doubt that if they failed, they might truly be sent back to the Ninja Academy.
Kyoichi was usually gentle, but when he became strict, he was not joking around.
"I'll go first, then. I'll leave a Shadow Clone here. Contact me if you have any suggestions."
After Minato finished speaking, he formed hand seals and left a clone behind.
Kurenai Yuhi looked troubled. After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke up. "Teacher, Kakashi's situation is special. Is it really all right to send him back to the Academy? Wouldn't that be a little too..."
"Kurenai, as a ninja, you have to take responsibility for this profession."
"Yes."
Before you continue