The Life of a Genin Begins

Asuma's expression turned serious upon hearing this, and he nodded.

"These brats are truly strong. Both in terms of strategy and strength, they are the most outstanding students I've ever seen. Not only that, but I feel they haven't used their full power against me and Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded secretly, unable to help but think to himself:

Full power? The others might be manageable, but if that guy Lu Yu were to go all out, I don't think you guys would get to see me again.

The Third Hokage exhaled a puff of smoke and said with a smile:

"They indeed haven't used their full power... Naruto and Sasuke's strength goes far beyond this. What's more troublesome is that our main objective this time was to understand the strength of Ino-Shika-Cho, but it seems they haven't even made a move."

Hearing the Third Hokage's words, Asuma was taken aback and looked at him in confusion:

"Lord Hokage, do you know these youngsters well?"

"Hmm, I suppose so. Over the years, when I had time, I would go see them. After all, Naruto and Sasuke are alone now, and as Hokage, I should offer them the care of family."

The Third Hokage's eyes grew a little distant. He recalled fishing with Lu Yu occasionally over the years, competing for grilled fish, and a faint smile curved his lips as he sighed:

"Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, these kids have grown up. By the way, Kakashi, you..."

Kakashi took a deep breath as he met the Third Hokage's gaze, his voice slightly hoarse as he said:

"If I told you I was defeated by Lu Yu's aura, would you believe me?"

"What? Aura?"

Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai were simultaneously startled, looking at Kakashi with bewildered expressions.

How is this possible!!!

After all, Kakashi was a Jonin, battle-hardened, even known as the Copy Ninja Kakashi. Even if the two of them teamed up, they might not be able to defeat Kakashi...

The two could never have imagined that Kakashi would lose so easily to a newly graduated student.

Moreover, if Kakashi's words were anything to go by, Lu Yu hadn't even made a move, winning solely on aura?

Facing the shocked expressions of the three, the Third Hokage chuckled calmly, seemingly unsurprised by the outcome:

"Heh, I believe you. That Lu Yu is a mystery in himself. I've never seen him train hard, yet he's always been the top student. And that guy, even when he sees me, he acts like I'm just some old geezer."

The Third Hokage nodded at Kakashi, signaling him not to overthink it, and turned his gaze to Yūhi Kurenai beside him:

"Kurenai, how do you feel about your team?"

Yūhi Kurenai immediately replied with seriousness:

"Kiba and Shino are doing alright. Hinata's strength far exceeded my expectations. This Hyuga Clan's Eldest Princess seems much stronger than the rumors suggest."

The Third Hokage nodded and looked at the three sternly:

"To put it bluntly, the three teams you lead, along with Might Guy's team, are the future hope of Konoha. Therefore, the three of you must put in more effort. Oh, and Asuma, you can give that Lu Yu kid some preferential treatment."

"Alright, go back and think carefully, and strive to improve your teams' strength as soon as possible. The Chunin Exams aren't far off."

The three nodded and bid farewell to the Third Hokage.

As soon as they stepped out of the office, Asuma looked at Kakashi with some envy:

"Speaking of which, this practical exercise largely depended on your team's Sasuke and Naruto. Their strength is truly undeniable. I envy you, Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled, patted Asuma's shoulder, and said meaningfully:

"Asuma, some things aren't as simple as they appear..."

With that, Kakashi and Yūhi Kurenai quickly departed.

Asuma, meanwhile, took out a cigarette and lit it, silently beginning to plan for Team 10's future...

On the other side, the Third Hokage watched the three leave, his face filled with a smile.

"It seems a new era is dawning. Naruto and Sasuke have basically grown up. If only that Lu Yu kid wasn't so lazy. If he could just grow up a bit and directly take over as Hokage, I could retire with peace of mind."

"As these youngsters grow, what will the future hold? It's truly something to look forward to..."

The next day, Team 10 gathered at the appointed location.

Lu Yu and Shikamaru habitually leaned against wooden posts, dozing off, while Choji was busy eating snacks. Only Ino curiously looked around.

Ten minutes later, Asuma, with a cigarette butt in his mouth, arrived on time.

Sensing Asuma's arrival, the four of them finally perked up a little.

After all, it was their first day as Genin, and as far as they knew, they could start accepting missions and receiving rewards from today.

This meant their future expenses could be covered by their own abilities, rather than pitifully asking their parents for money.

Asuma looked at the four of them expectantly and smiled kindly:

"Alright, I know what you're thinking. Let's go, I'll take you to get some missions."

There was no lecture as they expected, and Asuma's directness once again earned the four's favor. Even Ino couldn't help but praise:

"Teacher Asuma really understands us."

"Haha, is that so? I just don't like nagging."

Along the way, Asuma explained the mission ranks, rewards, and distribution system to the four of them in detail.

After Asuma's detailed explanation, the four of them basically understood these things.

Soon, Team 10 arrived at the mission assignment area. Asuma looked at the four of them and said:

"This is the place where you specifically pick up missions. In the future, if you want to take on missions yourself, you can come here to pick them up."

"However, since you have just become genin, you can only pick up D-rank missions for now."

"Alright, since it's your first mission today, let's pick a simpler one first."

Asuma led the three of them inside and nodded to the Third Hokage:

"Third Hokage, Team 10 is here to pick up a mission."

"Mmm..."

The Third Hokage took a heavy puff from his pipe, slowly exhaled a smoke ring, and then said unhurriedly:

"Asuma's Team 10? Since it's your first mission, how about helping with weeding or cleaning river channels..."