Jonin Instructor

In truth, a jonin instructor is not necessarily a teacher.

The position of jonin instructor is merely a job title, indicating that an individual has the capability to lead a squad of newly graduated genin on missions.

There is no mandatory obligation for a jonin instructor to teach the genin, though this often depends on the specific circumstances.

Most jonin instructors develop a bond with their genin over the course of their missions, leading them to pass on their own skills, which in turn facilitates the execution of those missions.

However, it is not common for a jonin to treat their genin as students right from the start.

There was a reason Nara Shikaku had called the three people before him his students from the very beginning.

The reason lay in the fact that the backgrounds of these three individuals were truly extraordinary.

Uchiha Toru was the most dazzling genius in Konoha and the hope of the Uchiha clan, so he naturally required Nara Shikaku to treat him with seriousness.

Yuhi Kurenai was the only daughter of Yuhi Shinku. Yuhi Shinku was a senior jonin to Nara Shikaku and an instructor for the genin of Konoha; as a young jonin, Nara Shikaku had served as a subordinate under Yuhi Shinku for a time, so he naturally had to show some special care for his senior's daughter.

Sarutobi Asuma was an even heavier hitter. His father was the current Hokage, a professor of the ninja world, and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, known as the "strongest Hokage in history."

Nara Shikaku sighed inwardly, What a drag; none of these three are easy to deal with.

However, as a jonin, Nara Shikaku naturally would not let his inner thoughts show so easily.

Thus, Nara Shikaku added, "Self-introductions should include your likes and specialties so we can mesh better."

Uchiha Toru spoke up first, "My name is Uchiha Toru. I like eating grilled meat and white sugar. Combat, hunting, and the shamisen are the three great joys of my life. I have many specialties; you could say I know a little bit of everything."

Toru had already given this same self-introduction when he transferred into the academy.

Next, Yuhi Kurenai spoke up, "My name is Yuhi Kurenai. As for food, I prefer seafood, especially octopus. I dislike cake; I feel like it's too cloying when I eat it. I specialize in genjutsu."

Finally, it was Asuma's turn. Asuma said, "Surname Sarutobi, given name Asuma. What do I like... I don't want to say. I specialize in Wind Release and Fire Release."

Shikaku glanced at Asuma. It was clear that Asuma's mood was not high, and the relationship between the three was not difficult to read: Toru and Kurenai were clearly very close, while Asuma seemed somewhat awkward standing to the side.

However, Shikaku did not pay attention to these details. He believed that after a period of working together, the three before him would at least be much more harmonious, even if they didn't necessarily become the best of friends.

After all, human relationships aren't just about romantic feelings, and some emotions are usually hidden once people reach maturity.

Shikaku was currently focused on analyzing the personality traits of the three based on the snippets from their self-introductions.

"Uchiha Toru has a maturity and composure beyond his years, but deep down, there is a sense of arrogance and madness. He is truly not a simple boy."

"Yuhi Kurenai appears to be a good girl on the surface, but her heart is definitely not as simple as she looks."

"Sarutobi Asuma, the young master of the Hokage's house, has developed an unruly personality, but fortunately, he is a good kid at heart. He should be able to be corrected in the future."

The Nara clan was known for producing high-IQ ninja, and Nara Shikaku was a standout among them; his ability to read people was accurate to the point of being frightening.

"Then, it's my turn to introduce myself."

"My name is Nara Shikaku. I like smoking and drinking. As for food, I like whatever my wife makes—and I wouldn't dare not like it. My hobby is playing shogi, and I specialize in the Nara Clan Secret Technique."

The corners of Toru's mouth curled up slightly, and he thought, Even a jonin is afraid of his wife? But the secret technique is indeed interesting. A technique that can be passed down through a clan for generations can't be weak.

He was clearly interested in the Nara Clan Secret Technique Shikaku mentioned; after all, it wasn't as if he hadn't copied secret techniques before.

Back then, he had relied on his Six Eyes to copy the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist. He just hadn't dared to use it fully for fear of being discovered, but he had been able to integrate it into his own taijutsu, which had been of great benefit to increasing his strength.

Nara Shikaku clearly did not know that the boy before him was already harboring devious thoughts about his secret technique. He spoke slowly, "According to tradition, I must assess you. The method of assessment is a practical exercise, but it is already late, so we shall do battle another day."

After the group agreed on the time and location for the next day, they each went home.

The next day, Toru first arrived at Kurenai's house, then headed to the agreed-upon location with her.

Asuma arrived alone, slightly later than the two of them, but still before the appointed time.

Nara Shikaku arrived exactly on time, saying, "You are quite punctual. I like that."

It was morning, and the training ground was empty, which was perfect for a practical exercise.

Nara Shikaku got straight to the point and began to explain the rules for this practical exercise.

"Your mission this time is an escort-type mission."

As he spoke, Nara Shikaku pulled a small straw doll from his pocket. It was crudely made, seemingly tied together in a few minutes.

Nara Shikaku explained the background of the mission with a straight face: "This is your client, Sakamoto Ichiro. He is a famous wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire. This time, he must travel alone to the Land of Lightning to attend a meeting. Due to having many enemies, he came to our Konoha to issue an escort request. You three are the ones who have accepted the mission."

Toru listened carefully to the background Nara Shikaku was crafting, his expression earnest.

Kurenai initially felt that Nara Shikaku's attitude was a bit too serious, finding it somewhat amusing, but seeing how serious Toru was, she straightened her own attitude toward the exercise.

Asuma, however, felt that it was just an exercise and there was no need to set up the background in such detail.

Shikaku handed the straw doll in his hand to Toru as he spoke, then continued: "Uchiha Toru, the captain of this three-man squad, is currently responsible for the close protection of the client."

"You have already arrived within the borders of the Land of Lightning, only a few hundred meters away from the city where the mission is to be settled." Shikaku pointed to a forest in the middle of the training ground and said, "Cross that forest, and you will see a river. Once you cross the river, you will have reached your destination."

"It should be noted that the Land of Lightning is full of canyons and mountains. On both sides of the forest before you are mountains that reach into the clouds. Because the client is afraid of heights, you cannot take the client around the sides of the forest."

"Current intelligence indicates that there may be enemies in the forest, so you must be extremely careful when passing through."

"The client is currently feeling exhausted and requests a 15-minute rest. After 15 minutes, you must immediately set off to escort the client. Once you reach the destination, the mission is a success."

After finishing, Shikaku ducked into the forest and disappeared from sight, leaving the three of them to wait in silence.