"Where's your forehead protector?"
Asuma stood at the entrance to the Senju Clan Grounds. He glanced at the flag above the gate before looking back at Chiba's bare forehead.
"At the shrine."
"Are you going to leave it guarding the First's statue when you go on missions too?"
"Do I have to wear it on missions?"
"You need to verify your identity to enter the Intelligence Division. If you show them your student ID, they'll send you back to school."
Chiba went back to the shrine, took his forehead protector, and tied it around the outside of his right arm. The metal plate happened to cover an old tear in his sleeve.
Asuma looked up at the clan flag.
"It's hung pretty high. They can see it from the Hokage Tower too."
"That's exactly who I want to see it."
"Root can see it too."
"They know the way here."
"Looks like I don't need to teach you how to hide for your first lesson. I need to teach you when not to stand out too much."
"You told me not to wear student clothes last night."
"That was just so you wouldn't still call me teacher when we got there."
As the two left the clan grounds, Bai Ye crouched atop the gatehouse, holding a freshly sharpened bone sword.
"Smokehead, if the flag falls, whose fault is it?"
"If it falls without wind, it means you lot didn't fix it properly. If someone knocks it down, it's the one who did it."
"You're not helping?"
"I need to bring your clan head back first."
Bai Ye tapped the flagpole with his bone sword.
"If he comes back missing an arm, don't bother coming back either."
Only after walking several steps did Asuma turn his head slightly.
"That rat's temper