I, Konoha's Sage of Life

"Sensei, why is it always ramen when you treat us? When are you taking us out for some barbecue instead?"

Asuma couldn't help but complain.

Ichiraku Ramen was delicious, sure, but eating it every single time? That was a bit much.

Kyoichi glanced at him and replied, "Barbecue? No problem. I'll treat, and you can pay."

"Huh?"

Asuma froze in disbelief.

Does that even count as treating?

Is this even allowed?

"I just got promoted to jonin, and these past two months, I've been bouncing between the hospital and teaching. How much do you think I earn? If I treated you to barbecue, I'd be living off scraps for the rest of the month."

Kyoichi spoke with exasperation.

Even with the system's help, financial struggles were unavoidable.

He had considered starting a side business but had been too busy to put it into motion. When he tried applying for research funds, all he got was a bookstore license.

Life was hard!

The three students couldn't relate to the struggles of making a living—especially Shisui. Growing up in the Uchiha clan and being only five years old, he had no concept of financial pressure.

Instead, he was preoccupied with something else: the battle earlier.

Ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, genjutsu—his teacher was practically a master of all trades!

But what captivated him most was that final move his teacher used to subdue him.

A seamless genjutsu.

To be precise, a seamless genjutsu combined with swordsmanship!

How had he done it?

"Sensei, I have a question. How much of your strength did you use against us earlier?"

Asuma asked curiously.

Kyoichi was absurdly strong!

He had taken them all down with just one move each, leaving them no chance to fight back.

How much effort had he really used?

Kyoichi thought for a moment before responding, "About 30%? Maybe less. Any technique, when combined and used creatively, becomes much more effective than rigidly sticking to drills."

"If Sensei, a jonin, had to go all out to beat us, wouldn't that mean we're hopeless?" Kurenai chimed in. She found Kyoichi's dominance reasonable.

After all, jonin were the village's elite, second only to the Hokage. Even though Kyoichi was newly promoted, his strength was clear. Taking them down so easily was just par for the course.

Kyoichi hadn't even gone all out.

His taijutsu and Shunshin techniques weren't pushed to their limits, and he hadn't used the Seven Heavens Breathing Method, the Eight Gates, Earth Spear, or the Sword of the Thunder God's true abilities.

If he had unleashed his full power, they wouldn't have lasted a second.

"Sensei, that last technique you used… was it a genjutsu with swordsmanship?" Shisui asked.

"It's a theoretical sword style inspired by the Second Hokage's ideas. It's not complete yet, but my goal is to make it so that drawing the blade alone traps the opponent in an illusion. Combined with an iaido slash, it could kill instantly."

"That's terrifying if it works!"

Asuma couldn't help but recall his "death" at the hands of that very technique.

If genjutsu could be integrated into the draw, even just causing a brief moment of confusion, it would be enough to end a fight. Kyoichi's speed was simply too fast—

The moment you saw him draw, it was already over.

And even then, he wasn't moving at his fastest. If he unleashed his full speed, that slash would be beyond devastating.

"Ninjutsu is rigid. Only through combination and creative use can it form your own unique style. Your ambush earlier was well-coordinated. Against a chunin, it might have worked."

Kyoichi didn't just criticize; he also acknowledged their strengths.

Their teamwork—genjutsu to control, Great Breakthrough to disorient, followed by a Fireball—was solid. Against an elite chunin, it might have been a winning strategy.

As he praised them, Kyoichi glanced at his system panel.

[Teamwork Training Completed.]

[Rating: Excellent!]

[Reward: Wind Release: Vacuum Blade]

"Wind Release?"

Kyoichi was a bit surprised.

It was his first Wind Release technique, not because he lacked access to scrolls, but because he had been too busy. His shadow clones were tied up practicing kenjutsu, while his real body was occupied with physical training and teaching.

Adding Wind Release training would mean creating another shadow clone, but that would stretch him too thin, reducing quality and endurance.

Still, having a Wind Release technique handed to him wasn't bad. It skipped the entire nature transformation process, and as a B-rank jutsu, it wasn't trivial.

As the ramen arrived, Kyoichi said casually, "I'm decent at ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu, but my medical and genjutsu skills are average. Kurenai, Shisui, you'll have to focus on genjutsu yourselves. As for the rest, each of you can pick a specialization to master."

"Specialization?"

The trio exchanged surprised looks before quickly understanding.

It wasn't hard to grasp.

A specialization was simply the main focus of their training.

"No rush. Think about it and let me know. For now, just eat."

"Uh…" The three began eating in silence, their minds clearly elsewhere.

Kyoichi chuckled.

They were just kids, after all. Faced with important decisions, of course, they'd hesitate.

Suddenly, he frowned.

A shadow clone had just dispelled itself.

Soon, he understood why—

Minato had invited him to oversee an evaluation.

"Sensei, is something wrong?" Kurenai asked, her perceptive nature picking up on his mood.

"Minato invited me to observe the test for Team 7. Want to come along?"

Initially, Kyoichi hadn't considered it. But now that Kurenai had asked, a thought crossed his mind—if he was going, why not take his students along?

What better way to teach than to make Team 7 a perfect negative example?

Shisui's eyes lit up. "Who's in Team 7?"

"Jonin Minato Namikaze, with Obito Uchiha, Rin Nohara, and Kakashi Hatake." Kyoichi finished his ramen before answering.

The trio instantly lost interest in their food, their excitement evident.

"We want to go!"

"Alright, finish eating, and we'll head out."

---

Forest of Death

By the time Kyoichi and his students arrived, Team 7 had already assembled, though Minato had yet to show up.

Standing on a nearby hill overlooking the test area, Kyoichi outlined the plan to Minato:

"You could start by pretending you're inclined to let Kakashi pass since he's already a chunin. Say Rin has medical ninja potential, so her case is undecided. Then use the two remaining spots to create division within the team."

"Good idea. Anything else?"

"After the infighting, throw in a few additional questions to test their resolve."

"Got it."

Minato nodded repeatedly, his expression full of admiration.

Kyoichi's students, meanwhile, were stunned.

Particularly Asuma and Kurenai, who were now glaring at their teacher in disbelief.

This entire process was one giant trap.

Of course, they had no doubt that if they failed to meet expectations, Kyoichi wouldn't hesitate to send them back to the Ninja Academy. Their usually easygoing teacher was dead serious when it came to discipline.

"Alright, I'll head over. I'll leave a shadow clone here—reach out if you think of anything else," Minato said before departing.

Watching him leave, Kurenai hesitated before voicing her thoughts.

"Sensei, Kakashi's situation is… special. Isn't it a bit too harsh to send him back to the Academy?"

Kyoichi's gaze hardened.

"Kurenai, a ninja must take responsibility for their profession."

"Yes, Sensei…"

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