“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 pin.

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

  Kyoichi g him and replied, “Barbecue? No problem. I’ll treat, and you pay.”

  “Huh?”

  Asuma froze in disbelief.

  Does that even t as treating?

  Is this even allowed?

  “I just got promoted to jonin, and these past two months, I’ve been boung between the hospital and teag. 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 sidered starting a side business but had been too busy to put it into motion. Wheried applying for research funds, all he got was a bookstore lise.

  Life was hard!

  The three students couldn’t rete to the struggles of making a living—especially Shisui. Growing up in the Uchiha d being only five years old, he had no cept of financial pressure.

  Instead, he reoccupied with something else: the battle earlier.

  Ninjutsu, taijutsu, kenjutsu, genjutsu—his teacher ractically 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 bined with swordsmanship!

  How had he do?

  “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 ce to fight back.

  How much effort had he really used?

  Kyoichi thought for a moment before responding, “About 30%? Maybe less. Any teique, when bined and used creatively, bees much more effective than rigidly stig 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, jonihe vilge’s elite, sed 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 teiques weren’t pushed to their limits, and he hadn’t used the Seven Heavens Breathihod, 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 sted a sed.

  “Sehat st teique you used… was it a genjutsu with swordsmanship?” Shisui asked.

  “It’s a theoretical sword style inspired by the Sed Hokage’s ideas. It’s not plete yet, but my goal is to make it so that drawing the bde aloraps the oppo in an illusion. bined with an iaido ssh, it could kill instantly.”

  “That’s terrifying if it works!”

  Asuma couldn’t help but recall his “death” at the hands of that very teique.

  If genjutsu could be ied into the draw, even just causing a brief moment of fusion, 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 ssh would be beyoating.

  “Ninjutsu is rigid. Only through bination and creative use it form your own uyle. Your ambush earlier was well-coordinated. Against a in, it might have worked.”

  Kyoichi didn’t just criticize; he also aowledged their strengths.

  Their teamwenjutsu to trol, Great Breakthrough to disorient, followed by a Fireball—was solid. Against ae in, it might have been a winning strategy.

  As he praised them, Kyoichi g his system panel.

  [Teamwork Training pleted.]

  [Rating: Excellent!]

  [Reward: Wind Release: Vacuum Bde]

  “Wind Release?”

  Kyoichi was a bit surprised.

  It was his first Wind Release teique, not because he cked access to scrolls, but because he had been too busy. His shadow es were tied up practig kenjutsu, while his real body was occupied with physical training and teag.

  Adding Wind Release training would meaing another shadow e, but that would stretch him too thin, redug quality and endurance.

  Still, having a Wind Release teique hao him wasn’t bad. It skipped the eure transformation process, and as a B-rank jutsu, it wasn’t trivial.

  As the ramen arrived, Kyoichi said casually, “I’m det at ninjutsu, taijutsu, asu, but my medical asu skills are average. Kurenai, Shisui, you’ll have to focus osu yourselves. As for the rest, each of you pick a specialization to master.”

  “Specialization?”

  The trio exged surprised looks before quickly uanding.

  It wasn’t hard to grasp.

  A specialization was simply the main focus of their training.

  “No rush. Think about it a me know. For now, just eat.”

  “Uh…” The three begaing in sileheir 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 e had just dispelled itself.

  Soon, he uood why—

  Minato had invited him to oversee an evaluation.

  “Sensei, is something wrong?” Kurenai asked, her perceptive nature pig up on his mood.

  “Minato invited me to observe the test for Team 7. Want to e along?”

  Initially, Kyoichi hadn’t sidered 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 perfeegative 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 i 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 outlihe pn to Minato:

  “You could start by pretending you’re ined to let Kakashi pass since he’s already a in. Say Rin has mediinja potential, so her case is undecided. Thehe two remaining spots to create division withieam.”

  “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.

  Particurly Asuma and Kurenai, who were n 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 e here—reach out if you think of anything else,” Minato said before departing.

  Watg him leave, Kurenai hesitated before voig 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…”

  Gcell