Chapter 72: Surprise 1

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Kurenai Yuhi was now perplexed, wondering why things turned out differently from what she had expected.

Shizune, too, was somewhat stunned. Although she had already speculated about this possibility, when it actually happened to her, excitement left her speechless.

"Huh? Me? Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked incredulously.

"Who else? Come on, let's go."

Without much explanation, Tsunade turned and left.

Hearing this, Shizune hurriedly caught up, not even giving time for a farewell with Obito and Kurenai.

Once the two were gone, Kurenai's face completely fell.

Lady Tsunade was her idol. She had been fantasizing about being Tsunade's student. However, with Tsunade's departure, her expectations were shattered.

"Ah!! Who is our mentor, after all?"

Obito couldn't help but express his irritation. Even though he didn't have high expectations for his future teacher, being left in suspense was unsettling.

"Yeah, who could it be? Dad mentioned it so vaguely! There are only a few people in Konoha he admires. Could it be Orochimaru?"

Kurenai speculated with a furrowed brow. Jiraiya already had disciples, and Tsunade had just taken one. Among the three legendary ninjas, Orochimaru was the only one without a disciple.

As Kurenai voiced her speculation, the images of Orochimaru came to the minds of Obito and Kurenai simultaneously.

Hmm~

Both shivered at the thought. While Orochimaru was undeniably powerful, his appearance was quite intimidating for children.

"Could it be Lord Orochimaru?"

Obito and Kurenai exchanged a glance, unsure whether their current feelings should be anticipation or fear.

Finally, in the midst of their uneasy suspense, the door to the classroom was pushed open.

Their speculations were incorrect. The one entering wasn't Orochimaru but the ninja who had been treated specially by the Hokage earlier in the day.

Asahi's late arrival was undoubtedly intentional. After all, whether in novels or manga, the protagonist always makes a grand entrance.

"Uchiha Obito, Yūhi Kurenai. Follow me. Starting today, I am your mentor."

Asahi entered and addressed Obito and Kurenai with a warm smile, a very conventional statement that satisfied Asahi's craving for the original work.

As Asahi spoke, Uchiha Obito admitted to himself that he felt a flutter of excitement. 

Even though he didn't end up in the same class as Rin, the morning's fantasy seemed to be coming true.

This meant he was getting closer to the position of Hokage, and he even felt like he had won against Kakashi this time. After all, his mentor was better than Kakashi's.

Haha, once he became Hokage, Rin would surely fall for him.

Ah~ another grand moment of self-indulgence. The indifferent attitude from earlier had been thrown to the back of Obito's mind.

"Yes, Sensei!"

Obito and Kurenai exchanged glances again, then simultaneously replied.

Following behind Asahi, Obito and Kurenai were honestly quite nervous. Based on the morning's events, it was evident that Asahi was not an ordinary ninja. 

However, they truly didn't know Asahi, were unsure of his personality and temper, and had no idea what to do next.

So, the two of them behaved very obediently along the way. Even the usually lively Obito suppressed his nature and refrained from being too lively.

Though Asahi walked ahead of Obito and Kurenai, his attention was mainly on the two of them.

Seeing their restrained demeanor, Asahi chuckled without reason. "Seems like the two of you are afraid of me?"

"Huh? No, not at all."

Hearing Asahi's words, both of them were startled and quickly denied.

"No? If you lift your heads while talking, it might be a bit more believable."

Asahi laughed, "I can see what you're up to even if you're walking behind me. Your little schemes are quite transparent."

Sure enough, the steps of Obito and Kurenai faltered. How did he know?

"It's just a simple application of sensing techniques; there's no need to be surprised. Also, from now on, I'm your Master, no need to be so restrained."

Asahi stopped and turned to face them.

Seeing that Asahi was easy to talk to, Obito and Kurenai felt a bit less tense.

Satisfied, Asahi nodded. A strict master-student relationship was never what he wanted. 

As long as his words carried weight with his disciples, a more relaxed atmosphere was preferable.

Turning around, Asahi, accompanied by Obito and Kurenai, strolled towards the residential area of Konoha.

This left Obito and Kurenai somewhat puzzled. 

Typically, after the graduation assignment, the first thing mentors did was head to the training grounds to assess the true strengths of their students and plan the teaching content accordingly. 

However, Asahi was heading towards the residential area instead. What was the reasoning behind this?

"Um, sensei, where are we going?"

Finally, Obito, being the man he was, asked the question.

"Ah, of course, we're going to greet your new mentor and meet one of your senior sister."

Without hesitation, Asahi answered Obito's question.

"Greet? Aren't you our instructor?"

Obito and Kurenai exclaimed in surprise. After all, although a instructor might be considered a teacher, there was a significant difference between being a team member's instructor and a true master.

"Who told you I'm your instructor? I'm not even a Konoha ninja; how could I be your instructor?"

Asahi shook his head, revealing his identity without any reservation.

Although he did enjoy the momentary thrill of playing the role of a mentor earlier.

"What? Sensei, you're really not a Konoha ninja? Then why are we...?"

Obito and Kurenai stared at Asahi in shock. Even though he only revealed half of the information, Asahi understood their unspoken question.

After all, there was no precedent for graduates directly accepting a mentor from outside the village.

"No need to be surprised. Since I could bring you two out, both Konoha and your families are aware of it."

"Alright, let me introduce myself. I'm Asahi, the current Tazuna Clan Head. Other details don't matter much to you."

"But, indeed, I should ask for your opinions. How about this? I'll give you a chance. If you don't want to accept me as your Master, just say it. I won't force you."

"Of course, if you don't want me as your Master, I'll make sure to find you a good Master from Konoha."

Asahi said with a smile, being truthful. Even though he went through some trouble earlier, he wouldn't force Obito and Kurenai if they weren't willing.

However, if they declined, he wouldn't be able to take them as disciples in the future. 

Everyone had to take responsibility for their choices; if they missed an opportunity, it was lost forever.

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