Brainless Asuma

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"Come on, Sensei! We're not doing another one of those D-rank missions like finding lost cats and dogs, are we?"

Hearing the word "mission," Asuma perked up, immediately voicing his complaint.

He wanted something more challenging—something that would push his limits. More importantly, he wanted to prove his strength and talent to his father, the Third Hokage.

He also wanted to show the people of the village that he, Sarutobi Asuma, wasn't just riding on the coattails of his Hokage father. He was a genius in his own right, and he worked just as hard as anyone else!

Renzo saw all of this clearly and understood Asuma's rebellious mindset all too well.

Growing up in the shadow of a powerful father, it was natural to develop this kind of resistance.

A desire to prove oneself without relying on their family name—that was a common struggle.

Asuma was like this, and in the future, Konohamaru would be the same.

In his past life, Renzo had seen this kind of thing countless times.

"Relax! There's no way you're getting a D-rank mission today! This time, it's a C-rank mission—bandit extermination! The goal is to let you guys see some real combat. Follow me!"

With that, Yuhi Shinku led the three of them to the Hokage's office, where they met the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.

This time, their mission would be assigned personally by the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, we've come to receive our mission!"

As soon as they entered, Shinku bowed slightly and spoke with respect.

"Ah, it's you all! This is your mission for today."

The Third Hokage smiled, nodding at the group. His gaze lingered on Asuma for a second longer before he retrieved a mission scroll from his drawer and handed it to Shinku.

Then, he added, "Shinku, I'm counting on you to guide Asuma and the others. Of course, you don't have to coddle them—what they must experience, they cannot avoid. I just hope they can grow as quickly as possible. The real war isn't far off now, and we don't have much time left for them to train."

Lately, the Third Hokage had been swamped with work. Trouble was brewing on all fronts, and bad news kept pouring in.

The war with Sunagakure had already begun.

Orochimaru had led thousands of shinobi to the front lines.

Meanwhile, Iwagakure and Kumogakure were restless, and the constant stream of bad news was giving him a massive headache.

If not for this, they wouldn't have pushed Asuma and Renzo's group to graduate early.

"Understood! You can trust me, Lord Hokage! I'll protect them with my life if I have to!"

Shinku's expression was serious as he made his vow.

Hearing this, the team felt a sense of warmth.

Even Asuma, despite his complicated feelings towards his father, was touched for a brief moment.

However, that emotion quickly faded. His resentment toward his father had been building up for years, becoming an obsession, a prejudice—something that wouldn't disappear so easily.

The Third Hokage saw all of this and could only sigh internally.

In the end, it was his own fault. He had been too busy and had neglected to properly guide Asuma.

It was an unfortunate reality of being Hokage.

Two hours later, Shinku led Renzo and the others out of Konoha, heading west toward their mission target.

As they leaped from tree to tree, Shinku addressed them with a serious tone:

"You heard what the Hokage said earlier. I won't hide the truth from you—Konoha is already at war with Sunagakure, and the other nations are waiting for the right moment to strike. Your time to grow in safety is running out."

"Soon, I may not even have time to lead you on missions. Another Jonin might take over your training."

"And who knows? You might be sent straight to the front lines at any moment."

"So, cherish the time you have now. I don't want to hear about you dying on the battlefield in the future. Understood?"

Shinku's concern was evident in his voice.

Feeling the weight of his words, the three of them nodded seriously.

"Yes! We understand, Sensei!"

"Is the situation really that bad?" Asuma asked, still a bit naive. "Isn't Konoha the strongest of all the villages? Why would we be in such danger?"

"Why, indeed?" Shinku sighed, looking at Asuma with a hint of frustration.

In his eyes, the Third Hokage's youngest son was too naive, too immature.

Most of the time, he was busy rebelling against his father rather than training seriously.

When he wasn't doing that, he was caught up in trivial romantic distractions. Compared to his teammate, Uchiha Renzo, the difference was night and day.

As their sensei, Shinku had observed them carefully and knew how hard Renzo worked.

By comparison, Asuma was lacking.

"Exactly!" Asuma said, completely unaware of Shinku's disappointment. "Konoha is the strongest, so why would the other villages attack us? Shouldn't they fight each other instead?"

"Because we haven't reached a level where we can take on four villages at once and still win easily! Sunagakure is already at war with us. It won't be long before Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and even Kirigakure join in!" Renzo answered before Shinku could respond.

After all, wasn't that how the previous two Shinobi World Wars had played out?

"Huh?" Asuma frowned. "Why does Sunagakure fighting us automatically mean the other villages will attack too? Can't they just fight each other instead? Konoha is the strongest, isn't it?"

After all, bullies always pick on the weak, right?

"Because your father, Sarutobi Hiruzen, is a soft-hearted idealist who believes too much in peace. Konoha may look strong, but to the other Great Villages, we're just an easy target."

Renzo wanted to say that out loud, but for the sake of his own survival, he held back.

Instead, he gave Asuma a simple answer:

"Because Konoha and the Land of Fire are the richest. We have the most resources."

It was a half-truth—there were deeper reasons, but Renzo wasn't going to explain them all.

Asuma found the reasoning a little questionable, but he didn't argue further. After all, he couldn't think of a better explanation.

He was only ten. How much could he really understand?

"Renzo is right, and that's one of the main reasons. As for the rest, you'll figure it out in time. Now, let's pick up the pace! We need to reach the target before nightfall."

"Yes!"

The four of them sped up, racing toward their destination.

— — —

By dusk, they had arrived.

"That's the place. Asuma, you attack from the west. Kurenai, you go from the north. I'll take the front. No objections?"

Standing on a tree branch, Renzo laid out the plan as they looked down at the bandit hideout.

Kurenai: "No problem!"

Asuma: "I'm good too!"

"Alright, let's move!"

In an instant, the three of them disappeared into the shadows, stealthily approaching the hideout before launching their attack at the agreed-upon time.

Renzo charged out of the forest, hurling two kunai at the guards by the gate.

Whoosh!

The kunai sliced through the air, striking both bandits in the throat.

"Urgh...!"

The two men clutched their necks, collapsing lifelessly.

Without even glancing at their bodies, Renzo sprinted into the hideout, his face calm and unreadable.

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