Chapter 35: Smart Asuma (Please Follow)

"No, even if the money wasn't given to you, it's still our family's own money—how could that count as earning it!" Asuma sorted out his thoughts and then retorted.

"Then you're really smart." Muyue smiled and praised.

Although he was praised, Asuma felt an indescribable strangeness.

"Anyway, go resign from the old man—I don't need a tutor." Asuma lay back against the tree, giving up outright.

"Since you don't want me to teach you, why don't you just not come along, or tell the Third Hokage and the others?" Muyue suggested.

"Do you think I'm stupid? If I did that, wouldn't all the blame fall on me?" Asuma raised his head slightly and said proudly.

The Third Hokage didn't matter much, but Asuma was more afraid of making his mother, Biwako, angry.

Muyue nodded inwardly—he really was quite simple-minded; if he used Asuma's uncooperativeness as an excuse to resign, the blame would still fall on Asuma.

But he had no reason to do that, after all, it was too easy to handle a nine-year-old brat like Asuma.

"Why are you so opposed to having a tutor?" Muyue didn't rush Asuma to start training, but continued chatting with him.

"Even if I tell you, you wouldn't understand." Asuma shook his head, looking like someone saying, "You won't get it until you're my age."

"Why wouldn't I understand? It's just that you don't like your father's arrangements." Muyue said bluntly.

Based on Asuma's identity and his personality, it was easy to deduce the reason for his rebelliousness.

Asuma had talent—not compared to those with cheat-like abilities, but he was a genius—and he probably didn't slack off in training. Muyue could see that Asuma had a solid foundation.

But because of his status as the Third Hokage's son, all his hard work might ultimately be dismissed as a casual remark: "No wonder he's the Third Hokage's child."

His efforts would be taken for granted, and if he didn't work hard, many would criticize him.

With things like this, it would be strange if Asuma and the Third Hokage had a good father-son relationship.

He graduated and became a ninja, thinking he had grown up, but then the Third Hokage still hired a tutor—this clearly made Asuma feel completely underestimated.

"You only see the surface." Asuma still wore that expression of "You wouldn't understand," until Muyue said the next line.

"Isn't it because you trained hard, only to end up with a comment like 'No wonder he's the Third Hokage's child'?" Muyue said with a chuckle.

Asuma's expression changed drastically in an instant, and he looked at Muyue with some fear—this was something he had never told anyone, and having Muyue suddenly point it out gave him a terrifying feeling of having his flesh forcibly torn open to face his inner self.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Asuma was still being stubborn.

But his restless little hands had already exposed his inner panic.

"If you want to prove yourself, you should accept the tutor even more, strengthen your own strength, and prove yourself with power." Muyue continued.

"After all, right now you can't really be called outstanding." Muyue directly negated Asuma's strength.

First his heart was exposed, then his entire being was negated—Asuma immediately got anxious and argued:

"I was always first in my grade at the Ninja Academy—how can you say I'm not outstanding?"

Muyue smiled and said, "Do you believe that if I randomly picked a student who just entered the Ninja Academy, you wouldn't even be a match for them?"

Asuma laughed in anger. If Muyue picked a graduate, fine, but a student who just entered the Ninja Academy? Even if it were Kakashi who had just entered, he wouldn't be afraid.

"If you have the guts, go find one. If I lose, from now on I'll do whatever you say." Asuma dropped a harsh ultimatum.

"Of course, if I win, you'll resign." Asuma added.

"Then it's settled." Muyue revealed a smile.

Next, Muyue sent a shadow clone to bring Shisui over.

Asuma sized up Shisui for a few moments, feeling that Muyue probably hadn't lied—he really was that kind of kid who had just started at the Ninja Academy.

"His name is Uchiha Shisui, a student in my class—he's six years old and just started first grade."

"His name is Sarutobi Asuma, a genin who just graduated this year."

Muyue introduced them to each other.

"Uchiha Shisui, right? Let me tell you, if you can't handle it, surrender quickly to avoid getting hurt. I won't go easy on you." Asuma said.

"Sarutobi-senpai, I'll be careful." Shisui said seriously.

"Begin!" Muyue didn't waste time—after the two assumed their stances, he directly announced the start.

No sooner had Muyue finished speaking than Asuma shot forward, swinging his fists rapidly toward Shisui.

Shisui calmly stepped forward to meet him, engaging in close-quarters combat with Asuma.

The two exchanged blows back and forth, but even with his larger build, Asuma could not gain the upper hand.

Asuma's expression shifted—after just two exchanges, he realized Shisui was no pushover, but he hadn't expected him to be this troublesome.

Not only did Asuma fail to gain any advantage, but his eagerness to seize the upper hand cost him: Shisui seized the opening and kicked him back three meters with a Leaf Whirlwind.

However, Shisui did not press the attack, because Muyue had told him when she brought him over to defeat Asuma in every aspect as thoroughly as possible.

A graduated genin being knocked back three meters in taijutsu combat by a student who had just entered the Ninja Academy—even if only Muyue was watching, Asuma still felt his pride wounded, his face flushing red.

Forgetting to wonder why Shisui hadn't pursued, Asuma now had only one thought: to defeat Shisui, salvage his pride, and prove himself.

"Fire Style: Great Blaze Technique!" Asuma quickly formed hand seals, erupting with chakra and spewing out a great torrent of flames.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" Shisui also began forming hand seals, gathering a large amount of chakra into his mouth before expelling it all at once and transforming it into flames.

The two Fire Styles clashed; Shisui's flames, with greater volume and intensity, soon overwhelmed Asuma's, then continued rushing toward Asuma.

Asuma stood dumbfounded after the ninjutsu exchange, staring blankly as the fireball bore down on him, utterly motionless.

He was thinking: Why? Why had he lost to a student who had just entered the Ninja Academy, and so miserably?

In taijutsu he had been kicked back three meters; in ninjutsu he had been directly suppressed.

Was he truly nothing more than the son of the Third Hokage? Asuma fell into deep self-doubt.

The fireball closed in; feeling the heat of the flames, Asuma finally snapped back to his senses and moved to dodge, but at his speed it was inevitable that he would be caught by the fireball's edge.

At that moment, Muyue acted—her chakra surged as she rapidly formed hand seals.

"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"

A thick wall of water appeared before Asuma, blocking the oncoming massive fireball.

"Sensei..."

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