Asuma Sarutobi had barely stepped inside before he felt an intense gaze on him.
Unlike Teuchi's warm hospitality, this gaze carried curiosity and scrutiny.
It wasn't difficult to trace. Following the stare, Asuma locked eyes with Yagura.
Yagura chose that exact moment to extend an invitation.
A shinobi from Kirigakure.
The distinct clothing alone set him apart from Konoha, but the forehead protector sewn three inches below his waistline confirmed his identity.
"Sure, thanks for the invite."
With a slight nod, Asuma took the seat beside Yagura. Glancing at the half-finished bowl of ramen in front of him, he made a normal choice and ordered the same thing: "I'll have one Ichiraku Special Ramen."
"Got it! Just a moment!"
After placing his order, Asuma turned to Yagura. "And you are?"
"I'm Yagura from Kirigakure. Just call me Yagura."
"I'm Asuma Sarutobi."
"Alright, then I'll call you Old Ma."
...What?
Asuma's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Was this some kind of Kirigakure dialect?
Because he was pretty sure he didn't mishear.
Sure, he was older than Yagura, but did he really look that old?
"You don't like it?"
"Yeah... Just call me Sarutobi."
Asuma wasn't one to dwell on minor details, especially with someone he'd just met. Using surnames was a sign of mutual respect.
Yagura, however, seemed completely at ease. "You don't know?"
Know what?
Seeing Asuma's confused expression, Yagura shook his head in exasperation.
"In the world of Pokémon Trainers, when two trainers' eyes meet, there's only one thing left to do!"
Yagura, the duelist, Pokémon trainer, ninja, dramatically slashed his forearm.
"Let's engage in a shadow game! DUEL!"
Asuma: "..."
The look on his face screamed confusion.
Congratulations, Asuma. You now share the same bewilderment as Mangetsu and Onime Kaede.
Shrugging, Yagura muttered something about Asuma not reading manga before returning to his noodles.
Honestly, he found Asuma rather likable.
Mostly because he was fond of Shikamaru and Chōji. By association, he also liked their easygoing sensei.
A captain who treated his team to barbecue all the time? A dream sensei! Ten times better than that stingy old man who made them pay for their own lodging!
Slurp—
Finishing his ramen, Yagura lifted his bowl and downed the remaining broth in one go.
Asuma, stroking his still-not-so-thick beard, continued observing the younger shinobi beside him.
Due to Konoha hosting the Chūnin Exams, he had seen quite a few foreign shinobi wandering the village in the past few days.
Iwa shinobi, who had poor relations with Konoha. Suna shinobi, who maintained an alliance but were only friendly on the surface. And various other shinobi from smaller villages with complex ties to the Leaf…
But this Kiri shinobi…
He didn't exude the bloodthirsty aura that the Mist was known for. In fact, if anything, Asuma felt a strange sense of familiarity from the younger boy.
"Hey! Asuma, your Ichiraku Ramen!"
"Thanks!"
"No problem! Eat up! Gotta do well in the Chūnin Exams!"
Asuma's ramen arrived just as Yagura placed down his empty bowl.
Snapping apart his disposable chopsticks with a crisp crack, Asuma pressed his hands together in the customary gesture.
"Itadakimasu."
Hearing Teuchi mention the exams, Yagura's ears perked up.
Since the topic was already brought up, the Kiri genin asked, "You're still a genin, right, Asuma? Are you taking the Chūnin Exams?"
Asuma's chopsticks hovered mid-air. "Yeah, I am."
"Then we might end up as opponents."
Yagura leaned back in his chair, balancing on its rear legs.
"We should both be able to make it to the prelims or even the finals. If you're unlucky enough to draw me, then we'll be rivals."
Unlucky, huh?
Asuma chuckled. "Is that so?"
"Don't believe me?"
Yagura snorted, hopping off his stool confidently. "I could take on ten of you."
In the shinobi world, age had never been a true indicator of strength.
Asuma understood that well. So, rather than treating Yagura's words as a joke, he took them seriously.
As the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi—the Professor of Ninjutsu—he had confidence in his own abilities as well.
Seeing Yagura's movement, Asuma asked, "Leaving already?"
"Yeah. Gonna walk around a bit."
"No training?"
"Nah, don't need to~"
With a wave, Yagura casually exited Ichiraku Ramen.
Asuma watched his relaxed figure disappear into the street, lost in thought.
...
Humming a little tune—Blue Bird—Yagura wandered aimlessly through Konoha.
"If Asuma's taking the Chūnin Exams, then his peers might be too… Kurenai Yūhi, Might Guy, Genma Shiranui…"
He muttered the familiar names.
Kakashi Hatake probably wouldn't. He had become a Chūnin and Jōnin at an early age.
...
BAM!
"Oww! Damn brat, that hurt!"
From around the corner came an irritated voice.
Yagura paused, then continued walking.
A small child had fallen to the ground, eyes welling with tears as he stared in horror at the man before him.
"S-Sorry!"
A burly Iwa shinobi clutched his stomach. "That hurt, dammit! Watch where you're going!"
"I—I didn't mean to—"
"Tch! Brats like you need to be taught some manners!"
This scene looked oddly familiar.
Kankurō and Konohamaru?
Seeing the Iwa shinobi grab the boy by his scarf, Yagura frowned and quickened his pace.
Sure, he could joke about clichéd plot developments, but he wasn't about to stand by and do nothing.
"I thought only Konoha's shinobi barked this much in the morning. Turns out Iwa's shinobi are just as noisy."
A sharp voice cut through the scene, its tone laced with both scorn and amusement.
Well, damn. That was a bold way to make enemies of both Konoha and Iwa in one sentence.
Who…?
Scanning the crowd, Yagura easily slipped through the concerned villagers and caught sight of the two Iwa shinobi glaring toward the source of the voice—completely unaware that a Kiri shinobi had joined the scene.
And the one who had spoken?
As the figure stepped forward, Yagura blinked in surprise.
Oh? So it's you guys, huh?
The Suna genin.
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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