I, Konoha's Sage of Life

"Aaahhhh!!"

Screams echoed repeatedly.

The warriors who had charged at Asuma now clutched their wrists, their wounds carrying traces of searing burns from lightning. The injuries slowed the blood flow considerably.

Asuma, standing mere steps away, could see it all clearly—

What incredible speed and precision!

The blade's force was perfectly controlled, rendering their weapon-wielding hands useless without any excess damage.

At the same time, Shisui finished off his target.

"Tie them up and bring them back," Kyoichi ordered, his tone calm and composed.

Asuma clenched his teeth, pulling out ropes from his ninja pouch to bind the surviving captives. They then tidied up the area, removing corpses.

The loot these men carried told a grim story—packs filled with stolen goods, and fresh kills like chickens and ducks, still dripping blood, hung from their belts.

The surviving warriors begged for mercy, but no one paid them any attention. Eventually, their mouths were gagged with cloth to silence them.

Finally, peace and quiet.

"Sensei, I'm sorry... If it weren't for me…"

Asuma stepped forward to apologize, shame weighing heavily on him.

If he hadn't faltered, their team could have dealt with these bandits on their own, without their sensei needing to intervene.

"You should be apologizing to your teammates. If this were the battlefield, a single moment of hesitation could lead to your incapacitation—and then you'd become dead weight for your team," Kyoichi said coolly.

Asuma quickly turned and bowed to his teammates.

Kurenai tried to sidestep, quickly responding, "Sensei, Asuma's hesitation isn't solely his fault. I bear a lot of responsibility too."

If her genjutsu had been executed on time, she could've immobilized the attackers. After all, they were mere warriors with no ability to dispel genjutsu.

And yet…

In that critical moment, she froze, losing her composure.

"What about you, Shisui?"

"I thought attacking them would force them to retreat, but I didn't anticipate they wouldn't care about their comrades at all," Shisui said, visibly discouraged.

Kyoichi smiled faintly and said, "In Konoha, we hold to the Will of Fire—protecting and supporting one another. But they're different. They're bandits who live by the sword, where death is just part of the game. Losing a comrade means nothing to them."

"I understand now…"

Shisui nodded thoughtfully.

Had he realized this earlier, he would've chosen a different strategy—using a wider-reaching jutsu to secure their position instead of the approach he took.

This kind of student was easy to teach—he didn't make excuses and was quick to reflect on his mistakes.

Unlike Kakashi or Obito, who would often argue back, Shisui's humility made mentoring him far less frustrating.

In fact, compared to a typical rookie team, their performance had been quite impressive. Most rookie teams would have fumbled far more disastrously in this situation.

Kyoichi didn't push them too hard, saying, "The important thing is that you've learned from this. Real combat is entirely different from training or sparring—there's no substitute for the experience of blood splattering in your face."

"Yes, Sensei!"

Asuma, feeling ashamed, nodded.

Kyoichi had hit the nail on the head. The moment he faltered earlier wasn't just because of fear—it was also because blood had splattered into his eyes, momentarily blinding him.

"Let's bring these captives back to the town chief. After the mission is complete, we'll make the rounds to return the stolen goods to their rightful owners," Kyoichi instructed.

"Yes!"

These bandits had likely just looted a nearby village.

The stolen items were meager, but Kyoichi had no intention of keeping any of it.

When they returned to the town, the chief was supervising the construction of the defensive walls.

Asuma and the others were surprised to find Kyoichi's shadow clone helping with the repairs. They stared blankly for a long moment before regaining their composure.

Then—

"Chief, we encountered a group of wandering warriors during our patrol. Are these the bandits who attacked your town?"

"Yes, yes, that's them!"

The town chief didn't recognize them immediately, but a nearby foreman did, pointing out the culprits. He had narrowly escaped death during one of their previous raids.

Kyoichi nodded.

It seemed their suspicions were correct.

He had Shisui hand over the prisoners before instructing, "Asuma, help them with the construction. I'll go investigate the area."

"Yes!"

Asuma had no objections.

Even though they were clan heirs, they weren't strangers to hard labor like carrying water or farming. Ninja work often required such tasks, and they were used to it.

Leaving his shadow clone behind, Kyoichi ventured deeper into the town.

Earlier, his chakra sensory technique had detected someone with an exceptionally large chakra reserve nearby. Although he wasn't certain who it was…

This was still the Land of Fire.

Kyoichi had a suspicion: if this wasn't an enemy missing-nin, then it could only be one person—

Tsunade of the Legendary Sannin!

Using his chakra sensing ability, Kyoichi located the source. When he arrived, it was at a casino.

No sooner had he reached the entrance than he saw a group of angry men rushing inside. Judging by the situation…

They were likely debt collectors.

"Better wait outside for now."

If he went in, he might end up being mistaken for a sucker to pay her debts.

The problem was…

He wasn't exactly rolling in cash himself.

While he'd earned some mission rewards recently, compared to Tsunade's debts, it was barely a drop in the ocean.

Kyoichi perched on a rooftop, chewing a blade of grass as he watched the scene unfold.

A while later…

From a window on the other side of the casino, a woman leapt out, followed by a young girl.

"What a tragic life," Kyoichi muttered under his breath.

Shizune, who had been traveling with Tsunade since she was five or six, had likely spent the past few years living this way.

But…

Where was that pig she always carried around? Hadn't they adopted it yet?

As he watched the scene, a mob of angry men poured out of the casino, chasing after Tsunade and Shizune. But against a ninja, what chance did ordinary people stand?

A quick turn and a transformation jutsu later, and Tsunade was gone without a trace.

"Chasing Tsunade for debts—now that's a losing battle," Kyoichi mused.

If the debt collectors had been ninja, they might've even ended up getting beaten for their trouble.

Just then, he sensed someone approaching behind him.

"You brat! Sitting up here watching the show, huh? Didn't even think to come help me out?"

Turning around, Kyoichi saw her—

Tsunade herself.

Wow… What a dazzling necklace.

Kyoichi quickly averted his eyes and said, "Lady Tsunade, you didn't need my help. I'm just a poor guy; even if I stepped in, I couldn't pay off your debts. Besides, wouldn't you just rack up more next time?"

Rule number one—

Never lend money to a gambler, even if it's Tsunade.

"Hmph!"

Tsunade snorted, giving him a once-over before turning her head with a dismissive look.

Gambling was way more fun than dealing with boring kids like this silver-haired brat. He probably took after Tobirama with how dull he was.

"Lady Tsunade, where are we going now…"

Shizune climbed up onto the roof, only to spot the silver-haired boy sitting with Tsunade. Seeing their similar features, she hesitated.

Tsunade ignored her and said, "Hey, kid, how about we go for a drink?"

"Didn't you lose all your money?"

"Ugh…"

She really hated this brat already!

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