Chapter 75: Warmth and Cruelty! (Seeking Subscriptions)
Konohagakure, February 3rd, Year 45.
Peace talks between Konoha and the Sand Ninja had seen substantial progress.
A large number of captured Sand Ninja were returned to the Land of Wind.
Following this, the Sand Ninja amassed troops along the northern border of the Land of Wind, posing a threat to the Land of Earth.
Meanwhile, Konoha proceeded to release Chiyo and the One-Tails Jinchuriki.
However, before letting the One-Tails Jinchuriki go, Sarutobi Asuma borrowed a bit more Chakra.
Not much, just about eighty percent of it.
February 8th.
Both Konoha and the Sand Ninja began reducing their frontline forces.
Sarutobi Asuma also received orders to be among the first to return to Konoha, responsible for escorting the wounded back.
"Finally, we're going home!"
After packing their belongings, a Chunin with a severed arm grinned.
The war against the Sand Ninja had lasted for over half a year.
Now they were finally returning, even though he had lost an arm.
Compared to his comrades who had lost their lives, he considered himself fortunate and happy.
Not far away, Sarutobi Asuma watched the man's smile, his own feelings a complex mix.
This war had undoubtedly created countless orphans and destroyed numerous families.
"War... it's both captivating and detestable!"
Sarutobi Asuma sighed inwardly.
This battle had allowed him to level up twice in a short period, and he had also acquired several achievements from it.
For him, this was the captivating side of war.
"No wonder there are so many war enthusiasts..."
Sarutobi Asuma rubbed his temples, thankful that he didn't crave conflict.
Soon, everything was packed, and the convoy began its journey back to Konoha.
Just in case, Sarutobi Asuma created three Shadow Clones, positioning them in front and to the left and right, with his main body in the rear.
This was, after all, wartime, and one could never be sure if enemies might infiltrate the heartland of the Land of Fire.
However, Sarutobi Asuma's worries turned out to be unnecessary.
The journey was uneventful, and by around 1 PM the following afternoon, they finally arrived back in Konoha.
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, came to greet them, proclaiming the Will of Fire, which brought tears to the eyes of the wounded and the ninjas in the convoy.
Upon entering the village, the villagers of Konohagakure lined the streets to welcome them.
Yet, where there was joy, there was also sorrow.
After reporting back, he went home to wash up, then sat with his mother, Sarutobi Biwako, chatting while enjoying a delicious meal.
After dinner, Sarutobi Asuma strolled leisurely through the streets.
Unfortunately, the atmosphere here wasn't as lively and peaceful as it had been a year ago.
Thinking for a moment, Sarutobi Asuma decided to visit Uzumaki Kushina.
"Oh?"
"Asuma!"
Uzumaki Kushina happened to be leaving her home and immediately smiled upon seeing Sarutobi Asuma. "Well done! I've already heard about your reputation in the village, Konoha's Purple Flash! Hahaha, you're not any worse than your big brother Minato now!" Uzumaki Kushina laughed heartily, clearly proud.
After all, Sarutobi Asuma was somewhat her disciple!
"It's all thanks to your guidance, Sister Kushina!"
Sarutobi Asuma naturally fulfilled Uzumaki Kushina's sense of accomplishment. Then, noticing the basket she was carrying, he asked, "Sister Kushina, are you going grocery shopping, or...?"
"This?"
Uzumaki Kushina shook the basket and smiled. "I'm taking some homemade pastries to Minato and Kakashi. They've been training hard these past few days."
Sarutobi Asuma suddenly realized.
Namikaze Minato had returned a few days before him.
And because of the peace talks between Konoha and the Sand Ninja, with the Sand Ninja forces moving north, the Stone Ninja's offensive had slowed, and the Cloud Ninja had also temporarily ceased their actions. This gave Minato the time to train with his team.
"Want to come along?"
Uzumaki Kushina only seemed to realize after asking, "Eh, Asuma, are you here to ask me about Fūinjutsu?"
"Ah, no, that's not it."
Sarutobi Asuma took the basket from Uzumaki Kushina's hands and explained, "I just got back from the front lines, so I came out for a walk to clear my head."
"So that's how it is. You should definitely rest a bit, you're only 11 years old!"
Uzumaki Kushina chuckled and even ruffled Sarutobi Asuma's hair with her hand.
The two chatted and laughed, and before they knew it, they arrived at the training grounds for Minato's team.
Seeing the three of them sweating profusely, Sarutobi Asuma smiled, "Everyone, Kushina-nee and I brought some delicious food as a reward!"
"Eh?"
"Asuma!"
"What's this guy doing here?"
Kakashi and the other two were a bit surprised to see Sarutobi Asuma.
Namikaze Minato also turned his head to look, first greeting Sarutobi Asuma, then his eyes were full of Uzumaki Kushina, "Kushina, you've worked hard!"
"It's nothing!"
Uzumaki Kushina smiled, her face beaming with happiness.
Sarutobi Asuma was speechless. He wished he had come with Kurenai instead, having to endure being force-fed dog food.
While eating the delicious food, they chatted about the recent ninja world situation, and then unknowingly drifted into the topic of Ninjutsu.
Remembering that Kakashi had been training Lightning Style earlier, Sarutobi Asuma asked, "Kakashi, how is your Chidori coming along?"
Kakashi replied, "Mm, it's already very proficient. I can use it without performing Hand Seals."
Sarutobi Asuma immediately understood. Kakashi's mastery of Lightning Style Chakra Nature Transformation had reached a very deep level, at least Level 5.
"However, with Lightning Style activating cells and greatly increasing speed, there are still situations where my vision can't keep up during combat," Kakashi said.
This could be said to be the biggest flaw of his Chidori.
Sarutobi Asuma nodded upon hearing this, "It's still a matter of neural reaction speed."
Namikaze Minato also nodded in agreement, saying, "There's no special solution for this; it can only be achieved through long-term training."
His neural reaction speed was naturally extremely fast; it was a gift. He couldn't offer Kakashi any good advice.
On the contrary, the method Sarutobi Asuma had used previously to train his neural reaction speed was quite good, safe, and effective.
But as he just said, it required long-term training.
At this moment, Uzumaki Kushina patted Kakashi's shoulder and said with a comforting smile, "Kakashi, you don't need to worry too much. You're still very young. With your talent, by the time you reach your teacher Minato's age, you won't be much different."
Namikaze Minato agreed, "Kushina is right, Kakashi, you don't need to rush."
Uchiha Obito suddenly said, "Asuma can already do that, right?"
Uzumaki Kushina immediately narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Asuma is different, you guys don't need to compare yourselves to him."
Sarutobi Asuma smiled without saying anything. He was indeed different; he had cheated!
Uchiha Obito became jealous and muttered, "What do you mean?"
"This guy is no different from us, and besides, we are Minato-sensei's disciples... Ow!"
Uchiha Obito suddenly cried out in pain, holding his head.
Uzumaki Kushina hit Obito and snorted, "Obito, Asuma is also my disciple!"
"And, Obito, although you've been working very hard, Asuma works even harder than you!"
This statement was unanimously agreed upon by Kakashi and Rin.
Might Guy's efforts had already caught the attention of many in Konoha, but those who knew Sarutobi Asuma knew that he was even more insane!
"Eat quickly, you need to be full to have the energy to train!"
Uzumaki Kushina playfully ruffled Uchiha Obito's hair.
Uchiha Obito muttered and ate the snacks in large bites, but he felt a warmth in his heart.
Sarutobi Asuma watched this scene with mixed feelings, but he quickly recovered and said to Kakashi with a smile, "Lightning Style Chakra activating cells can greatly improve your speed, but it can also improve your neural reaction speed."
"For example, your eyes receiving information, your brain processing information, the speed of information transmission, and then enabling your eyes to have dynamic vision."
Five chapters finished!!!
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