"Bushy Brow Sensei! Could the Kakashi Hatake you mentioned be my teacher?!"
Naruto's eyes were sparkling with excitement, but Might Guy and his team were all taken aback by his question.
Might Guy suddenly burst into hearty laughter.
"Ha ha ha! Naruto, you haven't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet! What's the rush?"
He gave Naruto a playful thumbs-up, his teeth gleaming. "Besides, Kakashi already has his own students…"
"His own students?" Naruto asked curiously.
Guy scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I should say he used to have them…"
"What do you mean?"
Guy sighed, his expression turning wry. "That guy took three students from Lee's class just yesterday, but as expected… he gave them his usual test."
Naruto blinked. "Test?"
"Yeah." Guy folded his arms with a helpless smile. "He's always been like that. He set them a test and—unsurprisingly—none of them passed. So all three were sent back to the Academy to start over."
"Wha—?! Sent back to the Academy?!" Naruto shouted, eyes wide.
Even Rock Lee, Tenten, and Neji paused their training in shock.
"That's just how Kakashi is," Guy said with a shrug. "He's not the easiest teacher to impress."
Naruto looked a little deflated but clenched his fists stubbornly. "Then… Bushy Brow Sensei! Is there anyone else in the village who's good at Wind Release ninjutsu?"
"Wind Release?" Guy raised an eyebrow. "So that's your chakra nature, Naruto?"
"Yeah! I want to train it properly!"
Guy nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm… Wind Release users are pretty rare in Konoha."
He tapped his chin for a moment before replying, "I can only think of two people who are truly skilled in Wind Release techniques."
Naruto immediately perked up. "Really?! Who are they?"
Guy smiled but gave a half-hearted chuckle. "Well… I doubt either of them could actually teach you."
Naruto pouted. "Why not?"
"The first," Guy began, "is Lord Danzo Shimura—the leader of the Root organization hidden within Konoha's shadows. The second is Lord Third Hokage's own son… Asuma Sarutobi."
Naruto's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Guy continued, "As for Lord Danzo, forget it. The man lives deep in secrecy—more mysterious than even the Anbu. Most ordinary ninja never even see his face, let alone learn from him."
Naruto scratched his head. "Okay… then what about the other one? Asuma, right?"
Guy nodded. "Asuma Sarutobi. He's powerful and well-known, but…"
He sighed again. "He's not exactly on good terms with his father, the Third Hokage. He left the village years ago to serve as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja protecting the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. Only recently did he return to Konoha."
Naruto's face brightened immediately. "That's perfect! He's back, right? So I can ask him to teach me!"
Guy chuckled nervously. "Naruto, he's not currently a team leader. And you're not his student. It would be… difficult."
But Naruto wasn't backing down. "Please, Bushy Brow Sensei! I have to at least try! Just one meeting!"
He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply. "Please!"
Guy stared at the boy's determined face, his heart softening.
"Alright, alright…" he said finally, scratching the back of his head. "If you're that serious, I'll introduce you. But whether he agrees to teach you or not—that's up to him."
Naruto's eyes widened with gratitude. "Thank you, Bushy Brow Sensei!"
Guy grinned. "Heh, don't thank me yet! Come on, I'll take you to him. Neji, Lee, Tenten—you three keep training here. I'll be back soon."
"Yes, Guy-sensei!" the trio shouted.
Lee waved energetically. "Go for it, Naruto! Show your youthful spirit!"
Naruto laughed and nodded. "You bet!"
---
Meeting Asuma Sarutobi
Not long after, Might Guy led Naruto through the village toward Asuma Sarutobi's house.
Along the way, Guy began reminiscing about the past—about himself, Kakashi, Asuma, and another young man named Uchiha Obito. Naruto listened intently, sometimes smiling, sometimes looking thoughtful. The stories of the older generation stirred something in him—a quiet respect and admiration.
Before long, they arrived at a modest-looking home tucked behind a grove of trees.
Guy stopped at the gate and said, "Asuma only recently returned to Konoha. He hasn't officially resumed duty yet, and the Hokage hasn't assigned him a squad, so he's relatively free right now."
He knocked on the door.
Moments later, it opened with a faint creak, and a tall man appeared—roughly in his late twenties, with short, spiky hair, a beard, and a cigarette hanging lazily from his lips.
He glanced at Guy, then at Naruto.
"Might Guy? Don't you have your hands full as a Jonin team leader? What brings you here?"
Guy grinned broadly. "Heh, I couldn't say no to this kid. He really wanted my help."
Asuma exhaled a puff of smoke, then eyed Naruto curiously. "Uzumaki Naruto… so this is the one, huh?"
Guy coughed lightly. "Right. That's him."
Asuma realized his slip and said nothing more, taking another drag of his cigarette.
Naruto, meanwhile, couldn't help thinking, Wow… just like father and son! Lord Third Hokage loves his pipe, and Asuma-sensei smokes too!
Asuma finally spoke. "So, kid—you want to learn Wind Release from me?"
"Yes!" Naruto replied eagerly.
Asuma chuckled. "And how do you even know you're a Wind Release user? The Academy doesn't teach chakra nature transformation."
Naruto scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh… I found out by accident."
"Oh?" Asuma's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't press further. He shrugged. "Well, I'm not doing anything important right now. Come in."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really?!"
Guy sighed in relief. "Hah! That saves me the trouble of convincing you. Well, I'll head back to my team then."
He turned to Naruto and gave him a thumbs-up. "Do your best! Remember what I taught you about Taijutsu—your youth burns brightest when you don't give up!"
Naruto grinned. "Thanks, Bushy Brow Sensei! I'll never forget what you taught me!"
Guy laughed loudly, waved, and left.
---
Asuma's Test
Once they were alone, Asuma leaned against the doorframe and looked Naruto up and down.
"You trained with Might Guy?" he asked.
"Uh, kind of," Naruto said quickly. "Bushy Brow Sensei just taught me a few Taijutsu moves."
"Oh?" Asuma smirked. "Then let's see them."
Naruto's heart skipped a beat—was this a test? He clenched his fists. "Alright! I'll show you everything I've got!"
He stepped into the courtyard, took a deep breath, and released his chakra. A gust of wind rippled through the trees as the air itself seemed to tremble.
Asuma raised an eyebrow. "That's… quite a chakra for an Academy student."
Naruto didn't notice the compliment—he was already moving.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
"Leaf Great Whirlwind!"
"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!"
Each spinning kick tore through the air, sending dust and gravel flying. The courtyard shook under the force of his strikes.
Asuma's cigarette nearly fell from his lips. This power… this isn't normal at all.
Naruto landed lightly, panting but grinning. "How was that?"
Before Asuma could respond, Naruto's hands flashed through hand seals. "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Four perfect clones appeared beside him, each mirroring his stance. They immediately began sparring with each other, their movements fast and fluid. The sound of fists meeting echoed across the courtyard.
Asuma stared in disbelief.
"Shadow Clone Technique?!" he muttered. "That's a high-level ninjutsu. Not even most genin can manage that, let alone someone still in the Academy!"
He exhaled sharply, watching the clones fight until they vanished in bursts of smoke.
Naruto rubbed his nose proudly. "Nobody taught me. I figured it out myself."
Asuma blinked. "You… taught yourself?"
"Yep!" Naruto said with a big grin. "I practiced over and over until I got it right."
For a long moment, Asuma said nothing. He simply looked at the boy in front of him—this loud, impulsive kid who somehow carried a monstrous chakra reserve and had the determination to teach himself forbidden techniques.
Finally, he let out a low whistle. "Heh… maybe I underestimated you."
Naruto tilted his head. "So… will you teach me Wind Release?"
Asuma took a deep drag from his cigarette, then smiled faintly. "You've got guts, kid. I'll give you that. Fine—I'll teach you what I can. But be warned… nature transformation training isn't easy. It might take months before you see any results."
Naruto clenched his fists, eyes blazing with determination. "I don't care how long it takes! I'll do whatever it takes to become stronger!"
Asuma exhaled a thin trail of smoke and nodded. "Then we'll start tomorrow morning."
Naruto grinned ear to ear. "Yes, sir!"
Asuma watched him go, shaking his head in amusement. "That kid… he's got the same fire as Lord Fourth once had."
For the first time in years, the cigarette in Asuma's mouth tasted a little less bitter.
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)