After the rookie graduates from the Ninja Academy passed their supervising jōnin's test, it had basically become tradition for the teacher to treat them to a huge meal at Yakiniku Q that evening.
Over time, this had gradually turned into a custom.
If a jōnin was willing to let the genin under their care pass the test, it meant they were fairly satisfied with them as both subordinates and disciples. Naturally, the next step was to deepen the bond between both sides. They couldn't exactly leave people with the impression that they were stingy.
If word got out, how were they supposed to survive in Konoha afterward?
When supervising jōnin from the same generation happened to be close with each other, they would even arrange gatherings together.
For example, Higashino Makoto, Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai, and Hyūga Tokuma.
Unfortunately, Guy's team was away on a mission and not in Konoha. Otherwise, they would've been invited too.
Inside the yakiniku restaurant's large private room, the twelve graduates of Teams Seven through Ten were gathered together, creating a lively uproar. They were the finest batch of seedlings from this year—and even from the last several years—the future pillars of Konohagakure.
Sadly, the brats were still too young to drink alcohol.
Unlike the small private room next door, where the table was covered in empty bottles, and a certain chain-smoker was happily puffing away through clouds of smoke.
Honestly, the fact that Asuma and Kurenai had fallen for each other really wasn't without reason. One was a nicotine addict, while the other had already begun showing the potential of a future alcoholic.
Unlike Makoto, who only enjoyed the occasional drink and absolutely refused to smoke.
A major reason he hadn't even lived to forty in his previous life was because he had smoked far too much.
Tokuma raised his glass again.
"Come on, a toast to peace. Hopefully our adorable subordinates never have to experience war the way we did."
After draining her drink in one gulp, Kurenai teased, "Tokuma, you really are absurdly optimistic."
Tokuma laughed.
"Being optimistic is still better than being pessimistic. Besides, judging from the current state of the ninja world, peace seems like it'll continue for quite a long time."
Asuma shook his head.
"It'll end someday. This world never lacks ambitious people. And the longer peace lasts, the more unbearable it becomes for certain individuals."
After spending several years living outside Konoha, the Third Hokage's son seemed to have understood many things. The rebellious edge he once carried had faded somewhat, replaced by a trace of concern for the future.
Makoto smiled slightly.
"Oh? Sounds like Asuma-senpai has quite a few thoughts on the matter. I heard you wandered around as a ninja for a while before joining the Twelve Guardian Ninja under the Daimyō. Did those experiences lead you to some kind of realization?"
Asuma took a slow drag before replying.
"A realization, huh? Nothing that dramatic. It's just… I just used to think the most important thing in the Land of Fire was either the Hokage or the Daimyō. But now I understand that neither of them are."
Tokuma blinked.
"Then what do you think truly matters?"
Asuma pointed toward the large private room next door.
"The future."
Makoto nodded.
"That's true enough. No matter the era, the next generation capable of inheriting the correct ideals and will is always the most important thing."
Tokuma grinned.
"Makoto, your explanation's way simpler. Unlike Asuma-senpai, making everything sound all mysterious like some gloomy philosopher."
Kurenai murmured softly, "But that atmosphere makes him feel mature and charming, doesn't it?"
Tokuma: "..."
More like the smell of tobacco.
He downed another mouthful of alcohol, genuinely unable to understand this oneesan's bizarre taste in men.
Asuma suddenly looked toward Makoto.
"Makoto, do you think organizations like shinobi and shinobi villages—these groups that exist semi-independently from the ordinary world—will continue forever?"
"Of course not," Makoto answered calmly. "There's no such thing as an organization that lasts forever. There are only organizations best suited to the current era. Once the greater environment changes someday, shinobi and shinobi villages will naturally change along with it. You really don't need to worry about that."
Asuma nodded slightly.
"Then hopefully, before that change arrives, the great villages can avoid starting too many more wars."
Tokuma suddenly chuckled.
"Speaking of which, if the First Hokage and that man from the Uchiha Clan had truly unified the ninja world back then, do you think the three great wars afterward would never have happened?"
Asuma shrugged.
"Well, who knows?"
Kurenai tilted her head thoughtfully.
"Maybe. Perhaps peace in that kind of world would've become the norm."
Makoto shook his head.
"Kurenai, you're overthinking it. That wouldn't have happened at all. Once the conflicts between shinobi villages disappeared, the conflict between shinobi and ordinary people would simply become the mainstream contradiction instead."
"And chakra and ninjutsu aren't some mysterious powers impossible to learn. Once the ordinary world gained enough strength, war would still break out between both sides."
Tokuma laughed.
"That's not necessarily true, Makoto. With your current strength, you could probably unify the entire ninja world yourself, right? Why not give it a try?"
Makoto took a sip of alcohol before answering flatly, "I could. And then what?
"The people unwilling to lose their power would secretly gather together, using all kinds of slogans and justifications to incite endless rebellions and resistance wars."
"If I truly wanted to eliminate that possibility, the only way would be to brutally purge the ninja world several times over and use absolute slaughter to terrify everyone into submission."
He slowly swept his gaze across the room.
"You people… really want me to do something like that?"
The three of them immediately shook their heads.
Who knew what kind of monster Higashino Makoto would become after drowning himself in endless slaughter? At that point, he might turn into a tyrant who would cut even them down the moment he felt irritated.
Asuma crushed out his cigarette.
"Maybe this is just the fate of shinobi. Right now, every major shinobi village is trying to recover its strength. For all we know, the next war could break out at any moment."
"The only thing we can do is properly train our disciples so they'll have enough strength to face whatever changes the future brings."
Tokuma sighed.
"What a terrifying cycle. Is there really no way to change any of this?"
"There is," Makoto replied. "There is, brother. Just not now. Opportunities will always appear eventually. What matters is whether we can seize them."
After that, everyone felt the topic had become a little too heavy, so they stopped discussing it, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed again.
Makoto greatly enjoyed this kind of leisurely life.
Ever since his strength had reached its current level, there was no longer any need for endless bitter training. The only thing left was to comprehend the world's underlying laws of existence.
Living happily and maintaining a deep interest in everything around him was also a form of understanding.
As for changing the current state of the ninja world?
The world would continue moving forward on its own. All he needed to do was guide things along at certain moments and make sure the ninja world wasn't destroyed by certain lunatics.
Trying to forcibly impose the ideologies and systems of an ordinary modern world onto this supernatural world was both arrogant and a thankless waste of effort.
...
After becoming an official shinobi, Haruno Sakura had originally believed that an exciting life full of adventure awaited her, just like the stories in the ninja novels sold at bookstores.
She had even fantasized countless times about fighting side by side with Sasuke, bravely stepping in front of him during dangerous moments, getting injured for his sake, moving him deeply, and then watching their relationship rapidly grow closer.
Instead, what reality greeted her with was:
Finding cats, walking dogs, babysitting children, maintaining Konoha's public facilities, cleaning river channels…
Every single fantasy she had ever held about being a ninja was shattered bit by bit through endless D-rank missions.
It wasn't as though she didn't know such missions existed. She just felt that talented shinobi like them should've been assigned far more important tasks.
Konohagakure wasn't really a village anymore—it was becoming an increasingly modernized city.
In recent years, advances in technology and population growth had caused the amount of daily garbage to increase more and more.
Standing beside a section of river clogged with massive piles of trash jammed against the floodgate, the foul stench nearly turned the little pink-haired girl's face green.
How could they make a beautiful girl like her do something like this?
But after seeing Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto calmly step onto the water's surface and begin seriously cleaning without a word of complaint, Sakura gritted her teeth and joined in as well.
She wasn't just a girl who loved daydreaming.
She was also a shinobi educated by Konoha.
For love… for love…
She continuously encouraged herself in her heart.
As the supervising jōnin, Higashino Makoto naturally didn't need to do the work personally. However, after noticing that the river pollution had become even worse than before, he felt he absolutely needed to bring it up with the Fourth Hokage later.
There was a real need to strengthen the residents' civic education so they would understand what it meant to protect the environment.
It was about time to raise the quality of these unruly civilians.
The low-level missions continued.
No matter how mature Sasuke and Naruto might have been, they were still only twelve-year-old boys. After enduring D-rank missions for a while, they finally reached their limit as well.
One day after finishing a mission, Sasuke was the first to protest.
"Makoto-sensei, how much longer are we supposed to keep doing these boring missions?"
At the side, Sakura nodded furiously in agreement.
"Exactly, exactly!"
"How can you call them boring missions?" Makoto replied lazily. "This is also a form of training, you know. Being a shinobi isn't only about training and fighting. Understanding society is an essential part too."
"But Shisui-niisan told me that back then, you people didn't spend this long doing low-level missions."
"And did he also tell you what kind of situation the ninja world was in when we graduated? That was during wartime."
"It's true that many genin were sent out after only completing the minimum quota of low-level missions. And then many of them died on the battlefield because they lacked sufficient strength and experience."
"So, if you aren't afraid of dying, then tomorrow we can go accept an S-rank mission instead. Let me think… how about assassinating the Tsuchikage?"
Sakura and Sasuke both stared blankly.
They only wanted a slightly more exciting ninja life, but wasn't their teacher's suggestion a little too exciting?
Naruto scratched his head awkwardly.
"Sensei, what we mean is… it's probably about time to move on from D-rank missions."
"Alright, alright, I got it," Makoto said with a wave of his hand. "Since all of you agree, then starting tomorrow, we'll begin taking higher-ranked missions instead."
He smiled meaningfully.
"Everyone, make sure you prepare yourselves mentally."
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