From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 374 The First Mission and Spirit Communication...

The sunlight was perfect at the gates of Konoha.

Jiraiya, carrying a huge scroll, looked at the little brat beside him with a "forced to work" expression, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.

"Hey, kid, stop making that sour face! Training under the Toad Sage Jiraiya is a blessing that many people would kill for! You should feel honored!" Jiraiya said, hands on his hips, looking displeased.

Asma glanced at him sideways, the fresh grass root she was chewing on swaying back and forth, her tone filled with undisguised disdain: "Honored? To follow you to peep into the women's bathhouse? Your appetite is really something, isn't it? I saw so many old ladies and grandmas going in, and you actually ate that?! Hmm, that makes sense, what normal person would contract a giant toad? Your hobbies are really quite remarkable!"

"You...!" Jiraiya nearly choked to death. That kid's mouth was even more lethal than his Rasengan.

He took a deep breath, silently repeating, "This is a monster, this is a monster," forcibly suppressing his anger.

"Hmph, don't think you can do whatever you want just because your swordsmanship is outstanding. Let me tell you, if you want to succeed in the ninja world, swordsmanship is only one part of it. You can't become Hokage just by having swordsmanship!"

Asma simply smiled at this.

Three days ago, in the Sarutobi clan's training grounds, he had a match with Jiraiya. As a result, Jiraiya, who was arrogant, lost the initiative and was forced by him to summon Gamamaru with his swordsmanship, losing face. After that, he never gave him a kind look again.

"Our mission is Rank C, to escort this batch of medicinal herbs to the border of the Land of Hot Springs." Jiraiya looked at the teasing smile on Asuma's face and couldn't help but blush. This kid was a monster. With just a chakra short sword, combined with the ninjutsu he had developed, he kept attacking him, forcing him to the point where he couldn't even find a chance to fight back. He had only experienced that feeling with Konoha's White Fang.

The only difference between the two is that White Fang Sword Technique incorporates Lightning Release Chakra, making it as fast as lightning and incredibly powerful, while this kid incorporates Wind Release Chakra, making it silent and unpredictable, like a shadow. Not only that, he also has an amazing ability to predict, as if he can see his opponent's next move. If you are not careful, he will gain the upper hand and you will not even have a chance to catch your breath under his attack.

It's fortunate that this kid is too young, and he uses most of his chakra for ninjutsu, which limits the lethality of his attacks and makes them unsustainable. Also, he has thick skin and rich combat experience, otherwise he might have really been injured.

Even so, he lost his composure under the onslaught of the storm and subconsciously summoned Gamamaru, making a huge blunder.

The teacher is right. In terms of swordsmanship alone, this kid is already on par with White Fang. Given time, once he grows up, he will at least be another White Fang of Konoha. Moreover, this kid's genius is obviously not limited to swordsmanship. The only thing he is inferior to White Fang in is that he has a mouth!

"The Land of Hot Springs?" Asuma's eyes flickered, as if he had thought of something. Kusane stopped swaying. "I didn't want to go so soon, but since we're going to the Land of Hot Springs...?"

"What's wrong with the Land of Hot Water?" Jiraiya looked at him, seemingly having some thoughts about the Land of Hot Water.

"It's nothing, I just thought of some unimportant things," Asuma said with a smile.

A delinquent student expelled from school naturally cannot obtain the title of Genin. Of course, that doesn't mean he can't become a ninja. By following Jiraiya and completing a few low-level missions, he will naturally acquire the identity of a ninja. After all, not every ninja in Konoha has attended the Ninja Academy.

A C-rank escort mission was uneventful, with no major incidents encountered along the way. After all, this was Asuma's first mission. Although Asuma was known to be a genius, Hiruzen Sarutobi had carefully selected his escort to ensure a high success rate, eliminating any additional risks. The handover of the medicinal herbs proceeded smoothly, and as night fell, the two found an inn in a small border town.

"Hey kid, mission accomplished. How about Jiraiya takes you to broaden your horizons?!"

Asuma glanced at Jiraiya, said nothing, turned and went into the room, slamming the door shut.

"Hahahaha, you little brat, you're still too young. Even if I take you to broaden your horizons, you're not capable enough, hahahaha..." As if he had gained some advantage, Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and laughed loudly. He turned around and left the inn. Who knows where he went? Anyway, Asuma's strength is there, so he shouldn't encounter any danger. Even if he did, he could run away.

Yes, after spending a few days with Asuma, Jiraiya now has complete confidence in Asuma.

"That lecher deserves to be single forever!"

Asuma, inside the room, pursed his lips and pulled a slightly worn parchment scroll from his bulging little ninja tool bag, slowly unrolling it under the light. The scroll depicted intricate mountains and rivers, marked with many ancient place names.

Asuma frowned, his fingers slowly moving across the parchment scroll, finally stopping at an area near the border of the Land of Hot Water, but clearly off the route back to Konoha. There, the outline of a solitary peak was drawn in faded ink, with a few blurry ancient characters marked beside it.

"Honey Country, huh? Damn it, a small town is called a country." Asuma complained with a look of disgust. He wasn't interested in the Honey Country; he was interested in the Shusaki Giant Lizard, yes, the one from the Honey Country mission in the TV original storyline.

He had never been sure if the current world was related to the original storyline until he found records about Shouzaki Castle in old documents. He finally confirmed that the Shouzaki Giant Lizard was very likely to exist, and that the location was near the Honey Country, not far from the Land of Hot Springs.

"Whether it exists or not, let's go take a look!" Asuma smiled slightly. He originally wanted to drag Jiraiya along, but since that lecherous guy went to see the old woman, there was no chance for him. In fact, he didn't even leave a shadow clone. After confirming that Asuma had left, he left a message on the table, jumped out of the window, and headed straight for the direction of Shusaki Castle.

As dawn broke, Jiraiya stared at the empty room, tears welling in his eyes. He felt his entire life had turned gloomy; that little bastard Asuma had disappeared.

Why is it determined to be a missing person case rather than an attack?

Asma left him a message: "I suddenly remembered that I have something important to do. Wait for me in town and don't leave. If all goes well, I'll be back in two days."

If all goes well, I'll be back in two days. What if things don't go well?
Jiraiya let out a roar of venting, finally displaying the qualities expected of an elite Jonin. He began searching for traces in the house, eventually reaching the window, confirming the direction Asuma had left in, and leaping out of the window.

Meanwhile, Asma stood before a desolate valley. In the center of the valley, the ruins of an ancient city, built of massive blue stones, lay half-hidden beneath dense vines and towering ancient trees, exuding an aura of deathly stillness and vicissitude. The city walls were mottled, the gates ajar, and the interior was dark and menacing, like a gaping maw ready to devour its prey. A faint stench of decay and an indescribable energy fluctuation permeated the air.

"Shusaki Castle, giant lizard, here I come!" Asuma stepped into the castle with a smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)