From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 388 The Disappearance of Feng Ying: A Storm is Brewing

The afternoon sun shone through the lush foliage above the wooden gate, casting dappled, dancing shadows on the ground.

The towering wooden structure of Konoha's gate cast long shadows in the afternoon sun. At this moment, the gatekeepers were not Kotetsu and Tetsuo, but two unknown Chunin.

The situation in the ninja world has been tense lately, with a sense of impending doom. This has made the two gatekeepers quite nervous, as they meticulously check the passes of passersby.

"You are... Lord Asuma!"

A hand reached out and handed over a ninja ID and a scroll for returning to the village to report for duty.

The chunin guarding the gate took it, opened it, and his gaze immediately sharpened as he looked at the person who had entered.

He's not very tall, only a little over 1.6 meters. Of course, considering his age, he's already considered tall among his peers.

Although the Sarutobi clan members are as hairy as monkeys, he is only nine years old and still a child, at the age when he is growing taller. Therefore, he is rather thin. Instead of wearing a green vest, he is wearing a dark olive green stand-up collar tactical long trench coat, with a tight black sleeveless turtleneck underneath. He looks more mature than his age, but looking at his slightly immature face, his maturity is not that great.

Upon hearing the Chunin's words, Asuma was visibly taken aback, his gaze shifting to him. "Master? Am I that big?!"

“Uh…” The Chunin looked somewhat embarrassed, but the other said, “Lord Asuma may be young, but your deeds at the border have already spread far and wide. You will definitely be promoted to Jonin this time. Calling you ‘Lord’ is perfectly acceptable.” As he spoke, he handed the scroll in his hand to Asuma and made way for the door.

"Heh, you certainly know how to talk." Asma chuckled, unmoved by the change in his status and the villagers' perception of him.

He was an emperor, unified the country, suppressed all other schools of thought, and exclusively promoted Confucianism. He even served as an official in the Heavenly Court. How could he possibly feel anything if he was just called "sir" in such a small village?
After entering the gates of Konoha, Asuma quickened his pace and arrived at the Hokage Building. This time, he had caused a huge stir on the border. His surname was Sarutobi, but he didn't want to be watched like a monkey.

Upon entering the Hokage's office, I was choked by the smoke filling the room.

"What's wrong? Are you thinking of killing yourself?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, put down his pipe, and looked Asuma up and down. "You'll be a Jonin soon, so don't be so sarcastic. You're still young. Although you've already proven your strength, you should remain humble. That's how you gain respect."

"Heh...!" Asuma chuckled, found a chair, and sat down. "You brought me back just for this?!"

“A nine-year-old Jonin, even with enough achievements, is still quite astonishing, so from now on, you must be careful with your words and actions.” Hiruzen Sarutobi ignored Asuma’s attitude and spoke to himself, “Also, your S-rank Lightning Release was kept very secret, even I didn’t know about it.”

"It's just a ninjutsu."

"A ninjutsu capable of annihilating a tailed beast, and that's all?"

“That’s not important,” Asuma said. “I heard you’re going to let the Ninja Academy students graduate early?!” At this, Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned slightly. “Something’s happened in the Sand Village. Their Kazekage is missing, and now it seems they’re trying to pin the blame on us. The front lines are stretched thin, and we don’t have enough manpower, so…!”

"So you're doing this kind of grave-digging?!" Asuma sneered. "You've completely forgotten the original purpose of the First Hokage in establishing Konoha, sending a bunch of eight- or nine-year-old kids to the battlefield? You're really something as Hokage."

Asuma's words made Hiruzen Sarutobi blush. "What nonsense are you talking about? This matter concerns the survival of Konoha. Once the Sand Village starts moving, it won't just be a matter for one village. It will trigger a chain reaction. At that time, the situation facing Konoha will be very difficult. Letting them adapt in advance will improve their survival rate on the battlefield in the future."

"That's just like a song." Asuma made no attempt to hide his disdain. "How could there be a shortage of manpower? Putting aside everything else, how many unregistered ninjas does our Sarutobi clan have? What about the Shimura clan? And the Utatane clan and the Mitomon clan? Add them all together and you could form an army, right? And that's just the Hokage's faction. What about the other ninja clans? Uchiha, Hyuga, Ino-Shika-Cho... I don't believe they don't have unregistered ninja soldiers. With so many ninjas not going to the battlefield, and the students at the academy graduating early, what were you thinking?"

"Nonsense! Don't you know that the ninja armies of each clan are the foundation of their families? They will never be mobilized unless absolutely necessary, and..."

"So, the purpose of creating the Ninja Academy is to produce a large number of civilian cannon fodder, right?" Asuma said. "Hokage, no one is stupid. If so many children who graduated early are sent to the battlefield, your image will be ruined."

"Aren't you the same? You're the Hokage's son, and I sent you to the battlefield when you were only six. What else can anyone say?"

"Hiss..." Asuma gasped. This conversation has landed on me? But the problem is, am I comparable to those ordinary people? You're comparing me to those ordinary people at school? Are you trying to crush them?

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi's words were not without merit. As the Hokage, he set an example by sending his six-year-old son to the border battlefield. And this wasn't just for show; his son genuinely distinguished himself and made significant contributions. In just two years, this six-year-old boy rose through the ranks three times, from a student expelled from the Ninja Academy to a Genin, then to a Chunin for his meritorious service. Now, at only nine years old, he has already defeated a Jinchuriki from Kumogakure and is about to be promoted to Jonin...

This effectively shut everyone up.

If you're so capable, why don't you go and do it yourself? If you're so good, why don't you send your six-year-old son to the border battlefield and see if he can survive a mission?
Seeing Asuma speechless, Hiruzen Sarutobi finally laughed. "Alright, don't worry. Even if you graduate early, you won't be sent to the front lines. Students who graduate early will be assigned to logistics and medical positions, not to perform missions on the front lines..."

“Logistics and medical care are the most vulnerable areas,” Asma said. “How about this, we’ll form them into a separate team, and I’ll lead it.”

"Hmm?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

“They are the future of Konoha, and so am I. It’s better to build good relationships with them now than to cram at the last minute, right?” Asuma said. “I’ll be assigned a logistics position. I’ve been in the spotlight lately, so it’s good to lay low for a while and avoid becoming a thorn in someone’s side again, so they won’t try to sabotage me.”

Mentioning this matter, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes narrowed. "We've almost finished investigating your team's leak. It was a Root ninja, but he's dead, so there's no way to verify it..."

"So don't go looking for trouble with Danzo, right?" Asuma sneered. "Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. But you should also tell him not to let me see any Root members in the village, otherwise he'll lose face."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his pipe, took a light puff, and said softly, "I'll handle it."

(End of this chapter)