“Wait a minute, even if the money wasn’t given to you, it’s still our family’s own money. How could it be considered a profit?” Asuma retorted after straightening out his thoughts.
“You’re quite smart,” Mokutsuki praised with a smile.
Though it was meant to be a compliment, Asuma felt a strange unease.
“In any case, you should go and resign. I don’t need a tutor,” Asuma declared, leaning against a tree and refusing to cooperate.
“If you don’t want my tutoring, you could just not follow me, or tell the Third Hokage that yourself,” Mokutsuki suggested.
“Do you think I’m stupid? If I did that, all the blame would fall on me,” Asuma said, lifting his chin proudly.
He didn’t really care about the Third Hokage, but he did worry about angering his mother, Biwako.
Mokutsuki nodded inwardly, acknowledging that Asuma wasn’t entirely foolish. If Mokutsuki resigned, citing Asuma’s non-cooperation, Asuma would indeed bear the brunt of the responsibility.
However, Mokutsuki had no intention of resigning. Handling a nine-year-old was too easy.
“Why are you so resistant to having a tutor?” Mokutsuki asked, not rushing to start training but instead continuing to chat.
“You wouldn’t understand,” Asuma said, shaking his head and looking as if he were beyond Mokutsuki’s comprehension.
“Why wouldn’t I? You just don’t like your father’s arrangements,” Mokutsuki said directly.
Given Asuma’s background and personality, it was easy to deduce why he was rebellious.
Asuma was talented, maybe not on par with the prodigies, but definitely a genius. He had clearly put in significant effort into his training, which Mokutsuki could tell from his well-established foundation.
However, being the Third Hokage’s son meant his hard work was often overshadowed by his father’s reputation. Any success would be attributed to his lineage, while any failure would draw criticism.
After graduating and becoming a ninja, Asuma felt he was an adult, but his father hiring a tutor made him feel belittled.
“You only see the surface,” Asuma maintained his stance until Mokutsuki’s following words struck a nerve.
“Isn’t it frustrating to work so hard, only to be reduced to ‘the Third Hokage’s son’?” Mokutsuki asked with a smile.
Asuma’s face changed dramatically, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and astonishment. He had never voiced these thoughts, yet Mokutsuki had hit the nail on the head, making him feel exposed.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Asuma said, still trying to deny it, though his fidgeting hands betrayed his anxiety.
“If you want to prove yourself, you should accept the tutoring and strengthen yourself. Use your power to show your true worth,” Mokutsuki continued.
“Because, right now, you’re far from being outstanding,” Mokutsuki stated bluntly.
Having his inner thoughts exposed and his abilities outright dismissed, Asuma was provoked. He argued, “I was often first in my year at the Ninja Academy. How can you say I’m not outstanding?”
Mokutsuki smiled and said, “I bet you couldn’t even beat a first-year Academy student.”
Asuma was taken aback. Beating a first-year student should be easy for him. Even if it were Kakashi from his first year, he wouldn’t be afraid.
“Go ahead, find someone. If I lose, I’ll follow your instructions without complaint,” Asuma declared.
“And if I win, you have to resign,” he added.
“It’s a deal,” Mokutsuki said, smiling.
Mokutsuki then sent out a shadow clone to bring Shisui over.
Asuma eyed Shisui and felt confident Mokutsuki wasn’t lying. Shisui did look like a first-year student.
“He’s Uchiha Shisui, one of my students, and he’s six years old and just started at the Academy.”
“And he’s Sarutobi Asuma, a newly graduated genin.”
Mokutsuki introduced them.
“Uchiha Shisui, huh? Listen, if you can’t keep up, just give up quickly to avoid getting hurt. I won’t hold back,” Asuma warned.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Sarutobi-senpai,” Shisui replied seriously.
“Begin!” Mokutsuki announced once they were ready.
As soon as Mokutsuki’s voice fell, Asuma charged forward, swinging his fists at Shisui.
Shisui remained calm and met Asuma head-on, engaging in close combat.
They exchanged blows continuously, and despite Asuma’s larger build, he gained no advantage.
Asuma’s face changed. He had realized Shisui wasn’t simple after the first few exchanges but hadn’t expected him to be this tough.
Not only did he fail to gain the upper hand, but his impatience to secure an advantage allowed Shisui to seize an opportunity. Shisui’s Leaf Whirlwind kick sent Asuma back three meters.
However, Shisui didn’t press the attack. Mokutsuki had instructed him to comprehensively defeat Asuma.
Being kicked back three meters in a taijutsu match by a first-year student was humiliating for Asuma, even with only Mokutsuki watching.
Face red with anger, Asuma ignored why Shisui hadn’t followed up. His only thought was to defeat Shisui, regain his pride, and prove himself.
“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” Asuma quickly formed seals, releasing a large burst of flames.
“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!” Shisui also formed seals, channeling a massive amount of chakra into his mouth and releasing it in a fiery burst.
The two fireballs collided, but Shisui’s larger, more powerful flames quickly overwhelmed Asuma’s, continuing towards him.
Asuma was stunned, standing still as the fireball approached. He couldn’t believe he was losing so badly to a first-year student.
Dominated in both taijutsu and ninjutsu, Asuma felt a deep sense of self-doubt. Was he really nothing but the Third Hokage’s son?
Feeling the heat of the flames, Asuma snapped back to reality and tried to dodge, but he wasn’t quick enough.
Just then, Mokutsuki intervened, releasing a burst of chakra and forming seals.
“Water Style: Water Wall!”
A thick wall of water appeared in front of Asuma, blocking the massive fireball.
“Sensei…” Asuma began.
(This chapter ends)
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