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Yuhi Shinko furrowed his brows. "You are not very old. Smoking is harmful to your health. A shinobi must learn to cherish his body."
As he spoke, he snatched the cigarette from Kifu's mouth. Under the boy's watchful gaze, Shinko placed it in his own mouth. He took a deep puff and slowly exhaled, surrounding himself in a cloud of smoke.
"..."
So much for being 'harmful to health.'
It seemed that the mouths of men were truly like lying ghosts.
Kifu could only take out another cigarette and light it again.
Neither of them spoke further. The two of them sat in silence, each taking puffs of their own cigarettes. They did not seem to care that the unconscious Imai Kuriyama was nearby, his brow twitching slightly in his sleep.
It was often said that the bond between men was forged by carrying guns together, attending school together, and sharing a smoke together.
This was a perfect example.
Yuhi Shinko found Kifu more and more agreeable to his eyes.
The boy knew how to protect his comrades, how to complete missions, how to endure pain, and even how to enjoy a smoke.
For a moment, Shinko wondered if the reason Yuhi Kurenai would like Asuma in the future was because Asuma used smoking to 'bribe' her father.
Once the cigarette was finished, Kifu spoke up.
"Shinko-senpai, I have recovered enough. We should hurry back." Kifu felt his spirits return. Although his body still ached, the nicotine had numbed the pain significantly.
"You know who I am?" Yuhi Shinko asked with some surprise.
Kifu lowered his head and rubbed his chin. "Asuma and I are friends. Asuma and Yuhi Kurenai are also friends, so..."
"Asuma?" Yuhi Shinko frowned.
With the intuition of a protective father, he vaguely felt that the word 'friend' in Kifu's mouth carried a deeper meaning.
Kifu could only offer a silent three-minute prayer for Asuma in his heart.
'Who told your old man to make things difficult for me?'
'I am a body collector. I do not let a grudge last through the night!'
**Chapter 15: I Am a Salted Fish**
It was noon the next day when they returned to Konoha.
Kifu used his injuries as an excuse to quickly finish the mission handover. After delivering the three bodies of the Konoha shinobi to the Intelligence Department, he left.
The Intelligence Department would extract information from the corpses eventually, and the bodies would find their way back to his hands anyway.
He was in no hurry.
When Yuhi Shinko and Sarutobi Hiruzen asked about the Earth Style expert who had killed Kaguya Senjin, Kifu claimed to know nothing. He simply stated that he had fallen unconscious and was unaware of the details.
As he watched Kifu's retreating back, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep draw from his pipe. The sight made Yuhi Shinko feel a bit restless beside him.
"Shinko."
"Yes?" Yuhi Shinko blinked.
"Was it truly not him?"
Yuhi Shinko smiled. "Kifu is a good kid, but he definitely cannot reach that level. He might have killed that Chunin from the Hidden Mist, but as for Kaguya Senjin..."
He shook his head.
Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a light laugh. "Perhaps you are right. As I get older, I tend to overthink things. I truly wish that Konoha could produce another genius like that right now."
These were troubled times.
The various Hidden Villages were becoming increasingly restless. The Hidden Mist had been particularly brazen with this test, all to probe the foundations of Konoha.
Thinking of powerful experts made him think of the deceased 'Konoha's White Fang,' Hatake Sakumo.
If Hatake Sakumo were still alive, his strength alone could deter an entire village. The situation of Konoha would not be so precarious.
Although his three disciples—Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade—had become shinobi who could stand on their own, they were still a level below the deterrent power of Hatake Sakumo.
If Konoha could produce a few more experts capable of standing alone, his burden would be much lighter.
Yuhi Shinko understood the worries in the heart of the Hokage. He also had a thought that he had suppressed for a long time. This seemed like the right moment to bring it up.
"Hokage-sama, I have thought about it for a long time. I have decided to withdraw from the Anbu. I hope you will agree."
"Why?" Sarutobi Hiruzen was surprised.
The abilities of Yuhi Shinko were quite good, and his mission success rate was high. He was one of the few Anbu members the Hokage could truly rely on.
Yuhi Shinko pursed his lips. "I feel the oppressive environment of the Anbu does not suit me. Perhaps... I am more suited to teaching other shinobi. I want to provide fresh blood for Konoha and help them become powerful shinobi who can stand on their own. I want to pass my experience on to them."
"Oh? You think so?"
Yuhi Shinko nodded.
"Sending you to the Ninja Academy would be a waste of your talents. How about this? We will create a Ninja Training Camp. You will serve as the instructor. You will be responsible for teaching Genin and Chunin battlefield experience to reduce unnecessary casualties."
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly thought of a place where Yuhi Shinko could truly shine.
An experienced and powerful shinobi could indeed help the Genin and Chunin of Konoha avoid many deaths if they were willing to teach.
War was coming, so the timing was perfect.
"Yes!" Yuhi Shinko replied.
A thought crossed his mind, and he quickly added, "Hokage-sama, in order for the training camp to run better, I would like to ask you for someone."
"Who? Maruyama Kifu?"
"Yes!"
...
"What? A training camp? No. I do not want to. I am not going."
Hearing the words of Yuhi Shinko, Kifu, who was lying on a rocking chair to recover from his injuries, gave a quick triple refusal.
What kind of joke was this?
Did they want him to go to the training camp just to collect the bodies of those Genin and Chunin?