Chapter 1/5 - Preview of Naruto: Stronger With Every Sip

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Chapter 1: Chapter 1 : Hobbies: Drinking Alcohol and Cutting People!

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"Alright class, the Three Basic Jutsu are..."

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp— Ahh!

Sunlight streamed into the Konoha Ninja Academy classroom.

Shūichi Tanaka, the Chūnin instructor responsible for teaching the elite class, was writing on the blackboard.

Hearing the distinct gulping sounds behind him, his cheek twitched uncontrollably.

I know I might get cut down for this, but as a teacher, I just can't stand it anymore!

A vein throbbed on Mr. Tanaka's forehead as he spun around, roaring—

"Jin!!! No drinking during class!"

The entire classroom fell silent instantly. All eyes focused on the figure downing a bottle of booze.

"Is... is the teacher crazy?? Did he seriously just scold Jin?"

"Did he forget what happened to our last teacher? Doesn't he still have check-ups at the hospital now and then?"

"It's over. The teacher's gonna get cut down, isn't he?"

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Cold sweat broke out on many students in the class. They looked fearfully at the figure—the undisputed king of this classroom.

"Gulp— Gulp— Gulp— Hah? Whaddya say?"

Jin was already a bit tipsy. He let out a drunken hiccup, his eyes slightly hazy.

"Er, I mean, could you please not drink? You're still young, after all. Drinking isn't good for your health."

Mr. Tanaka shuddered as Jin's gaze fell upon him.

Impulsive! I was too impulsive!!! Why can't I ever fix this impulsive habit?

This kid, Jin, was an out-and-out little drunkard!

He'd heard Jin had been clutching a wine bottle since he was two and hadn't stopped since.

And most importantly—this kid's strength was terrifying!!!

Putting aside his drinking problem, Jin was undeniably a super genius!

Even the renowned prodigy Kakashi Hatake, who had already graduated early, was no match for this kid.

Mr. Tanaka still remembered Jin's words during introductions when he first took over the class.

"My name is Jin. My hobbies are drinking and... cutting people down."

Jin had slurred slightly, already tipsy even then.

The crucial point was—Mr. Tanaka wasn't originally supposed to teach the elite class.

The previous teacher was currently on extended medical leave, needing periodic hospital check-ups.

It wasn't just physical injuries; there were significant psychological issues too.

The reason? That teacher had once knocked Jin's bottle over. And then—he got cut down by Jin!

One slash—just a single slash!

That teacher, an Elite Chūnin, was severely wounded.

More painful than the physical wounds was the unacceptable fact that he, an Elite Chūnin instructor, had been gravely injured by his own student with a single cut!

And back then, Jin had only just turned six.

Now, Jin was already eight years old. Who knew how strong the kid was now?!

If Jin lost control and accidentally cut him down for real, there'd be nowhere to even complain!

"Stop drinking??"

Jin grinned, bringing the bottle back to his lips.

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp—

["Ding! Detected Host drinking to a state of Pleasure. Swordsmanship Insight +1."]

["Ding! Detected Host drinking to a state of Haze. Chakra +1."]

["Ding! Detected Host drinking to a state of Excitement. Constitution +1."]

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Yes, Jin was a transmigrator, bound to a system called the Dionysus System.

As long as he drank, he got stronger!!!

However, what Jin found a bit strange was that besides increasing basic stats like Chakra and Constitution, all other points gained from drinking were channeled into Swordsmanship Insight.

Not that it was a bad thing—cutting people down felt incredibly satisfying.

Just like Jin had said in his introduction—his hobbies were drinking and cutting people down!

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp—

Jin drank deeply, and the bottle was quickly emptied.

"Huh? Is it gone?"

Jin widened his eyes, trying to peer into the bottle to see if any liquor remained.

But his hand didn't seem to obey him, wobbling so much he couldn't get the bottle in front of his eyes.

"Damn it, hold still."

Jin mumbled, using his left hand to forcibly grip his right hand holding the bottle, trying to bring it into view.

"Ugh..."

Mr. Tanaka's face darkened. From his perspective, it was clearly Jin himself wobbling all over the place, making it impossible to see inside the bottle.

"Um, Jin... I have a bottle of wine here."

A cute girl with wavy dark hair and red eyes quietly tugged at Jin's sleeve.

Her pretty face flushed slightly as she sneakily took out a bottle and handed it to Jin.

Seeing the alcohol, Jin's hazy eyes instantly lit up, and he snatched it.

"Hm? Well now, aren't you a cute one? Care to join me for a drink?"

Jin turned his head, grinned at Kurenai Yūhi, and with a surprised yelp from her, pulled her close beside him.

"Ji-Jin..."

Kurenai's beautiful eyes were filled with shyness. Looking at Jin's handsome face, her own face turned crimson.

She took a deep breath, catching Jin's scent, a look of fascination in her red eyes.

"Jin!!! Drinking in class is one thing, but hitting on female classmates too?! I can't take this anymore!"

Not far away, a young boy who looked a bit older than his age saw this scene, slammed his desk, and shot to his feet, shouting furiously.

It was none other than the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma Sarutobi.

"Huh? Who the hell are you? Don't interrupt me drinking with this young lady. Careful, or I'll cut you down."

Meeting Asuma's furious glare, Jin narrowed his eyes, his right hand gently brushing Kurenai's cheek.

"Bastard!"

Asuma couldn't hold back any longer. Clenching his fists, he charged toward Jin.

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Chapter 2 : Black Blade—Shūsui

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"Asuma!"

"Has Asuma lost his mind??"

"He's definitely going to get cut down! What should we do?"

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Seeing Asuma charge at Jin, the classroom erupted in chaos.

Who was Jin? He was the guy who had severely injured their previous teacher with a single slash.

Even Kakashi Hatake—hailed as one of the greatest geniuses since the founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy, the son of the "White Fang of Konoha" who surpassed the Sannin during the Second Great Ninja War—had once suffered a crushing defeat at Jin's hands.

Although Asuma was the Third Hokage's son, when it came to strength, he wasn't even in the same league as Jin.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the dangerous glint appearing in Jin's eyes, Mr. Tanaka panicked.

If Jin actually cut Asuma down, how would he explain it to the Third Hokage?

"Hm?"

Jin narrowed his eyes, released Kurenai, and drew a sword from his side.

It was a standard Japanese katana, with a blade length of about 80 centimeters and a width of about 1.6 centimeters.

Vmm—

"Th-This is?"

Mr. Tanaka, who had been about to intervene, froze mid-step. The look he gave Jin changed instantly.

Holding the sword hilt, Jin's entire aura transformed dramatically.

If just moments ago he was a little drunkard obsessed with booze—

Now, Jin was an utterly terrifying demon.

Asuma, caught in Jin's gaze, stopped abruptly. His slightly mature-looking face was now filled with terror.

From his perspective, Jin looked like a demon right now, pinning him with that demonic stare.

Asuma felt like helpless prey laid out on a cutting board, with nowhere to run.

Swish—

"No! Jin!"

Under Mr. Tanaka's horrified watch, Jin gripped the hilt and swung down hard at Asuma.

"I-It's over!"

Fear filled Asuma's eyes, and cold sweat instantly drenched his body.

At this moment, he was overwhelmed with regret.

Why had he been so impulsive? Why had seeing Kurenai pulled into Jin's arms made him lose his mind and charge?

He knew perfectly well Jin was a terrifying monster, that he was no match for him.

"Am... am I going to die?"

Asuma shut his eyes in despair, then felt a sharp, intense pain course through his body.

Splurch!

As the entire class watched in horror, Asuma was seemingly sliced in half, blood splattering everywhere.

"Aaaah!!!"

"Asuma?!"

"It's over! Asuma was killed by Jin!!!"

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The classroom descended into utter panic, everyone staring fearfully at Jin.

Pop—

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp— Ahh!

Jin held the sword hilt in his right hand and the wine Kurenai had given him in his left. With a slight clench of his teeth, he bit the cap off the bottle and started drinking freely.

"Are you guys drunk too? I didn't even draw my sword."

Jin burst out laughing, his face once again flushed with drunkenness.

"Huh? Wh-What..."

The students rubbed their eyes. Looking closely, they saw it was true—the sword Jin held was still in its sheath.

And Asuma slumped to the ground, completely unharmed.

"H-How? I clearly saw..."

Mr. Tanaka rubbed his eyes vigorously, his face etched with disbelief.

He swore he hadn't seen wrong just now. From his perspective, Jin had definitely cut Asuma in half with one slash, blood spraying everywhere.

The reactions of the other students confirmed it—from everyone's viewpoint, Asuma had absolutely been cut down by Jin.

But what was happening now? Jin hadn't even drawn his sword, and Asuma was unharmed.

"C-Could it be? G-Genjutsu?"

Mr. Tanaka stared at Jin, utterly shocked.

There was only one explanation—the power of Genjutsu.

But Jin was only eight years old! And he already possessed unparalleled talent in swordsmanship.

Could his Genjutsu now be so advanced that even an Elite Chūnin like himself could fall for it?

Besides, could anyone even use Genjutsu while drunk?!

If Jin knew what Mr. Tanaka was thinking, he would have definitely laughed out loud and downed a couple more drinks.

That wasn't something like Genjutsu; it was a fusion of Swordsmanship and sheer presence.

"I... I survived?"

Asuma opened his eyes, his body limp on the floor, staring at his hands in disbelief.

Just moments ago, he swore he truly felt himself being cut down by Jin.

That searing pain, that despair of death—it couldn't have been mistaken.

But why...?

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp— Ahh!

Jin tilted the bottle back, drinking deeply, and let out a satisfied sigh.

——

["Ding! Detected Host stunned everyone while intoxicated. Reward: Black Blade, Shūsui! Reward has been placed in the Host's home."]

——

The system notification echoed in Jin's mind.

"A sword? Nice. Shūsui... that name sounds familiar. What was it again?"

Jin pondered drowsily through hazy eyes.

"Who cares? Why waste brainpower thinking about it? Isn't the booze good enough?"

After barely two seconds of thought, Jin dismissed it.

"Hey, you bastard, get lost already. Having you here is making it hard to enjoy my drink."

Jin looked at Asuma, still slumped on the floor in front of him, and waved his hand dismissively.

"Get moving, or I'll cut you down for real this time."

Hearing Jin's words, Asuma's eyes filled with terror.

Finding strength from who-knows-where, his limp body jolted, and he scrambled back to his seat, practically crawling over himself to get away.

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Chapter 3 : Rin: Obito, Don't Disturb Jin!

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"Alright, class, the Three Basic Jutsu are..."

Gulp— Gulp— Gulp—

Shūichi Tanaka continued writing on the blackboard.

But no one was paying attention to the lesson anymore.

Every few moments, all eyes drifted towards the figure freely drinking.

The boys watched with a mixture of fear and grudging respect.

Among the girls, some were afraid, but others watched with eyes full of admiration.

It was simple, really—despite Jin being a heavy drinker, he was incredibly handsome.

He had messy black hair and narrow eyes that looked slightly hazy from the alcohol.

Though still young, his perfect features already held the girls' gazes captive.

Strangely enough, while heavy drinking usually made people look haggard—

Jin only seemed to get better-looking the more he drank.

Jin attributed this to the effects of his Dionysus System.

Not that Jin cared much; appearances didn't matter. When you had time to worry about looks, wasn't it better to have a couple more drinks?

Ring ring ring—

Just then, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Mr. Tanaka let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Alright class, dismissed! Be careful on your way home."

After that hasty announcement, Mr. Tanaka practically fled the classroom.

"Hey man, let's go! My mom's calling me home for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah, I just remembered too! Let's bounce, quick!"

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After a few brief exchanges like this, the boys in the class practically escaped the room.

Even most of the girls left quickly.

The reason? Seeing Jin's obviously intoxicated state, even the girls who were crushing on him were afraid he might go on a drunken rampage.

Other people might just stumble around or break things when drunk; Jin, however, started cutting people down.

As for Asuma, whose nerve had been utterly broken by Jin, he had covered his face and bolted the moment the bell rang.

In front of everyone, he had charged Jin recklessly, only for Jin to not even unsheathe his sword before he collapsed in terror.

As the son of the Third Hokage, Asuma felt intensely ashamed.

Right now, all he wanted was to leave this place of humiliation and go home to nurse his wounded pride.

"Rin, let's walk home together."

Obito Uchiha nervously approached Rin Nohara, head bowed, face beet red.

"Um..."

After waiting a long moment without a response, Obito looked up—only to see Rin walking towards Jin.

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"Here's to us! Forget all the worries... only booze and... uh... poetry remain..."

Clearly quite drunk, Jin rambled nonsensically, vaguely recalling lines from his past life.

"J-Jin-kun? Are you alright?"

Kurenai Yūhi came up beside Jin, her red eyes filled with concern.

Jin-kun was obviously drunk; she couldn't even understand what he was saying.

"Jin-kun, you've had too much to drink."

Rin Nohara reached Jin's other side, her small hands steadying his swaying body, her voice laced with worry.

"Well, hello there! Two pretty little ladies. Care for a drink with me?"

Jin looked up, saw Kurenai and Rin, and a grin spread across his face.

As he spoke, his hands snaked out, pulling both girls into his arms before they could react, their expressions stunned.

"J-Jin-kun."

Held in Jin's embrace, both Kurenai and Rin looked flustered.

It wasn't that they were entirely unwilling, but...

Kurenai and Rin glanced at each other, now face-to-face, their eyes holding complex emotions.

Hoo— Hoo—

Just as Kurenai and Rin were about to say something, the soft sound of breathing reached them.

They looked up—Jin had actually fallen asleep.

"Rin! Jin, you bastard!"

Obito stared blankly as the girl of his dreams was pulled into Jin's arms.

Then, fury erupted. Ignoring the vast difference in strength between himself and Jin, he was about to charge forward recklessly.

"What are you doing?! Go away!"

Rin, still in Jin's arms, hissed in a low voice, glaring daggers at Obito.

"Rin, b-but..."

Seeing the anger in Rin's eyes, Obito froze.

"Just go away! And be quiet! Don't wake Jin-kun up."

Gack—!

Obito stood rooted to the spot.

Seeing Rin's angry glare, hearing her words—

Obito suddenly felt like crying.

He was trying to save Rin from being harassed by Jin!

And Rin was annoyed with him, worried he might wake Jin up?

"What are you still standing here for? Hurry up and leave! What if you wake Jin-kun?"

Rin frowned impatiently.

"I... I get it."

Obito bit his lip, turned, and slowly started walking towards the classroom door.

"Obito, quieter footsteps."

Just then, Rin's voice reached Obito's ears again. He flinched but obeyed, each step taken with extreme care.

His retreating figure looked utterly desolate.

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Chapter 4 : A Girl's Heart!

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Jin's House

"Ugh, kinda thirsty."

Jin groggily opened his eyes, feeling his lips were a bit dry.

"Jin-kun, water."

"Thanks."

Seeing a slender hand holding a glass of water out to him, Jin subconsciously took it and downed it in one go.

Gulp— Gulp—

The cool water going down cleared Jin's head instantly.

"Kurenai? Rin? What are you two doing here?"

Jin looked at the two girls in front of him in surprise, instinctively glancing around.

Yep, this was definitely his place.

"Um, you were drunk, Jin-kun, so Rin and I brought you back together," Kurenai explained softly, her pretty face flushing slightly.

"Ah, is that so? Haha, thanks for the trouble."

Jin scratched his head, smiling.

"W-Well, Jin, it's good that you're awake. We should probably head home now."

Rin pointed towards the window— it was already pitch black outside.

"I'll walk you guys."

Jin looked out at the dark window and stood up.

"No, no need! You just rest, Jin!"

Unexpectedly, both Kurenai and Rin quickly shook their little heads, hastily put on their shoes, and practically fled Jin's house.

Bang—

Hearing the door close, Jin blinked, somewhat perplexed.

Is booze not good enough? Why bother trying to figure out girls' minds?

After less than three seconds of contemplation, Jin mentally scolded himself harshly.

"Speaking of which, feels like I forgot something?"

Jin tried to recall while scanning the room.

"Hm? Found it. This is it."

Suddenly, Jin's gaze locked onto a katana leaning against the wall, a flicker of joy in his eyes.

He walked over and drew the katana from its sheath.

Shing—

A breathtakingly cold light flashed. The blade was black-purple, its temper line an irregular, large, reversed choji pattern, adorned with red, sawtooth-like designs.

"Heavy."

Jin tried swinging it experimentally, feeling a weight that seemed disproportionate to its slender form.

Swish— Swish— Shing—

As he swung it, the black blade sang through the air.

"Black Blade — Shūsui."

Joy filled Jin's eyes.

As he swung the sword, memories surfaced in his mind.

This Black Blade—Shūsui—was the reward he received in class for terrifying Asuma into collapse with sheer presence, stunning everyone.

This sword was one of the 21 Great Grade Swords (Ō Wazamono Nijūikkō) from the world of One Piece.

Furthermore, it was the only known Black Blade among the Great Grade Swords, revered as a national treasure of Wano Country.

It possessed incredible toughness—even a dragon standing on it couldn't bend Shūsui in the slightest.

Its former wielder, Ryuma, famously used Shūsui to slay a dragon, earning worldwide fame.

Later, Ryuma entrusted Shūsui to Zoro, and it became the strongest of Zoro's three swords at the time.

The only other famous Black Blade was Yoru, one of the 12 Supreme Grade Swords (Saijō Ō Wazamono), wielded by Hawk Eyes Mihawk.

So-called Black Blades were peerless swords forged only after their wielders continuously tempered them with Armament Haki (Busōshoku Haki) through countless battles.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Black Blade—Shūsui was absolutely among the very top tier of the 21 Great Grade Swords.

Some even speculated that Shūsui, having become a Black Blade, might not be inferior even to the Supreme Grade Swords.

It was a peerless blade dreamed of by countless swordsmen.

And its magnificent appearance was something Jin also greatly admired.

"This really is a fine sword."

The more Jin looked at Shūsui, the more he liked it. He took out a cloth specifically for wiping swords and began to clean it meticulously.

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Meanwhile, on a street in Konoha.

"Rin, you..."

After leaving Jin's house, Kurenai and Rin walked in silence for a long time.

Finally, Kurenai couldn't hold back anymore. She stopped, her red eyes looking at Rin with complex emotions, and spoke softly.

"That's right. I like Jin."

Rin stopped walking, met Kurenai's red gaze, and stated seriously.

"Can I ask why? I remember you and Jin-kun haven't interacted much."

Kurenai looked at Rin, asking earnestly.

"Because Jin is the best."

A look of adoration suddenly appeared in Rin's eyes.

Although Jin loved to drink, it couldn't hide his handsome features.

More importantly, Jin was hailed as one of the top geniuses since the founding of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Even Kakashi Hatake—the highly anticipated son of the White Fang, who entered the academy with them—was defeated by Jin.

And at only eight years old, he could severely injure a Chūnin instructor with a single slash.

Though graduation was still far off—

He was already recognized as the Strongest Genius in the Ninja Academy.

And Rin admired strength above all else.

"Is that so?"

Kurenai's expression was complicated, but it quickly firmed with resolve.

"I won't just hand Jin-kun over to you easily."

Kurenai's gaze was incredibly determined.

"Then why do you like Jin?"

Rin looked at Kurenai, puzzled.

She had been classmates with Kurenai for a while, and though they didn't interact much—

Rin could sense that Kurenai wasn't the type to be swayed solely by Jin's dazzling strength.

So why...?

"Never mind that! Anyway, from now on, we're rivals."

Unexpectedly, Kurenai's pretty face suddenly flushed red. She let out a sharp retort and then ran off as if escaping.

"What was that about..."

Rin murmured, watching Kurenai's retreating figure.

"Hmph, no matter what, I won't give Jin up to you."

Rin clenched her small fists, psyching herself up, and started walking towards home.

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"Huff... Huff..."

After running some distance, Kurenai stopped, leaning on her knees and panting slightly.

"Jin-kun."

Kurenai twitched her cute nose, feeling as though she could still smell that intoxicating scent, her gaze becoming somewhat hazy.

Unlike Rin, the reason Kurenai liked—no, 'was infatuated with' would be more accurate—

The reason she was infatuated with Jin was because Kurenai had a natural fondness for alcohol.

However, being young, Kurenai naturally didn't drink.

She discovered her fondness for alcohol because Jin drank in class.

Every time she caught the scent of alcohol, Kurenai loved it.

But that wasn't the most important part.

The crucial thing was, for some reason, Jin's entire body emitted a unique aroma of alcohol.

This scent was very special—unlike the nauseating stench of ordinary drunks, it had no impurities, only a rich, mellow fragrance.

This utterly captivated Kurenai.

"Jin-kun, I definitely won't lose."

Kurenai clenched her small fists, murmuring with determination.

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Chapter 5 : The Third Hokage's Memories

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Home of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi

"Is Asuma still refusing to come out?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi, wearing his official Hokage robes—looking quite different from the old man seen at the start of the main story, still in his prime—took a drag from his pipe and asked calmly.

"I don't know what's gotten into him. He locked himself in his room as soon as he got home today. Won't eat, won't come out."

Hiruzen's wife, Biwako Sarutobi, replied with a hint of helplessness.

"Is that so? I'll go see him."

A trace of weariness showed on Hiruzen's face. He had just finished his administrative duties and returned home from the Hokage Tower.

As the Third Hokage, and more importantly, as Asuma's father—

He had already been briefed by the Chūnin instructor in charge of the elite class. The teacher had rushed to the Hokage Office immediately after class ended to report what happened at the Ninja Academy today.

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Inside Asuma's Room

"D-Damn it! How could I...?"

Asuma had buried himself completely under his covers, his body trembling uncontrollably, eyes filled with deep fear.

His mind kept replaying the events from class.

The moment Jin's eyes fixed on him, it felt like being targeted by a demon—utterly hopeless, with no escape.

Afterward, although he didn't know exactly what happened, the feeling of death itself made Asuma shudder even now just thinking about it.

Knock— Knock—

The sound of knocking made Asuma jump violently, cold sweat breaking out instantly.

"Who is it?!"

Asuma squeaked like a frightened rabbit, his voice high-pitched.

"Asuma, it's me."

The Third Hokage's voice came through the door, gradually calming Asuma's frayed nerves.

Click—

"F-Father."

Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, Asuma first felt a sense of relief, followed quickly by shame as he lowered his head.

Usually rebellious, he now felt ashamed to even face his father.

As the son of the Third Hokage, although Asuma intensely disliked being defined by that title—

He couldn't deny that it had instilled a certain pride in his young heart.

But facing Jin, who came from an ordinary background, he didn't even have the courage to stand up to him.

Jin hadn't even drawn his sword, yet he had collapsed in terror.

Utterly humiliated in front of everyone.

This was unacceptable for Asuma, who came from a prestigious clan.

"Asuma, why didn't you come out for dinner?"

Hiruzen, usually somewhat strict with Asuma, saw the panic in his son's eyes, and his expression softened.

He asked with concern.

"F-Father, I..."

Asuma stammered, unable to articulate what happened, the fear in his eyes intensifying as the memories returned.

"Here, sit down and tell me slowly."

Hiruzen gently placed a hand on Asuma's shoulder, patting it lightly, his voice soft.

"Okay..."

The usually rebellious Asuma was surprisingly docile now. He nodded and slowly sat down.

Under Hiruzen's comforting presence, Asuma gradually returned to normal and slowly recounted the events of the day's class.

"Haaaah... Jin, is it?"

Hiruzen slowly exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes filled with reminiscence and nostalgia.

After a pause, Hiruzen temporarily pushed aside the memories.

He began to counsel Asuma.

Who was Hiruzen Sarutobi?

He was the Third Hokage. While perhaps not matching other Hokage in raw power, his political acumen was likely the greatest among all Hokage.

His philosophy of the "Will of Fire" had effectively rallied Konoha's younger generations, sometimes to the point of blind devotion.

With just a few words, he managed to lift Asuma's spirits somewhat.

However, the fear hidden deep within Asuma's heart could never truly disappear.

"Alright, go eat now. Don't make your mother worry."

Hiruzen saw that although Asuma seemed outwardly recovered, the fear lurking deep in his eyes remained. He sighed inwardly.

"Okay."

Thinking of his mother, Asuma nodded and slowly left the room.

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"Yūto... you raised a fine son."

After Asuma left, Hiruzen slowly walked to the window, looking up at the dark, starry sky, his expression complex.

A mix of nostalgia, joy, and sorrow.

Kimoku Yūto—he had been one of Hiruzen's most capable subordinates.

An Elite Jōnin, whose strength would still be considered top-tier even in present-day Konoha.

And Hiruzen had greatly admired this subordinate.

He had even personally chosen the name 'Jin'.

Unfortunately, during a secret mission, a misjudgment by Hiruzen had led to Kimoku Yūto's tragic death.

At that time, Jin's mother was still pregnant.

Upon hearing the news, overcome with grief, she suffered massive hemorrhaging during childbirth.

She passed away shortly after Jin was born.

And so, Jin, the son of an Elite Jōnin, became an orphan.

This filled Hiruzen with immense guilt towards Jin.

Therefore, Hiruzen had always paid close attention to Jin's upbringing.

When he discovered Jin was drinking, he even used the Transformation Jutsu to try and persuade him to stop.

But unfortunately, it had no effect.

Later, however, Hiruzen discovered that Jin possessed a very unique constitution.

Alcohol not only didn't harm Jin's body but actually helped increase his Chakra.

Thus, Hiruzen stopped interfering with Jin's drinking.

It was also because of this connection that Jin was able to enroll smoothly in the Ninja Academy.

Otherwise, just based on the drinking rule alone, Jin wouldn't have even been admitted.

The incident where Jin severely injured the previous teacher was also suppressed by Hiruzen.

That was how Jin remained unscathed.

"Yūto... I wonder if seeing Jin now would bring you joy, or..."

Hiruzen silently smoked his pipe, lost in thought for a long time.