A Hero's Influence
In truth, Aoyama Ryuyun could only share a bit of his combat experience with Kurenai Yuhi.
He didn't cultivate chakra himself, nor did he practice ninjutsu in the conventional sense. Swordsmanship, chakra molding—those weren't things he could teach.
"Tch!"
Kurenai made a face at Tsunade, clearly not in the mood to argue.
"You little brat!" Tsunade grumbled, fists clenching. This old woman must've been blind to have ever taught you anything!
"Liu Yun-gege, I'm going in first!"
Sensing the dangerous aura coming from Tsunade, Kurenai quickly waved to Ryuyun and jogged toward the Academy gates.
Aoyama Ryuyun only smiled faintly. He was long used to their playful bickering. Turning to the Chunin instructor by the gate, he spoke evenly:
"During school hours, I'll trouble you to keep an eye on this girl, Yuhi."
"Yes, sir! Please rest assured, Golden Lion-sama. Yuhi's a very well-behaved child!"
Whether that was true or not, the Chunin wasn't about to risk saying otherwise.
Ryuyun nodded, satisfied, and turned away with Tsunade beside him.
---
Inside the Academy
Not long after entering, Kurenai found her closest friend, Mitarashi Anko.
"That's so nice, Kurenai! You had Liu Yun-sama and Lady Tsunade see you off?" Anko said, her eyes practically sparkling with envy.
If only she could experience something like that.
"Hehe!"
Kurenai smiled proudly. Her friend's envy made her feel even more accomplished.
Word spread quickly. The sight of the famed "Golden Lion" and Senju Tsunade accompanying a child to school had turned quite a few heads.
"Was that really Liu Yun-sama? He's incredible!"
"I heard he's the hero who defeated the One-Tailed Beast!"
"I think Lady Tsunade's even cooler!"
For the girls, Tsunade was an icon — strong, beautiful, and confident — the kind of kunoichi every young girl in Konoha admired.
Still, most of the chatter centered on Aoyama Ryuyun.
Not everyone, however, was impressed.
"Tch. What's so great about that?"
The dismissive voice came from the corner of the classroom.
"Didn't he just defeat the weakest Tailed Beast? I'll surpass him one day," said a boy with short brown hair, his expression smug.
"Asuma Sarutobi, what's that supposed to mean?"
Anko immediately slammed her hand on the desk and glared at him.
Asuma Sarutobi — son of the Third Hokage, only seven or eight years old but already with a streak of arrogance. Despite his claim of not wanting to rely on his father's status, he certainly enjoyed the privileges that came with it.
"So what if I said it?" Asuma shot back. "Aoyama Ryuyun's nothing special! I'll be stronger than him someday!"
Kurenai frowned. She knew Asuma liked her — he'd been trying to get her attention since their first day at the Academy. But she never returned the feeling.
And Asuma knew exactly who she admired: Aoyama Ryuyun.
That alone made him furious.
"Tch, you think you can compare to Liu Yun-sama?" Anko scoffed openly.
Kurenai was too polite to say it herself, but Anko never held back.
Hokage's son or not, she wasn't the type to be intimidated by status.
"You—!" Asuma's face flushed red.
He glanced toward Kurenai, expecting at least a hint of sympathy, but instead, she looked at him with quiet disappointment.
That made it worse.
"Why don't you go say that to his face?" Anko taunted, folding her arms. "Go on, tell Liu Yun-sama yourself that he's weak. Or don't you have the guts?"
"You—"
Asuma's throat tightened. The truth was, he didn't dare.
Even he wasn't foolish enough to provoke someone like Aoyama Ryuyun — not when Tsunade, the "Slug Princess," was always by his side.
But Anko's smirk cut deep.
"Just wait!" Asuma snapped, slamming his hand on the desk. "I'm still young, but I have the Sarutobi Clan behind me! You'll see!"
The class went quiet for a moment.
The Sarutobi Clan wasn't ancient like the Senju or Uchiha, but ever since Hiruzen became Hokage, its influence in Konoha had grown enormously.
Of course, that didn't impress Anko in the slightest.
"You mean you've got your daddy behind you," she said flatly.
Asuma's temper finally snapped. "Fine! I'll prove it right now!"
Before anyone could stop him, he stormed out of the classroom.
Kurenai blinked, speechless. "He's going to the Hokage's office, isn't he…?"
"Probably," Anko replied, yawning as if the situation didn't concern her.
"But don't worry," she added, waving off Kurenai's concern. "Liu Yun-sama's plenty strong, and Lady Tsunade's not someone even the Hokage would mess with."
Kurenai hesitated. "You really think so?"
"Definitely!" Anko said with full confidence. "Trust me, Asuma might be loud, but he's not suicidal."
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