After the three introduced themselves, Kihon Tōichi smiled and said, "Alright, that's it for today. Meet here tomorrow morning, and I'll take you to receive your first mission."
Before they could respond, he vanished, leaving Yamada Jumoku and Hon Yataka stunned.
They stared at the now-empty spot with blank expressions.
Yoruha sighed, shaking his head. "Looks teacher isn't very reliable."
"Jumoku, Yataka, see you tomorrow then."
With Kihon Tōichi gone, Yoruha didn't feel like staying either. However, just as he turned to leave, Yamada Jumoku called out to him.
"Wait, Yoruha! Today's our graduation day and the first day of our team. Shouldn't we celebrate?"
Before Yoruha could answer, Hon Yataka chimed in, "Yes! Let's go for barbecue. My treat, how about that?"
"Yoruha, we haven't really gotten to know you yet," she added, blinking her beautiful eyes at him.
Yoruha felt it hard to refuse.
"Uh, well, in that case, thank you, Yataka," he said awkwardly.
Though he suspected Hon Yataka was quite wealthy, it still felt a little inappropriate to let her treat them. After all, barbecue wasn't cheap in Konoha—it was far pricier than ramen.
Jumoku laughed and said, "Yoruha, don't feel bad. Yataka's father is one of Konoha's richest men. Her monthly allowance is equal to the reward for a B-rank mission!"
"Jumoku, if you keep saying that, I'll make you pay for everything yourself," Yataka retorted, clearly annoyed at the mention of her wealth.
Jumoku grinned, "Alright, alright, I won't say it anymore."
"Well, Yoruha, what do you think? Want to come?"
Yoruha was surprised to learn just how wealthy Hon Yataka was. He had guessed her family was well-off but hadn't expected this level of affluence.
A B-rank mission reward ranged from 80,000 to 200,000 ryo. Even at the minimum, her monthly allowance was enough to buy over 1,000 bowls of Ichiraku ramen.
In contrast, Yoruha's monthly living expenses were only 5,000 ryo, which already provided him a comfortable lifestyle.
Yataka's allowance was at least 16 times his living expenses.
Yoruha's lips twitched slightly as he thought, "The wealth gap really is massive."
With someone offering barbecue, Yoruha had no reason to refuse.
"Alright, let's go," he said with a smile.
They headed to Konoha's most famous barbecue restaurant, a popular gathering spot for ninjas.
As soon as they entered, a voice called out, "Yoruha, over here!"
Turning toward the voice, Yoruha saw that Ino and her team were also there.
Yoruha glanced at Hon Yataka, seeking her opinion.
She smiled and said, "Yoruha, you seem to have a good relationship with Ino."
"We just met today," Yoruha replied flatly, unsure what Yataka's comment meant.
Beside him, Jumoku shivered slightly. "Is Yataka jealous?" he wondered.
While Yoruha didn't understand Yataka well, Jumoku did. Though Yataka appeared gentle, she often had a sly, sarcastic streak.
Yataka smiled again after hearing Yoruha's answer. "Let's join them, then."
Yoruha had no objections, but Jumoku sensed trouble brewing.
"I hope this barbecue goes smoothly... though that seems unlikely," Jumoku thought grimly.
The three approached Ino's group, which included Shikamaru, Chōji, and their instructor, Asuma Sarutobi.
When Yoruha arrived near Ino, Yataka immediately sat between him and Ino, smiling. "Ino, I didn't expect to see you here!"
Ino glanced at Yataka. The two got along fairly well in the academy since Yataka was one of the few girls not obsessed with Sasuke, leaving no room for competition.
Moreover, despite not being from a ninja clan, Yataka's family was well-known and wealthy, which fostered a cordial relationship between them.
However, today, Ino felt Yataka was acting a bit differently.
Shikamaru and Jumoku seemed to notice as well, but Yoruha didn't.
Asuma introduced himself, and the three students stood up respectfully.
"Asuma-sensei," they greeted in unison.
Asuma waved his hand modestly. "No need for such formality. Sit down, sit down."
After they sat, Asuma looked at Shikamaru's group. "You see how polite they are? You could learn from them."
But Shikamaru and his teammates weren't paying attention. Coming from prominent ninja families, they respected Asuma but saw no need for excessive politeness.
Ino ignored Asuma and instead focused on Yoruha.
"Yoruha, why are you guys done so early? Didn't your instructor give you a test?" she asked, leaning slightly to speak past Yataka.
Yataka's displeasure was subtle but noticeable to those paying attention.
The others turned to Yoruha, curious as well. After all, all newly graduated teams needed to pass their instructor's evaluation. Failing it could mean being sent back to the academy for retraining.
"Our instructor's test was straightforward, so it didn't take long," Yoruha explained.
Before he could elaborate, Jumoku interjected, "Not at all! Our teacher's test was terrifying—Yataka and I almost died!"
Recalling Kihon Tōichi's evaluation, Jumoku shivered. The experience had been so overwhelming he'd almost wished for death.
Jumoku's words piqued the others' curiosity.
Asuma furrowed his brows. "Who is your instructor?"
"His name is Kihon Tōichi," Jumoku replied.
Asuma paused, frowning in thought. He couldn't recall anyone in Konoha by that name.
"Kihon Tōichi? I don't remember any ninja in Konoha with that name," he muttered.