"How could that be possible?! The Hokage cares for the villagers like their own children and does everything possible for each shinobi! Tsunade-sama is the most perfect Hokage—bar none!"
Hikari started off with blatant flattery, causing the young trio of Ino-Shika-Chō to collectively roll their eyes in response.
There were no outsiders around, but even so, this level of bootlicking was a bit much.
"Senpai, Tsunade-sama is definitely amazing, but... she's still the Hokage. As a subordinate, working under a superior's watchful eye is bound to feel restrictive, right?" Shikamaru spoke up again, pointing out the part that made Hikari the most uncomfortable.
Being close to Tsunade meant he could appreciate the view up close—that went without saying.
But aside from that? It wasn't as comfortable as guarding the gate. Back then, no one bothered him, and he could laze around freely.
"Just... a tiny bit, I suppose." Hikari mumbled.
"This is all out of pure respect for Tsunade-sama. Having a beautiful, kind, and generous leader like her is something people dream about!" Even without Tsunade present, Hikari kept the praise flowing.
Mostly, it was damage control. He couldn't risk these three kids reporting him behind his back.
Usually, when he pissed Tsunade off, he could smooth things over easily.
But if Ino-Shika-Chō ratted him out? That would be a different story.
Knowing her, she'd probably seize the chance to punish him harshly.
'Confirmed. If you really liked Hokage's office, why aren't you rushing back there now?'
Shikamaru saw right through him. Kamizuki Hikari kept saying he didn't want to mentor them, but he clearly wasn't in a rush to return to the Hokage's office either. Honestly, the guy probably preferred goofing off outside.
Which made things easier.
Shikamaru might not know Kamizuki Hikari's full background, but his dad definitely did.
It was obvious Kamizuki Hikari was specifically chosen by his father's generation. There was no way someone with zero skill would be brought in like this. There was definitely more to it, but for now, all Shikamaru needed was to keep him around.
With Asuma gone, it didn't matter much to Shikamaru who their instructor was.
"Senpai, if you become our jōnin instructor, we can train on our own like today while you just supervise. That way, you won't disobey Tsunade-sama's orders and you can still do whatever you want. Isn't that the perfect middle ground?"
Kamizuki Hikari fell silent.
Shikamaru's proposal sounded... really good.
He'd been worried earlier that teaching the Ino-Shika-Chō trio would be too much of a hassle. But if he could just let them run free and do as they pleased, that would make things so much easier.
More importantly, he could find a nice spot to nap while keeping a loose eye on their progress. These kids were heirs to their clans—elite by default. Even without constant oversight, they'd train diligently.
Slack off at work, get free meals, and have kids to look after him?
Where else could you find a gig like this?
But still...
Something felt off. Too good to be true.
Things like this didn't just fall from the sky. A deal this sweet... was definitely suspicious.
"Shikamaru, I don't agree. If Hikari-senpai does this, we'll have to take care of him on top of our own training. That's not getting a teacher—that's getting deadweight!" Ino snapped.
"Hey now, I've got a temper too, you know!"
Hikari had been weighing the pros and cons, but Ino's sudden objection pushed him over the edge.
"Fine, it's settled! I'm your instructor now. You better behave and train properly—especially you, Ino. If I catch you slacking off, you'll see how I handle things!"
"You—you incompetent teacher! I refuse!" The thought of having Hikari as her lazy, irresponsible instructor sent Ino into a rage.
"I don't need your approval. Your fathers went to Tsunade-sama and specifically asked for me. You think I wanted to babysit three brats like you?" Kamizuki Hikari's temper flared.
"I don't care! I still refuse!"
"Then go ask Inoichi to beg Tsunade-sama again. I'll wait right here."
"I'm not going anywhere! What, do you think I'm stupid?" Ino glanced at the delicious grilled rabbit, then at Chōji, who was already drooling. She knew that if she left now, she wouldn't even get a bone, let alone a bite.
She'd worked hard to catch these rabbits—she would eat them.
Not only would she eat, she'd feast.
"Not stupid, just... not the brightest, huh?"
"Hmph! You're the one who's not bright! As a senpai, you don't even act like one—no wonder we don't respect you!"
"That's fine. As long as you finish your training and take on missions to support me, I'm cool with anything!"
"You—!"
Seeing the two about to erupt again, Shikamaru quickly stepped in.
He finally realized that Kamizuki Hikari's temper was basically on par with a kid's. Especially when it came to arguing—he and Ino were evenly matched. It was hard to say who was more annoying.
'Was this really the right choice?'
With an inward sigh, Shikamaru divided the rabbits—one for Hikari, one for Ino, one for himself, three for Chōji, and one spare.
"Not bad, not bad at all!"
Hikari remarked after a bite. He'd assumed Shikamaru, being lazy, couldn't cook, but the kid had skills.
'Nice. Future meals secured.'
"Of course! Shikamaru was trained by me and Chōji!" Ino said proudly.
"What's that got to do with you, you freeloader?"
"I—!" Ino was ready to explode again.
What kind of jonin instructor was this?!
No talent, no motivation, useless in every way—except when it came to eating and being annoying.
Ugh, so infuriating!
"Senpai, please stop talking. Let's just eat, alright?"
"And you too, Ino. No talking while eating—don't forget!"
Shikamaru scolded both of them before quietly digging in. If he didn't, Chōji was going to demolish all three of his rabbits and move on to the last one.
And Shikamaru had his eye on those two rabbit legs.
Competing with an Akimichi over food? Now that was a thrill.
Chōji ate like a beast unleashed—one huge bite and half a rabbit was gone.
Shikamaru didn't care for manners, chewing openly and without restraint.
Ino wanted to let loose, but with Hikari—an unfamiliar and handsome guy—sitting nearby, she could only nibble in small, delicate bites.
As for Kamizuki Hikari? He didn't care about appearances.
To him, these three were just kids. He was a mature, steady man. Why would he get upset over a bunch of children?
'If I had married early, would my kids be about the same age as these three? Imagine having a son and daughter—the daughter, my little princess; the son, a troublemaker I'd spank regularly. Then my daughter grows up and brings home some guy... Ugh, never mind. The thought of some pig uprooting my precious cabbage is unbearable.'
Thus, Ino noticed Hikari's gaze shifting from fond to disgusted.
...Had she done something wrong?
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