Sarutobi Asuma couldn't quite understand what exactly the Will of Fire meant...
In his opinion, if Aomi were to follow the Will of Fire, he should encourage Inada Kojiro not to lose heart, to continue striving to become a Konoha Ninja.
But Aomi didn't do that; he directly funded Inada Kojiro to open a shop.
Why, why is that?
Why would Aomi encourage someone like Might Guy, who struggles at the end, to progress step by step, but not encourage Inada Kojiro?
Yet upon seeing Inada Kojiro's joyful smile, Asuma was left puzzled.
Isn't being a ninja supposed to be such a happy thing?
But that genuine smile couldn't be faked, which meant Aomi wasn't wrong.
Asuma slowly crumpled the Will of Fire examination paper in his hand and fixed his gaze on Aomi, letting out a deep breath, his eyes becoming resolute.
He had decided that he would find the right opportunity to ask Aomi in person what the Will of Fire actually was.
Compared to the insincere and discomforting scenes at home he had heard or witnessed, he trusted Aomi, who brought smiles to his friends and classmates, more.
"Aomi brat, I told you to help him, not tell him to quit being a ninja." Senju Tobirama frowned, seemingly a bit displeased.
"What's the use? To become a ninja only to die?"
Aomi shook his head and slowly said, "A student with such poor talent that he can barely master the Three-Body Jutsu, even if he gives 120% of his effort, is lucky to become a Chunin in his lifetime. More likely, he'll be a Genin for life."
"When war comes in a few years, such a person will be cannon fodder, his bones won't even be found on the battlefield."
"Do you think Konoha needs another piece of cannon fodder, or a store owner who makes great Three-Colored Pills, Tobirama?"
Senju Tobirama was taken aback; he hadn't thought about it from that perspective.
But upon careful reflection, he found no flaw in Aomi's words, although something seemed a little odd...
Senju Tobirama fell silent, then slowly nodded, "Perhaps, what you're doing is right."
"Learn from me well, Tobirama." Aomi shrugged, "What I'm doing is obviously right, or are you, with your zero points, right?"
"Evil Uchiha brat!"
#
"It's really delicious, Aomi, your cooking is really good!"
At the dining table in Aomi's house, Might Guy, with his whirlwind chopsticks and a mouth like a shovel, launched a youthful assault on the sumptuous meats, eating with great relish.
In no time, he'd devoured eight bowls of rice.
While Aomi's eating manner was somewhat more civilized, his appetite was by no means less than Might Guy's.
In fact, a ninja's strength can partly be seen from their appetite. A ninja who can fight doesn't necessarily eat a lot, but those who can't eat usually can't fight well either.
If you can't even eat, how can you have the energy to fight?
Might Duy watched his son eating enthusiastically, with eyes full of emotion, gratitude, and shyness.
Compared to the still childish Might Guy, Might Duy, despite always shouting about youth, was a mentally sound adult.
The food laid out on the table, from red meat to white meat, from chicken, duck, fish, and goose to medicinal cuisine, seemed like it had been carefully calculated for a nutritious diet.
To be blunt, even the Hokage's household probably only ate like this.
Only then did Might Duy understand what Aomi meant by covering meals and accommodation, and what exactly such treatment entailed...
"Uncle Duy, dig in, why are you just watching?"
Just as Might Duy quietly observed, waiting for Aomi and Shisui to start eating, Aomi cheerfully placed a large bowl of beef in front of him and handed over a bowl of rice:
"If you don't eat your fill, you'll fall ill from overwork and develop hidden injuries in your training, and I'll have to continue treating you. Are you really going to trust me that much, Uncle Duy?"
"Don't be shy, eat your fill so you'll have the strength to help guard our household, it's all part of the prior arrangement."
Might Duy stared blankly at Aomi, who seemed to be admonishing him, while the enticing aroma of beef drifted up to him, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Having struggled in Konoha for decades without anyone paying attention to him, Might Duy was for the first time feeling a genuine sense of respect and warmth from others.
Yet, Aomi was an Uchiha...
"What does it matter if he's Uchiha?"
Might Duy took a deep breath, nodded heavily towards Aomi, and decisively picked up a rib that Might Guy had his eyes on, taking it before him, and started munching down.
"Father!"
"Guy, eating is also a form of training. If you don't treat Aomi's cooking with youthful fervor, it's a sin!" Might Duy laughed heartily, giving Aomi a thumbs-up:
"Rest assured, Aomi, I'll definitely do my best as the guardian of Aomi's household!" Might Duy emphasized these last three words.
"I've always believed in you, Uncle Duy." Aomi chuckled, giving a big thumbs-up too.
Aomi didn't mind one bit that Might Duy and Might Guy ate a lot; on the contrary, the more they ate, the better.
Having grown up with scarce resources, Might Duy and Might Guy were recovering their hidden injuries and eating their fill at Aomi's place. By the time they were blooming with youth, it wouldn't just be the Seven Ninja Swordsmen getting kicked to half-dead or even Uchiha Madara's half-body...
After all, they certainly wouldn't be kicking Aomi around.
Dozens of tons of meat were nothing compared to the power of Night Guy. It was practically a free investment, a chance no one in Konoha wanted to take, and Aomi certainly wouldn't miss it.
Shisui, watching the scene unfold, snorted. Though he felt his family didn't need a guardian, as a dutiful younger brother, he wouldn't question his brother's judgment.
However!
Shisui was determined to eat even more than anyone else when his brother cooked!
With a flushed face and determined look, Shisui stared intently at Might Guy, vowing to eat more than this glutton!
"Alright, Guy!"
After eating, Might Duy sprang up energetically, "Today's training is to clean all the bowls in three minutes, mop the floor three times, and finally, make the courtyard spotless!"
"Alright! I understand, Father!"
"By the way, Aomi, Kakashi told me today that if you want to spar with him, go to the village's training ground number one this weekend, he'll be waiting for you there."
Might Guy scratched his head awkwardly, the food was so good he forgot about his friend's message.
After saying that, Might Guy hurriedly cleaned up the dishes, chasing the already-dishwashing Might Duy and started doing chores.
"Hey, the dishes at home used to be washed by me!" Shisui smacked the table, "No way, I want to wash dishes too!"
Aomi smiled, watching the three people competing to wash dishes, squinting his eyes.
Kakashi wanting to spar with him, what does that mean? A challenge from a prodigy...
And Senju Tobirama, watching this heartwarming scene, had a complex look in his eyes.
He wondered how Tsunade, alone, was doing these days...