As they chatted, Asuma noticed that not many people around them were paying attention, and he curiously asked Genma for information.
"Anko said that the Uchiha girl next to Takeshi—who is she? I've never heard of her before."
"Ah, her? I don't know much either," Genma whispered back. "But I heard she comes from quite the powerful background. Even Fugaku-sama treats her with great respect."
Even Fugaku treats her respectfully?
Fugaku was the head of the Uchiha clan, the undisputed leader among them.
If even someone like him held that girl in such regard... what kind of status did she have?
Asuma's curiosity was completely piqued, and he suddenly felt an urge to ask Takeshi directly about it.
The group continued to chat for a while. As more and more Jōnin arrived, Asuma's social circle expanded significantly.
Even people like Nohara Rin and Shizune joined in on the conversation.
The veteran Jōnin, however, maintained their calm and collected demeanor, watching with satisfaction as Konoha's new generation of strength grew steadily.
"Alright, that's enough chatter. Fugaku-sama has arrived."
In the middle of their discussion, someone suddenly announced the arrival of Fugaku.
Soon, Fugaku, Hiashi, and Shikaku took their seats at the front, followed shortly by Takeshi, who walked to his own position.
"It seems this meeting is going to be about how to deal with the Ōtsutsuki," Asuma muttered, steadying his breathing and trying to focus.
"Who told you that?"
Anko, hearing Asuma's quiet murmur, looked at her old friend in disbelief.
Genma and the others beside them also gave him odd looks.
"Wait—what? Isn't that what this is about?" Asuma asked, confused by their reactions.
"Oh, right... you didn't take part in the public survey a few days ago. Anyway..."
Before Anko could explain further, Takeshi on the stage began to speak.
"Everyone, regarding the matter of further strengthening Konoha's moral order and strictly prohibiting 'pornography, gambling, and drugs,' a public opinion survey was conducted recently. Now, it's time for the Jōnin to cast their votes."
Asuma nearly choked on his own breath.
Was Konoha really so idle these days that even something like this needed a full-blown conference?!
What he didn't know was that anything related to the Ōtsutsuki threat was handled secretly among the Five Kage and their closest confidants. For the village's shinobi, that particular danger was still a distant matter.
"Um, we all understand what the first two mean, but this 'drugs' part..."
Hyūga Tokuma raised his hand.
"Allow me to explain this one," Fugaku Uchiha said, taking over and pulling out a stack of documents.
The moment he opened his mouth, Asuma's internal alarms started blaring.
"Smoking, for smokers, increases the likelihood of developing emphysema. It also has severe health effects on minors and can cause serious dependency. Therefore, starting today, Konoha will establish designated non-smoking zones. The specific areas will be announced later. Violators will face fines, detention, or other penalties from the Police Force."
Sarutobi Asuma: "???"
At that same moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi—who was happily watching Naruto and the others fishing on a grassy field—suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
"I have a question," a Sarutobi clan Jōnin raised his hand. "What's the approximate range of these non-smoking zones?"
"Good question," Fugaku said seriously. "The approximate range is... the entire village of Konoha."
"Isn't that going a little too far? You're basically driving smokers into extinction!" Asuma muttered under his breath.
Anko and the others beside him looked at him with sympathetic eyes.
And besides—how the hell did cigarettes end up being classified as drugs?!
"Anything that can damage your lungs, and even affects others when exhaled—tell me that's not a drug," someone said.
Indeed, aside from the Sarutobi clan, most of the other Jōnin nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, every time we're on a mission, I can smell that faint tobacco scent from smokers. The last time our ambush failed, I'm pretty sure it was because someone in our squad smoked and gave away our position."
"Exactly. That description fits perfectly—it really is a drug."
The murmurs from below silenced the few Jōnin who had planned to argue for a smoking area—including Asuma himself.
"In any case, if there are no further questions, we'll proceed to voting."
In the end, only a small handful of smoking Jōnin cast dissenting votes.
This meant that the proposal was officially approved and would take effect starting today.
Asuma, trembling slightly, reached into his pocket to grab a cigarette to calm his nerves—but immediately froze when he noticed several Uchiha police staring at him with their Sharingan eyes wide open, as if ready to arrest him on the spot.
Shivering, he quietly put the cigarette back in his pocket.
"Yo, quitting smoking?"
Anko smirked, enjoying every bit of his misery.
"Don't be scared—you're the Third Hokage's son. The Police Force wouldn't dare lay a hand on you."
Genma smiled as well. "Yeah... though, if they do arrest you, forget I said that."
Recalling how he'd been fined the moment he returned to the village, Asuma decisively chose to ignore the two chatterboxes beside him.