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Outside the Leaf Village Barbecue Shop.
Under the night sky, the figures on the streets were already sparse, with most people at home, preparing to rest. Only a few scattered ninjas and civilians out of necessity remained.
At the same time, under the cover of night, the darkness seemed to be the haven of the ninjas, with black dots flickering and leaping across the village rooftops.
"Kakashi."
At the moment of parting, Uchiha Yoru, reminiscing about the past that could never return, called out. Hatake Kakashi turned his head, looking at him with a lifeless gaze, as if asking, "What is it?"
However, when Uchiha Yoru saw Kakashi's appearance, he shook his head. But seeing Maito Gai's hopeful eyes, a bit of selfishness crept into his heart, and he laughed, "We don't know when we'll meet again. How about the training ground?"
The unmovable stone, the unclean hands, the uncloseable Sharingan, the unbreakable addiction to Icha Icha Paradise—this was the life of Hatake Kakashi.
If asked who the most tragic character in the Naruto series was, it might be hard to evaluate, but Hatake Kakashi would certainly be on the list.
Losing his father at the age of seven and becoming an orphan, he turned into a cold machine focused only on completing missions. Just when he finally found warmth and bonds, he lost his comrades.
First, Uchiha Obito was crushed by a boulder, an unmovable stone. Then, he personally used Chidori to pierce Kurenai Yuhi's chest, staining his hands with blood that could never be washed clean. During the Third Shinobi World War, Kakashi lost all his teammates, and in the Nine-Tails' attack, he lost his teacher and teacher's wife.
"Hey, a showdown between genius ninjas! Ha, Kakashi, this is what youth is all about!"
At that moment, Maito Gai, seeing Uchiha Yoru's inquiry, suddenly became excited as if he had been injected with a shot of energy. He loudly called out and slapped Kakashi's shoulder hard, "Kakashi, you are the most outstanding genius ninja of the Leaf. Before the showdown between the geniuses, let's have a duel! Let's see who gets to the training ground first!"
As he said this, Maito Gai winked at Uchiha Yoru with his poor acting, as if to say, "Thank you." Uchiha Yoru shrugged and smiled, understanding Maito Gai's desire to help Kakashi, though he didn't think it would have much effect, it did give him a chance.
Others might not know what Uchiha Yoru was thinking, but as the group was about to disperse, they all became interested, especially Asuma Sarutobi, who smiled meaningfully at Kakashi.
"Kakashi, this time, let us see the true strength of a jonin." When he said the last few words, Asuma Sarutobi's tone became slightly heavier, clearly indicating he wanted to see a good show.
Kurenai Yuhi, seeing this, glanced at Akane's expectant eyes and a glint of light flashed in her beautiful eyes. Perhaps the night was not as weak as outsiders thought, after all, Night was Orochimaru's disciple.
Hatake Kakashi, with his deadpan expression, looked at everyone. He naturally saw through their plans. Just as he was about to refuse, Maito Gai grabbed his shoulder and laughed loudly, "Kakashi, my eternal rival, before your showdown with the geniuses, let's have a match! I'll count to three, and we'll see who reaches Training Ground 43 first."
"Kakashi and Uchiha, a showdown between Sharingan users. Night, don't lose and embarrass yourself." Anko Mitarashi, never one to miss a chance for excitement, waved at the two, adding to the atmosphere.
"I'll be the referee." Anko Mitarashi, in her usual hyperactive manner, laughed and stepped forward, raising her hands high and shouting, "Are you ready, Kakashi and Maito Gai? Let's start the first round."
"3, 2, 1! Go!"
At the command, Maito Gai, full of enthusiasm, shouted and instantly turned into a green blur, sprinting down the streets of the Leaf. Hatake Kakashi, though reluctant, clearly had no choice. With Maito Gai always looking for opportunities to challenge him, he instinctively followed, but his indifferent expression clearly showed he wasn't taking the competition seriously.
Training Ground 43.
Under the moonlight, a gust of wind swept across the grass of the training ground, and leaves danced in the air. Hatake Kakashi's lifeless and calm figure appeared, followed by several black shadows.
"Hey! Kakashi, you're worthy of being my eternal rival!"
This comical race was clearly won by Maito Gai, but he showed no signs of defeat. Instead, he laughed with a fighting spirit, giving Kakashi a thumbs-up, as if trying to rouse him.
However, at fifteen, Kakashi had experienced too many tragedies in his life. Honestly, it was surprising that he hadn't fallen into darkness.
Seeing Maito Gai's poor acting, Kakashi knew his friend was deliberately trying to stir his fighting spirit, but his eyes showed no emotion, and he continued to look at everyone with a lifeless and calm expression.
"Asuma, do you think Night's Chidori is stronger, or Kakashi's?"
At that moment, several flea-like black shadows appeared, and Asuma Sarutobi, just landing, pulled a cigarette from his pack and put it in his mouth. Beside him, Ebisu, who had just arrived, casually mentioned to Asuma, as if it were an offhand comment.
The next moment, Ebisu seemed to realize he had said something wrong and awkwardly lowered his head, adjusting his glasses, which effectively hid his eyes. Asuma, hearing this, slowly smiled but said nothing, instead lighting his cigarette with a lighter.
Clearly, this was Ebisu's attempt to curry favor, a common tactic in any world, and even Uchiha Yoru was no different.
"Ha, Kakashi, next is Night's challenge to you."
At that moment, Maito Gai, his heart full of enthusiasm for Kakashi, laughed and gave a thumbs-up, then turned to Uchiha Yoru, winking and nodding, as if to say, "Night, you must rouse Kakashi's fighting spirit."
In school, Maito Gai's friends, besides Kakashi, were Uchiha Yoru, who had never looked down on him.
Training Ground 43, under the moonlight, the ninjas could see everything clearly. Anko Mitarashi, full of excitement, cheered, "Night, don't embarrass Orochimaru-sensei."
Kurenai Yuhi, seeing the atmosphere, a glint of light flashed in her eyes.
Asuma Sarutobi, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked at the training ground with a serious expression, despite his casual demeanor. Behind him, Kawazu Tetsu, Kamizuki Izo, and Ebisu also looked serious, for the reputation of a person is like the shadow of a tree. How strong was the genius ninja Hatake Kakashi, their contemporary? And the Uchiha with awakened bloodline limits!
Kurenai Yuhi and Anko Mitarashi also looked at the center of the training ground. Among the crowd, only Maito Gai secretly gave Uchiha Yoru a gesture, indicating he should go all out, with a hint of worry in his eyes.
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