Naruto looked around the West section of the Forest of Death. The scenes of destruction were covered up with Tsuyu creating a new forest to replace it. Though the lack of wildlife would take some time to recover.
He chuckled slightly, wondering how Kouga could achieve such a level. He seemed to tame on the outside, other than his silly antics being in the cloud all day. It seemed Kouga had been training hard with Tsuyu behind the scenes. That's Tsuyu training her after all, not anyone. And he did learn from Orochimaru, that nasty guy with a lot of knowledge in his head to help Kouga with all his techniques. He trained with Sasuke on weekends too. And that Sage Mode, close to perfection.
He wondered if he should have taken Tsuyu's offer years ago to give the same Cursed Mark for Boruto when he was just a baby.
Nah. That's cheating. Hey, I had to train hard to master Sage Mode-dattebayo!
As much as he would like his son to be strong, he wanted him to earn it. As for Kouga, he definitely earned it all. Even when he beat him, he got back up, never losing his will and resolve.
But then again Tsuyu probably had beaten Kouga worse during their training…
Naruto chuckled to himself. It seemed, Kouga really could handle it. He felt guilty all of a sudden, recalling the times when he was acting a little too much of a busybody. But he still felt letting him kill someone at such a young age wasn't right.
But it seemed Kouga grew up strong, a mindset of a Shinobi instilled into him from a young age and he knew what was at stake as a shinobi… Naruto wondered if he was wrong all along. Even so, he would never make his own son do that… he wanted his son to be happy, and he can take his time to learn to be a proper shinobi.
Shaking his thoughts away, he decided to check how Boruto and the others were doing at the East section of the Forest of Death.
***
At the very beginning, everyone went ahead in separate groups, thinking the exam was about individual prowess.
There was only one target, which was Lord Seventh and they had to get the bell to pass! Some had doubts about only one passing, rather, it should be an individual showcase of what they can do.
At least that was what Shikadai thought. After all, if everyone cooperated together, individual skills would become obsolete. Some of them were far better than the other, some were lower than average. Individual skills should also be a component logically, that was what Shikadai thought. He believed both teamwork and individual skills needed to be showcased, and they should pass as a team.
The new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho move together with Shikadai leading the way. They met with another group fighting with Anko! The big snake woman licked her lips, finally seeing prey.
At the other side. Sumire, Sarada, Mitsuki, and Boruto rushed ahead avoiding Anko sensei who was dealing with other students.
Just then, a few shuriken wheezed through the air towards them. All of them used body flickers to the side to dodge.
Boruto looked up, locking eyes with Konohamaru standing on the branch above.
"Konohamaru nii-chan!" Boruto took out his kunai, ready to engage.
"Call me sensei kore!" Konohamaru rushed towards them. Boruto sent chakra to his feet, propelled himself forward and launched a kick to him.
Konohamaru raised his arms to block, but he was pushed a few meters back as Boruto landed past him with a spin.
But to his astonishment, Boruto didn't cast him another glance and already ran away from him with Mitsuki!
"WHERE ARE YOU GOING KORE!?"
"My target is Kakashi old man! I only need the passing mark!" Boruto said as he just ran off.
"This brat…!"
Sarada and Mitsuki however didn't leave. Sarada looked at Sumire in tacit understanding.
"Ho, why aren't you leaving like him?"
"If Boruto is right, you wouldn't have let him pass easily…" Sarada raised her Kunai.
"Hn. You seem to get it. But it won't be easy for the two of you to defeat me kore."
Sumire clasped her hands, calling out for her summon. "Nue!"
From a purple ripple of chakra, a dog sized Nue appeared.
"I see. So it is true you had the same summon as Kouga. But yours seemed smaller than his."
"He is my father's work, he is not to be underestimated even if it's still little, sensei!" Sumire said with conviction. With Tsuyu's support continuing Danzo's legacy, Tanuki was given resources and support to continue his research and Sumire was very proud of her father's work.
"Go, Nue!" The small Nue roared, slapping its paws on the ground. Vines grew from the soil and attacked Konohamaru.
Sarada wasn't idle and opened her sharingan, throwing kunai and shuriken with precision.
"Not bad you two!"
***
Mitsuki and Boruto rushed forward, their target was the highest tree in the forest to gain a better view to find Kakashi.
Just then, swarms of insects buzzed and rushed towards them.
"Uwa!" Boruto took a few steps backward. Mitsuki quickly made hand seals.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The insects were blown away and scattered before reassembling back ten of meters away from them.
"Shino sensei…!" Boruto raised his guard up.
"I am stopping you two here." Shino said calmly.
"Boruto, you can go ahead."
"Eh?"
"I made a promise to Kouga, and by extension The Order… This includes you too, Boruto."
"Mitsuki…"
"Just go."
"Thank you. I will go ahead then!" Boruto rushed forward.
"Hold it there!" Shino was about to stop Boruto, but Mitsuki flashed towards him and blocked his path.
"Your opponent is me, sensei." Cyan chakra released from his body, creating heavy pressure.
"You… I have never seen you having this resolve."
"Because I have my own purpose. For Kouga, I won't disappoint him." The power of his perfect Sage Mode bursted out.
Shino was puzzled by the reasoning but didn't want to make a comment on his student's romantic life.
"It seems I have to go all out then." Swarms of insects come out of Shino's body.
***
Kakashi looked over at the disappearing red barrier that covered the entirety of the West Section earlier.
All this time, he felt the ground tremors and shaking imperceptible here and there. People probably noticed, but couldn't care less since it was almost unnoticeable and they had exams to complete.
Just what in the world was happening there? But as the red barrier disappeared, Kakashi observed the forest seemed intact from the high view he had on the highest tree he's standing on. But somehow it felt like something was slightly off with the forest in the west section… Was it just his imagination?
Sensing someone's arrival, he looked down at who's coming. Their eyes locked as Boruto gave a smile to Kakashi.
"I found you, Kakashi old man!" Boruto quickly rushed up to the tree and stood on a branch tens of meters away from him.
"I see. Finding the highest vantage point for a better view. You at least had the basics down."
"Heh, Kakashi old man, don't underestimate me! Here I come!"
"You need to temper your arrogance down…" Kakashi frowned in displeasure, and the two engaged in a fight.
Naruto was hiding away sneakily, secretly watching his son fighting Kakashi.
Suge… my son is so awesome.
Naruto was impressed seeing Boruto's movement. It's… high genin… no, chunin level.
Boruto could even summon 4 shadow clones each time, using them twice already showing how big his chakra was.
Even Kiba at 15 years old can only conjure one shadow clone to use his triple headed dog Fang Over Fang, but Boruto could do much more.
Naruto saw in wonder as Boruto used lightning release to coat his kunai, and then used his shadow clones each carrying a wind palm to launch Boruto right towards Kakashi.
"Boruto Stream!" Boruto pointed his lightning infused kunai forward, rushing like the wind to him.
Kakashi was quite taken off guard from the speed really and bent his body back to dodge his attack. But just as he did, the ground cracked, a hand stretched out trying to grab his bell!
Snatch!
Boruto's eyes lit up as he snatched the bell from Kakashi that failed to dodged him. But when he looked, Kakashi turned into a piece of wood. And the bell…
A leaf?!
"Damn it…" Boruto clenched his fist. Leaves rustling and fell around him, Kakashi's voice taunted him
"Ninjutsu… taijutsu… you are a cut above the rest. But you lack what a real Shinobi needs. You don't even know what kind of Shinobi you want to be, and would see it after you become one."
Kakashi suddenly struck from behind and pushed Boruto to the ground.
"Let me go…!"
Kakashi's hold on Boruto became firmer, he stepped onto Boruto's back, firming it more.
"Damn it…" Boruto almost recalled the time he got stepped on by Kouga. He trained hard too, and yet he still felt helpless.
"Do you want me to know how you can get out of this situation?"
"You need to break your arm." Kakashi's voice turned cold.
"W-what…?"
"As expected, it would be impossible for someone without real motivation to become a shinobi."
"What do you know about me!"
Kakashi's free hand moved teasingly over Boruto's headband tugging it softly. Taking it would instantly disqualify Boruto.
"I know a lot. You are willing, and want to compete with that one, and want to make your parents proud… but everyone has similar motivation. You lack a real one. You stopped growing and pushing forward after reaching 'his' level too, that is a lack of resolve."
Boruto gritted his teeth, anger rose in his heart.
"I keep pushing forward…! I train hard too! You don't know anything!"
Kakashi snorted.
"Your 'hard work' was more like a game for you. You don't have a real resolve… besides, Kouga was just being 'polite' with you the entire time, making you think you catched up to him and didn't move any further."
"W-What? No way…! I…" Boruto recalled the past years he trained, and eventually catching up to Kouga in class. He always had equal ground with him nowadays and could keep up with him toe to toe.
"You don't know anything… you are just… trying to taunt me." Boruto said weakly, he felt his heart shaking. Was he really… deceived?
"He could endure his bones being broken to train. He trained harder than you, did you know why? I have no idea either honestly. Maybe it's just to make his mother proud, or continue her legacy. But no matter the reason, he put his heart into it fully. The way he is, he had what it takes to become a shinobi. You on the other hand…"
"I…" Boruto felt his heart crumbling, Kakashi felt his body stopped resisting much. He felt disappointed that Boruto couldn't even stand some rambling. Compared to his father at his age, filled with spirit, Boruto lacked that thing. He thought giving him a sense of rivalry could push his buttons more. Maybe he just expected too much from these students.
"This is the end of the line for you then…" Kakashi's hand tugging more onto Boruto's headband as a tease, trying to push his limit. Boruto was in despair. But just then-
Whoosh! A kunai flew straight to Kakashi, forcing him to let go of the headband to stop it with his two fingers.
Then from Kakashi's other side, a crackle of lightning was heard as Mitsuki rushed with a palm carrying yellow lightning.
Kakashi had to let go of Boruto's arm and used Purple Lightning to clash with Mitsuki's palm.
Just then, Iwabe hiding in the corner made hand seals, the earth shook, the ground suddenly grew upward and covered Boruto into a dome while pushing Kakashi away.
Mitsuki rushed towards Kakashi, not giving him a chance to breathe. Kakashi dodged Mitsuki's strike and landed a solid fist right on Mitsuki's side. He was pushed away but balanced himself in the air and just ran off.
Kakashi frowned, then looked at the earth dome. He came closer and broke it apart with his kunai, revealing a tunnel beneath. That they had saved Boruto.
"They got me…" Kakashi looked down the tunnel, quite impressed really.
After some seconds of thinking over where they went, Kakashi turned his head to a certain direction.
"I hope I don't hear any complaints." Kakashi put his hands in his pocket. Naruto appeared, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's fine. He needs to learn some hardship. But you aren't going to just disqualify him just now, right?" Naruto's tone was filled with worry. It's fine to make his son struggle. But to disqualify him entirely, even he wouldn't just say that's fine…
"Of course not. I was just teasing him." Kakashi said casually. Hearing that, Naruto let out a sigh of relief.
"So, did Kouga and Mika get those bells from you? I hope you didn't go easy on them."
"I guess I destroyed the bells accidentally so I had to pass them-dattebayo!"
"... how did that even happen… mind sharing how they perform? I am still an ex-Hokage, ya know."
"Uh. A lot of things… but Kouga is really strong. I needed to use Kurama's chakra to fight him when he went all out I feel. Even then his speed and strength was really just slightly lower than me. But his dojutsu and his Sage Mode made his perception and reflex really good. And he had so many tricks up his sleeves. I can't say I had it easy at all. I guess I could react to him without any problem, but his attacks carried so much weight, his body is really tough too even when I landed many hits he recovered quickly. And he just won't give up. But against Mika, even with Sage Mode I had to give it my all otherwise I might lose. She's steps above Kouga in speed and strength, and even exceeded my own I feel... Though, both of them lacked experience."
"Mika is suspected to be Kaguya Otsutsuki. That's understandable. But for Kouga, that's a high evaluation coming from you. To think he could fight you at all when you use Kyubi's chakra was already shocking to my ears."
"I was shocked as well-ttebayo! He's such a cool kid. I didn't know he's THAT strong." Naruto had a smile on his lips, recalling their battle.
"... You seemed to have taken a liking to him I see." Kakashi raised his eyebrow.
"Ah? Ahaha… it's just he's so spirited. He reminded me of… me I guess… when I used to act free and stupid…" Naruto's voice weakened slightly.
Kakashi patted Naruto's back, seeing that look on his face. Kakashi can understand, he too, had life keep breaking him. From what happened to his father, Rin, Obito being the villain all along, Minato's death… He had his own struggle inside, and time mellowed him, letting him find another purpose. He could see Naruto had been going through the same.
"I hope you can find that you again, Naruto. Just take your time." Kakashi said genuinely, remembering the Naruto that shouted he wanted to become Hokage all day long, that Naruto always stood back up no matter what…
"Thanks, Kakashi sensei. But I guess… I am just tired now. I failed at everything after all, haha! I guess even I had to come back to reality…haha…" Naruto let out a small laughter at the end, just to ease the atmosphere even though his sentence was really a psychological case to be dissected.
Kakashi remained silent, not sure what to say on that.
"Anyways, I will go to report to Sasuke now then. Don't go easy on my son! He can handle it, I am sure-ttebayo!"
Naruto disappeared with body flicker. Kakashi couldn't help but feel a tad worried at his second last sentence. He had hoped Naruto didn't give up on himself.