Panic shot through him like lightning. He immediately snapped his hands over his eyes, unwilling to risk whatever perversion had been passed down to Naruto by Jiraiya. But just as he was sealing off his vision, he caught a glimpse of Naruto's lips moving. Kakashi shut his mind off from even that, blocking out the possibility of lip-reading.
In that brief moment of distraction, he felt it—something light, almost imperceptible, being lifted from his belt.
A bell.
His heart sank.
Ring!
The delicate chime cut through the tension. Kakashi's eye shot open just in time to see Sakura standing triumphantly behind him, a bell in her grasp. Without hesitation, she tossed one to Naruto.
"We win," she announced confidently.
Kakashi turned to them in disbelief.
'That was… all planned?'
"Hehe, a ninja should always look underneath the underneath. Isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto teased, flashing his signature grin.
Kakashi's gaze flickered past the duo, searching for the missing piece of this puzzle. Travis. But he was gone.
Or so he thought.
In the next breath, Kakashi caught sight of him—standing casually behind Naruto and Sakura, as if he had been there all along.
'Fast… too fast. He could've ended this test by himself. But he didn't. Why? Who is he really?'
A chill ran down his spine, but before he could dwell on it, a presence at the edge of the training field caught his attention.
Tsunade and Jiraiya who had just came back from taking a dumb.
Both had been silently observing from a distance, but their expressions betrayed their shock.
"He reminds me of a student of mine," Jiraiya murmured, his usual playfulness momentarily absent.
Tsunade folded her arms, eyes narrowing as she watched Travis. "Yes… he might be more useful than we expected."
Kakashi exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. "Well… I guess you pass." His tone was casual, but his mind was still reeling from everything that had just unfolded. He turned to Naruto, eyeing him suspiciously. "Naruto, you don't actually know what the final joke of Icha-Icha Tactics is, do you?"
Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Oh, don't worry. I've never read that weird book. Hey, Travis—thanks for the hint back there. If it weren't for you, that fight would've dragged out way longer."
Travis simply shrugged. "No problem. Well, I gotta go. See you guys later."
"Wait! Kakashi-sensei is treating us to ramen, so you wanna come?" Naruto asked eagerly.
Kakashi's head snapped toward him. "Wait, when did I agree to tha—"
"Sure," Travis interrupted smoothly, smirking. "I've always wanted to try some of old man Ichiraku's ramen."
Naruto beamed. "Awesome!"
Together, the two started toward the village, side by side.
Tsunade watched them go, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
'That Naruto… still the same as always.'
"Guys, wait up!" Sakura called, jogging after them.
Kakashi remained rooted in place, staring after the trio. He had been through countless unpredictable scenarios, but somehow, this group always managed to catch him off guard.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
'And I was looking forward to reading that book before bed tonight…'
Travis, Naruto, and Sakura strolled through the bustling streets of Konoha, the soft glow of lanterns illuminating the village as night settled in. The air carried the comforting aroma of grilled skewers and fresh ramen, a familiar scent that made
Naruto's stomach grumble in anticipation. Kakashi trailed a few steps behind, his ever-casual demeanor making it hard to tell if he was actually paying attention or simply lost in his book.
"So, Travis, are you a genin now?" Naruto asked, his hands resting lazily behind his head as they strolled through the village streets toward Ichiraku Ramen.
Travis glanced at him, one eyebrow slightly raised. "I'm not really sure," he said casually. "But probably. I heard you're still a genin too?"
Naruto gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah… I left the village two years ago to train with Pervy Sage, so I didn't really get to do much with the whole ranking up thing."
"That's why everyone who was in our class—except you and Sasuke—is still a genin," Sakura added, her arms crossed as she walked beside them.
"Aww man," Naruto groaned. "So you're a chunin, huh, Sakura?"
She nodded, a proud smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Yup."
'Funny how some of the strongest people in the world were genin for the longest time,' Travis mused internally, his eyes scanning the familiar streets. The village looked peaceful, almost deceptively so, hiding all the scars of past chaos and war.
"Don't worry, I'll catch up to all of you in no time," he said confidently, cracking his knuckles.
Sakura laughed softly. "I'm sure you will."
As they neared Ichiraku Ramen, Sakura's eyes lit up as she spotted a familiar duo ahead. "Hey, Shikamaru! Temari!" she called out, waving. "Look who it is!"
Shikamaru turned his head lazily, stuffing his hands in his pockets with his usual bored expression. A small smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, if it isn't Naruto Uzumaki. Just got back to the village?"
"Yeah, technically," Naruto replied with his usual grin.
Shikamaru gave him a teasing glance. "Heh. So… has your idiocy left you? Or are you still the same loudmouth?"
Before Naruto could answer, Sakura jumped in with an exaggerated sigh. "Nope. Not one bit."
Naruto groaned dramatically, his shoulders slumping. "Come on, Sakura! Cut me some slack here!"
Travis watched them banter, a small smirk forming. His gaze shifted subtly to Temari, who stood beside Shikamaru with her arms folded. There was a quiet confidence about her—commanding yet poised. She stood like someone who had fought for every ounce of respect she carried.
'If it isn't the laziest bastard in the village… and he somehow bagged Temari? I might have to change that,' Travis thought, amused, his eyes narrowing slightly with curiosity.
As if sensing his gaze, Temari turned toward him. Their eyes locked for a moment—hers sharp and inquisitive, his relaxed and unreadable. Her cheeks tinged with the faintest blush before she looked away.
'Huh… he's kinda handsome,' Temari thought, quickly pushing the thought aside.
Travis stepped forward, offering a hand. "Hey."
Temari shook it firmly, eyeing him curiously. "Hi. Don't think I've seen you around before."
"Yeah, I'm new here," he said. "So you're from the Sand Village? I expected your skin to be a bit darker, honestly."
That earned him a light giggle. "I get that a lot. I'm Temari, by the way."
"Travis," he replied smoothly.
Shikamaru side-eyed the casual interaction between the two, a frown twitching at the edge of his mouth. He narrowed his eyes, suspicious. "Who's this guy?"
"Oh, this is Travis," Naruto jumped in. "He's new to the village. Not sure if he's gonna join our team or not. Let me ask Kakashi-sensei—"
Naruto turned around, only to find an empty space where Kakashi had been.
"Uh… I'll ask him later."
Shikamaru raised a brow as if to say figures, while Naruto turned back to him with a sly grin.
"Ohhh, by the way," Naruto teased, nudging him with an elbow. "Are you two on a date?"
Shikamaru let out a deep sigh. "No. That's not it."
Temari, overhearing him, stepped forward with her arms crossed. "I'm here for the upcoming chunin exams. Just had some meetings to attend. That's all."
Naruto's smile faded slightly, his eyes glazing over with nostalgia. "Oh man… that brings back memories," he muttered, thinking back to the first chunin exams—the Forest of Death, Orochimaru's attack, Sasuke's descent into darkness.
Trying to shake it off, he glanced at Temari. "Hey, what happened to Gaara?"
Temari's expression softened. "Gaara is now the Kazekage of the Sand Village."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, then lit up with pride. "No way! That's amazing!"
Travis listened quietly from the side, his arms folded. 'Nepotism at its finest…' he thought sarcastically. 'Just kidding. To go from being feared to being trusted enough to lead... that takes strength. I respected that about him the first time we met. Shame his character kinda dropped off after his arc…'
He glanced toward Temari again, thoughtful. 'But this one still seems interesting.'
TO BE CONTINUED