As they arrived, Travis took a moment to scan his surroundings. The sight of the clearing, the well-worn training posts, and the familiar large stump hit him with an unexpected wave of nostalgia.
'Damn… This is the spot where Naruto got tied up during the bell test,' he thought, his gaze lingering on the stump.
Even though he wasn't a die-hard Naruto fan, he had watched the series a few times in his past life—enough to recognize iconic moments like this. His issue with it wasn't hatred, just disappointment.
The story had started off strong, focused on Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage, but somewhere along the way, it had shifted into a drawn-out saga of chasing Sasuke. The inconsistencies and plot holes had killed a lot of the enjoyment for him.
As he observed the training grounds, he noticed Team Seven standing together, their expressions noticeably downcast. The air around them felt heavy.
'Yeah, they just mentioned Sasuke,' he guessed.
Kakashi, who had been talking to the group, suddenly turned his attention to the approaching trio. The moment his gaze landed on Travis, his entire demeanor shifted. His body tensed ever so slightly, his single visible eye sharpening as if analyzing a potential threat.
'Damn, bro, I ain't even do anything yet,' Travis thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
"So Tsunade, I want to join this specific team. What do you think?" Travis asked, turning to face her with a calm but firm gaze.
Tsunade furrowed her brows, slightly caught off guard by his sudden request. "Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"I want to join Team Kakashi," he clarified. "Don't worry, I'll have the same amount of authority as a genin, even though I was a jonin before."
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. "Umm, sure... but why is it you want to join them specifically?"
He paused for a moment, eyes flicking toward the window where the sun streamed in. "No reason in particular," he said vaguely, before shifting topics. "Also, I heard about the Akatsuki. They're after Tailed Beasts, right?"
Her expression hardened. "Yes, but that's top-secret information. I don't think I can discuss that with you," she said sternly, her voice carrying a warning edge.
Travis gave a small chuckle. "Yes, you can. I mean, how else will I tell you about them? Besides, like I said, I was a jonin before I left the village. That experience doesn't just vanish."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him, scrutinizing his face for any signs of deception. Her thoughts turned inward.
'My old position kinda died with Hiruzen. Not that I can't bring it back, but I'd much rather it be like this,' Travis thought to himself, watching her silently.
'Sarutobi-sensei said we shouldn't provoke him. While I was out, I did hear about him... He saved the village from a powerful threat and was respected among the villagers. But then he vanished a year before the Third Great War. That timing... it's suspicious. I should keep him close. Let's hear what he knows about the Akatsuki first,' Tsunade pondered.
She looked up, ready to speak—but Travis was already gone. She blinked in surprise.
He now stood alongside Naruto and Sakura, who were preparing for their team test.
"Excuse me," Kakashi said, eyeing the newcomer warily. "Can we help you with something?"
Travis smirked. "Oh, I'll be joining your team. Nice to meet you all."
Kakashi raised a brow and turned to Tsunade, who gave a small nod of approval from a distance.
The silver-haired jonin let out a soft sigh. "Alright… welcome aboard. What's your name?"
"It's Yhwach," he replied, then added with a chuckle, "but that's a bit of a mouthful, so just call me Travis."
Naruto grinned. "That's a cool name, but yeah, kinda hard to say!"
"Thanks, Naruto Uzumaki," Travis said with a nod.
"Just call me Naruto!" he beamed.
"I'll do so, Naruto," Travis replied, then turned toward the pink-haired kunoichi. "And it's a pleasure to meet the beautiful Sakura Haruno."
Sakura blinked, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. "Oh—thank you, Travis. It's nice to meet you too."
"And the infamous Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake," Travis said as he turned to face him. "You really are the spitting image of your old man."
Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Huh? How do you know my father?"
Travis gave him a mysterious smile. "I'll tell you some other time. For now… let's begin the test."
He stepped forward, his voice growing more serious. "Just like last time, your objective is to take the bells from me. However, this time is different. You two are now full-fledged Shinobi, meaning we are on equal terms." His hand lifted to his headband, pulling it up to reveal his fully matured Sharingan. "Due to that, I'll be taking this seriously."
Naruto and Sakura immediately stiffened, their expressions shifting into pure focus. Their bodies tensed, prepared for battle. Travis, however, remained relaxed. He stared at Kakashi, arms crossed, his expression thoughtful rather than eager.
'I'm too strong. If I use even a bit of my power, this test will end in an instant,' Travis mused. 'Besides, this test is about teamwork… but that doesn't really apply to me since they already know how to work together. I should just support when needed. Hm… wait a second, didn't they win last time because Kakashi didn't want to be spoiled?'
An idea formed in his mind. A devious one.
Without hesitation, Travis stepped between them, his movements casual yet confident. He leaned toward Sakura, whispering something in her ear. Her face instantly turned red, but as soon as the words fully registered, her lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"Good idea," she murmured before turning to Naruto. "Naruto, come here."
Naruto, always a bit wary of Sakura, hesitated but obeyed. She leaned in, relaying Travis' plan. Naruto's eyes widened, then a slow grin spread across his face. His excitement was palpable.
The three of them exchanged glances. A silent understanding passed between them.
Then, they chuckled.
Not a lighthearted, innocent laugh—no, it was the type of chuckle villains made when plotting something sinister.
Kakashi, despite his years of experience, felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine. He gulped.
For some reason, he felt like he was in real danger.
Naruto exploded into a sprint, his determination evident in the way his feet barely touched the ground. Sakura, moving with practiced precision, veered off to the side, looping around toward Kakashi's blind spot. The seasoned Jonin, however, remained unfazed. His single eye effortlessly tracked both of their movements, his mind processing their tactics in real-time.
Without hesitation, Kakashi flicked his wrist, sending two kunai hurtling toward his approaching students. But Naruto was already prepared—he conjured a shadow clone mid-stride. The clone braced itself and launched him high into the air, just in time for one of the kunai to strike its chest and disperse it into a puff of smoke.
Suspended midair for a brief moment, Naruto formed another shadow clone and hurled it toward Kakashi with all his strength.
'What's he up to now?' Kakashi mused, keeping track of both Sakura and Travis. 'He's still within my line of sight… but Travis… he doesn't even seem to care about this fight. He's just standing there, watching. But before we started, he whispered something to them…'
A nagging feeling stirred in the back of Kakashi's mind, but he had no time to dwell on it. As soon as Naruto's clone landed, the real Naruto swapped places with it in a burst of smoke.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! The final joke of Icha-Icha Tactics!!" Naruto's voice rang out.
Kakashi stiffened. His first instinct was to dismiss it as one of Naruto's usual antics, but then he remembered exactly who Naruto used to travel with.
'No…!'
TO BE CONTINUED