"That sounds impressive."
"Was it Red who taught you?"
Kawaki suspected that Kakashi wouldn't have figured it out on his own.
This time, he'd definitely hit a nerve.
Like everything he knows came from Red! He's smart too, you know?
He just didn't like reading books—that's all.
"Huh? No way!"
Kakashi quickly denied it, clearly caught red-handed by Kawaki's guess.
"I don't even need her to teach me!"
Seeming unsatisfied, Kakashi added another line.
"Haha, of course you're the smartest."
Natsuki chuckled and ruffled Kakashi's hair. This kid just couldn't mask his emotions.
Even if he had learned it himself, with that look, it might as well have been Red who taught him.
"Well, maybe not…"
"How would I know what you do all day?"
Kawaki shot him a deeply skeptical look, angering Kakashi enough to try squirming out of his arms.
Is this really his own uncle?
Where's the trust between people?
"I either train or read all day—I'm always super busy."
While struggling, Kakashi defended himself. He wasn't some lazy, unmotivated boy.
"Alright, stop teasing him."
"Be careful not to drop him."
Tsunade had finally calmed down Ginji and could no longer stand watching Kawaki bully the child.
"Uncle believes you already, okay?"
"Today I'll teach you some powerful techniques."
Kawaki put Kakashi down, giving him a small consolation prize.
"Great, let's go."
Kids are easy to cheer up—Kakashi lit up right away.
He quickly forgot his earlier frustration and eagerly pulled Kawaki toward the martial arts training hall.
After all, his father had personally admitted in front of him that he wasn't as strong as Uncle.
"Sure, let's go."
"I'll train with Kakashi for a bit. The rest of you can catch up."
Of course, Kawaki wasn't just saying things randomly; he had plenty of techniques that would take Kakashi quite some time to learn.
It wasn't that Kakashi lacked talent—it was simply because he was still so young.
After exchanging brief greetings with Mito and the others, Kawaki took Kakashi's hand and walked away.
"Now that's more like it."
Tsunade watched their retreating backs and nodded in satisfaction.
She truly believed Kawaki would one day make a great father.
And as for being a good husband? He'd already proven himself well enough.
"So, did you master your grandfather's abilities?"
Mito casually asked.
She noticed no trace of disappointment in Tsunade's eyes, so she must've succeeded.
Besides, Kurama had started showing subtle signs of fear and resistance around Tsunade, which made her even more certain.
"Yes, though I still haven't surpassed Kawaki."
Tsunade didn't hold anything back.
Ever since this experiment was initiated by Tobirama, Mito had been aware of it the whole time.
Without Mito's approval, Tobirama probably couldn't have carried it through.
"That's good enough."
"For you, Wood Release isn't the most important thing anyway."
Mito's words echoed Orochimaru's. She understood Tsunade's role well.
The more people there were who could use Wood Release, the less worried she would be about Kurama after she was gone.
Even if Kurama ever went completely berserk, it wouldn't pose any real threat.
"Doesn't feel uncomfortable, does it?"
Natsuki quickly asked, her voice full of concern.
"Don't worry, big sister. I'm perfectly fine."
Tsunade replied, gently blowing on the small pinwheel. Watching it spin again after stopping, Ginji finally broke into a smile as he nestled in her arms.
...
Time flew by like the shuttle of life.
In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
Today happened to be the enrollment day at Konoha Ninja Academy.
A brand new batch of students was about to enter the school, meant to become the next generation of Konoha ninjas.
As principal, Kawaki naturally wouldn't miss this event.
He woke up extra early today, though still arrived slightly late.
When he arrived, the area outside the school was already packed with parents.
The place buzzed with activity—staff ran back and forth, and parents gave last-minute reminders to their kids.
"Uncle, where do we register?"
Kakashi stood beside Kawaki. Barely five years old, he only reached Kawaki's waist.
"Let's go inside first."
Kawaki habitually ruffled Kakashi's silver hair.
For Kawaki, registration was simple—he just had to say the word, and someone else would handle everything.
Even calling that misuse of authority would be a stretch.
Besides, Kakashi deserved this special treatment. He wouldn't stay enrolled for long anyway.
In the original timeline, he graduated at age five. Now, he had already surpassed the strength of a regular Genin.
"Okay."
Kakashi obediently nodded.
With neither Natsuki nor Sakumo here, Kakashi naturally followed Kawaki's lead.
"Kakashi, over here!"
Just as they walked in, a clear, childlike voice called out.
They turned toward the source of the sound—it was Kurenai Yūhi.
"Kurenai!"
Kakashi enthusiastically replied.
His previously blank face lit up with a smile as he let go of Kawaki and ran straight toward her.
Not even an uncle could compete with a future wife.
Smiling, Kawaki shook his head and followed behind.
As soon as they met, the two kids began chatting nonstop.
"Your braid looks really nice today."
Clearly, Kakashi had picked up some flattery skills from Kawaki.
Something Sakumo never quite mastered.
"Oh no, Mama just threw it together this morning."
Kurenai tugged at the end of her braid, looking a bit shy.
"Still looks great, even if it was done in a hurry."
Before this little chapter ends, there's more exciting content ahead!
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"Auntie has such skillful hands."
Kawaki was a master of flattery—and Kakashi had mastered it just as well.
"This child really knows how to speak kindly."
Kurenai's mother laughed joyfully while patting Kakashi's head affectionately.
"Is young Shinryu not coming today?"
Kawaki and Kurenai's mother were already familiar with each other.
Ignoring the kids, the two adults started chatting casually.
"He had something else going on today, so I brought Kurenai instead."
Smiling warmly, she looked at Kakashi with growing fondness.
Like any mother meeting her future son-in-law—you know how it goes, the more she looked, the more she liked him.
Kakashi came from a good family, was handsome, and paired perfectly with her daughter—a truly heavenly match.
"Oh, I see. Then shall we go together?"
One is as good as two, and two as good as three. Kawaki doesn't mind taking Kurenai along.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Kurenai's Mama didn't stand on ceremony with Kawaki.
With the principal personally showing them the way, the registration process was sure to go smoothly.
"This is nothing worth mentioning to him."
Kawaki waved his hand dismissively—it wasn't worth mentioning to him.
"No more chatting—let's go sign up."
Kurenai's Mama interrupted Kakashi and Kurenai's conversation.
"Okay."
The two children eagerly agreed and walked hand in hand behind Kawaki and Kurenai's Mama.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when two green figures—one big, one small—came chasing after them.
"He's here too?!"
Kakashi immediately covered his forehead. He'd had enough of Gai already.
An indestructible green-skinned freak!!!
"Kakashi! Kurenai!"
"Well met! What a coincidence!"
Gai flashed a grin as he approached Kakashi and Kurenai, his face full of delight.
"Hello, Gai."
Kurenai, on the other hand, had no complaints about Gai—they often played together, the three of them.
"Coincidence? Of course we'd run into each other today."
Kakashi wasn't nearly as friendly toward Gai as Kurenai was. Between them, there were already hints of that love-hate dynamic.
"Is that so? Hahaha~"
"We can have duels every single day at school now!"
Gai completely ignored the awkwardness and seemed genuinely excited.
Just thinking about daily sparring matches with Kakashi got his blood pumping.
"Yeah right, like I want to duel you every day."
Kakashi rolled his eyes. Gai just never got enough beatings—he'd had enough of beating him up already.
"Hehe~"
Kurenai giggled quietly into her hand, clearly long accustomed to how Kakashi and Gai interacted.
While the kids chatted, Dai had also started chatting with Kawaki and Kurenai's Mama.
"I was just telling Gai earlier how we hadn't seen anyone familiar."
"And now we've run straight into you guys."
As the father of these two children, Dai now appeared much more steady.
At least in public, aside from his eccentric clothes, his speech and behavior were now no different from anyone else's.
"This just shows how in sync the kids are."
Kurenai's Mama valued the friendship between the three children greatly.
Kakashi was her future son-in-law, and Gai was the friend Kurenai trusted most.
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