Kakashi's firm refusal made Amemiya Rei's brows knit into a sharp frown.
Kakashi was horrified to discover that, at this moment, Amamiya Rei seemed to radiate an unusual authority—an air so commanding that one would instinctively feel they dared not refuse him.
"But I've noticed that you've gotten thinner recently. You don't look like you've been eating or resting properly." Rei said, his tone low but unshakable.
With unwavering determination, Rei seized Kakashi's hand and pressed the bento firmly into his palm. Her face was lit with an unmistakable expression of worry and care; the warmth of her raw, unguarded kindness and passion shone as fiercely as blazing sunlight, almost piercing into Kakashi's eyes that had long since grown accustomed to the dark.
In that instant, the lunchbox in Kakashi's hand felt like a burning coal. Too hot to touch, yet strangely warming his heart in ways he could not explain.
Rei's gaze did not waver. His eyes were steady, serious, and filled with resolve. "Eat first. Once you've finished, then we'll continue training. For now, I'll study ninjutsu under Fugaku-sensei."
Turning toward Uchiha Fugaku, Rei asked respectfully, "Is that acceptable, Sensei?"
For Fugaku, there was naturally no issue. To him, whether Rei began a little earlier or later made no real difference.
However, he felt that there was a much bigger problem with the young man standing beside him—Shisui.
Fugaku cast a glance at Shisui. Though Fugaku was already the father of two children, he himself had once been at Shisui's age.
He could see clearly that Shisui harbored feelings for Amemiya Rei.
And Fugaku, as head of the Uchiha, had no reason to oppose it. In fact, he supported Shisui's pursuit. If a Wood Release user were to join their clan, the benefits to the clan would be immeasurable.
Yet, watching closely, Fugaku had to admit— it seemed that the boy from the Hatake family had the greater advantage.
Before Rei followed Fugaku to the riverbank to begin their training, he turned once more toward Kakashi, his expression unusually stern. "By the time I return, I expect to see that you've finished every bit of your food, Kakashi-senpai!"
"..." Kakashi could only remain silent.
At that moment, he felt as small and powerless as a raw recruit in front of Rei. He couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't eat properly, Rei would not hesitate to punish him harshly.
And to make matters worse, Rei's wooden vines truly were quite well-suited for whipping...
Realizing the direction of his own thoughts, Kakashi's eyes widened beneath his mask in a mix of shock and horror.
And so, with Rei's strict warning hanging over him, Rei left with Fugaku, heading toward the river to practice ninjutsu.
"Today, we'll learn two techniques," Fugaku instructed, setting the tasks for Rei.
"The first—B-rank ninjutsu: Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson."
"The second—C-rank ninjutsu: Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique."
His gaze landed on Rei, steady and uncompromising. "Neither should prove too difficult for you. You may not leave until your performance meets my standards."
Fugaku did not think he was being unreasonable. In fact, for a genius shinobi, this pace of learning was, in his eyes, already an act of leniency.
Rei, however, could read the uncompromising clarity in his teacher's eyes.
"..."
He could not help but feel that Fugaku had greatly misunderstood his abilities.
He was, at best, only a little stronger than the average person. The distance between himself and true geniuses was not small.
Don't treat me as if I were some prodigy to be honed like a blade, he lamented silently.
But Fugaku's piercing gaze left no room for retreat. And so, resigned and heavy-hearted, Rei began his training.
Meanwhile, deeper within the forest, Shisui and Kakashi remained behind. The silence between them thickened, broken only when Kakashi finally looked at the younger Uchiha. With a sigh, he extended the bento toward him.
"I've already eaten. You can have this."
He could see plainly that Shisui needed it more.
Kakashi would not die without this meal, but the thought lingered—if Shisui did not receive it, perhaps it might just kill him.
So Kakashi decided to give the bento to the one who needed it more.
Shisui regarded him quietly, then, to Kakashi's mild surprise, smiled with a rare gentleness.
He glanced at the lunchbox in Kakashi's hand and shook his head firmly. "This was something Rei prepared with her own hands, for Kakashi-senpai. Please, senpai, eat it. Don't betray Rei's sincerity."
Shisui's heart longed, of course, for Rei's care. He wished desperately to be seen by Rei in the same light.
But that did not mean he would go against Rei's will. He had already once made such a mistake in the past—and he had sworn never again to forcefully act against Rei's wishes.
Kakashi raised a brow, taken aback. He had not expected such poise from Shisui, and found himself begrudgingly impressed.
Yet when he finally opened the bento and caught sight of its contents, he froze in stunned silence.
Nuts, braised pork, grilled fish, bread, cake...
Was this really meant to be one person's breakfast?!
If he ate it all, his stomach would surely burst!
Kakashi knew his limits well. Once again, he turned to Shisui for help, his tone pleading: "Help me with this. I can't eat it all. And if she sees me wasting food, I think she'll be furious."
For reasons he could not explain, he felt certain that wasting Rei's efforts would summon a version of her far more terrifying than she appeared to be.
After all, Rei always seemed so harmless, so gentle, her voice rarely rising in severity.
Shisui, staring at the overflowing bento, fell into the same silence.
This... this was easily enough for three people.
Was Rei fattening Kakashi-senpai as if he were a pig to be raised?
The thought struck him as disrespectful, and inwardly, he offered Kakashi an apology.
In the end, unwilling to waste Rei's kindness, Shisui accepted Kakashi's plea.
The two of them sat down together, working through the food as though it were a mission to be completed.
Meanwhile, at the river—
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson!"
From Amamiya Rei's mouth, a cluster of shuriken engulfed in flame shot forth, blazing like red phoenix flowers in full bloom, and struck with astonishing power.
The power was undeniable.
At last, Fugaku nodded in approval, breaking his silence. "You pass."
Rei instantly exhaled a long sigh of relief.
Finally!
He had repeated it ten times already, draining his chakra to the edge of exhaustion. Were it not for the recovery he had gained from his work in the hospital, he would have long since run out of energy.
"Now, lets continue with the Dragon Fire Technique," Fugaku pressed, giving him only three short seconds of rest before the next demand.
After all, on the battlefield, no enemy would ever grant you three seconds of respite.
Since he had agreed to Minato to take Rei as his disciple, he would fulfill that role to the utmost, digging out every ounce of Rei's potential to make her stronger and stronger.
Snake–Dragon–Hare–Tiger
Rei's fingers flashed through the seals, his voice clear and steady. "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
A stream of flame erupted from his lips, straight and fierce like a cannon blast, tearing through the trunk of a great tree across the riverbank, its blaze painting the heavens in crimson.
Compared to the B-rank technique, Rei's control over this C-rank ninjutsu was far greater.
Fugaku nodded once more. Rei had passed his training for the day.
But Rei was so thoroughly worn down he felt his very soul might scatter. He dragged his exhausted body back toward the forest.
Though Uchiha Fugaku's teaching ability was undeniably excellent, his strictness was simply unbearable!
He was exactly like the kind of terrifying head instructor Rei had most feared in his previous life!
***