Even those hailed as geniuses must apply themselves with diligence. Thus, the hours after school had always been what Kakashi anticipated most—a cherished time when he could delight in the company and training of his father.
But today, everything was different.
Kakashi's gaze was fixed unblinkingly upon Ryoto.
'What?! A teacher?! What?! A student?! I'm not even my own father's student!'
Silently, Kakashi clenched his fists, his piercing, lifeless eyes boring into Ryoto.
'I hate him.'
In that moment, Kakashi understood his own feelings with absolute clarity.
"Teacher..." Ryoto began politely, bowing to the White Fang. "I hope to return home early, so if you please, let us conclude our lesson swiftly."
'How disrespectful...'
"My demands and my training are exceedingly harsh. If you wish to return home early, it will depend entirely on your own abilities," the White Fang replied. Rin had entrusted her precious son to him, and he had no intention of treating it as a mere formality.
This boy was now his student. And a student signified a legacy.
Ryoto looked at the White Fang. 'For a grown man, he certainly doesn't take a hint, does he? I'm asking you to just brush me off, yet you're taking this so seriously. Look at your son! Wouldn't it be better to spend more time with him? You don't have much of it left!'
"Teacher..." Ryoto said, "I am the eldest son and heir to the Inuzuka Clan. I do not believe there is anything new you can teach me."
The meaning was clear: 'I am learning the secret techniques of my clan; what more could you possibly teach me?'
"Oh?" The White Fang raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
"You failure, you can't even master the Transformation Technique! What nonsense are you spouting to my father?!" Kakashi could no longer contain himself, stepping forward with a cold expression.
"Kakashi," the White Fang gently stopped him, then turned to Ryoto with a smile. "Don't let my appearance fool you. I am very strong, you know."
'I know you're strong; it's plain to see.'
"What would you like to learn?" the White Fang asked confidently. "I have mastered them all: Ninjutsu, secret techniques, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, Sealing Techniques, Summoning Technique. Choose any one."
"The techniques of my clan are already too numerous for me to master," Ryoto replied. "I have no time to learn anything else."
'Very clever. Chase two rabbits, and you will catch neither.'
The White Fang couldn't help but glance at his own foolish son, who had strayed slightly from the proper path. It is better to be a master of one trade than a jack of all. The White Fang stood, descended from the veranda via the suspended steps, slipped on his geta, and, withdrawing his hands from his sleeves, approached Ryoto. With a warm smile, he said:
"Well, isn't this a predicament. In that case, there is only one thing I can teach you: the experience of a life-or-death battle."
Thanks to Kakashi, the White Fang understood Rin's feelings perfectly. If you strike too lightly, there is no effect. If you strike too hard, your heart breaks with pain. It was better to entrust the training to someone else; it brought more peace of mind. Besides, Ryoto was also holding back, afraid of hurting Rin. Rin herself had told him this with a smile.
The atmosphere shifted...
Ryoto looked at the White Fang, into eyes that now regarded him like those of a wolf. Instinct took over; Ryoto's pupils contracted into vertical slits, mirroring his gaze.
"Not bad!" the White Fang nodded.
For men, this was perhaps the highest form of praise.
'This boy!'
Kakashi keenly sensed the admiration in his father's voice and realized that this insolent boy had dared to meet his gaze!
"What is this?" Ryoto asked. The skin on his scalp tingled, his entire body screaming of danger. His animal instincts warned him that this man was, at this moment, incredibly perilous.
"We usually call this..." the White Fang smiled, "bloodlust. Something you lack."
"I've killed fish. Does that count as bloodlust?" Ryoto asked with genuine sincerity.
'What is he even thinking?! You are under the pressure of my bloodlust!'
The corner of the White Fang's mouth twitched; he felt an urge to laugh.
Amusing.
His entire aura vanished in an instant, and he once again became the good-natured uncle.
"Well, returning home early is certainly possible. But today, for our first official training session, let's first test your capabilities. Let's see..." The White Fang lowered his head in thought, then said, "Taking the bells would be too simple for you. Today, we will have a real fight. Consider me your enemy and attack with your full strength. If you can wound me, I will let you go home."
Ryoto remained silent, gazing thoughtfully at the White Fang.
'Did Mom agree to this? To the "full strength" part.'
"Father!" Kakashi approached. "Let me fight him!"
The White Fang looked at Kakashi but answered neither yes nor no. He turned his gaze back to Ryoto and said, "Didn't Rin tell you? Don't hold back. You can trust me completely. Rin and I are comrades, ready to lay down our lives for one another."
'Comrades, are they?'
Ryoto looked at this man. A man who would rather fail a mission and neglect the village's interests than abandon a comrade in need.
"I understand," Ryoto said, shrugging off his jacket with a swift motion and tying it around his waist. "In that case, I ask you, Teacher, not to underestimate me."
"I had no intention of underestimating you. When Rin spoke of you, she was filled with pride and satisfaction," said the White Fang. "I hope you can surprise me even more."
'What is happening here? Why won't Father let me fight? Why? Does he think that I...'
Kakashi looked at Ryoto.
'...could not win?'
Ryoto assumed a combat stance, crouching low to the ground. It was the standard starting position for the Four Legs Technique, mimicking a beast's posture to achieve greater speed and a better grip on the surface. For a human, it looked somewhat unnatural.
'But... how did it come to this? I just wanted to slack off...'
Ryoto looked into the White Fang's eyes. In turn, he assumed a similar posture, sinking low to the ground like a hound, one hand hidden behind his back. This responsive stance signified that the White Fang also intended to fight with his full strength.
Both of them looked very much like dogs.
"Begin!" commanded the White Fang.
In that same instant, Ryoto's muscles tensed and bulged abruptly.
Beast Mimicry, activate!
Four Legs Technique, activate!
Tsūga!
A swift attack!
A flash of blue light—and in the blink of an eye, a newly formed vortex surged furiously toward the White Fang. The distance between them was neither great nor small, and the attack reached its target almost instantaneously, blasting the White Fang's face with a powerful gust of wind.
Time seemed to stand still.
Kakashi, unable to react in time, widened his eyes. The gust of wind merely grazed him, leaving several bloody scratches on his mask.
'Too fast! Why didn't he form any hand seals?'
This suddenness was enough to catch any foe off guard. Furthermore, the Tsūga technique was versatile: the rotating drill of wind both protected the user and delivered a devastating blow to the opponent. Compared to the absolute defense of the Fang Over Fang, this technique was far more mobile.
But his opponent was the White Fang.
In the next second, he struck the ground with one hand, and a thick earthen wall rose from it with a roar. The surface of the wall bore the image of a dog's head, snarling silently at the approaching drill.
'A one-handed seal?'
Inside the Tsūga, where everything spun at tremendous speed, Ryoto could see almost nothing. But his senses of hearing and smell were still sharp.
'Heh! I tricked you!'
The wind drill suddenly dissipated, and Ryoto's silhouette appeared in the air.
'I attacked, but not fully. I deceived you into wasting your Ninjutsu.'
'What a clever boy!'
Feeling no impact, the White Fang made an instant decision and, retreating, raised his head. Ryoto's silhouette appeared above the earthen wall, backlit by the setting sun. The glare made it impossible to discern what he was doing with his hands.
'Is this also part of your plan?' The White Fang narrowed his eyes, trying to make out Ryoto's movements. 'The five senses of the Inuzuka Clan are truly formidable. But that, too, can be countered. First, I'll block his sense of smell.'
The White Fang moved his hand and released something, tossing it silently to the ground. Kakashi, watching the battle, involuntarily took a step back.
Ryoto's golden, vertical pupils twitched. In the midst of the high-speed battle, he had noticed the small object.
'I don't know what that is, but... you won't succeed!'