Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage rested his hands on the crystal ball, watching the movements of Kakashi, Kisaragi Haruto, and Konan.
At that moment—
Bang!
A sudden noise echoed. The Third Hokage immediately pressed down on the crystal ball and looked toward the window.
Then…
He realized:Wait, what am I worried about?
Hiruzen Sarutobi cleared his throat and looked out. "Jiraiya, can't you come in through the front door?"
"Heh, this is faster," Jiraiya replied casually.He glanced briefly at the Hokage, then grew serious. "You're watching? Well, what do you think?"
The Third Hokage held his pipe in one hand."Kisaragi Haruto is really impressive."
"But more importantly, his awareness and thinking—this kid is mature. But a child shaped by war, the more mature they are, the more dangerous they can be. Like Kakashi, he will need guidance."
Jiraiya leaned over to get a better look at the crystal ball.
On the screen, Haruto and Kakashi were running side by side, trading blows and testing each other's taijutsu.
At first…Haruto seemed to be on the defensive, but his speed allowed him to evade critical strikes with ease.
Yet, as the fight progressed, even through the crystal ball, the Third Hokage could see—
Haruto's taijutsu techniques were improving constantly!
Impossible…Could there really be a genius like this in the world?
Jiraiya nudged the Hokage.
Clatter!The pipe fell.
"Oh, my precious!"The Third Hokage caught it immediately—but the tobacco inside spilled everywhere.
But clearly, now wasn't the time to worry about tobacco.His expression turned serious as he focused on the crystal ball.
This pace of improvement…If he weren't sure Haruto was a descendant of the Senju clan, he might have suspected he had awakened the Sharingan, mimicking Kakashi's taijutsu.
"Jiraiya, have you met him before?"
"Yes, old man. Over the past year, I've encountered him repeatedly. I can guarantee—this kid works extremely hard. All of this is from his own effort. He probably hasn't fought others much before, so all that training is now exploding in progress."
"Hm."The Third Hokage nodded.He believed it. He had just been too surprised earlier—A child he had never known, with this level of talent and perseverance…Truly remarkable!
…
Huff! Huff!
Kakashi panted heavily.He could hardly believe someone could improve so quickly.
A prodigy?But…What were his own years of effort and dedication worth compared to this?
Kakashi refused to believe that any innate talent could produce such rapid growth.This boy must have been training in isolation, only now releasing his full potential.
Moreover, his speed seemed to be increasing unconsciously.He was still getting stronger!
Although Kakashi wasn't unprepared, he couldn't help feeling shocked.And as Haruto's strength grew, their sparring became increasingly dangerous.
But Haruto knew exactly why.Without the knowledge he had gleaned from Kai, he couldn't have advanced his taijutsu so quickly.
And—Combat was the fastest way to integrate knowledge and skill into oneself.
"Stop fighting. If you continue, no one will benefit," Konan shouted from behind, trying to intervene.
No one listened.
Gritting her teeth, she formed hand seals.
Falling Cherry Blossom Technique!
Petals cascaded from the sky.
Haruto and Kakashi immediately sensed something was wrong and landed, ceasing their sparring. They quickly began dispelling the genjutsu.
After a short while, both opened their eyes.
Of course, it wasn't them who had dispelled it—Konan had quickly released the illusion.
She bowed deeply."Sorry! But your fight was escalating, and I don't know medical ninjutsu. If something went wrong in the Death Forest, it would have been dangerous."
"It's you we should be thanking," Haruto said.Kakashi remained silent.
At this age, she could already cast genjutsu at this level.Her skill was truly impressive—no wonder Jiraiya had selected her.Fortunately, Kakashi's mask concealed his expression, so others couldn't see him breaking his aloof image.
Haruto didn't go out of his way to confront Kakashi's ego."We're teammates. That fight let us understand each other's abilities, so we can plan tactics better for tomorrow's evaluation."
Team. Teammates…
Kakashi replied coldly, "Just don't hold me back."
Konan's blood pressure spiked.She had always been gentle, but the genius Kakashi kept overturning her expectations.How could he be so harsh?
She took deep breaths, glancing at Haruto, who remained calm.Had he prepared himself mentally?
Well, they had been classmates for a year. Unlike her, he wasn't a year junior to Kakashi.
Then, Konan froze.
"Maybe you didn't fight at full strength earlier… but no matter how skilled, can you really defeat Lord Jiraiya alone?"
Haruto said lightly.Kakashi turned his gaze but didn't speak, watching him.
"The point of cooperation is to nurture teammates. If you ignore their safety, it doesn't matter whether you pass the evaluation or not—we are just passing tools in your eyes…""Going solo? You might as well join the ANBU.""Coming back after two years isn't without reason. How you see others is how they will see you. No one would want you as a teammate if you act like this."
Haruto paused, then said calmly, "Konan, let's scout the terrain. We might need it tomorrow."
So…It wasn't just mental preparation. He had been holding back his emotions, and now they finally surfaced.
Such sharp words!Wasn't he afraid of starting a fight?
Konan stared at Haruto, then at Kakashi.Now Kakashi's eyes were full of anger, fists clenched.
But Haruto didn't regret it, nor would he apologize.
Kakashi's type couldn't be reasoned with. Even if he might change one day, it could cost a teammate…Haruto didn't want to become like Obito.There wouldn't necessarily be a Madara to save him.
Besides…The process of "reforming" was too slow.Haruto wanted to deal with this "boss" quickly and gain his rewards, not waste time on emotional games.
Of course, he didn't expect to succeed in one try.If one failed… two or three times were still better than relying on emotional persuasion.
Step one was to make Kakashi understand that respect is mutual.He might not match him in raw power, but that didn't mean Kakashi could throw out his "outrageous opinions" repeatedly.
Step two…Would depend on how well Jiraiya coordinated.
Haruto thought to himself.
Konan hesitated a moment, then followed him."Haruto, wait for me."
"My trap detection isn't great. I'll need your help observing them, preferably without triggering anything."
"Okay."
The two headed deeper into Training Field Seven.
Kakashi was furious.Behind them, Jiraiya's shadow clone sighed silently.
This silver-haired brat really didn't respect others. No wonder so many complained!
Still…When he got angry, he hit hard.His words had struck Kakashi's sore spots, silencing him.
He was still just a kid!Even the most mature can't stay perfectly calm when provoked.
Jiraiya chuckled quietly.That's what a child should be like!
But…What about tomorrow's evaluation?
…
By evening, the three separated.After their argument, a noticeable rift formed, and little conversation followed.
"Is this really okay?"Konan whispered.
Haruto's earlier words had overturned the impression she had formed in just half a day.He had merely been more patient until now.
"Kakashi acts like that for a reason. I understand. I've been in a similar state before, but to solve a problem, you can't just comply blindly—that's wrong," Haruto explained.
"I see…"Konan murmured.
Haruto stopped walking."We're near your home. I won't escort you further."
"Ah?"Konan blinked, realizing she had already reached the street near her house.
She hadn't noticed, lost in thought about today's events and the boy before her.
"Goodbye. Let's give it our best tomorrow."
"Yes! Thank you, Haruto. I learned a lot today."