Kakashi fled the farm in disgrace.
Sakura trailed behind him, glancing back longingly at the wooden house. Kakashi-sensei is completely useless. Couldn't he have given me more time alone with Sasuke-kun?
In her mind, he'd failed spectacularly as a wingman.
Not that Kakashi had ever considered himself one. Your teenage romance problems aren't my concern. I have Icha Icha Paradise to think about.
Except... thinking about those thrilling descriptions and illustrations made him remember Naruto's pointed metaphor about the frustrated bull. The composure Kakashi had been clinging to shattered instantly.
The feeling was like this: You've locked your door carefully, made all necessary preparations, positioned everything just right, and you're deeply invested in the moment when suddenly your parents walk in unannounced.
That exact sensation of mortified horror.
Which is why Kakashi had seized the first opportunity to leave. If that conversation had continued any longer, he'd have lost every shred of dignity. How could he teach Naruto and his team after that?
After parting with Sakura at the village proper, Kakashi returned to his apartment. He sat on the edge of his bed for several minutes, thinking. Then he stood, hooked his foot under the bed frame, and dragged out a crumpled pile of tissues. These went directly into the trash.
With the evidence disposed of, Kakashi struggled to extract his copy of Icha Icha Paradise from his pocket. He stared at the orange cover for a long moment.
Then he made a decision.
To maintain his dignity as a teacher, he would put away the book. Stop reading it entirely.
Resolved, Kakashi opened the storage chest beneath his table and placed the book inside with ceremonial finality. The lid closed with a decisive thud.
He stood up... then hesitated.
This feels unsafe somehow.
Now that he thought about it, he'd done this exact ritual countless times before. Hide the books away with great determination. Feel virtuous and disciplined for approximately twenty-four hours. Then sheepishly retrieve them the next day because, well, they were really good books.
Looking at the chest's built-in lock, Kakashi broke into a cold sweat. After clicking the lock shut, he finally felt secure.
There. Now I definitely can't give in to temptation.
The next morning, as Sasuke prepared to create shadow clones for class, Naruto stopped him.
"We're actually going today."
"Alright." Sasuke didn't question it. Naruto's judgment was usually sound.
They arrived at the usual training spot to find Sakura already there, practicing basic forms with intense concentration. Ever since Kakashi's accidental comment about her being weak, she'd been driven by newfound determination.
She refused to be the weakest link.
"Good morning, Sakura!" Naruto called cheerfully.
Compared to Sasuke's perpetual coolness, Naruto's energy was infectious. Which made sense—you couldn't make dozens of friends with a cold personality.
"You're really putting in the work," Naruto added approvingly.
Sakura didn't pause her training. "I don't have your strength or Sasuke's talent. All I can do is compensate with time and effort. I refuse to be dead last in Team Seven."
Naruto nodded seriously. "You're absolutely right, Sakura. Someone weak like you has to rely on diligence and hard work. Those of us who are naturally strong should have that same awareness."
He turned to Sasuke. "Come on, let's train!"
Both boys launched into their respective exercises.
Sakura: (#｀) 凸
For a moment, she considered giving up entirely. With these two monsters around, maybe I should just be a cheerleader on the sidelines.
But her hands kept moving through the forms. Pride wouldn't let her quit.
When Kakashi arrived—both arms still suspended uselessly from his neck—he found all three students training independently. Satisfaction warmed his chest.
Sakura's dedication was impressive, her skill level notably above average for a fresh graduate.
Sasuke was refining chakra, and Kakashi could sense the sheer volume he possessed. Already surpassing most chunin. The Uchiha bloodline really is extraordinary.
Then his attention shifted to Naruto.
Every movement seemed to violate normal biomechanics. Naruto's body moved in ways that shouldn't be possible, and the sound of rushing blood echoed from within him like a river in flood.
Kakashi couldn't make sense of it.
Is this some kind of specialized taijutsu? He thought of Might Guy, his eternally enthusiastic friend who'd devoted himself entirely to physical combat techniques.
Maybe I should ask Guy to give Naruto some guidance.
All three students noticed Kakashi's arrival and stopped training to greet him. "Good morning, Kakashi-sensei."
"Today I'm teaching you tree climbing," Kakashi announced. "Don't underestimate this exercise. It's about precise chakra control. Too little and you fall. Too much and you blow the bark apart. The goal is to walk on vertical surfaces as easily as flat ground."
He demonstrated by approaching a large tree and casually stepping onto the trunk. His body maintained a ninety-degree angle to the surface as he walked straight up, chakra adhering his feet to the bark.
"Now it's your turn." Kakashi stood on a branch, looking down at them with his head inverted.
"I'll go first!" Sakura volunteered immediately. If I wait and watch them succeed effortlessly, I'll lose all courage.
She took a deep breath, centered herself, and carefully channeled chakra to her feet. One step. Two steps. Her confidence grew as she successfully adhered to the trunk.
Twenty paces later, she reached the canopy. Feeling her control waver, she walked back down.
"How was that, sensei?" She looked up hopefully, needing validation before the inevitable comparisons began.
Kakashi nodded with genuine approval. "Excellent work, Sakura. Your chakra control is quite refined. Keep practicing."
He wasn't just being kind—for a new genin, her performance was genuinely impressive. Top tier, even.
"Thank you!" Relief and pride mixed in Sakura's voice.
Sasuke went next.
He'd already mastered the Rasengan, after all. Tree walking was trivial by comparison.
He completed the exercise flawlessly.
Kakashi felt a spike of surprise.
Sakura thought: Exactly as I predicted.
Finally, Naruto stepped forward.
Naruto hadn't followed the traditional ninja path. He'd learned only the basics required for graduation, and his chakra reserves were minimal. But his Unity of body, energy, and spirit granted him instinctive control over every aspect of his physical form.
With just that tiny amount of chakra, Naruto completed the exercise perfectly.
"Well done, all of you," Kakashi said. "Sasuke and Naruto have mastered it. Sakura, continue practicing until it becomes second nature."
She nodded with determination.
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, "if there's nothing else, I'll resume my own training."
"Wait." Kakashi landed in front of him. "I want to talk to you about something."
"Sure, what is it?"
Kakashi studied Naruto's face. "I noticed your training earlier. It looks like a specialized taijutsu style. Can you tell me about your focus?"
Naruto wasn't surprised by the question.
"You're right," Naruto said simply. "My style is called Ultimate Taijutsu. The principle is that the body is everything. I don't cultivate other skills—only myself."
Kakashi's thoughts immediately went to Guy. Just like him. Pure physical dedication.
He didn't know if Naruto's path was correct or misguided. But if Naruto enjoyed it and found fulfillment in it, Kakashi would support him. He didn't care about jinchuriki duties or village expectations.
All he cared about was Naruto's happiness.
"In that case," Kakashi said, "I have a friend who specializes in taijutsu. He's the most skilled practitioner I know. I could arrange for him to give you some guidance."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Finally! His current friends all went down after a few hits. They couldn't take a real beating. But if Kakashi's friend was a taijutsu expert, maybe—just maybe—he'd be durable enough for proper sparring.
Naruto desperately hoped this friend could take a punch.
The morning training continued. Sakura practiced tree walking with relentless focus. Naruto worked through his Iron Body forms, golden leaves swirling around him as his movements stirred the air. Kakashi taught Sasuke the fundamentals of Chidori.
When lunchtime arrived, Naruto had an idea.
"Kakashi-sensei, come eat at my place. Your hands are still injured, right?"
With Kakashi's modest appetite, feeding him wouldn't cost much at all.
"I'm coming too!" Sakura jumped in before Kakashi could respond.
"We didn't prepare enough for you," Sasuke said flatly.
Naruto shot Sasuke an approving glance. Good save. Out loud, he added, "Sasuke's right, unfortunately. You should head home, Sakura."
She trudged away in defeat.
Kakashi felt unexpected warmth at the invitation. His teacher Minato used to invite him home for meals after training. Of course, considering Kushina's cooking skills, Kakashi had usually found polite excuses to decline.
He'd eaten Naruto's bento yesterday. The kid clearly hadn't inherited his mother's culinary disasters.
But still—Naruto had fed him yesterday. As a teacher, he should reciprocate.
"Actually," Kakashi said with a smile, "this time I'll treat you both."
Naruto's face brightened instantly. "Really? Can we go to Ichiraku Ramen? I haven't had Uncle Ichiraku's cooking in forever!"
Iruka-sensei hasn't invited me to ramen in so long...
"Of course," Kakashi said magnanimously.
Sasuke looked at Kakashi and thought: You're going to regret this so much.
But Sasuke wouldn't undermine a friend. Especially not a friend with fists the size of his head.
"Thank you, sensei! Let's go!" Naruto practically bounced ahead.
"Uncle Teuchi! I'm back!" Naruto called out while still half a block away.
Teuchi looked up from his prep work and felt a familiar sense of dread. Who's the poor soul getting scammed today?
Then he spotted Kakashi and Sasuke following behind Naruto. Ah. The jonin's paying. This should be entertaining.
Kakashi's expression remained calm, unaware of the financial devastation approaching.
Teuchi smiled to himself, remembering Iruka's pattern: treat Naruto to ramen, then turn away and quietly wipe tears from his eyes.
"The usual, Uncle Teuchi!" Naruto claimed a stool at the bar.
Kakashi and Sasuke sat beside him.
"What would you two like?" Teuchi asked.
"Pork rib ramen with mushrooms." Sasuke's tone allowed no argument.
Kakashi ordered the same.
Teuchi took a deep breath and steeled himself. Time for battle. Cooking for Naruto was genuinely exhausting—the kid could demolish hundreds of bowls single-handedly.
Sure enough, Naruto began eating at supernatural speed.
Kakashi watched in growing horror as bowl after empty bowl stacked up. His hand unconsciously moved toward his wallet, mentally calculating whether he had enough money.
The ramen in front of him suddenly tasted like ash.
"That'll be forty-seven thousand ryō," Teuchi announced cheerfully when Naruto finally stopped.
Kakashi's heart broke as he paid. He looked at Naruto's satisfied, beaming face and thought miserably: How am I supposed to afford this regularly?
"Thanks for the meal, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto patted his round belly contentedly. "We should head back. See you this afternoon!"
Clutching his empty wallet, Kakashi watched Naruto and Sasuke disappear down the street, his expression a study in despair.
That afternoon, Kakashi arrived at the training ground with news.
"I've accepted a C-rank mission for us. Tomorrow, we leave the village to escort a client to the Land of Waves."
Naruto's eyes blazed with excitement. He jumped up, pumping both fists in the air.
"Yes! I'm going outside the village to make friends!"