raining continued until evening.
Ken barely noticed the passage of time.
After receiving the new ninjutsu scrolls, Minato began sparring with him—but only in name. Minato never attacked seriously. He blocked, redirected, and halted Ken mid-movement whenever a flaw appeared.
Foot placement.Balance.Timing.
Every error was corrected instantly.
It was exhausting.
By the time the sun dipped low, Ken's arms trembled and his legs barely held him upright.
Kakashi's training wasn't any gentler.
Minato's shadow clone focused entirely on acceleration drills. Sudden bursts. Instant stops. Killing movement compressed into a single step. Kakashi ran until the ground cracked beneath his feet.
When Minato finally called an end, both boys collapsed onto the grass.
"You did well today," Minato said.
Then he smiled.
"Let's eat."
Ken blinked.
"…Eat?"
"I'm treating you," Minato added. "You've earned it."
Ken's eyes lit up.
"Ichiraku."
The word slipped out before he could stop it.
Minato chuckled. "That was quick."
Ken coughed lightly. "I've… heard it's good."
Kakashi said nothing and simply followed.
Ichiraku was lively even in the evening.
Steam rose from boiling pots. Laughter blended with conversation as the rich scent of broth filled the street.
Minato took a seat, and the boys joined him.
Bowls were placed down one by one as Ayame called out their orders.
Minato glanced toward the group beside them and smiled politely.
"Looks like we're sharing the stand today."
The man seated with the other team turned.
He was clearly a jōnin, wearing standard flak armor and carrying the calm presence of a veteran.
"Minato Namikaze," he said with mild surprise. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Small village," Minato replied easily.
The man nodded. "Sarutobi Tetsuma. Team leader."
Obito straightened immediately.
"We're Team Three!" he announced loudly. "Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin—and Hyūga Ao!"
Ao inclined his head with crisp discipline.
"Nice to meet you."
Minato returned the gesture.
"My team's smaller," he said. "Hatake Kakashi and Ken."
Kakashi gave a brief nod.
Ken followed with a polite bow. "Nice to meet you."
Tetsuma smiled faintly. "I've heard a bit about you."
Ken returned an awkward smile and wisely said nothing.
Rin looked between both teams, visibly relieved by the calm atmosphere.
Then—
Obito leaned forward.
"Hey, Kakashi," he blurted. "You're still a genin?! I already graduated!"
He jabbed a finger toward him.
"What was the point of graduating early if you're still stuck there?"
Ken winced internally.
Here we go.
Kakashi didn't look up.
Then—
"…Deadlast."
The word fell flat and cold.
Silence followed.
Obito's face turned crimson.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
Minato blinked.
Ken nearly choked on his water.
He stared at Kakashi in disbelief.
You talk?
Kakashi simply returned his attention to his bowl as if nothing had happened.
Ken's mood darkened.
This was bad.
If Kakashi kept walking this road, the same tragedy could still unfold—and now Ken might get dragged into it.
He forced himself to breathe.
No.
That bond hadn't formed yet.
They'd only shared a year in the academy. The real connection came later—after being placed on the same team.
And more importantly—
Rin was still here.
She was the catalyst.
With her alive and beside Obito, that old man shouldn't interfere.
Ken relaxed slightly.
Obito slammed his hand on the counter.
"Say that again, you—!"
"Obito," Rin said quickly, grabbing his sleeve.
He froze.
She smiled awkwardly at everyone. "Please don't start a fight here."
Obito gritted his teeth but sat back down, muttering under his breath.
Rin turned toward Kakashi with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry. Obito just gets loud sometimes."
Kakashi didn't reply and continued eating.
Rin already knew his temperament and didn't mind.
With Minato adding a few calm words, the tension faded, and conversation slowly returned.
Soon, everyone was eating in a livelier atmosphere.
Ken glanced toward the Hyūga boy.
Ao sat quietly beside Rin, posture straight, eyes forward—disciplined, controlled, detached.
Ken felt a strange pang of pity.
…Perfect replacement, he thought grimly.
Steam rose between the two teams as the night carried on.