Sitting around the fire, Jiraiya briefly glanced at Naruto sleeping to his left, covered by Jiraiya's large red haori, which served as a blanket of sorts beneath the large travel tent Jiraiya always carried.
'Cute kid, Kushina wouldn't be able to stop boasting about her adorable son if she were still here. This ninja world of ours is a cruel one.'
Jiraiya thought of the state of the world as he often did; he knew there was far too much hate in it, but he was powerless to do anything about it.
The legend of Hashirama was one Jiraiya always enjoyed hearing, the peace-loving first Hokage who could have swept through each ninja village and made them submit, but he didn't. Jiraiya admired Hashirama greatly; the personality in the stories his sensei told him long ago aligned well with his own. Orochimaru, having favored the second Hokage over the first, perhaps relates more to the genius younger brother of Hashirama.
One thing that Jiraiya strongly disagreed with was the handing over of the tailed beasts to the other villages. Other than the Sand, who had captured Shukaku on their own, Hashirama rounded up all the tailed beasts like cattle and just handed them out like pieces of candy, and not the seemingly immortal chakra beasts that they were. And now, a group was coming for his Godson.
Jiraiya sighed, wishing he had Hashirama's strength at this moment, or Tobirama's intellect, but he was just a pervy sage with too much talent in writing.
'If I can't accomplish this goal of mine, maybe I'll hand it over to Naruto and Kakashi to sort out. I'm just an old man after all, and it'd be nice to do nothing but research for the rest of my days.'
Jiraiya giggled quietly, careful not to wake Naruto.
Stoking the fire and ensuring it stayed lit throughout the night with plenty of firewood, Jiraiya leaned against the tree next to the tent, closing his eyes for sleep.
- Next day with Kakashi -
"Good."
Kakashi replied, watching as Sasuke went through the moves he allowed him to copy with his Sharingan. The taijutsu Sasuke copied was inspired by Gai but created by Kakashi to maximize the Sharingan's use in battle. a fast, hard-hitting style that incorporated elements from a few known styles.
"You've managed to copy the moves from me, now I want to take the time to spar with you using that style. I also want you to learn to fight without relying on your Sharingan. It's a tool that gives you an advantage, but it shouldn't be used like a crutch. Ironically, the technique I'm about to teach you relies heavily on the Sharingan, but don't let that take away from what I said."
Kakashi chuckled softly before explaining the basic principles of the Chidori, and slowly went through them, allowing Sasuke to use his Sharingan to see the process of the gathered chakra.
"This process will be different for you; nobody is the same, so use this as a reference and nothing more. Your chakra will flow differently, but nothing too dissimilar to what I'm showing you now."
Kakashi warned gravely, not wanting Sasuke to cripple himself by training the Chidori wrongly.
When Sasuke nodded, Kakashi stopped the flow of chakra into his hand.
"Good, you'll be focused on the Chidori and the taijutsu style I showed you."
Kakashi clapped his hands together, looking over in the distance and seeing his clone working with Sakura on furthering her skills in taijutsu and genjutsu, alongside some poison-making techniques and knowledge on the best ways to apply it.
'She's doing well, Tsunade won't have a blank slate apprentice with no abilities, if she comes back to the village.'
Kakashi hoped Tsunade would return and become the Fifth Hokage; wandering around the world any longer would be such a waste.
- 20 days later, 8 days till the finals -
Having taught Sasuke and Sakura everything they needed, Kakashi gave them instructions on how to train from here on out and made it clear that he expected them to balance training with proper rest and meals.
Walking to the Yamanaka flower shop, Kakashi walked in, seeing Ino working the shop.
"You're the sensei of Team Seven."
Ino recognized the man in front of her as Kakashi; she found half of what Asuma told her about Kakashi a bit unbelievable.
"Yes, you're Ino, right?"
Kakashi replied as he turned to look at the flowers, picking a white lily and bringing it to the counter for Ino to wrap it and charge him.
Ino eyed the flower on the counter, much less eager to ask him questions about Team Seven now.
"I'm sorry for your loss."
Kakashi nodded in thanks, pulling out the money and paying before picking up the flower and walking out, quickly speaking up before she could.
"Keep the change."
The soft bell on the door rang as it closed, Kakashi walking leisurely down the village street.
Kakashi acknowledged the villagers who greeted him; thankfully, they were tactful enough to notice the white lily in his hand and didn't speak beyond a respectful greeting, allowing him to make his way through the village relatively unbothered.
Stopping at Konoha cemetery, Kakashi paid his respects to everyone he knew, taking his time to glance over every name despite knowing them by heart.
"I'll come by with flowers for you all some other time. I haven't been coming regularly for two years. I have a purpose now, and I promise to see it through. Rest easy and don't worry, I'll protect him."
Kakashi spoke, gazing at the names of his Sensei and Kushina.
Kakashi didn't even spare Obito's name a glance, but he did pause over Rin's name, this time making a silent vow.
'I'll stop that man. He isn't what you remember; he has played with the lives of Konoha ninja and has gotten Sensei and Lady Kushina killed. That kid who always arrived late died the day you did, Rin. I'll be sure to kill that corpse using Obito's face.'
Kakashi sighed and moved on, eventually making it to the private, unmarked grave of his father, only to see something that made his blood boil under his skin.
A full-powered blast of Conqueror's Haki burst from Kakashi like a failed dam, the will making itself known on the ground around them.
The grave that he had been planning to visit was dug up, and his father's body was gone.
The branches of the trees closest to him bent and snapped in quick succession, the sky above seeming to mirror his emotional state, lightning striking around him.
Kakashi's body shook; pure, unadulterated rage thrummed through him, his Conqueror's Haki improving, but he didn't care to notice, his eyes locked on the grave that belonged to his father, the Sharingan under his headband subconsciously morphing into the Mangekyō.
Kakashi clenched his fist, purple lightning crackling to life and swinging upward, extending into the lightning and harnessing the storm he caused, running and throwing his fist into a large tree; the explosion was large and it didn't merely destroy the surrounding trees, but atomized more than 100 yards in the area he thrusted the attack, the purple lightning in his palm bleeding black with red outlining it before he stopped the flow.
The only thing left of his anger after taking it out on the poor surroundings was a cold and deadly calm.
'Orochimaru... You'd better hope someone is framing you. Because if you took my father's body, I'll make you, who fears death, beg for it.'
Kakashi walked home, an aura of chilling cold killing intent and flares of Conqueror's Haki scaring nearby wildlife, the occasional bird falling from the sky.
- Chapter End -
Purple lightning coated with Conqueror's Haki. Think of this scene as when Luffy saw a dragon shoot a mouth blast at a group. I'll not accidentally spoil, but iykyk.