Konoha, Land of Fire
The setting sun cast long shadows of the two men, and their sweat reflected shimmering golden light on the grass.
Might Guy tilted his head back and gulped down an entire bottle of water, then suddenly patted Kakashi on the back forcefully. "Haha! Kakashi, your student is truly amazing! He actually saved my life in the future!"
Water droplets slid down Kakashi's silver hair as he gazed in the direction the Heavenly Screen had dissipated, a rare gentleness appearing in his single eye.
(That Naruto kid...)
Memories flood back like a tide--
He recalled his terrible act of deliberately being two hours late when he first stood before Team 7 as their teacher; he remembered the clumsy trap Naruto had tied to the tree during the survival exercise; and he also remembered the stubborn figure of that blond boy who had been knocked down by him time and time again, only to get up again and again.
(I'm such a terrible teacher...)
His fingers unconsciously Sharingan beneath his Forehead Protector. Over the years, he had lived in the shadow of the past— Obito's death, Rin's sacrifice, Minato-sensei's departure... All of this had shut him out in darkness, and he had even deliberately distanced himself from his teacher's orphan.
(Because the Nine-Tails that killed his teacher is sealed inside him...)
This excuse allowed him to comfortably brush off Naruto. The Three Basic Jutsu, Chakra control, and the most basic Taijutsu —that was all he could teach. Whenever he saw the longing in Naruto's eyes for "stronger Ninjutsu," he would always brush it off with "lay a solid foundation first."
(The real reason is fear.)
He had witnessed the destructive power of the Nine-Tails when it went berserk. To teach a technique like Lightning Blade to a Jinchūriki who might lose control... just imagining it sent chills down his spine.
"Hey!" Kai's loud voice interrupted his thoughts, "The way you look, are you blaming yourself?"
Kakashi didn't deny it, but simply looked up at the sky. Several birds were flying across the clouds, just like he had seen them at the Memorial Stone years ago.
"Did you know?" he suddenly said, "Naruto and Sunagakure of Gaara look very similar."
Kai paused for a moment. "That One-Tail Jinchuriki?"
"Hmm." Kakashi's voice was low. "They were all cursed by their own power, feared by the villagers... but Gaara met Naruto."
Naruto then encountered Lord Jiraiya.
He didn't say it aloud, but Kai patted him on the shoulder knowingly. The two of them silently gazed at the direction Heavenly Screen finally settled—where Naruto Uzumaki's figure seemed to still linger.
"When he gets back..." Kakashi put away the Icha Icha Paradise " app, turned, and headed towards the Training Ground exit. "As his teacher, I also need to have a good talk with Naruto."
Kai exaggeratedly wiped his eyes. "Waaah... This is youth!"
On the other side
As night fell, the campfire crackled, casting the shadows of the three men into the dense forest behind them.
Naruto, holding a bowl, stared at Jiraiya with bright eyes. "Pervy Sage! Do you know the Eight Gates? Bushy-Brow Sensei's kick was absolutely awesome!" He gestured wildly, "Whoosh—bang! It even distorted space!"
"Ouch!"
Jiraiya flicked Naruto's forehead with a precise flick. "You brat, your summoning jutsu is so unreliable, and you're still thinking about Summoning Techniques?"
Naruto clutched his head and howled, "Ouch! I definitely summoned Gamabunta! He even praised me for improving last time!"
"That's Gamabunta in a good mood!" Jiraiya exclaimed, his beard bristling and eyes wide. "The last time you called him out, he had half a worm under his butt!"
"Pfft, hahaha!" Karin suddenly burst out laughing, then quickly covered her mouth, her eyes behind her glasses curving into crescents.
Naruto flushed red. "Th-that was an accident! Next time I'll definitely-"
"Next time?" Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "Let's focus on mastering Chakra control first! Starting tomorrow, two extra hours of water walking training!"
"Ah?! No, Pervy Sage!"
The noise startled the night birds in the treetops. Karin sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her fingertips unconsciously twirling her red hair. The warm light of the campfire shone on her face, and for a moment she seemed to be back in that night—the night she found Naruto and asked him for help.
(All of this... is not a dream.)
She glanced furtively at Naruto, who was still arguing with Jiraiya. The boy's fierce and aggressive demeanor was completely different from the hero in the Heavenly Screen who saved Might Guy, yet they strangely overlapped.
(Mother...)
She secretly pinched her thigh with her fingers hidden in her sleeve, and the pain confirmed that she wasn't hallucinating.
Jiraiya suddenly tossed a bag of candy over, which landed precisely in her arms. "Hey girl, don't just stand there! This is maple syrup, a local specialty. Eat it before that gluttonous cat notices!"
Naruto immediately turned his head. "What candy?! I want some too!"
"Only those who meet the cultivation standards will receive a share!"
A night breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the fragrance of distant flower fields. Karin unwrapped the candy, and the moment the sweetness melted on her tongue, she suddenly felt her eyes welling up with tears.
(Such a future...)
(Things will definitely get better and better.)
Six Paths figures lurked silently on the treetops in the distance.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the mask in the Anbu. Suddenly, Aoba Yamashiro nudged Gekko Hayate beside her with her elbow and whispered:
"Hey, Gale—when are you and Yugao finally planning to get married?"
"Cough--!" The wind suddenly trembled, Transparent Release technique almost failed. The face under the mask instantly turned red, and even the roots of the ears were stained with blood.
Uzuki Yugao's purple hair swayed gently in the night breeze, and although she wore a mask, the pink hue peeking out from her neck betrayed her shyness.
"Senior Aoba!" she protested softly, her voice three degrees softer than usual.
The Namiashi Raidō black swords flashed a cold light in the moonlight. He suppressed a laugh and, feigning seriousness, joined the conversation. "We've already prepared our gift money. If you keep dragging this out, won't the amount double?"
"Exactly!" The Tobitake Tonbo's sensors flashed blue. "I specifically kept the largest denomination silver notes from the extra money I earned on the last casino mission—"
Aburame Muta's sunglasses reflected the light, and several Fire Fly crawling out of her sleeve suddenly formed a heart shape, drifting between the gust of wind and the Yugao.
Jifeng frantically shooed away the insects, stammering, "We're on a mission! Be serious!"
"Oh~?" Aoba chimed in from the side, "Are we going to wait until the Heavenly Screen shows your wedding before we act?"
Yugao turned around in embarrassment and was about to jump away, but Ji Feng instinctively grabbed her wrist. The two froze on the spot, with the heart shape formed by the swarm of insects hanging right above their heads.
"Pfft..." The usually silent Aburame Muta suddenly burst out laughing.
The suppressed laughter of the six startled the nightingale beneath the tree. Near the campfire in the distance, Naruto looked up in confusion. "Huh? I think I just heard Crow cawing?"
Jiraiya tossed a pine cone into the fire, sparks crackling as it exploded. "Enough talk! Get up at five tomorrow to train!"