Kakashi Hatake

The battle lasted a full three minutes and more.

Hyuga Hiashi effortlessly fended off Yuzuru Hyuga's 'all-out' assault, occasionally praising his Gentle Fist technique. "As expected of Hizashi's son. When I was five, my chakra was probably less than half of yours. Excellent Sixty-Four Palms! Even Shinon, who's already a jonin, doesn't perform his Sixty-Four Palms as well as you do. Heavenly Turn—good timing on the release! Oh? Is that a Kunai Throwing Technique? Not bad! Even someone from the Uchiha Clan might not have throwing skills as polished as yours. Strength, speed, stamina—you fully possess the abilities of a capable chunin! If not for your chakra and age holding you back, your skill alone would qualify you as a competent jonin."

Hiashi gracefully countered Yuzuru's attacks while praising him, all the while marveling at Yuzuru's terrifying rate of progress. In just one year, Yuzuru Hyuga had already reached this level of strength. In wartime, he would have been promoted to jonin regardless of age! Was this what they called a genius? By the time he reached twelve or so, perhaps even Hiashi's own power would only be a match for his.

Yuzuru Hyuga panted heavily, standing weakly in place, his fingers trembling slightly as he pushed up his glasses. "As expected of Lord Hiashi. This power—even my father cannot compare."

"No, Hizashi was probably just afraid of hurting you." Hyuga Hiashi saved face for Hizashi Hyuga, smiling cheerfully as he turned to look at the Elder Hyuga.

The Elder Hyuga nodded, expressing full satisfaction with Yuzuru's performance. He clasped his hands behind his back. "He has already mastered his current abilities well enough. Over the next year, I will teach him properly."

"Then I leave it to Elder Teru."

Hyuga Hiashi showed considerable respect. In his youth, Hiashi's teacher had also been this Elder Hyuga Teru behind him. By clan standing alone, he was entitled to the clan leader's respect.

Elder Hyuga Teru merely stroked his white beard gently, his smile tinged with emotion. "I never thought I'd have the chance to teach a younger generation again in my lifetime. Rest assured, Hiashi. I will do my utmost to make him an excellent Hyuga shinobi."

Hyuga Hiashi nodded with a satisfied smile. "On that point, I have never doubted."

For a moment, the three of them looked perfectly harmonious together. Even an outsider unaware of the situation might believe they were a family of three.

Soon, Hiashi made an excuse to leave on business, leaving only Elder Hyuga Teru to instruct Yuzuru Hyuga. The elder's energy was limited; even though he said he would teach Yuzuru, it only amounted to two hours of training each day. The rest of the time, Yuzuru was left to practice on his own.

Practice on his own? Continue refining Gentle Fist, Heavenly Turn, and Sixty-Four Palms? Or listen to Elder Hyuga Teru's lectures on so-called 'shinobi combat tricks'? He said he'd train him wholeheartedly, but he hadn't even taught the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. Did he really think Yuzuru Hyuga was a fool?

Small-minded.

His capacity was too small.

But Yuzuru Hyuga didn't care. For him, this level of training was practically a vacation. Today was a day off—he didn't even have to go to the Ninja Academy. This rare break made Yuzuru, who had been pushing himself nonstop for an entire year, come to a decision.

Today! Rest!

After returning to his room, Yuzuru Hyuga suddenly found himself at a loss. Having been wound tight like a spring that never stopped turning, now that he suddenly had free time, he had no idea what to do with himself.

Itachi had refused his morning training invitation half a month ago. Word was that Fugaku Uchiha planned to train him seriously and had forbidden him from going out freely. As for Izumi, though she trained hard during their 'games,' playing Ninja Game with her was hardly restful for Yuzuru. Shisui, of course, was a busy man—there was no guarantee he could meet on a whim.

"Do I... have too few friends?"

Yuzuru Hyuga fell into thought. Aside from outsmarting Hizashi, he didn't even have a single form of leisure or entertainment.

"Nii-nii!!"

"Yuzuru! Nii-nii!"

A childish shout suddenly rang out from outside the window.

Yuzuru Hyuga strode out of his room in a few steps and saw on the corridor a cute little boy, as if carved from jade, wobbling as he ran, his head bobbing. The moment he saw Yuzuru, he smiled, revealing a mouthful of uneven baby teeth.

"Slow down, Neji. Don't fall!" His mother followed closely behind him.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled and crouched down. The little guy struggled to run over, nearly face-planting into the ground, but Yuzuru was quick—he caught Neji in his arms.

"Let me take a good look at our Hyuga family's little genius." He stood up holding Neji, studying his small face. Neji just reached out, babbling 'nii-nii' over and over.

'Nii-nii' was a simple way of saying 'big brother.'

Too busy with training, Yuzuru usually only had time to play with the little guy during meals. Before he knew it, he didn't even know when Neji had learned to run or how many words he could say—and now he was already calling him nii-nii.

"Mm, as expected of my little brother. You look just as cute as I did when I was little."

He lifted Neji high, and Neji giggled, reaching out to touch his face, patting it randomly.

His mother smiled softly, watching her two children with happiness.

"Mom, I want to go out for a walk." Yuzuru Hyuga walked over to his mother and handed Neji to her.

The Nine-Tails' Rampage is probably at most a month or two away.

Konoha will face reconstruction after destruction; perhaps many familiar shops, streets, and even people will vanish.

He had never really taken the time to explore the current Konoha.

"Aren't you going to train?" His mother was a little surprised, but then she smiled. "Taking a day off is fine too."

She crouched down, straightening Neji's clothes while gently tidying Yuzuru Hyuga's as well.

Yuzuru Hyuga said casually, "Yeah, I'll take a day off. It's been a long time since I just relaxed and walked around."

His mother took Neji gently with one hand and brushed Yuzuru's cheek with the other. "Mom won't come with you. I've been feeling a bit unwell lately."

Yuzuru Hyuga was silent for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mm." She kissed his forehead lightly, then stood up, watching his awkward expression and covering her mouth with a laugh. "Come back early. Will you eat lunch at home?"

"No, I'll just grab something outside."

Yuzuru Hyuga pinched Neji's cheek lightly, then turned and left.

His mother watched him walk away, then took Neji, who was still babbling "Nii-nii, nii-nii," back inside.

Leaving the Hyuga compound, Yuzuru Hyuga wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Eventually, his steps stopped in front of a shop. Looking up at the sign reading "Ichiraku Ramen," he realized—in these five years, he had never even tried the famous Ichiraku Ramen.

He ducked under the half-drawn curtain at the entrance, but his steps faltered.

His gaze landed on a silver-haired young ninja, who sat expressionless at the counter-like long table. His face was hidden behind a mask, and the one visible dead fish eye was sizing him up in return.

It was Kakashi Hatake, who, by being born earlier, had stolen the title of youngest academy entrant from Yuzuru Hyuga.

Now fourteen, Kakashi was already a jonin in ANBU. His twisted life experiences had forced him to mature early, and he paid little mind to a five-year-old's curious stare.

But as he studied Yuzuru's features, some intel stored in his mind gradually overlapped with the boy before him.

Yuzuru Hyuga—the Hyuga clan's super genius. At least, that's what the files said.

Kakashi was a little curious about this Konoha prodigy, hailed by the Hyuga as rivaling Shisui Uchiha and matching Kakashi Hatake, a fourth-year at the Ninja Academy at age four.

What surprised him more was that this genius showed no restraint. Though many seats were empty, he boldly sidled up to Kakashi.

The owner, Teuchi, only then noticed Yuzuru Hyuga.

"Oh! A first-time customer, little one. What would you like?"

Teuchi laughed heartily.

Yuzuru Hyuga looked up at the menu. "Large Pork Ramen."

"Our ramen portions are huge, you know!"

Teuchi warned kindly.

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled faintly. "I can eat a lot."

"Got it! Please wait a moment!"

Teuchi went back to work.

Yuzuru Hyuga turned to look at Kakashi Hatake, who wore a mask and an icy, unapproachable demeanor.

"Good afternoon, Kakashi-senpai."

"Oh, good afternoon." Even Kakashi wouldn't be rude to a child.

He greeted back awkwardly, unused to talking to kids.

Yuzuru Hyuga spoke familiarly, "I just wanted to try this place, but I never expected to run into you, senpai. Are you off today?"

"Yeah, day off." Kakashi rested his hands on the counter, unsure how to handle the boy.

Yuzuru smiled. "I asked Shisui-senpai about you before—what kind of person you are. But now that I see you, you're nothing like what he said."

Shisui Uchiha?

What did that guy say about me?

Kakashi was curious, but he noticed Yuzuru had no intention of explaining.

This little brat. Kakashi saw a hint of amusement in the boy's seemingly innocent eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses.

Were all kids in Konoha this mature now?

He shook his head and asked casually, "Oh? What's different?"

"He said you're a cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside excellent ninja. But from what I see, even your outside looks gentle." Yuzuru's flattery made Kakashi uncomfortable.

Wait, I'm only showing one eye. Where do you see gentleness?

But faced with a child's compliment, even Kakashi couldn't keep up his aloof act. He looked away awkwardly. "Is that so? Thanks."

The ramen was served. Kakashi pulled down his mask, revealing a handsome, sharp face that hardly seemed to need covering.

And he showed no reluctance to let it be seen—at least for now.

"Do you have plans this afternoon, Kakashi-senpai?" Yuzuru asked, as if casually.

Kakashi Hatake snapped apart his chopsticks, then turned his head, somewhat puzzled: "There shouldn't be anything going on, so... is there something?"

"I want to go fishing, but going alone seems a bit boring, so how about joining me? My fish-grilling skills are amazing, you know!"

Huh?

Kids, even geniuses, are such a hassle.

How should he refuse without making him too upset?

"By the way, Hatake-senpai, I heard someone lost a copy of Icha Icha Paradise around there recently. That's Jiraiya-sama's forbidden book—if you could find it, you'd be in luck."

"Icha Icha Paradise? Do you know what that book is?"

"No, but since it's written by Jiraiya-sama, it must be really exciting."

Kakashi Hatake fell into thought.

This kind of book isn't suitable for a kid, is it?

No, more than that, even he himself couldn't buy it because he wasn't old enough.

Don't ask how he knew—he was just curious because the author was Jiraiya, only to be told he was too young to read or purchase it. He didn't know the content, and he wasn't curious!

So then...

After all, letting a little kid like that go fishing alone is way too dangerous, right?

Sigh.

Kakashi Hatake really is a gentle person.

P.S.: I heard that those who bookmark and vote might just find this book!