Kakashi

A month later.

Naruto had completely adapted to the routine of using Shadow Clones to skip class, shifting the focus of his life to training. Occasionally, he also had his Shadow Clones visit Shisui, who was imprisoned at the base.

Besides that, Naruto noticed that the Anbu monitoring him had been reassigned.

The Anbu who had originally monitored him were Gekko Hayate of Transparent Escape and Uzuki Yugao of Konoha Style. Now, they had been replaced by Kakashi, an elite Jonin carrying Icha Icha Paradise.

Kakashi's way of monitoring him was rather unusual. He never watched from the shadows, instead disguising himself as a "passerby."

Was that conspicuous mop of white hair because he was afraid Naruto would fail to notice him?

Naruto was quite helpless. He could only pretend not to see Kakashi and continue his fulfilling daily routine, though he became much more cautious whenever his Shadow Clones changed shifts in the Death Forest.

The Nine-Tails could not stand such an insult to its intelligence. Inside the Sealing Space, it egged Naruto on, clamoring for him to take action and get rid of Kakashi.

A Jinchuriki counter-killing an Anbu in the street was certainly possible. The price was being locked in a little black room for the rest of his life.

Naruto knew the Nine-Tails was no fool. It was using this as an excuse to demand benefits from him while passing the time.

To shut the Nine-Tails up, Naruto casually found a store, copied some Chakra carrying the flavor of snacks, and tossed it into the Sealing Space. A smile curled at the Nine-Tails' lips.

The crooked merchant was the same as always. Naruto placed the money directly on the counter and left the shop without looking back.

The shopkeeper glanced at Naruto, then at the money on the counter. After letting out a soft sigh, he finally put the money into the drawer, intending to deal with the Uchiha Police Force's inspection later.

More than six years had passed since the Nine-Tails incident. The shadows cast by that year had long since mostly faded away.

Naruto was merely an outlet for the resentment they had accumulated in their daily lives. The Police Force's strict enforcement, however, was what truly gave small folk like them headaches.

Who did not make a few minor mistakes now and then? Was it really necessary to enforce every single matter strictly according to the law?

The Police Force was far too inflexible, yet they turned a blind eye when it came to members of the Uchiha clan. Who could put up with that?

Dense negative emotions drifted over from behind him, drawing Naruto's attention. He soon discovered in surprise that those negative emotions were not directed at him, but at the Guard Members patrolling the streets.

After Shisui's "suicide," the Uchiha coup had been temporarily stopped.

Yet the conflict between the Uchiha and the higher-ups had only deepened. To prepare for a new round of rebellion, the Police Force had begun aggressively amassing money and stockpiling supplies, though their methods were far too crude.

Even he, a Jinchuriki, could see what was happening. The Third Hokage and the others probably understood it perfectly well already.

Still, this was good news for him. The more attention the Uchiha drew from the higher-ups, the easier it would be for him to leave Konoha. But if he wanted them to keep the higher-ups occupied for a long time, he could not allow the Uchiha to be completely wiped out.

As he wandered the streets, he recorded information on the passersby.

When lunchtime arrived, Naruto entered Ichiraku Ramen and called for a large bowl of ramen.

The freshly served ramen steamed with heat. As Naruto ate, he looked toward the seat Tenpu had once occupied.

That inconspicuous Konoha Chunin had shown him the true malice in people's hearts and made him resolve to leave Konoha, to leave this prison called a ninja village.

At that moment, the curtain was suddenly pulled aside.

Kakashi strode in as though no one else were there, ordered a bowl of ramen, and sat beside Naruto.

The smell of an old man made Naruto frown. He deliberately shifted away, unwilling to have too much contact with Kakashi for fear of catching the curse of eternal bachelorhood.

That action made Kakashi pause. He had finally made up his mind to approach Naruto, only to be met with Naruto's distance. It left him somewhat at a loss; he was not good at dealing with young brats.

Until they finished their ramen, neither Kakashi nor Naruto exchanged a word.

When it was time to pay, Kakashi spoke first. "Uncle Teuchi, put Naruto's bill on my tab too. I'll pay it all together next time I come."

Naruto gave Kakashi a surprised glance, then placed his money on the counter and left Ichiraku Ramen.

Kakashi and Teuchi looked at each other, both seeing the awkwardness on the other's face. After hesitating for a while, Kakashi found Naruto practicing shuriken throwing in a small grove.

Naruto stopped throwing shuriken and said to Kakashi, "There's no need to pay for me. I've never seen someone invite another person to a meal and forget to bring money. You're the first. Besides, this isn't your first day following me. Including today, it's been about two weeks."

"I didn't expect you to notice. I really am not good at tailing people."

Kakashi scratched his head and said with a smile, "Still, being able to notice that I was following you means your counter-surveillance skills are among the best at the Academy."

Naruto said casually, "If you'd ever been assassinated in your own home, you'd be this cautious too."

Kakashi knew Naruto was referring to the attack on the Jinchuriki that had occurred alongside the Delegation incident. He had been involved as well, and it was only after that incident that he had guessed Naruto's true identity.

At that moment, Naruto looked into Kakashi's eyes and asked, "But I'm more curious about your identity, and why you approached me. This shouldn't be the first time we've met. You visited me at the hospital last time too."

Hearing that, Kakashi asked in return, "What do you plan to do once you know my purpose?"

"If you want to become my friend, I'll seriously consider it. If you're an enemy, I'll tell Grandpa Hokage and have you driven away."

"Don't worry, I'm not your enemy. We have some connection."

"A connection?" Naruto frowned. Seeming to recall something, he said, "You know my parents too, so you should know who they were. Who exactly were they?"

Kakashi was just about to reveal Naruto's identity when he remembered the Third Hokage's instructions and shook his head. "I can't tell you. If you want to know about your background, you need to ask the Third Lord."

"So I really am the descendant of an important person. An important person whose identity can't be revealed."

Naruto gave a cold laugh, then glanced at Kakashi. "Since you refuse to tell me anything, why did you come to find me? Do you pity me? Too bad, I don't need your pity."

Kakashi realized Naruto was not easy to deal with. With a bitter smile, he said, "I don't pity you. I just wanted to come see you and, while I was at it, see whether you needed any help."

Of course, what Kakashi truly cared more about was Naruto using Shadow Clones to skip school. It was class time right now.

Naruto looked at the clearing, then at Kakashi, before saying, "It's not like I don't need help at all. I'm short on a sparring partner to verify my current strength. Want to spar with me?"

Hearing this, Kakashi froze.

Naruto, who was not even a Genin, wanted to spar with him, a Jonin?

After thinking it over briefly, Kakashi still agreed to Naruto's request. He nodded and said, "This is the place, right? I'll limit myself to the Genin level. You'd better prepare yourself."

After hearing Kakashi agree so easily, Naruto's smile turned playful.

Sasuke was too weak, and defeating Shisui had involved a great deal of luck. He needed an opponent to verify his strength.

Standing in the clearing, the two formed the Seal of Confrontation, and the spar began at once.

Naruto vanished from where he stood, leaping into the air. He formed hand seals with both hands and shouted, "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"