At that moment, Kakashi finally understood how annoying Nawaki's nephew could be.
"First, let me make something clear."
He could no longer put up with Qing Xuan. Pointing at him, he said to the other two girls, "He isn't a member of our team. I'm just looking after him temporarily."
"Huh?"
Qing Xuan wasn't having it. "Didn't you bring me here to join the Anbu?"
Kakashi resumed his infuriating deadpan expression. "Did I say that?"
"You clearly said there was an Anbu selection, something about a Chunin with exceptional potential..."
"Did I mention your name?"
Faced with this shameless bastard who denied everything the moment he got what he wanted, Qing Xuan was furious!
"Then why did you make me introduce myself?"
Kakashi looked up at the sky. "Well, I was just curious about your dream."
"Damn it!"
Qing Xuan was completely at a loss.
He sat on a rock with his arms crossed, glaring at the pathetic man. He'd been on his way to find the Hokage, and then this guy had dragged him off without a word. He'd thought some hidden storyline might unfold, but this was all he got?
"Oh my! You even awakened the Sharingan... The Sharingan?!"
Seeing Qing Xuan red-eyed with anger, Kakashi had been about to tease him, but when he spotted the single tomoe in his eye, he was utterly stunned.
Did the kid have that bad a temper? One joke and he awakened it?
Thinking of how hard it had been for Obito to awaken his Sharingan, this kid really was exceptionally talented.
"Okay, okay! Don't get worked up. I was only joking."
He hurried to calm Qing Xuan down, afraid that if he got any more worked up, he might awaken the second tomoe too.
The earlier a Uchiha awakened the Sharingan, the more it proved his talent. But Kakashi knew all too well the immense burden it placed on the user. Qing Xuan had Uchiha blood and could turn it off whenever he wanted, but using the Sharingan would still put an unbearable strain on his young body.
"By my calculations, that guy should be here soon..."
As he spoke, he added, "Waiting around is always boring. Why don't you introduce yourself too?"
Kakashi clearly hadn't given up on his curiosity, but Qing Xuan refused outright. "Why don't you introduce yourself first?"
To his surprise, Kakashi agreed without hesitation.
"Sure! My name is Hatake Kakashi. I'll keep what I like and dislike to myself! As for my dream... I don't really have one. And my hobbies? I have quite a few!"
What a guy! He'd just copied it straight from the manga!
Other than his name, he hadn't said a thing! Did he think I was as easy to fool as Naruto and Sakura?
Qing Xuan looked at Kakashi with disdain, thinking, You're so dead.
"What do you mean, 'keep it to yourself'? You clearly like reading Icha Icha Paradise by Jiraiya! You lecherous loser! Pah!"
The sudden shout struck Kakashi like a blow, leaving him stunned.
How was that possible? Nawaki had secretly lent him that copy of Icha Icha Paradise just last night. He'd said it was Jiraiya's latest masterpiece, the very first edition. How could Qing Xuan know—
Wait, Nawaki?
Kakashi suddenly came to his senses and looked at Qing Xuan again. So you two were setting a trap for me?
"Haha, what Icha Icha Paradise? I've never heard of it..."
He flatly denied it.
But Qing Xuan had no intention of letting him off so easily.
"Hatake Kakashi, Konoha's genius ninja. Graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, promoted to Chunin at six, and became a Jonin at twelve. He possesses Chakra of all seven natures. Besides developing a powerful S-rank Lightning Release technique on his own, he's mastered over a thousand ninjutsu, except for Kekkei Genkai. And since he's especially good at Earth Release, they've even nicknamed him Hatake GoGoKai, the Fourth Tsuchikage!"
Kakashi was completely dumbfounded.
The kid had just laid bare his whole history! Why did he know so much about him? And what was this "Fourth Tsuchikage" nonsense? Don't make jokes like that!
At that moment, the other two girls were even more surprised than Kakashi.
Who could have guessed that this utterly spiritless guy, who looked like a lazy fish, had such an impressive list of accomplishments?
You'd never have guessed!
Shizune, in particular, was dumbfounded. He looked about her age, but if everything that kid had said was true, just how terrifying was he?
"I haven't mastered a thousand ninjutsu!" Kakashi hurried to explain.
"So that means the rest is true?" Kikyo casually added, leaving Kakashi speechless.
"The whole Fourth Tsuchikage thing was just something he made up..."
Kakashi had completely given up resisting. He regretted it now. He knew Uchiha Qing Xuan had a terrible personality, so why had he gone out of his way to bring him here and make trouble for himself?
"Looks like you're all getting along quite well!"
Just then, a roguish voice came from the direction of the Hokage Rock. "I'm not late, am I?"
Everyone turned to look. A handsome, square-faced young man stood at the edge of the cliff, his sturdy build standing proudly in the wind. A huge scroll was strapped to his back. He had Jiraiya's swagger down to a tee!
"Wait, who are you, old man?"
Looking at the vaguely familiar face before him, even Qing Xuan, who had watched all of Naruto, wasn't sure.
He seemed so familiar, but Qing Xuan just couldn't remember who he was.
"Where do I look like an old man? I'm clearly as young as Kakashi!"
The young man flicked away the cigarette in his hand. His mannerisms were so roguish that he seemed like a lowlife, which was a real waste of such a dignified-looking face.
Then he leaped up, easily clearing several meters before landing beside Kakashi. He slung an arm around Kakashi's shoulder, making the silver-haired ninja stumble.
Qing Xuan and the two girls silently watched the pair.
A good-for-nothing delinquent and a spineless loser—what a perfect match!
"Which one of you is Uchiha Qing Xuan?"
The young man searched the three of them with his gaze before it finally settled, helplessly, on Qing Xuan's tiny figure. He let out a resigned sigh.
That instantly angered Qing Xuan.
"Damn it! What are you looking at, you pentagon-faced freak?"
"Is that any way to talk?" the young man protested, running a hand over his sharply defined face. "I'm obviously handsome."
Qing Xuan felt like he was about to throw up. He'd never seen anyone so vain. Who the hell did he think he was impressing? If he had the guts, he could take off Kakashi's mask and compare faces!
"Who are you, anyway?"
"Didn't I just introduce myself?"
The young man rubbed his chin, took a pack of cigarettes from his vest, and silently lit one. A wisp of smoke drifted past his nose.
"I'm Asuma Sarutobi, the super-genius ninja the Hokage entrusted to teach you the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques!"
His words were so over-the-top that he didn't even make sense.
Even the normally cold Hyuga Kikyo looked confused.
"Do you really need someone to teach you the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques? Doesn't everyone know them?"
Before you continue