"No matter how you train, you still need to balance work and rest. You can't take things too far."
"Can't take things too far, huh?"
Kakashi suddenly pictured Nara Dan's face and felt a warm current pass through his heart.
Since his father's death, no one had shown him such deep, tangible concern for a long time. Before this, whether it was his Jonin instructor or the Third, their concern for him had been more a matter of duty. They worried he wouldn't be able to inherit the so-called Will of Fire.
As for genuine concern for him as a person, there had been very little.
Never underestimate a child's perceptiveness. When it came to emotions, children could often recognize sincerity better than adults.
Especially a gifted child like Kakashi.
The nurse smiled warmly, too. Girls could easily feel a motherly tenderness toward a cute, injured child.
"Exactly. But you don't need to worry too much. Get plenty of rest, and remember not to train too intensely. Your body will recover gradually."
"Understood."
Kakashi nodded. After a moment of silence, he added two more words.
"Thank you."
He had never said those words before. In the past, he wouldn't have listened to advice like that, either. And he certainly wouldn't have felt so clearly what it was like to be cared for. It felt good.
Clearly, his exchange with Nara Dan had soothed him to some degree. He wasn't as closed off as before.
"Hahaha."
Seeing how awkward Kakashi looked, the nurse found him quite adorable. She covered her mouth as she laughed, then couldn't resist ruffling his smooth white hair.
Under ordinary circumstances, Kakashi would have dodged. Even now that he'd let his guard down, no proud, tsundere child would willingly let someone pat his head.
But Kakashi didn't react to the nurse. Instead, he looked past her, visibly surprised.
The nurse realized something was up and quickly turned around.
"Ah! Lord Third!"
She hurried to her feet and bowed.
The Third waved her off with a smile.
"You can go. I'd like to talk with Kakashi for a while."
"Yes."
Not daring to delay, the nurse quickly left the room, her face flushed with embarrassment. She felt her behavior just now had been rather improper.
The Third didn't mind what the nurse had done. In fact, seeing it made him feel relieved.
Looks like that Dan fellow has a way with people.
Kakashi seems much better.
As mentioned, unless he'd let his guard down, Kakashi would never have allowed a woman to pat his head.
"How are things with your new Jonin instructor?"
The Third asked kindly. He'd received word from the hospital yesterday that Kakashi had been admitted. At first, he'd thought Kakashi was injured.
Only later had he learned that Nara Dan had brought Kakashi in to treat the old injuries he'd been carrying.
"What do you think of Nara Dan? Is he a really impressive ninja?"
Kakashi nodded and replied solemnly,
"He's like my father—a man whose depths are impossible to fathom."
The Third keenly noticed that Kakashi had called Sakumo his father.
Ever since White Fang's suicide, Kakashi hadn't referred to him as his father. He usually called him "him" instead.
The Third shared Kakashi's assessment. He, too, had a deep understanding of Nara Dan.
"That's right. Dan is every bit White Fang's equal."
"More importantly, Dan's strength doesn't lie in his abilities alone. It lies in his character."
"It seems that man has never known what it is to feel lost. He only ever presses forward with courage."
"I hope you'll learn as much from him as you can, Kakashi."
The Third spoke earnestly, hoping to encourage Kakashi further.
He had no idea that Kakashi's thoughts were already veering away from the path he wanted him to follow.
"I will."
Kakashi answered seriously. His tone was still cool, but a deeper light now shone in his eyes, as if his soul had come back to life.
"I'll learn everything I can from Teacher Nara."
"Lord Third, what do you think about my father's death?"
Kakashi abruptly changed the subject and asked.
The Third froze. He hadn't expected Kakashi to ask him that. But as a seasoned politician, he reacted quickly.
"I deeply regret White Fang's death. He was an outstanding ninja."
"Even my three students couldn't compare to him."
On the one hand, the Third was relieved that Kakashi dared to face the question of his father directly. On the other, he was worried. He didn't know how to explain it—or how to keep himself out of the matter.
He needed to give an answer Kakashi could accept, one that might also sway him.
"I was at fault for White Fang's death, too. I failed to realize how serious the problem was."
"And I never imagined White Fang would choose to... atone with his life."
"Is that so?"
Kakashi fell silent again.
Before, he might have believed those words, or simply failed to understand them. Now, he seemed better able to sense what lay beneath them.
The Third's words had effectively declared White Fang guilty: he shouldn't have neglected the mission for the sake of his comrades, but his crime hadn't warranted death.
In other words, White Fang's death had nothing to do with the Third or Konoha. It had been an accident.
It was merely a politician's smooth way of putting things. Instinctively, Kakashi knew this wasn't the answer he wanted.
He also understood that this wasn't the real truth.
"Then, thank you, Lord Third."
Sensing a subtle shift in Kakashi's mood, the Third instinctively felt that something was wrong, though he couldn't put his finger on what. He could only laugh it off.
"Get some rest, then. Don't overexert yourself."
With that, the Third left the hospital room.
After watching the Third go, Kakashi turned to look out the window. Konoha was still bustling with people, and the aroma of the villagers' cooking drifted through the air.
Kakashi let out a long breath. His eyes shone with determination. He still didn't know the truth about his father.
But Nara Dan had helped him rediscover an important lesson.
I have to endure. I have to grow stronger.
One day, I'll make you tell me the truth.
Meanwhile, Nara Dan had finally been joined by the person he'd been waiting for.
Or rather, he'd known all along that the person he was waiting for would come.
It was a kind of intuition that developed as the body reached a certain level of refinement. It could be used to sense danger or anticipate how something might unfold.
Like cicadas that sensed autumn before it arrived.
"You want to become my disciple?"
Nara Dan looked expressionlessly at Hyuga Nana, who was kneeling before him. Her request revealed nothing of his feelings.
Becoming someone's disciple was naturally different from having an ordinary instructor-student relationship.
The relationship between a Genin and their Jonin instructor was mainly about guidance, and the missions were largely assigned by the Hokage. In fact, they didn't even get to choose one another.
But formally becoming someone's disciple was not simply a matter of instruction. It meant inheriting everything from one's master: ninjutsu, ideals, and political views, as in the relationships between the Third and the Sannin, or between Minato and Jiraiya.
In many cases, the bonds between master and disciple in the Ninja World were even more dependable than those between father and son.
As usual, please recommend the story and keep reading.
Don't put it off! Don't put it off! Don't put it off!
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