Eat My Fist

Taiichi stopped in front of a Dumpling Shop not far from the building and slowly bought a few skewers of Three-color Dango.

He leaned against a lamppost by the roadside, seemingly leisurely savoring the sweet and glutinous rice balls, but in reality, his perception was like the finest spider web, quietly spreading out in the thinnest and most concealed state, silently enveloping the main entrances and exits near the Hokage Building.

Time passed slowly as he waited. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of the buildings. As he popped the last dumpling into his mouth, his senses, like a spiderweb, finally caught sight of the long-awaited figure.

"Found it." Taiichi licked the sugar stains off his fingertips, a smile that was anything but "friendly," and instead had a distinctly wicked sense of humor.

He moved silently from the lamppost, like a shadow blending into the evening breeze, and using the crowd and buildings as cover, quickly and accurately crept up behind the person who had just walked out of the side door of the Hokage Building and was about to merge into the main street's flow of people.

Kakashi's feelings at this moment were like eating an expired Military Ration Pill —a mix of emotions, leaving only the word "unpleasant" in his heart.

Today's messenger mission is a stain on my career.

Konoha Anbu are familiar with the activities of all the named ninjas in Konoha, as long as they are not on missions. Taiichi, in particular, is even easier to find.

He has many Shadow Clones, so they should all be present in places like Konoha Hospital, research institute, school, and his home.

But there's always a chance of something going wrong, and today Kakashi happened to run into that "what if".

He searched every possible location where Taiichi might appear, and the answers he received were surprisingly consistent, "Taiichi? He was just here! And now he's vanished in the blink of an eye?"

The tone was so natural, as if it were only natural for Taiichi to disappear on the spot.

It's obvious that everyone knows that Taiichi in their area is most likely a Shadow Clone.

Kakashi felt like a fool who had been completely fooled. Finally, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered the secluded Riverside Training Ground. In the afterglow of the setting sun, he finally found Taiichi, who had just finished his training and was steaming with heat.

By then, a despairing half hour had passed since the mission was assigned!

When reporting on the mission, despite trying his best to maintain the professionalism of the Anbu, the low pressure that emanated from his very bones drew a concerned yet slightly helpless look from Minato-sensei.

Afterwards Kakashi was so remorseful he wanted to bang his head against the wall, cursing himself for his lack of training and complete failure in managing his emotions.

The only saving grace was that he used his Transformation Technique throughout the entire shift! Knowing how Taiichi was, if he had been recognized, he would definitely be in deep trouble!

"Luckily, I was quick-witted—" This thought of self-consolation had barely surfaced in Kakashi's mind, and before it could even transform into a relieved smile—

A warm hand suddenly and heavily slapped his right shoulder!

The force was so great that Kakashi staggered, and half of his body went numb!

At the same time, a familiar voice, like a devil's whisper, with a mocking laugh, sounded close to his ear, the warm breath spraying on his earlobe, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

"Kakashi, what a coincidence!"

Click click click.

Kakashi mechanically turned his body, his neck making a faint protest, as if it were a rusty gear.

The afterglow of the setting sun perfectly outlined the silhouette of the person behind him, and what came into view was the smiling face he least wanted to see at this moment and in this place.

The smile playing at the corners of Taiichi's lips, to Kakashi's highly sensitive nerves, looked like a carefully crafted expression of ill intent, a mixture of mockery and a certain "finally caught you" kind of pleasure.

"Ah, it's Taiichi," Kakashi's voice tried to muster a little warmth, attempting to create the impression of a purely serendipitous encounter, but his signature deadpan eyes betrayed the turmoil within him. "It's so nice to see you."

He spoke very quickly, and instead of stopping, he quickened his pace even more. "But I'm really sorry, I still have important training to finish, so I can't chat with you any longer."

Before he finished speaking, he had already become a silver-gray shadow, attempting to blend into the increasingly dense crowd ahead.

Taiichi ignored this, his smile undiminished, and his steps, though seemingly leisurely, precisely maintained a distance of half a step from Kakashi, like a shadow clinging to his side.

Just as Kakashi was trying to slip away, a hand landed heavily on his right shoulder.

"I'm happy too, Kakashi!" Taiichi's voice was full of hearty laughter as he naturally pulled Kakashi closer to him, completely eliminating any possibility of the other man escaping.

He glanced at Kakashi's conflicted expression, a look that said, "Trouble's brewing," and immediately blocked all avenues of retreat. "You're going to training? Perfect, let's go together!"

He deliberately dragged out the last syllable, his eyes mischievous, "You're not practicing some kind of family secret technique, are you? Well, I can't disturb you then; after all, rules must be followed."

Kakashi suddenly rolled his Byakugan so hard they almost popped into the top of his head.

A family secret technique? The Hatake Style Kenjutsu? This guy is even better at it than I, the rightful heir!

This excuse was like rubbing salt into a wound; it was so clumsy that he wanted to cover his face.

That bastard Taiichi, he's clearly got him cornered, not even bothering to offer him a fig leaf.

Recognizing reality and knowing that there was no escaping it, Kakashi's pent-up frustration transformed into a resolute "what's the use" attitude.

He stopped and turned around, his eyes scanning the other man from head to toe with a mixture of scrutiny and barely concealed sarcasm. "Don't give me that. You've broken through, haven't you? I noticed it when I came to see you before. You were like a newly drawn sword, impossible to hide. You—how did you train like that?"

He paused, a subtle hint of jealousy almost overflowing in his voice, "Is the concept of a bottleneck simply nonexistent for you?"

"Haha," Taiichi released his hand from Kakashi's shoulder, casually waving it, his face showing a triumphant expression that he tried to appear nonchalant but couldn't hide.

"It's all trivial, nothing to mention. It's just that my swordsmanship has improved slightly. A little insight, it all came naturally."

This feigned humility, coupled with his undisguised "come praise me" aura, instantly ignited the last shred of reason in Kakashi's heart.

He felt his fist harden instantly! His knuckles cracked as he clenched them.

"Good! Very good!" Kakashi roared inwardly. " In the Training Ground later, even if I'm covered in bruises, I'll definitely give that damn face of yours a good punch! No, one punch isn't enough, at least three! Even if I don't land a hit, I'll still splatter blood all over you!"

With his mind made up, Kakashi suddenly unleashed an unprecedented "proactive" force. He grabbed Taiichi's wrist before he could fully retract it, with such force that it carried an almost tragic determination.

"Enough talk! Training Ground! Now! Immediately! Right now!"

He was so impatient that he dragged the still somewhat dazed Taiichi, turned around, and strode towards the familiar Training Ground outside the village. His posture was not like that of someone going to spar, but rather like someone going to a life-or-death duel.

Taiichi was taken aback by this sudden "initiative," but the force on his wrist showed that Kakashi was serious.

"Hey, Kakashi, what's gotten into you?" He muttered, half-laughing and half-crying, as he was being dragged along. "Is this just masochistic? Did I go too far with my modesty and hurt his pride?"

Although he was inwardly grumbling, seeing Kakashi's "ready to die" profile, Taiichi could only shrug helplessly and let him drag him along. Fine, consider it a workout.

Just then, a fiery red shadow swept across the eaves of the street corner as if by teleportation, landing precisely on Taiichi's shoulder, bringing a heavy warmth.

After a whole day of playing around, the Nine- Nine-Tails returned, carrying the scent of grass, trees, and children.

It perched comfortably on Taiichi's shoulder, its bushy tail brushing against his neck.

"Hmph, I'm exhausted." Nine-Tails hummed, its voice carrying a hint of lazy satisfaction.

The longer it stayed by Taiichi's side, the more it understood the bottom line of this "landlord" and knew that as long as it didn't cause any major trouble, Taiichi basically adopted a "free-range" policy towards it.

This directly led to the Nine-Tails- Tails completely letting loose, spending his days either teasing cats and dogs in Konoha (mainly getting petted) or ruling the surrounding forests.

It especially liked to hang out in the nearby park, mingling with those little brats from Konoha.

The children's pure affection and unreserved "fur-stroking service" made the Nine-Tails, who possessed the ability to perceive good and evil, feel extremely comfortable.

Of course, it would never admit that it was being stroked by several small hands so comfortably that it was snoring; that would be too degrading!

Kakashi's excited expression, which had just been ignited by fighting spirit, froze instantly when he saw this suddenly appearing "fluffy ball".

Although it wasn't the first time he'd come so close, Kakashi's worldview still gets a little shaken every time he sees this ultimate Tailed Beast, which once symbolized destruction and terror, now perched on Taiichi's shoulder in such a harmless, even somewhat cute, manner.

The disconnect between vision and cognition is too strong.

"Hey, you white-haired brat!" The Nine-Tails keenly caught the fleeting look of surprise in Kakashi's eyes, and immediately patted Taiichi's head with its little paw in displeasure, baring its teeth at Kakashi.

"What rude thing are you thinking about now? Are you making fun of me in your mind? I'll beat you up if you don't!"

It tried to make a fierce expression, even waving its furry little paws. Unfortunately, this action was more like trying to be cute than a threat, and combined with its round body and fiery red fur, the effect was the opposite.

After disciplining Kakashi, Nine-Tails's mischievous nature stirred again. Its little nose twitched slightly in the air, and its fox eyes darted between Kakashi and Taiichi, a sly glint in them.

It deliberately leaned close to Taiichi's ear and whispered in a voice that wasn't too loud, just loud enough for Kakashi to hear, "By the way, Taiichi, you'd better watch out. That white-haired brat over there has no good intentions towards you." Oh!

Hmph, I can smell it, and the urge is incredibly strong!

As soon as Nine-Tails finished speaking, the helplessness on Taiichi's face was instantly replaced by intense interest.

He knew the details of the Nine-Tails ' "sense of good and evil".

The "ill intentions" mentioned by the Nine-Tails Fox are definitely not some deep-seated hatred or deadly intent, but they certainly aren't something as good as "inviting you to dinner."

Recalling Kakashi's earlier "I'd rather drag you to hell than not punch you" expression, Taichi Taiichi understood, a playful smile creeping onto his lips. It seemed Kakashi was truly provoked and was determined to get his revenge.

Kakashi, on the other hand, was completely unaware that Nine-Tails possessed such a bug-like ability. He simply thought that his little scheme of "wanting to punch Taiichi" was so poorly concealed that even a fox could see through it at a glance!

The momentum she had built up by taking the initiative vanished almost instantly, leaving only embarrassment and awkwardness on her face, with the exposed half of her face slightly flushed.

How embarrassing!

Having successfully sown discord, the Nine-Tails Fox, always eager for a good show, was quite satisfied.

It stretched gracefully, stepped on Taiichi's shoulder, leaving a few red downy hairs. "Alright, this great one is going back to enjoy today's offerings. You two little devils can play by yourselves, just remember not to damage the flowers and plants."

After saying that, it pushed off with its hind legs, transformed into a red shadow, and disappeared among the rows of rooftops in a few leaps, disappearing so quickly that it gave the two no chance to ask questions or refute.

Taiichi and Kakashi watched the red figure disappear, and the air fell silent for a moment.

The two exchanged a glance instinctively. Taiichi's playful smile instantly widened, becoming incredibly bright, even carrying a hint of excitement that "finally, there's going to be some fun": "Let's go, Kakashi."

He patted Kakashi on the shoulder, his tone "amiable and friendly," and said, "Let's go to the Training Ground and have a good, in-depth exchange and sparring session! I've recently come up with some new ideas about swordsmanship, and I'd like to ask you to give them your feedback."

Seeing Taiichi's "kind" smile and hearing the deliberately emphasized "okay," Kakashi's last bit of Yukiya vanished, leaving only bitterness in his mouth.

He cried out in his heart: It's over, I can't escape this beating, and judging from the situation, it will be even more severe than I expected. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two men on the stone road, one with a dazzlingly bright smile, the other with a pitifully desolate back, as they walked together toward the Training Ground outside the village that would soon become a "battlefield".

Deep within the Training Ground, startled birds vanished.

No one knows what kind of "tragic" and "profound" exchange took place that day in that secluded clearing surrounded by tall trees.

There were no earth-shattering Ninjutsu, only the muffled thuds of fists hitting flesh, the sharp whistling of blades cutting through the air, and the occasional cries of pain and defiant growls.

Time passed. As the moon climbed to the treetops, two figures finally appeared at the entrance of the Training Ground, supporting each other—no, to be precise, one was barely standing while the other was practically hanging on the former.

Several villagers returning home late happened to pass by and witnessed this rather shocking scene, becoming important eyewitnesses to the "unspeakable training night between Hatake Kakashi and Taichi Matsushita" in the Konoha gossip circle.

According to their later vivid description:

That famous White Fang was practically hanging on Taichi Matsushita beside him, being half-dragged and half-supported as he moved out.

He was covered in mud and grass clippings, his usually meticulous silver hair was now disheveled, and his Headband was askew. Large bruises were clearly visible on his exposed arms and calves. He walked with a limp, and every step seemed to aggravate the pain throughout his body, causing him to grimace.

His entire condition can only be described as "utterly miserable".

However, strangely enough, Kakashi's usually expressionless face was now adorned with an extremely bright, even somewhat silly, smile.

As Taiichi dragged him along, he would occasionally loosen his grip on Taiichi's arm, throwing a punch into the air while muttering incoherently, his voice hoarse but filled with excitement: "Got it—hehe—one punch—worth it—"

Meanwhile, the other protagonist beside him, Konoha's "White Reaper" Taichi Matsushita, was in a completely different state.

Aside from his clothes being somewhat dusty and disheveled, there were almost no obvious injuries on his body. He walked steadily, and although his breathing was a little rapid, he exuded an overall sense of ease and composure.

However, his expression was much uglier than Kakashi's bright smile; it was gloomy, as if someone owed him millions of taels of silver.

However, sharp-eyed villagers still noticed a detail: below Taiichi's right eye socket, near the Huan bone, there was a small, faint, and barely noticeable bruise.

The color was so light that it would have been almost overlooked had the Gekko not shone at that angle and the observer not been so observant.

The two of them, one looking miserable yet grinning like he'd struck gold, and the other perfectly fine but with a dark expression, along with the faint hint of "panda eyes," created a peculiar scene in Konoha that night, providing ample material for later speculation and amusement.