"Dream on!"
Those two words rang out forcefully, echoing across the empty training ground.
Scraps of paper fluttered down like snowflakes, littering the ground.
Kakashi looked at the Hokage's appointment letter, torn in half, and felt his heart skip a beat.
This brat's arrogance really knew no bounds!
"Sen, you're openly defying orders!"
Kakashi's voice grew stern, and a rare flash of authority appeared in his normally listless eye.
"This is a decision from Konoha's highest leadership. You don't get to refuse!"
"A decision?"
Sen sneered, folding his arms across his chest, his face full of disdain.
"That's their decision. What the hell does it have to do with me?"
He pointed at the scraps on the ground, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Special Jōnin? Let's be honest, isn't that just a glorified hired hand?"
"They want me taking solo missions where I risk my life for a thankless job, while their ANBU keep me under surveillance?"
"If they think they're getting free labor out of me, they can forget it!"
Sen's words were so blunt they bordered on outright insubordination, leaving Sasuke and Sakura trembling beside him.
No one in Konoha had ever dared challenge the Hokage and the village leadership like this!
Naruto didn't think that deeply about it. All he cared about was that his big bro stayed.
"Exactly! Big bro can't leave! They can't break up Team 7!" Naruto loudly chimed in.
"Shut up, Naruto."
Kakashi rubbed his throbbing brow, nursing a splitting headache.
He had known this brat wouldn't be easy to fool, but he hadn't expected such a decisive, violent rejection.
"Sen, you need to understand."
Kakashi tried to reason with him.
"With your strength, keeping you on a Genin team really is a waste of resources."
"As a Special Jōnin, you'd not only