Kakashi's Actions

After leaving the Hokage's office, Kakashi Hatake did not quite understand Hiruzen Sarutobi's words.

Over the years, his father's suicide, the loss of his best friend, personally killing his friend Rin Nohara, and even the deaths of his teacher and teacher's wife, who had cared for him deeply, during the Nine-Tails attack...

One important person after another had left his life. Kakashi had lost his purpose in life as well, spending his days in confusion.

It had also been the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had approached him and asked him to join the ANBU, to contribute to the village.

In the ANBU, Kakashi vented the hatred buried in his heart through missions.

Using the precious Sharingan his best friend had given him, he continuously copied his enemies' ninjutsu in battle, eventually earning the titles of Konoha's Technician and Kakashi of the Sharingan.

Amid the endless killing, Kakashi felt a little better inside.

Kakashi was also a pitiful person. In the original story, everyone felt that although Kakashi was Team Seven's teacher, he had failed to fulfill the duties a teacher should have.

He seemed to offer Naruto no real guidance, at most having Asuma teach Naruto a little about the nature transformation of Wind Release chakra.

He was quite attentive toward Sasuke, even teaching him how to use the Lightning Cutter. Building upon the Lightning Cutter, Sasuke developed the One Thousand Birds, a technique uniquely his own.

As for Sakura, Kakashi's instruction seemed limited to tree climbing and water walking. He was practically slacking off.

But in truth, it was not that Kakashi had done poorly. It was that everyone else had done too well, making Kakashi seem inadequate by comparison.

One had to understand that in the world of Naruto, a teacher and a master were not the same thing.

A teacher usually referred to a team leader who led three newly graduated ninja.

Their basic job was to lead the three fresh graduates in becoming familiar with ninja missions and help them quickly accumulate mission experience. Once they passed the Chunin Exams, they no longer needed to undertake missions as a three-person team.

A master, on the other hand, was someone who imparted all of their ninjutsu knowledge without reservation. They taught not only ninja skills, but also passed down the ninja way.

Besides leading their teams on various missions, the teachers of other classes also taught them how to grow stronger and coordinate better according to their individual traits.

These were all things they had not needed to do.

In other words, every newly graduated ninja would have a teacher, but whether that teacher could become a true master depended both on whether the student could move the teacher to impart everything they knew and on whether the teacher was willing to formally accept a disciple.

Kakashi's interpersonal relationships were, in a sense, twisted and abnormal.

All the important people in his life had left when he was young. No one had taught him the right way to grow up. Only his good friend, Might Guy, had kept him company every day.

Someone who had joined the ANBU while already lonely, spending his time being worn down by killing, naturally found it difficult to become a master who could pass on knowledge, teach skills, and resolve doubts.

I should go see Naruto first. It seems like I haven't seen my teacher's child in a long time. I wonder how he's doing now. Thinking this, Kakashi hurried toward Naruto's home.

"Stop. The area ahead isn't somewhere you can enter freely!" The ANBU guarding Naruto stopped Kakashi and spoke to him.

Seeing their attire, Kakashi naturally knew they were ANBU. He himself wore the standard Konoha ninja outfit rather than ANBU gear.

However, the Third Hokage had not said in what capacity he was to protect Naruto—whether as an ANBU ninja or as Minato Namikaze's student, Kakashi Hatake.

"I have come under the Third Hokage's orders to protect Naruto Uzumaki and ensure his basic safety. You may verify it!" Kakashi directly invoked the Third Hokage's order.

Another ANBU ninja suddenly appeared beside them and said something to them.

The leading ANBU ninja nodded and said to Kakashi, "Senior Kakashi, the Hokage has already given the order. You will be primarily responsible for Naruto Uzumaki's safety, while we assist. If you need anything, you can communicate with us at any time. We'll conceal ourselves now!"

Kakashi nodded and lay atop the roof, watching Naruto inside the house.

The ANBU ninja scattered in all directions, hiding in the shadows and monitoring every possible danger that might come.

Naruto had also finished eating and returned home.

He suddenly sensed that there were fewer people watching him, yet an even more powerful gaze had appeared.

Naruto secretly activated Kagura's Mind's Eye and examined the surroundings carefully. He saw familiar white hair, a forehead protector covering one eye, and a masked ninja.

After deactivating Kagura's Mind's Eye, Naruto smiled. "So it's an old acquaintance, Kakashi-sensei. Life is going to be much more interesting from now on."

Naruto had no particular thoughts about Kakashi. From Naruto's perspective, Kakashi himself was a pitiful person. His own umbrella had been destroyed—how could anyone expect him to hold an umbrella over someone else?

Everyone had the right to make their own choices, and Kakashi was no exception.

Naruto would not demand that Kakashi do anything simply because he was his father Minato Namikaze's student.

Kakashi's standing in Konoha was not enough to influence Naruto's treatment. Kakashi might not be a good master, but he was at least a qualified teacher.

After eating his fill, Naruto prepared to sleep. Of course, he was not actually going to sleep; he merely pretended to sleep while extracting chakra.

There was nothing much happening lately. With the ANBU watching him, and Kakashi-sensei now added to the surveillance, it would be difficult for him to make any small moves.

He could only secretly strengthen himself.

"Naruto comes home after eating outside and can only sleep?" Seeing Naruto go to sleep the moment he returned home, Kakashi immediately thought of the treatment Naruto had received in the village all these years.

Though he had heard about it before, seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart ache.

He thought of how he himself had once spent all his time, except when on missions, staring blankly in an ANBU room to pass the time.

A trace of sympathy flashed through Kakashi, and he silently thought, Sensei, I will definitely help you take good care of Naruto.

Before he knew it, Naruto had slept until five in the afternoon. He pulled out some nutritional canned food from beneath the table and began eating it in large bites.

He was replenishing the bodily energy consumed by extracting chakra for so long that afternoon.

Seeing that Naruto could only hide at home and eat canned food, Kakashi felt even worse and wondered if there was anything he could do.

With a flicker, he disappeared from where he stood.

Sensing that Kakashi's presence seemed to have vanished, Naruto was somewhat puzzled. Had Hiruzen Sarutobi called him away for a mission?

After a while, Naruto felt as though someone had knocked on his door a few times. It seemed to be Kakashi outside.

Naruto walked over and opened the door.

Yet he found no one outside. A package of food sat on the ground: Konoha's famous barbecue!

There was also a note on top: I hope you grow up healthy.

If he had been the original Naruto, he would surely have wondered which kindhearted person it was and thanked nature for its gift.

But Naruto could now sense Kakashi's presence, so he naturally knew Kakashi had done this.

He brought the barbecue in from the doorway and thought, Kakashi-sensei, you're already so much better than them.

This Konoha barbecue was not cheap. It was said that the reward for a jonin completing an A-rank mission was only enough to buy barbecue a few times, and that was just for single-person meals.

But it was expensive for good reason. The barbecue restaurant was run by the Akimichi Clan. Not only did it taste exceptional, it was also highly nutritious, and it even had the Hokage's endorsement—the Third Hokage himself said it was good after eating it.

As a result, its business in Konoha Village was booming every day, and it made a fortune daily.

"Great! I get an extra meal today!" Naruto ate the barbecue together with canned food.

He had managed to get another meal out of it.

"This barbecue really does taste good. Thanks to my buddy Kakashi for the barbecue!" Naruto thought to himself.

After eating and drinking his fill, it was time to train again.

Ah, no, it was time to sleep.

Seeing Naruto's life was so dull, eating then sleeping, sleeping then eating—

And seemingly having no friends at all, Kakashi imagined even more of the hardships Naruto must have endured over the years.

Though Naruto no longer had parents, he had me from now on!

Sensei, leave it to me from now on!

Naruto continued cultivating until around ten o'clock, then truly went to sleep.

He now possessed the complete Uzumaki Clan physique, with vitality and chakra far beyond ordinary people. Combined with the heaven-defying efficiency of the God-Tier Chakra Extraction, Naruto's chakra grew at a rapid pace every day.

Naruto's chakra reserves alone had already reached the level of an ordinary chunin.

He had only cultivated for a few days. This was practically rocket-speed progress.

Within a few months, Naruto's chakra would surely reach Kakashi's level.

After all, Kakashi was famously a weak-kidney young master. With enough chakra, he could fight anyone evenly.

When he lacked chakra, even a stray dog by the roadside could fight Kakashi evenly.

The most ambiguous power level in the entire story—you could always trust Kakashi Hatake's fifty-fifty fights when his chakra was full!

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