Special Training

The group arrived safely at Tazuna's home, and Uncle Tazuna, harboring his own little schemes, warmly received them.

Sitting on a stool, Kakashi seemed to have remembered something. Ever since earlier, he had felt as though he had forgotten something.

"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto noticed something was off with Kakashi at the dinner table.

As Naruto's words fell, everyone turned to look at Kakashi.

"Uh... I just feel like I forgot something..."

"Normally, pursuing ninja would immediately dispose of the target's corpse..."

Wait!

Kakashi realized something serious. That so-called Hidden Mist Village pursuer had taken Zabuza's body away...

"Ah... Looks like I made a serious mistake... I was so shocked by Sen's strength that I even forgot something so basic."

Kakashi grumbled to himself, his gaze unconsciously drifting toward Uchiha Sen, who sat in the corner with shining eyes.

So all of this had been within your expectations...

Sen had not thought that much about it. His eyes were fixed solely on the meat, and he was already devising a grand plan to snatch more later.

One piece for Double-Zero Two (Naruto), one piece for me, another piece for me, all of it is mine!

Seeing that Uchiha Sen had no reaction, Kakashi explained it to Team 7 once more.

"In other words, that pursuer did not immediately cut off Zabuza's head... And the most suspicious thing was the weapon that boy used when he killed Zabuza..."

Sasuke, the smartest one present, quickly caught on.

"Just ordinary senbon needles. Could it be??"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, just as you think. There's a good chance Zabuza is still alive. At that time, he was likely only in a state of suspended death."

"I won't say more. I've already pointed everything out. Before the next battle, I'll put you through special training."

"Special training!?" Everyone became excited upon hearing that.

"Um... Mmmmmm~" (Since you're all having such a lively conversation, I'll go ahead and eat first.)

Uchiha Sen's mouth was stuffed with chunks of meat. Looking at the empty dishes on the table and the sole slice of meat in Naruto's bowl, everyone felt both helpless and amused.

"Hey, Uchiha Sen, how can you do that! You ate everything, so what are we supposed to eat? Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke haven't even eaten yet!" Sakura immediately shouted.

"Hmph!" Sen curled his lips and turned his head away, ignoring Sakura completely. His face plainly said that stupid local natives did not deserve to call his great name directly.

"Forget it, Big Sen didn't do it on purpose." Naruto was already quite familiar with Uchiha Sen. He quickly swallowed his slice of meat, then began wolfing down the white rice in his bowl.

Though the others felt somewhat resentful, after spending a short time with him, they understood what kind of person Sen was. Compared to their current frustration, the news that Zabuza Momochi had not died gave them a far greater headache.

"But it should be fine, right? After all, Sen... Big Sen is so strong..."

Though Sakura corrected her tone, her attitude of letting everyone else handle trouble while doting on Sasuke when nothing was wrong still made people uncomfortable.

Kakashi frowned and softly reprimanded her.

"As a ninja, you should constantly strengthen yourself. Placing your hopes in others is what weak people do. Are you going to ask your companions for help every time? Are you willing to be dead weight?"

Faced with Kakashi's harsh words, Sakura unconsciously lowered her head. Since the little girl was thin-skinned, Kakashi did not criticize her further.

At this point, Kakashi spoke seriously.

"Don't think Zabuza Momochi is an easy opponent. In a one-on-one fight, even I would need to stay fully alert to face him. That Hidden Mist Village pursuer doesn't look simple either. When the time comes, you'll need to deal with him... As for Sen..."

As he said this, Kakashi casually glanced at Uchiha Sen. Seeing that the other boy had no intention of paying attention to him, and that Sen was not technically his subordinate, he said no more. Instead, he quickly finished his meal and began arranging the upcoming training plan in his mind.

Then... training begins now.

In the woods, Kakashi found an open area near a water source and announced the start of this stage of training. Not far away, Sen sat cross-legged atop a rock, enjoying the sunlight. Though Kakashi did not understand him, he believed it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble, so he allowed Sen to do as he pleased.

"Let's begin with chakra. Chakra is formed by cultivating spiritual and physical energy, then combining them within the body."

At this point, Kakashi could not help looking at Uchiha Sen on the stone pedestal. Rather than cultivating, he looked more like he was taking a nap. What a strange kid.

[That's right, this system thinks so too.]

Back to the point.

"I know you can already use ninjutsu, but you still cannot perform it perfectly. Needlessly wasting chakra is a ninja's greatest taboo, so now I'll demonstrate."

With that, Kakashi demonstrated tree climbing on foot.

"Alright, now give it a try. The trick is to maintain a certain amount of chakra. Remember to use kunai to leave marks."

The others quickly began trying. Naruto truly lived up to his reputation as the dead last, while Sasuke did slightly better. Sakura, however, quickly climbed to the top.

"Oh? It seems the girl, Sakura, currently has the best chakra control."

Those words stirred the competitive spirits of the other two.

"Still, Naruto and Sasuke possess far more chakra within them than Sakura could ever compare to... But what secrets does Uchiha Sen possess? That bizarre fighting style in the last battle... What exactly was going on..."

Kakashi now regretted not immediately using his Sharingan to see through the smoke. The battle had happened too quickly. Zabuza Momochi had been defeated in the span of a breath, and that had filled Kakashi Hatake with fear. After all, the title of Demon was not something he had given himself—it had been earned through real bloodshed.

Training was also a process of growth. After Naruto learned the trick from Sakura, he improved rapidly. Sasuke could not let go of his pride and was instead surpassed by Naruto.

"Ah~~"

At that moment, Uchiha Sen stretched lazily. Seeing Naruto and Sasuke climbing trees, his eyes lit up as though he found it interesting, and he walked over.

"Are you playing a game? Double-Zero Two, I even shared my favorite meat with you, but you didn't include me!"

Naruto scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"Hahaha, I thought Hole-Hole Monster was cultivating. Here, you can join too~"

Naruto pointed at another tree nearby and gestured with his lips.

Sen smiled and nodded. He was very satisfied with Naruto's attitude, and he strode toward the large tree beside him...