Encountering Team Minato Again, Kakashi's Transformation!

Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen.

Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen, was so busy his feet barely touched the ground.

Behind him, Ato was holding an oversized bowl of ramen and devouring it with gusto.

On either side of Ato, empty bowls had already piled up like mountains.

"Ato, your extra-large miso chashu ramen is ready."

Teuchi placed the last oversized bowl of miso chashu ramen before Ato.

Ato wolfed down everything, noodles and broth alike, in just a few bites.

Then Ato wiped the grease from his mouth and let out a satisfied burp.

"Mr. Teuchi, your ramen is excellent."

Ato sincerely praised Teuchi's cooking.

Ichiraku Ramen in the Naruto World truly lived up to its reputation.

The noodles were springy, the broth rich, and the flavor exquisite.

Moreover, Teuchi's ramen suited Ato's tastes from his previous life, leaving him full of praise.

After eating and drinking his fill, Ato headed straight toward Team Minato, who were also having a meal at Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hey, Kakashi, that terrifying Saiyan brat is coming over!"

In a corner of Ichiraku Ramen, Obito Uchiha stared wide-eyed and spoke helplessly.

"Kakashi, what should we do?" Rin Nohara clutched Kakashi's arm, her face equally filled with terror.

"Obito, Rin, calm down. If he wanted to kill us, we'd already be dead."

Cold sweat ran down Kakashi's back as well. His eyes remained fixed on Ato, though he tried his best to stay composed.

Ato paid no attention to the trio's trembling fear. He casually walked up to them, then the tail behind him curled around Obito's neck and lifted him into the air.

"Urgh... Kakashi, save me." Obito struggled in agony and cast Kakashi a pleading look.

Yet beneath Ato's icy gaze, Kakashi seemed frozen in place, not daring to move at all.

Ato ignored Kakashi and turned his gaze toward Obito.

The agony of suffocation caused Obito to awaken his Sharingan.

A One-Tomoe Sharingan slowly spun within his eyes.

"Only one tomoe?" Ato looked at the One-Tomoe Sharingan in Obito's eyes and temporarily lost interest.

Although Ato could collect Obito's cells and fuse a Sharingan for himself,

the Life Cell Fusion Device could only fuse a target's current abilities. It could not make them evolve.

Simply put, if Ato absorbed the cells of Obito with a One-Tomoe Sharingan, the Sharingan he fused would also only have one tomoe.

It would not be a Mangekyō Sharingan.

An ordinary Sharingan held no value for Ato.

Ato turned his gaze toward Rin Nohara beside Obito, wondering whether killing Rin Nohara now would cause Obito to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan through rage.

However, when he recalled that Obito had only awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan in despair over Rin Nohara's death after fusing with White Zetsu cells,

Ato had no choice but to abandon the idea of killing Rin Nohara.

He planned to kill Rin Nohara after obtaining White Zetsu cells or Hashirama Cells, using her death to bring forth Obito's Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan.

Thud.

Ato's tail slowly loosened from Obito's neck, and Obito collapsed limply to the floor.

"Kakashi, remember to pay my bill."

Ato glanced at Kakashi, then strode out of Ichiraku Ramen.

"W-We survived."

Only after Ato left did Kakashi snap out of it. His entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Beside Kakashi, Rin Nohara collapsed to the floor. That single glance from Ato had made her feel, for an instant, as though the Grim Reaper were beckoning to her.

"Kakashi, let's get out of here." Obito struggled to his feet and spoke in panic.

"We should pay the bill first." Kakashi frowned deeply, yet he still had no choice but to walk over to Teuchi.

"Uncle Teuchi, I'll cover Ato's portion."

Teuchi nodded with a smile, acting as though he had seen nothing of what had just happened.

He was merely a shop owner and cook. How could he possibly get involved in conflicts between Ninja?

"That'll be 4.8 million ryo."

Teuchi pulled out a bill so long it dragged across the floor and smilingly held out his hand to Kakashi.

"H-How much?!" Kakashi's eyes widened, unable to believe his ears.

"4.8 million ryo?" Rin Nohara was equally shocked by the bill.

Only Obito did not care about the number before him.

"Obito, it's time to save Team Minato." Looking at Obito, Kakashi suddenly patted his shoulder with a grave expression and spoke heavily.

Obito:???

"With just 4.8 million ryo, you can save Rin and me." Before Kakashi could finish, Obito had already pulled out 5 million ryo from his wallet.

He had not heard what Kakashi was saying at all. He had only heard that Rin needed saving.

"As expected of Konoha's great clans! Obito, you're Team Minato's hero!!" Kakashi praised him solemnly, even giving him a thumbs-up he had learned from Might Guy.

"Hahaha, I'm a Konoha hero! I saved Rin!" Obito was so delighted by the praise that he instantly forgot his earlier terror.

After paying the bill, Kakashi and the other two left Ichiraku Ramen.

After parting ways with Obito and Rin, Kakashi suddenly punched a utility pole in self-reproach.

"I'm too weak! Can someone like me really uphold my ninja way?" Kakashi gritted his teeth. He could no longer keep wasting time.

He had to become stronger.

"Hatake Swordsmanship. The only path I have left to grow stronger is Hatake Swordsmanship." Kakashi rose to his feet, his gaze resolute.

After his father's suicide, he had also cast aside the Hatake Swordsmanship he had been learning.

But now, under the pressure Ato had brought upon him, Kakashi was prepared to take up his swordsmanship again.

"Besides swordsmanship, I also need to keep refining my Lightning Cutter!" Having made up his mind, Kakashi quickly leaped toward his home.

"Yo, Kakashi, you're back?"

As Kakashi leaped across the rooftops, he happened to run into Asuma Sarutobi.

At that moment, Asuma Sarutobi wore a jonin flak jacket and was dressed as though he were heading far away.

Kakashi froze when he saw Asuma dressed like that.

"Asuma, are you leaving Konoha?"

Faced with Kakashi's question, Asuma Sarutobi gave a bitter smile.

"The old man suddenly promoted me to special jonin, then insisted that I head to the Daimyo's Residence in the Land of Fire and become one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja of the Land of Fire.

It's completely ridiculous!"

Asuma Sarutobi grumbled, completely unaware of the complicated look in Kakashi's eyes.

Asuma Sarutobi did not understand, but Kakashi knew exactly what the Third Hokage was thinking.

He was sending Asuma Sarutobi away from Konoha to take refuge at the Daimyo's Residence in the Land of Fire.

"Leaving Konoha at a time like this..."

Although Kakashi understood the Third Hokage's intentions perfectly, he did not agree with the Third Hokage's decision.

With Ato around, Konoha was at a time of immense crisis.

Yet at such a time, he was sending his own son to the Land of Fire to take refuge.

This was simply contrary to Konoha's Will of Fire.

Furthermore, the Third Hokage's decision to send his son to the Land of Fire to take refuge was enough to show that Konoha had truly reached a life-or-death moment.

And the Third Hokage did not think highly of Konoha's chances. That was why he was sending his son away rather than having him stay and resist the looming crisis together.

"Well then, Kakashi, goodbye!" Asuma Sarutobi waved to Kakashi, then leaped away and vanished among Konoha's rooftops.

Kakashi merely watched Asuma Sarutobi's retreating figure with calm eyes.

"Heh, the Will of Fire!"

Kakashi sneered, then vanished from the rooftops as well.