Becoming a Chunin

The Rasengan's training method was the same as in his memories: rotation, power, and maintenance.

Masayo quickly mastered the first step, rotation, but got stuck on the second. This was also the hardest and most important step: making chakra rotate irregularly. As long as he succeeded at this step, the final maintenance would become much easier.

The Naruto Uzumaki in his memories had taken a shortcut with Shadow Clones to pass the second step, but the Rasengan had consequently lost the qualities that a hand-signless ninjutsu should have possessed. Masayo had no intention of doing that.

Soon, the brief vacation ended. Masayo's Rasengan training was still stuck at the second step. Training the Rasengan was harder than he had imagined.

Masayo temporarily stopped training and met Kakashi at the mission assembly hall. This time, it was another C-rank escort mission! It would take even longer than the previous escort mission—they would not return for a month—and the payment was better too.

Time slowly passed. A year later, Masayo passed Konohagakure's internal assessment and became a Chunin. Likewise, Kakashi would no longer serve as his Supervising Jonin.

Kakashi had taught Masayo everything he needed to teach him. Now, at a barbecue restaurant, Kakashi was treating him to a meal to celebrate Masayo becoming a Chunin.

Masayo was now wearing a ninja flak jacket. His somewhat youthful face had matured considerably as well. Since he was still underage and could not drink, he raised a beverage to clink glasses with Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, I never thought you'd treat me to barbecue. This really doesn't seem like you at all."

Masayo's jab made Kakashi roll his eyes. Icha Icha Paradise still did not leave his hand as he replied, "What kind of image do I even have in your mind?"

Masayo picked up a piece of grilled meat, dipped it in sauce, and put it into his mouth with an expression of pure enjoyment. "Delicious. It's just a little too expensive. I've never been willing to come here."

"Your image in my mind? It's great. You can be a little unreliable, you love being late, and you wear a mask that makes you look pretty gloomy, but you're dependable. Meeting you, Kakashi-sensei, was probably my greatest stroke of luck!"

Those were Masayo's genuine feelings. Over the past year, aside from their routine missions, Kakashi had taught him many things. They had even taken on four B-rank Missions, and he had fought other ninja.

His first real battle against ninja had not gone very well. He had been somewhat passive and unaccustomed to it, but with Kakashi backing him up, they completed the mission smoothly. During their fourth B-rank Mission, Masayo had completed everything alone without making Kakashi lift a finger.

Kakashi lowered his gaze from Icha Icha Paradise and looked at Masayo. Compared to before, Masayo's strength was worlds apart.

"Masayo, congratulations on becoming a Chunin. You can stand on your own now!"

Kakashi's eyes returned to Icha Icha Paradise, his posture as lazy as ever. Masayo's words had stirred something in him. After a year together, it was impossible not to have formed some attachment. Now that they were suddenly parting ways, he felt an inexplicable sense of loss.

They were not exactly teacher and student. Kakashi had merely fulfilled his duties as a Supervising Jonin. Their relationship was more like that of brothers.

"Kakashi-sensei, you'll be leading a team of this year's graduates too, right?"

Masayo secretly glanced at Kakashi, who swiftly pulled down his mask and quickly ate the grilled meat.

Handsome. So handsome. Even though he had only caught a brief glimpse, Masayo still saw what Kakashi looked like beneath the mask. He was far more handsome than Masayo.

He's obviously so handsome, so why does he hide his face? Isn't it uncomfortable?

Masayo could not help thinking that he would never be able to stand wearing a mask every day, especially not one with more than a single layer.

Kakashi replied, "Yes. But if they can't pass the assessment, I won't let them graduate."

Masayo nodded heavily. This year's graduates should be Neji Hyuga and Rock Lee's class, right? There was still one year until Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha graduated. That would be when the dream began, when the gears of fate would start turning.

The two talked about many more things. After a year together and a year of training, they finally said goodbye.

His Chunin flak jacket drew countless stares. Many children watched him from afar with adoration in their eyes, while some acquaintances greeted him warmly.

As the sun set, Masayo once again walked down that quiet street.

When he passed Naruto Uzumaki's home, Naruto was carrying a bucket of paint. There was even some paint smeared on his face, clearly because he had pulled some prank somewhere.

"It's..."

Naruto's little face instantly changed. Three distinctive whisker-like marks stretched across each cheek. He hurriedly hid the paint bucket behind his back, looking nervous and uneasy.

That big brother from next door is back. Oh no, will he hate me looking like this?

Naruto could not help thinking. He knew pranks were wrong, but he longed for others to notice him. Still, he did not want someone like Masayo to dislike him.

Masayo glanced at Naruto and walked right past him. It was not that he ignored him, nor did he avoid him. Like an ordinary passerby, he simply passed by without any interaction, softly humming a tune.

"Um, big brother, your ninja flak jacket looks just like Iruka-sensei's. Did you become a Chunin?"

Naruto could not help speaking up. He was nervous, unsure whether his words would make Masayo dislike him. Masayo was one of the people who did not hate him.

"Yeah."

Masayo turned back in confusion, saw Naruto's uneasy expression, and nodded.

"I passed the assessment today. I just became a Chunin."

Masayo lightly tugged at his ninja flak jacket and explained with a faint smile, as though they were simply ordinary neighbors getting along politely.

"That's amazing! You became a Chunin so quickly. But, hehe... I, Naruto Uzumaki, am definitely going to become Hokage someday! I'm going to make everyone in the village acknowledge that I exist."

Masayo's response made Naruto relax. Seeing that Masayo did not dislike him, Naruto grinned and pushed up the goggles on his forehead, brimming with energy. Even though his heart was already scarred beyond measure, he still maintained that cheerful demeanor.

"Hokage?"

Masayo looked at Naruto, who was nearly identical to the one in his memories, and said, "Then you'd better work hard. You can't become Hokage just by pulling pranks!"

"Ah, um, I..."

Naruto felt like he wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it. If Iruka was his teacher at the Academy and someone important who cared about him, then Masayo was a familiar yet unfamiliar passerby. Even when Iruka scolded him, he could laugh it off, but before an outsider like Masayo, he felt utterly ashamed.

"You're Naruto Uzumaki, right? My name is Masayo. Unlike you, I don't have a surname. I'm only two years older than you, so just call me Masayo. There are no shortcuts to becoming Hokage. It's not that the person who becomes Hokage will be acknowledged by everyone; it's the person acknowledged by everyone who becomes Hokage."

Masayo left with a teasing smile. He had shamelessly borrowed words Itachi Uchiha had once said to Naruto in the anime from his memories. Freely taking things was his favorite, and he did not feel the slightest shame about it. Talking down the future Seventh Hokage felt pretty good.

Naruto, having been talked down by Masayo, stood there with a thoughtful expression, repeatedly pondering Masayo's words. Even when the paint bucket fell from his hand to the ground, he seemed not to notice at all.