Kakashi Hatake

Boom!

The Grizzly Bear's massive body hit the ground, securing dinner for Kazan and Hakimi.

My fighting strength has to be at least Chunin level by now.

Kazan dropped from the air. The moment he landed, his feet even made that distinctive "ka-tap" sound from the world of the Pirate King.

The Forest of Death was one of the stages of Konoha's Chunin Ninja Exams in the original story.

Candidates had to cross the Forest of Death and collect items from other candidates to pass.

Which meant...

During those exams, the dangers candidates faced in the Forest of Death were its wild beasts and each other.

If Kazan could treat the Forest of Death as his hunting ground, he definitely had Chunin-level strength.

"Quit drooling. Help me drag this thing to the outskirts."

Kazan rubbed the tiger's head, and the two of them returned to the edge of the Forest of Death.

He didn't want other beasts attacking while he ate.

The Forest of Death was dangerous, but the creatures on its outskirts were little different from ordinary wildlife.

The forest's rulers all lived deep inside.

Out here, once Hakimi lay down, nothing dared come near.

Kazan gathered firewood, prepared the bear meat, then practiced his punches while it roasted.

The Forest of Death had everything going for it.

Food, firewood, water, even lovely scenery. Just like Baoqiang's head, it was green as far as the eye could see.

The only problem was how long the meat took to cook.

Meanwhile, Hakimi kept bringing back more firewood. Now and then, he also returned with wild fruit and mushrooms for Kazan to make soup.

"Isn't this thing poisonous? Last time I ate it, I ended up sleeping for a while."

"Still tastes pretty good, though!"

Kazan looked at the purple mushrooms Hakimi had brought back, washed a handful, and tossed them into the pot.

He didn't know whether people from the Pirate King's world were simply that tough or Garp was exceptionally gifted.

Either way, Kazan was immune to most poisonous foods.

Once, he had taken one of those purple mushrooms home and fed it to the neighbors' puppy.

After one bite, the puppy had started convulsing on the spot, thrashing on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

Kazan had panicked. He threw away the mushroom in his hand, hurried next door, and thoughtfully told the family that their dog had eaten something bad and keeled over.

He still remembered how hard their six-year-old daughter had cried that night.

By the time Kazan had worn himself out throwing punches, the mouthwatering smell of meat finally reached his nose.

"Finally. I'm starving."

Kazan pulled out his knife, sliced off a cooked piece, sprinkled it with cumin and other seasonings, and opened his mouth to take a bite. Beside him, Hakimi poked him with a paw.

"What?"

"Awhoo~"

Hakimi howled softly, then pointed at the meat in front of him.

"It's cooked. You can eat it."

"Awhoo~"

He howled again, his tiger eyes fixed on the cumin powder.

Right. He wanted some too.

"Of all the tigers in the world, you've got it best. You even want cumin on your roast meat."

Kazan rolled his eyes and sprinkled some on Hakimi's portion.

Only then did the two of them dig in.

Before long...

They had polished off an entire bear. Kazan flopped down to sleep, his belly round as a ball and a contented smile on his face.

Hakimi was full too. He pressed his fur against Kazan to make him more comfortable, but at the slightest rustle, his eyes would snap open and scan their surroundings.

"Knew those damn mushrooms were poisonous. I'm sleepy again."

As soon as Kazan finished speaking, a bubble rose from his nose, and he fell fast asleep.

Night fell.

Moonlight filtered into the Forest of Death. With a pop, the bubble at Kazan's nose burst. He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and stretched with a groan.

Ah, that feels good, baby!

He looked up. The moon hung amid the stars, casting a cold, pale glow.

"It's pretty late. I'd better head back."

"Awhoo~"

Hakimi got up too and nuzzled him with his head.

"All right, don't act like a pet cat. I'll come back after school tomorrow."

"Awhoo~"

Only then did Hakimi turn and walk into the Forest of Death.

Kazan left as well, leaping from a tree over the forest fence with a bearskin in his hand.

"It's a bit late. I'll sell this tomorrow."

Kazan had no parents in this world. The couple had died in battle not long after he was born.

Konoha gave him a little money each month to raise him to adulthood. It showed the village's other Ninja that even if they died, their children would be looked after.

But that meager sum wasn't enough to feed Kazan.

As his body developed, he would need to start training with weights, constantly push his limits, and unlock his physical potential. None of that came cheap.

That was why Kazan always sold the bearskins and other things he got from hunting.

There was no shortage of buyers. If the trip weren't so long, he would have gone to the Land of Fire and sold them directly to the wealthy.

For now?

He had to let Konoha's merchants take their cut, which meant a lower price for him.

On his way back, plenty of people greeted Kazan.

Everyone was fond of the spirited little rascal.

"Hey, Kazan, you're back. That's a big bearskin you've got today."

"The Ninja Academy really is something. They even teach you how to hunt."

A middle-aged man sat outside his house with his legs crossed, enjoying the moonlight. When he spotted Kazan, he couldn't resist teasing him.

Everyone in the neighborhood knew Kazan went to the Ninja Academy only to neglect his Ninjutsu lessons and spend his time throwing punches instead.

Kazan stopped, turned around, and shouted past the man, "Xianglin Sao! This morning, I saw your husband touch Black Widow's hand while he was selling her fish. He didn't even charge her afterward!"

"What?!"

A startled cry came from inside. A woman rushed out with a knife in her hand.

The man who had just teased Kazan bolted at once. "I didn't! Don't listen to that little brat Kazan! I charged her!"

"Hear that, Xianglin Sao? He didn't deny touching her hand!"

"Ah, damn it! Kazan, you little troublemaker, just you wait..."

Laughter filled the street as everyone watched Kazan make mischief.

"Hmph. Loser. That'll teach you to laugh at me."

Kazan walked on with a disdainful look. He hadn't gone far when he saw a white-haired boy in a mask approaching from the other end of the street.

"Kakashi?"

Perfect timing. I wanted to see if my fists are hard enough now.