A threat

"Thinking you can relax once you've put a safe distance between yourself and an enemy, without even knowing what they can do or whether they have teammates—that's a fatal mistake." As Naruto carefully studied Kakashi's figure standing in place, that lazy voice sounded behind him again.

When Naruto abruptly turned around, a finger wrapped in blue-green lightning pierced straight through his shoulder!

Yet landing the hit left Kakashi stunned. He had deliberately given Naruto time to turn around, hoping to force him to use the Flying Thunder God Technique. How had he failed to react?

The Lightning Release Chakra around his finger dissipated, and Kakashi hurriedly prepared to give Naruto first aid. Though he hadn't struck a vital spot, having lightning pierce an unprotected shoulder could leave a child permanently disabled if the injury wasn't treated properly.

The Body Flicker Technique Naruto had used to dodge the shuriken had simply been so impressive that Kakashi had unconsciously raised his speed to that of an average Chunin. He had thought it would force the boy to reveal whatever trump card he was hiding, but...

"Hm?" In the very next second, however, Kakashi realized something was wrong.

There was no sensation of piercing flesh. This body was a fake!

With a pop, the injured Naruto before him turned into a cloud of Smoke.

The Clone Technique?

"Hehe, you think you're the only one who can use the Clone Technique? I figured out ages ago that the one you left standing there was a clone!" Naruto's precocious voice caught Kakashi off guard again, this time from behind him. As though deliberately showing off, he stood exactly as far from Kakashi as he had before.

"...Right. With a Body Flicker Technique that polished, how could you not know the Clone Technique?" Kakashi realized his concern had clouded his judgment. If he had observed more carefully, he could have recognized that the earlier Naruto was merely a clone—even at the instant he struck him.

But it had all happened so smoothly. Naruto's performance after that split-second reaction had been truly outstanding. Kakashi couldn't help marveling inwardly.

The most fundamental Three Basic Techniques in the Shinobi World were the Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique. Plenty of students who had yet to become Genin had already mastered them.

Above those were the three advanced techniques: the Paralysis Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and Invisibility Technique.

A Ninja's proficiency with the Three Basic Techniques often represented the baseline of their strength. A Ninja who couldn't even use those techniques properly was probably a weakling. Conversely, the better a Ninja was at them, the stronger they generally were.

Many advanced ninjutsu were also developed and expanded from these Three Basic Techniques, and countless tactics and clashes between Ninja revolved around competing with them. Kakashi's own favorite, the Lightning Clone Technique, was one such example.

Those who reached the pinnacle in even one aspect of the Three Basic Techniques were figures whose names resounded throughout the Shinobi World.

"Heh, glad you get it." Hearing his opponent finally speak, Naruto lifted his chin and struck a proud pose.

But inwardly, Naruto was nowhere near as arrogant as he appeared. He felt a vague unease and confusion.

He didn't know who this masked man was or why he was attacking him. But they were inside Konoha, and whoever this man was, quite some time had passed since he first attacked. Why hadn't anyone come?

As though sensing Naruto's confusion, Kakashi had no intention of explaining. He knew he had little time and couldn't delay any longer.

Then, under Naruto's puzzled gaze, Kakashi removed his Mask and opened his left eye!

A scarlet Three Tomoe Sharingan.

Kakashi couldn't help recalling the mission the Third Hokage had entrusted to him that morning.

"Please allow me to refuse." Upon hearing the Third Hokage's assignment, Kakashi had replied almost instinctively.

The Third Hokage said nothing, merely tapping his pipe.

"Lord Hokage, I know your intention is to have me test the abilities he's actually hiding, but he's... still... just a child." Kakashi had wanted to say that Naruto was, after all, the son of the Fourth Hokage, his own beloved teacher, but he had left that connection unspoken.

Because he understood that it was precisely this connection—the certainty that he would never truly hurt Naruto—that had made the Third Hokage choose him for the task.

He had previously served as Anbu Captain and undertaken far too many of the village's dark missions. He understood the relationships between its various factions, and that made his loyalties clear to the Hokage: he could not be anyone else's informant.

He also had enough skill and strength to test Naruto's abilities to the fullest while keeping the situation under control and preventing any other repercussions.

Furthermore, he possessed a Three Tomoe Sharingan. Aside from the Uchiha Clan, he was currently the most suitable person in the village to suppress the Nine-Tails, and Lord Hokage would never trust the Uchiha Clan with this task.

"Kakashi, you should know this as well." Seeing that Kakashi seemed to have worked it out, Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi finally spoke. "Ever since the First Hokage passed away, the villages have used the tailed beasts' jinchūriki as weapons of war. And among the jinchūriki, the Nine-Tails' power is the greatest. Even under the control of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu, Kushina lost control and went berserk more than once. Konoha's attitude toward the Nine-Tails is far from friendly."

"So the village has actually been monitoring Naruto all along, and you can confirm that no one has been secretly teaching him?" Kakashi seemed to understand something.

"Correct. And I personally confirmed this. No such person exists." The Third Hokage slowly took a puff of Smoke from his pipe and continued, "Given the damage the Nine-Tails' Attack inflicted on the village, even ordinary villagers who don't understand the circumstances treat Naruto poorly, let alone the other Advisors led by Danzo. More than once, they've proposed thoroughly brainwashing Naruto. They've even wanted to follow that bastard Orochimaru's example and try to turn the Nine-Tails into nothing more than a weapon, just as the other villages have."

"So merely suppressing their proposals and actions to give Naruto his freedom within the village has already exhausted all my energy. This is all I can give him, and all I'm able to give him. No matter how much I want to, I can't give Naruto the treatment a hero's child deserves." The Third Hokage let out a long sigh. "I've failed Minato and his wife."

The Third Hokage's words weighed even more heavily on Kakashi. He had never imagined that Naruto's circumstances were so difficult to manage. "But isn't Naruto fairly... safe right now?"

He had originally meant to say Naruto was living fairly well, but looking around the room, he couldn't bring himself to utter such a blatant lie.

"He could indeed have grown up safely before, but now, that's no longer possible." The Third Hokage finally revealed the real reason. "The talent he's displayed is too great. Not many people know yet, but we won't be able to hide it for long. And to some people, his strength is not a good thing. Strength they cannot control becomes a threat."