One month later.
Ninja Academy.
"Hey! Haku, pay attention in class, or I'll pin you to the Hokage Rock!"
During class, Haku was daydreaming when Kazuyama Gekkō threw a piece of chalk that hit his forehead perfectly. The pain snapped Haku back to reality, making him focus on the lesson.
In the end, Haku did end up enrolling in the Ninja Academy, but it wasn't because of Kazuyama Gekkō or Pakura's influence. It was because Haku himself wanted to attend. After Kazuyama Gekkō's guidance, he had managed to pull himself out of his gloom. With the encouragement of Yamato and Hayate Gekkō, he made the decision to go to school.
When Kazuyama Gekkō found out, he chased after Yamato and Hayate Gekkō, beating them up for the entire day. But he still agreed to Haku's request. After all, he was just a kid.
...
During lunch break, Kazuyama Gekkō and Pakura brought Haku to eat together. Lately, Kazuyama Gekkō had developed a serious obsession with Ramen Ichiraku. Honestly, it was so addictive after just one bowl that he even wondered if the owner of Ramen Ichiraku was secretly Ōtsutsuki Ichiraku. Maybe he had infused the power of the Rinnegan into the ramen... otherwise, why else would it be so addictive???
Kazuyama Gekkō even indulged in a little fantasy about it. Uncle Ichiraku, now possessed by the Rinnegan, murmured over his ramen:
"Feel the power of the Six Paths, you foolish humans…"
"Secret Technique... Double Addiction..."
Well, that whole thought process was just Kazuyama Gekkō's imagination, so it didn't count.
"Huh? Sensei, you're here too."
"Oh, Kakashi! What's up? Back from a mission? Ichi Roku-san, one more bowl—this round's on me."
Seeing Kakashi, now as muscular as Guy, Kazuyama Gekkō grinned and pulled out his wallet to treat him. The Kakashi of today was nothing like the one from the original series. Not only had his personality become more cheerful, but his strength had also undergone a huge transformation.
Though he still hadn't mastered Hatake Kenjutsu, his Taijutsu and close-quarters combat skills had developed into a system of their own, turning him into a force to be reckoned with among Konoha's jōnin.
"Sensei, what do you think about the Daimyō's Manor?"
"Their ninja corps has already started taking on missions in the Land of Fire."
"Their presence has caused the mission volume in the village to drop drastically."
Kakashi took the ramen from the owner of Ramen Ichiraku, then casually pulled down his mask, ready to eat. Kakashi was no longer constrained by his mask. He recalled the first time he'd attended Kazuyama Gekkō's class—back then, Kazuyama Gekkō had yanked the mask off his face and replaced it with a makeshift one that was, well, hard to describe.
Kazuyama Gekkō fell silent for a moment. The Daimyō's Manor was becoming more and more difficult to understand. Especially their recent movements, which seemed to be targeting Konoha. But what could they gain from it? No matter how powerful Konoha was, wasn't it still the military force of the Land of Fire?
"You're in charge of investigating the Daimyō's Manor now?"
"Yeah. Hokage-sama sent a lot of people to investigate. The Daimyō's actions have gone beyond expectations."
"Who knows? Maybe the new Daimyō just lost his mind? Or maybe he's been brainwashed by that guy, Kazuma?"
"That Daimyō, he's as skinny as a monkey... really hard to understand."
They had already cracked down on Kazuma and his group before. They'd thought it would make them behave. And what happened? They got even bolder. Are these people like cockroaches—impossible to kill? Always pushing forward without ever knowing how to give up???
Kazuyama Gekkō lost his patience. What could he do? After all, they were the Daimyō. Still, something about the Daimyō's Manor felt off to him.
Daimyō's Manor.
"Danzō, you truly live up to your reputation as the Shadow of the Ninja World."
"Even against Konoha, you show no mercy—despite being one of their own?"
"Stealing such a large portion of Konoha's missions... aren't you worried they'll resent it?"
Kazuma teased the calm-faced Danzō Shimura at the Root Division headquarters.
Danzō Shimura's response was straightforward:
"Konoha ultimately remains under the jurisdiction of the Land of Fire, though it has strayed from its founding principles."
"Both the new Hokage and the senior jōnin within the village are consciously or unconsciously abandoning the original path. If left unchecked…"
"The future of the Land of Fire is in jeopardy."
"Acting now is preferable to inaction. Once events reach a point of no return, it will be too late."
Kazuma nodded. He tacitly approved of the move against Konoha. He had long felt the village's influence had grown excessive. The daimyō's manor was the true heart of the Land of Fire; Konohagakure was merely an armed force. How could a weapon defy its master?
"But Danzō, take it easy during training. Hirudo have repeatedly voiced his dissatisfaction with you."
"Our ninja corps may be large, but how many can endure your hellish training regimen?"
"Such heavy attrition makes it difficult for me to justify our actions to higher-ups."
Danzō offered no comment on this. In his view, elite forces demanded elite training—inhumane training, to be precise. Only those forged through such trials could truly be called elite. Only such elite forces could deliver devastating blows to the enemy on the actual battlefield.
"I have my own approach to this matter. The ninjas from my Root Division are the prime example."
"Even if numbers increase, without quality, this ninja force is nothing but a joke."
"You know full well the significance of possessing high-tier combat power."
Leaving these words behind, Danzō departed. Kazuma had no counterargument—Danzō's words were undeniably correct. Whenever he recalled the memory of Kazuyama Gekkō arriving at the Daimyō's Manor, he yearned for power capable of shattering the heavens and earth.
...
Land of Fire, southwest coastal region.
"Hey, Zetsu, why do you always pick a place by the sea?"
"Land of Fire has so many mountains. Why not just pick one?"
"I think Kikyō Pass would be perfect."
Muren Uchiha gazed at the coastline before him. Truth be told, he was sick of the sea. He really didn't want to be near the shore anymore.
When he mentioned Kikyō Pass, Black Zetsu suddenly nodded.
"Not bad. I didn't expect you to know about Kikyō Pass. There was a battle there back in the day."
"It really is a good location."
"Placing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path there is a sound strategy."
Hearing Black Zetsu agree with his choice, Muren Uchiha felt genuinely pleased.
Kabuto, standing nearby, wore a thoughtful expression instead. After a long pause, he spoke slowly:
"If possible, I'd like to leave for a while."
"Huh? To do what?"
Both Muren Uchiha and Black Zetsu were curious about Kabuto's departure. After all, he was still just a kid—where could he possibly go by leaving the organization?
"Kikyō Pass is quite close to the Land of the Wind. I wish to make a trip there."
"That place is the birthplace of Puppet Technique. Perhaps I might find something useful there."