Looking at Kakashi, who stood up and walked over, Okamoto Dousuke gave Namikaze Minato an OK gesture.
Helping Kakashi get out of the shadow of his father's suicide was a shared understanding between Minato Namikaze and Dousuke Okamoto during their journey.
After all, Kakashi was their former classmate, and they had a decent relationship with him. He was also, in a way, their student.
Although Okamoto Dousuke knew that Kakashi would eventually understand the true meaning of companionship through Uchiha Obito's future sacrifice, Kakashi was currently still an ostracized Chunin.
It had taken the combined efforts of two close teammates for Kakashi to begin to grasp this concept. If Okamoto Dousuke had possessed the means, he would have wanted to prevent that future tragedy from ever occurring.
Since Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake, had committed suicide due to abandoning a mission, Kakashi had always prioritized the mission above all else. This had led to rumors in the village that he was an extremely cold-blooded individual who would readily sacrifice his teammates for the sake of the mission, causing others to be unwilling to join his team.
It wasn't until Kakashi's classmates Okamoto Dousuke, Uchiha Obito, and Might Guy graduated that Kakashi finally had the opportunity to form a team with others again.
The two men reached the riverbank, and Okamoto Dousuke immediately plunged into the water.
"Kakashi, I'll use the Water Release Jutsu to drive the fish out, and you'll be responsible for catching them."
"Hmph." Although Kakashi, who had followed, didn't say anything further, his single word and expression conveyed his disdain.
"Kakashi, you won't be able to truly integrate into the team with that attitude," Okamoto Dousuke said helplessly, observing his demeanor.
"Why do I need to integrate into the team? All you need to know is that my team's mission completion rate is one hundred percent," Kakashi replied, crossing his arms and staring intently at the water.
"Kakashi, you need to understand that the mission completion rate isn't the only thing that matters for a ninja. You..."
"That's enough, Okamoto Dousuke. When my father passed away, you followed Lady Tsunade to the Hatake residence. Don't you know how my father died?"
"Did my father really die by suicide?"
"Kakashi…" Okamoto Dousuke began to say something.
"Lightning Release: Chidori!" Kakashi's hands crackled with intense lightning as he plunged them into the water. A powerful electric current instantly coursed through the waters near Kakashi.
Fish immediately floated to the surface, stunned, while Okamoto Dousuke, who was standing on the water, fainted from the powerful Lightning Release and fell into the water with a splash.
Minato Namikaze, who had been observing their surroundings, witnessed the scene of the two attempting to catch fish and realized that Okamoto Dousuke's attempt at persuasion had failed.
Kakashi's deep-seated issues couldn't be resolved with just a few words, and even his teacher, Minato Namikaze, felt incapable of fully reaching him. Some things could only be understood through experiences with one's peers.
Looking at Obito, who was attentively caring for Nohara Rin, and Okamoto Dousuke, who had fallen into the river, Minato sighed inwardly, hoping that the bonds between them could eventually help Kakashi change.
On the shore, a bonfire crackled merrily, supported by a simple tripod holding a small pot of milky fish soup that was gently simmering.
With damp hair, Dousuke Okamoto stood silently by the campfire, warming himself and the freshly caught fish.
His clothes had been quickly dried using his chakra-controlled Water Release technique. Only his hair remained wet, and after a shake of his neat short hair, it now stood on end like that of a disheveled aristocrat.
Fu stood beside him, gently touching Okamoto Dousuke's hair, which had been affected by the residual Lightning Release. "Hahaha, big brother, your hair looks so funny!"
Okamoto Dousuke stared intently at Kakashi not far away, his resentment almost palpable.
"It's time to eat," Okamoto Dousuke announced loudly. He distributed the grilled fish to everyone, then gently pulled Fu, who was still playfully touching his hair, over to him and served her a small bowl of fish soup.
Kakashi's Chidori had efficiently electrocuted a large number of fish, more than the small group could possibly finish.
Perhaps feeling he had gone too far, Kakashi, upon receiving his grilled fish, offered a rare "thank you" in a quiet voice. He remained even more silent than he had been that morning.
"Big brother, it's so yummy! I want to keep drinking the fish soup you made!" Fu exclaimed between small, careful sips of the hot soup.
"Fu, if you like it that much, I'll teach you how to make it sometime," Okamoto Dousuke said with a smile, gently patting Fu's head.
"Dousuke, your cooking skills are truly amazing," Namikaze Minato praised while savoring the grilled fish.
Although I learned from the teacher that this child has strong chakra control and can remove fish bones without affecting the taste of the fish, I didn't expect the real situation to be so abnormal. I thought that Teacher Jiraiya exaggerated, but now it seems that he is just being conservative.
This kid is truly a genius.
Obito and Rin also praised his craftsmanship.
Okamoto Dousuke smiled and glanced at Kakashi.
Kakashi happened to look over there as well, and apart from a slightly apologetic look, he said nothing.
After everyone finished eating, they continued on their journey. On the way, Okamoto Dousuke kept studying the principles of the sealing technique taught to him by Namikaze Minato.
Rin still carried Fu, talking to her as they walked.
Obito looked like a loyal dog and kept circling around Nohara Rin.
Kakashi kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.
Namikaze Minato walked up to Okamoto Dousuke and took out a gourd from the ninja tool bag behind him, handing it to him. "This was left by the Land of Waterfalls ninja. According to him, it can temporarily increase chakra by dozens of times."
"Dousuke, as a medical ninja, you should conserve your chakra as much as possible. If there is a fight, leave it to Kakashi and me to handle it."
Okamoto Dousuke took the small gourd, which felt surprisingly heavy.
"Well, so you have to be careful when using it. Although the exact mechanism isn't clear, such a significant surge in chakra doesn't happen without a cost. The fate of the Chunin from the Land of Waterfalls also shows that this water has strong side effects," Namikaze Minato nodded, confirming his statement.
"Okay, I understand," Okamoto Dousuke nodded in agreement.
Just then, Minato Namikaze made a sharp gesture and stopped abruptly.
When Okamoto Dousuke and the others saw Minato's signal, they quickly drew their weapons and stood guard around him.
Boom.
A large purple toad appeared in front of Minato, holding a letter in its mouth. It spat the letter out at Minato's feet.
Looking at the toad that appeared through reverse summoning, Okamoto Dousuke's heart skipped a beat.
Bang! The toad dissolved into a puff of smoke and vanished.
Minato Namikaze picked up the envelope from the ground, opened it, and his brows gradually furrowed.
"The alert is lifted. Come here, everyone," Minato Namikaze called out to the group.
Several people gathered in a circle around Minato Namikaze.
"Teacher Jiraiya has sent news that someone has been watching us. The people who attacked us last time have set up an ambush on the road leading to Hidden Waterfall Village ahead. Teacher is worried about alerting the enemy, so he is not in a position to take action," Namikaze Minato said, opening the map and pointing to a specific location.
"Now, I will proceed along the route marked on the map as usual. Kakashi, Dousuke, Rin, and Obito will take Fu and follow this river, entering from the back of Hidden Waterfall Village. Be sure to send Fu back to Hidden Waterfall Village as quickly as possible," Namikaze Minato said solemnly.