Chapter 63 – Kinoshita Jirō Takes Action
Hearing Zabuza's words, Yuto waved his hand casually. "No need. You don't have to worry about Konoha for now."
"Also, Gato may be dead, but his wealth hasn't vanished. You're in charge of cleaning up the remnants of his organization."
After speaking, Yuto's gaze shifted from Zabuza to Haku. His tone softened. "As for you, Haku, assist Zabuza for the time being."
Haku blinked in surprise, then joy quickly filled his eyes. "Yes, Lord Yuto."
He didn't even realize that, even without Yuto's order, he would have followed Zabuza anyway.
Stretching lazily, Yuto chuckled to himself. "Everything's wrapped up here. I wonder how Kinoshita Jirō is doing?"
Elsewhere, Kakashi and his team were unaware that Zabuza would no longer attack. Just like in the original story, they were focused on their tree-climbing training.
Kinoshita Jirō, meanwhile, had made no move for two full days. The only thing that had changed was that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had all lowered their guard around him.
During that time, Naruto had repeatedly asked Jirō about the Uzumaki Clan, hoping to learn more about his lineage.
But each time, Jirō brushed him off with a vague excuse, diverting the topic easily.
Even Kakashi, though still cautious, no longer watched Jirō as warily as before.
For Jirō, however, Kakashi's trust didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was gaining the children's confidence.
As the head of a clan, there were two skills he considered indispensable—acting and understanding the human heart.
After two days, Kinoshita Jirō had already seen through the personalities of every member of the team.
"Mr. Jirō, Kakashi and the others just finished training. Could you please bring the dishes to the table?"
The voice of Tazuna's daughter called from the kitchen.
"Of course," Jirō replied with a warm smile, walking toward the kitchen.
But behind that gentle expression, his eyes were cold. He had wasted enough time. It was time to act.
At the dining table, Naruto and Sasuke were racing each other, shoveling rice into their mouths like starving wolves.
Everyone at the table could only smile helplessly—it clearly wasn't the first time.
"You two, stop if you can't eat anymore," Sakura sighed, exasperated.
"No way! I'm finishing this!"
Naruto and Sasuke spoke in unison, glancing at each other before diving back into their silent competition.
"Seeing how hard you've been training, I feel a bit guilty," Jirō said with a faint, apologetic smile. "After all, I've been eating and living here without helping much. If you ever need guidance with your training, I can lend a hand. I was once a jōnin myself."
Naruto's and Sasuke's eyes lit up immediately.
"Really?! Kakashi-sensei only makes us practice chakra control! It doesn't help much in real fights!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning eagerly.
Sasuke didn't speak, but his chopsticks slowed. Clearly, he too was frustrated with Kakashi's slow, methodical lessons. Compared to that man, his growth felt far too slow. His fists tightened under the table.
Even Sakura perked up, her curiosity piqued.
"Don't be ridiculous, Naruto," Kakashi said calmly, his half-lidded eye shifting briefly toward Jirō.
"It's fine," Jirō replied with an easy smile. "We wanderers don't have as many restrictions as Leaf shinobi. I won't teach you any jutsu—those take time, and I doubt my skills compare to Konoha's anyway."
He paused, then added, "But when it comes to combat techniques and survival tactics, I have a few insights. At least enough to keep you alive. If you don't mind, Kakashi, you can join us too."
Kakashi's single visible eye narrowed slightly. The air grew faintly tense.
Kinoshita Jirō still smiled—but deep within, his plan had already begun.
Kinoshita Jirō scratched his head and laughed heartily.
When they heard there would be no ninjutsu lessons, both Naruto and Sakura's eyes dimmed with disappointment.
Sasuke, however, showed no surprise. Even if the man was a wandering shinobi, no one would freely teach secret techniques. The Uchiha Clan had no shortage of jutsu anyway. What Sasuke truly needed now were combat instincts—something a former jōnin could refine.
"In that case, if they want to learn, I have no objections," Kakashi said after glancing at his students' eager faces. He already knew that stopping them would be pointless.
Besides, this wanderer named Jirō was growing increasingly difficult to read. Someone like that was safer kept under observation. Kakashi also wanted to see what Kinoshita Jirō was really planning.
The next day.
In a quiet grove, Kakashi leaned casually against a tree trunk, a small book open in his hand.
Every so often, his visible eye drifted from the page toward the clearing, where Kinoshita Jirō was training Sasuke and the others.
"Naruto, too many unnecessary movements."
"Naruto, smaller gestures—control your center of gravity."
"Sakura, well done. Naruto, you should learn from her."
"Hmm… Sasuke, excellent. You've already memorized everything I just said."
His calm, precise voice echoed across the grove. Watching them, Kakashi couldn't help but feel slightly out of place—as if he were the outsider, and Jirō the true team leader.
A faint smile lingered on Jirō's lips as he observed the three students.
Though it had only been a short time, he had already grasped their potential perfectly. Sasuke and Naruto possessed exceptional talent; Sakura, by comparison, was far weaker.
Yet under Jirō's careful instruction, the situation seemed reversed. The one falling behind appeared to be Naruto.
There was a saying—the more you do, the more mistakes you make.
If Sasuke and Sakura needed one correction for each movement, Naruto required two—or even three.
On the surface, Jirō looked like a patient, dedicated teacher. But in truth, he was subtly weaving doubt into Naruto's heart—an illusion that he wasn't good enough, that no matter how hard he tried, he would always fall short.
That was Jirō's true lesson.
Break Naruto's confidence.
Shatter his spirit—slowly, invisibly.
(End of Chapter)
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