Inside Kimoto Tōichi's home.
Kakashi appeared once again on his balcony.
When Kimoto Tōichi saw the shadowed figure standing there, he shook his head.
"Kakashi, it's not like my house doesn't have a door."
Kakashi ignored his complaint.
Gazing out at the moonlit night, he asked casually,
"Looks like you're quite pleased with that kid. I've never seen you attend a team dinner before."
Kimoto Tōichi stepped onto the balcony.
"And it seems you've been paying attention to that boy yourself."
"But you should know—he's my student."
Kimoto Tōichi looked at Kakashi.
Kakashi chuckled.
"Why so tense? Don't tell me you're worried I'll steal him from you?"
"I do worry," Tōichi replied frankly. "That boy's far more talented than I expected."
"I'm guessing it was you who was watching us in the forest today."
Kimoto Tōichi had sensed Kakashi's presence earlier that day.
After all, he was once an ANBU jōnin—though from the Interrogation Division, perception and sensory ability had always been his strength.
"If your students ever found out that you were sending shadow clones to teach them, they'd probably be pretty disappointed."
"And besides, none of your students are simple, are they?"
Kakashi didn't mind the teasing.
"Heh... that boy has changed you a lot," Kakashi said with a faint sigh. "You never used to talk like this."
"That's true," Tōichi admitted quietly. "That kid made me realize that if I don't teach him properly, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."
Kakashi was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected Tōichi to admit it so openly—nor that Yoruha would hold such a high place in his teacher's heart.
But when he thought back to Yoruha fearlessly walking toward the waterfall earlier that day—completely unafraid even when the crashing current could have smashed him into the lake—Kakashi couldn't deny it.
He envied Tōichi.
"That kid's talent… might even surpass my own," Kakashi said with a wry smile.
Kakashi Hatake—once hailed as Konoha's prodigy.
Graduated from the Ninja Academy at age five, promoted to chūnin at six, became a jōnin by twelve.
Later, he earned the legendary name "Copy Ninja Kakashi," known throughout the shinobi world.
A genius among geniuses—second to none, not even Uchiha Itachi.
"Still not as good as you," Tōichi said mildly. "You were already a jōnin at twelve. He's still just a rookie."
"Come on," Kakashi replied. "If he'd had the same resources I did, he'd probably be a jōnin already. Those six years in the academy held him back."
Kakashi had always thought it unwise for Yoruha to hide his abilities during his academy years.
But then again, for someone that young to have no arrogance and conceal his talent so completely… even Kakashi couldn't have done that.
And back then, he'd had no reason to.
"So," Kakashi asked, "what do you plan to teach him? Are you going to start training him in ninjutsu now?"
Tōichi fell silent for a while.
"I haven't decided yet. Honestly, I don't think my ninjutsu really suits him."
"Most of my techniques are related to interrogation work. I don't want him ending up in the ANBU like I did."
Tōichi sighed.
He wanted to teach Yoruha powerful combat techniques—but he didn't have many to give.
Other than a few basic elemental jutsu, he didn't know any truly destructive or high-level battle skills.
---
"I honestly don't know what I'll have left to teach him after he masters the basics."
Seeing Tōichi's troubled look, Kakashi was silent for a moment before speaking.
"If you're willing, I can help you with that."
Tōichi looked at him, surprised.
"You'd help me? Aren't you worried what the Hokage will say?"
After all, the Third Hokage had specifically assigned Kakashi to train Naruto and Sasuke.
If Kakashi divided his attention, the Hokage would surely disapprove.
"Well," Kakashi said with a shrug, "then we just won't tell him. For now, most of our missions are within the village anyway."
"With that kid's talent, I'm confident I can help him reach jōnin-level ninjutsu before he even begins taking missions outside the village."
Tōichi stared at him, almost in disbelief.
He knew Kakashi had high expectations for Yoruha—but he hadn't thought he'd go this far for him.
After all, Kakashi was the famous "Copy Ninja," known for mastering thousands of jutsu with his Sharingan.
Still, Tōichi wanted to be the one to teach Yoruha himself.
Yet when he thought about it, aside from a few B-rank techniques, all his A-rank skills were interrogation-based—and would be useless to Yoruha.
"What's your condition?" Tōichi asked finally.
He knew full well—nothing came without a price.
"My request is simple," Kakashi said. "When I go out on missions, I'll sometimes need to borrow him."
Tōichi froze.
"You don't mean to take him on dangerous missions, do you?"
Kakashi nodded slightly.
"You should know—no one becomes strong by growing up in a greenhouse."
"When I was twelve, I was already going on missions with the Fourth Hokage."
"That was different," Tōichi shot back. "You had been trained. No matter how talented he is, Yoruha's still just a fresh academy graduate."
"The missions you take are never below B-rank. I won't let my student risk his life like that."
Tōichi was clearly agitated.
Kakashi was being reckless again.
He wasn't referring to the kind of missions he took with Naruto's team—but the personal missions he himself accepted.
Kakashi was an elite jōnin of Konoha—one of its very best.
Even other jōnin risked their lives accompanying him.
Yoruha might be gifted, but right now, he barely knew any ninjutsu and hadn't fought a real battle yet.
There was no way Tōichi would agree to let him go on such missions.
But Kakashi had his reasons.
"Tōichi, you know as well as I do—letting him experience real danger early will only help him grow. In fact, he should've started already."
"Honestly, it's a bit late."
"I won't allow it," Tōichi said firmly.
"I want him to progress step by step. When he's strong enough, then I'll let him go."
Kakashi shook his head.
"That's a mistake. He's not like other people. If you hold him back, you'll only make him ordinary."
"You really want him to be just another ninja?"
"But I'd rather that," Tōichi snapped, "than see him die before me."
He glared at Kakashi, his tone unwavering.
He truly saw Yoruha as his student — even if his cautious approach might slow the boy's progress, he couldn't bear to send him on deadly missions with Kakashi.
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Currently at chapter 230 for advance chapters
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