"Thinking you can relax just because you created so distance between us, without even understanding your opponent's abilities or whether they have allies nearby—that's a fatal mistake."
The lazy voice suddenly sounded behind Naruto once again.
Naruto's pupils shrank.
He whipped around instantly—
Only to see a blue-white lightning current wrapped around a single finger as it pierced directly through his shoulder!
Yet the mont the attack landed, Kakashi Hatake froze in confusion.
He had deliberately left Naruto enough ti to react.
The whole point was to force Naruto into using Flying Thunder God again.
So why hadn't he responded?
The lightning chakra around Kakashi's finger quickly dispersed as he hurriedly prepared ergency treatnt.
Although the strike hadn't hit a vital point, a child taking a Lightning Release attack directly through the shoulder could easily end up permanently crippled if treated improperly.
Truthfully, Kakashi had only increased his speed to around the level of an average Chunin because Naruto's earlier teleportation performance had been far too astonishing.
He originally thought that level of pressure should be enough to expose Naruto's hidden trump card.
But—
"…Hm?"
In the next instant, Kakashi realized sothing was wrong.
There was no sensation of actually piercing flesh.
This body was fake.
With a poof, the wounded Naruto transford into smoke.
A Clone Technique?
"Hehe! Did you really think you're the only one who knows Clone Jutsu?"
Naruto's childish voice rang out from behind Kakashi once again, almost smugly.
"I already figured out the one standing there earlier was your clone!"
Just like before, the distance between them remained exactly the sa.
"…I suppose that makes sense."
"With a teleportation technique that refined, there's no way you wouldn't know Clone Jutsu as well."
Kakashi realized he had let his concern cloud his judgnt.
If he had observed more carefully, he should've identified the clone the mont he struck it.
Still…
Everything Naruto did had flowed together seamlessly.
The reactions, the timing, the execution—
Even Kakashi couldn't help admiring it internally.
Within the ninja world, the three basic techniques—Clone Technique, Transformation Technique, and Substitution Technique—were known collectively as the Three Basic Jutsu.
Even academy students who had not yet beco Genin often learned them early.
Above them, however, existed the advanced variations:
Binding Technique, Body Flicker Technique, and Concealnt Technique.
A ninja's mastery over the Three Techniques often represented the lower limit of their overall skill.
A ninja incapable of properly using even these basics was almost certainly weak.
Conversely—
The more skilled soone was with them, the stronger they generally beca.
Countless advanced techniques were extensions or evolutions of these foundations.
Many tactical battles between ninja were fundantally contests built around them.
Even Kakashi's favorite technique, the Lightning Clone, was developed from that foundation.
And throughout history, anyone capable of reaching the pinnacle of even one aspect of the Three Techniques beca a legendary figure whose na shook the entire ninja world.
"Heh, good that you understand."
Naruto proudly puffed out his chest after finally getting Kakashi to speak.
But internally, Naruto wasn't nearly as arrogant as he appeared.
He felt uneasy.
Confused.
Even though he didn't know who this masked man was or why he attacked him—
They were still inside Konoha.
And from the mont this man attacked until now, quite so ti had already passed.
So why had nobody co?
As though sensing Naruto's confusion, Kakashi had no intention of explaining anything.
He understood his ti was limited.
He could not continue dragging things out.
Then—
Under Naruto's puzzled gaze—
Kakashi removed his mask and lifted the forehead protector covering his left eye.
A scarlet eye with three tomoe erged.
The Sharingan.
Kakashi couldn't help recalling the mission entrusted to him earlier that morning by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Please forgive , but I refuse."
Back then, the mont he heard the assignnt, Kakashi had instinctively rejected it.
The Third Hokage said nothing.
He rely tapped his pipe lightly.
"Lord Hokage… I understand your true intention is to test the hidden abilities Naruto possesses…"
"But he's… still just a child."
Kakashi originally wanted to ntion Naruto being the son of the Fourth Hokage—his teacher.
But he stopped himself.
Because he understood.
Precisely because Naruto was Minato's son, the Third had chosen Kakashi for this mission.
Kakashi could never truly harm him.
As the forr captain of the Anbu, Kakashi had carried out countless dark missions for the village.
He understood the tangled relationships between Konoha's various factions.
That made him trustworthy in the Hokage's eyes.
He wasn't likely to be another faction's spy.
Combined with his skill, Kakashi was the person most capable of pushing Naruto to reveal his abilities while still maintaining control of the situation.
And more importantly—
Kakashi possessed a three-tomoe Sharingan.
Aside from the Uchiha Clan themselves, nobody in Konoha was more suitable for suppressing the Nine-Tails.
And the Hokage absolutely could not trust the Uchiha with such a task.
"Kakashi… you should understand this as well."
Back then, the Third Hokage had finally spoken.
"Ever since the death of the First Hokage, every village has treated Jinchuriki as weapons of war."
"And among all Tailed Beasts, the Nine-Tails is the most dangerous."
"Even Kushina, with the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques, lost control more than once."
"Konoha's attitude toward the Nine-Tails has never been friendly."
"So the village has been secretly monitoring Naruto this entire ti."
"And I personally confird it myself."
"There is absolutely nobody secretly teaching him."
Kakashi gradually began understanding.
"Then… because of the Nine-Tails attack, the ordinary villagers treat Naruto poorly…"
"And not only them."
"With Danzo and the other advisors leading the charge, there have been countless proposals regarding Naruto."
"They wanted to brainwash him completely."
"So even suggested turning him into a true weapon, just like Orochimaru's experints."
"Exactly like the other villages."
The Third Hokage sighed deeply.
"Suppressing their actions alone already exhausts all my energy."
"The only thing I can give Naruto… is freedom inside the village."
"And even that is the limit of what I can do."
"No matter how much I may wish otherwise…"
"I cannot give Naruto the treatnt a hero's son deserves."
"I failed Minato and Kushina."
The weight of those words settled heavily onto Kakashi's shoulders.
He had never imagined Naruto's situation was this complicated.
"…But Naruto seems to be living… relatively safely right now, doesn't he?"
Kakashi originally intended to say "living well."
But after looking around Naruto's apartnt—
He couldn't bring himself to say sothing so dishonest.
"At first, yes."
"He could have grown up peacefully."
"But now…"
The Third Hokage slowly raised his head.
"That is no longer possible."
"The talent Naruto has begun displaying is simply too overwhelming."
"Perhaps not many people know yet…"
"But it won't stay hidden for long."
"And his strength…"
"For certain people…"
"…is not a good thing."
The Hokage's eyes darkened slightly.
"Power that cannot be controlled…"
"…becos a threat."
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