The next morning, Tsuki woke up early and roused Naruto from his slumber.
"Naruto, we're out of ramen," he announced, a hint of desperation in his voice.
Naruto groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Let's see if old man Teuchi has opened."
"I doubt he'd be open this early," Tsuki said, "but I guess we could try."
They hurried to Ichiraku Ramen, their stomachs growling in anticipation. But as they approached, they found the shop closed, its doors still locked.
"See, I told you he wasn't open," Tsuki grumbled, his disappointment palpable.
"Grrr!" Tsuki's stomach echoed Naruto's sentiment.
"Oh man, if we don't eat anything soon, we're finished," Naruto lamented.
"Wait," Tsuki said, a lightbulb going off in his head. "Let's go ask big brother Kakashi for some food."
"Do you know where he lives?" Naruto asked, his eyes widening.
Tsuki nodded. "And while we're at it, we should ask him to train us."
Naruto's face lit up. "Yeah!"
"Follow me," Tsuki said, leading the way.
He led Naruto to Kakashi's house, a place he had visited frequently to seek ninjutsu guidance. They found Kakashi asleep, his silver hair splayed across his pillow. Tsuki gently shook him awake.
"What are you guys up to this early?" Kakashi mumbled, blinking sleepily. "You're not getting in trouble again, are you?"
They both shook their heads.
"We ran out of money, and we need some food before training," Naruto explained.
"Training, huh?" Kakashi's single visible eye crinkled.
"Shisui gave me some money but everyone's closed," Tsuki added, "and I want to get new and better equipment for Naruto and me."
"Shisui gave you money?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. 'If he's so amazing, then why don't you go bother him instead?' he thought.
"Well, allow me to make you breakfast this time," Kakashi offered. "I promised Jiraiya-sensei to take care of you, but don't get used to it, okay?"
"Sure," they chorused, their stomachs rumbling in agreement.
Kakashi whipped up a simple but satisfying breakfast of omelets and tea.
"Thanks for the food!" they both exclaimed, devouring their meal with gusto.
While they ate, Naruto stole glances at Tsuki, his expression a mix of eagerness and hesitation. Tsuki, sensing his friend's unspoken question, shook his head subtly, signaling for Naruto to speak up.
After a few moments, Kakashi, ever observant, noticed their silent exchange. "Something on your mind?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well..." Naruto began, his voice tentative, "Tsuki and I were wondering if you could train us, just for today, you know. It's been a while since you trained us."
Kakashi looked at them, his gaze always seeming a little tired. He sighed, a familiar gesture that made Tsuki's heart sink.
"Fine," he relented, a flicker of amusement in his eye.
"Alright!" Naruto and Tsuki jumped out of their seats excitedly.
After breakfast, Kakashi led them to a different training ground than their usual spot. This one had actual targets, each riddled with embedded shurikens. Tsuki couldn't remember the last time they had trained here.
"Catch," Kakashi said, tossing a kunai to each of them. "Follow my moves." They nodded, their eagerness palpable.
"As a shinobi, you're expected to be prepared to fight multiple people at once," Kakashi explained as he demonstrated a series of basic kicks and punches. "But how do we do that?"
"By being aware of your surroundings?" Tsuki ventured a guess.
"Right," Kakashi said with a nod. "And you two aren't even aware that you've been looking at a clone this whole time."
Poof! Kakashi dispersed into a cloud of white smoke.
"Woah, how'd you do that?" Naruto asked, his eyes wide with amazement.
The real Kakashi stepped out from behind a tree, a playful smirk on his face. "Shinobi must be vigilant with their moves," he explained. "We can't let enemies know what kind of technique we'll use. For example, I made this clone on our way here."
"That's amazing," Tsuki marveled. "I didn't even see it with my Rinnegan on."
Kakashi nodded, a hint of amusement in his voice. "That's because you weren't focusing. Having the Rinnegan doesn't mean you see everything, it only means you see more than normal eyes or other Dōjutsu. You'll have to learn to focus better."
Tsuki took the advice to heart, his determination to improve burning brighter.
"Anyway," Kakashi continued, surveying his students with a critical eye, "you're both doing alright so far. Even you, Naruto. You're both better than when I last saw you fighting."
Naruto beamed and exchanged a fist bump with Tsuki.
Kakashi spent the next hour guiding them through various drills and exercises, pushing them to their limits. Finally, he called a halt to the session. "Alright, I have to go," he announced, a hint of regret in his voice. "We can do this again some other time."
"Really?" Naruto's face lit up with hope.
Kakashi nodded. "Yes, Naruto. But for now, I have other duties to attend to."
As Tsuki watched Kakashi turn to leave, a familiar silhouette caught his eye. "Jiraiya-sensei!" he exclaimed, a wave of excitement washing over him. He dashed towards the white-haired sannin, leaping into his arms for a hug.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" Naruto echoed, joining the embrace.
Jiraiya chuckled, his booming laughter filling the air. "What? No hug from you, Kakashi?" he teased.
Kakashi merely shrugged, a faint tired expression playing around his single eye, "Both of you have grown so much since I was gone," Jiraiya observed, his gaze sweeping over the two boys.
"Jiraiya-sensei, we learned a lot of ninjutsu while you were away!" Tsuki boasted. "Look!" With a swift hand seal, he created a shadow clone beside him.
"Nice, nice," Jiraiya praised, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You can do the Shadow Clone Jutsu already."
Tsuki nodded proudly. "We even made a ninjutsu of our own," he continued, his excitement building. "Do you want to see it?"
"A ninjutsu you and Naruto created this early? Show me what you got," Jiraiya challenged, his curiosity piqued.
Naruto chuckled and looked at Tsuki. "Let's do it, Tsuki!"
"Alright, Naruto!" They both nodded, their hands moving in sync as they began to weave the familiar seals.
"Harem jutsu!"
Poof!
Dozens of women surrounded Jiraiya, clawing and seductively holding each other.
Jiraiya's nose bled, his tongue hung out, and he started drooling. "Ahaaa!!" He instinctively cried out.
"Jiraiya-sensei!" They instantly tended to Jiraiya, who had fallen over.
"Look, we even got Kakashi!" Naruto pointed at Kakashi, who had also fallen over.
"I never knew Jiraiya-sensei was such a pervert," Naruto stated, a small hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I also never expected him to be easily influenced by women like that," Tsuki added dissaprovingly.
"Anyway," Tsuki said, pulling Naruto's arm, "while they're catching up, let's go to class. We don't want to be late, you know."
Naruto nodded reluctantly, his curiosity about the conversation between Kakashi and Jiraiya momentarily forgotten.
They hurried to class, leaving the two older ninja behind. As usual, when they arrived late, Sasuke was there to greet them with a smirk.
"You two are late again," he said, his tone teasing.
"We're only late because we got some real shinobi training!" Naruto retorted, puffing out his chest with pride.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, turning to Tsuki. "What 'real shinobi training' is he talking about?"
Tsuki grinned mischievously. "Well, big brother Kakashi taught us this morning, and then Jiraiya-sensei returned, and we knocked them both out using our ultimate double-team jutsu."
"Ultimate double team jutsu?" Sasuke's skepticism was evident.
Tsuki and Naruto nodded in unison, their expressions earnest.
"He's talking about their Harem Jutsu," Shikamaru interjected, his voice laced with amusement. "They got Iruka-sensei with it too."
"Alright class, take your seats!" Iruka's voice boomed as he entered the room.
Everyone scrambled to their desks, the previous excitement fading as the routine of the academy resumed.
"Now, to resume where we were yesterday," Iruka began, "the shinobi ranks."
The lesson droned on, and after a while, Iruka led the class outside to view the Hokage Monument.
'Yawn!' Tsuki stifled a yawn as Iruka recounted the history of the Hokage. He wasn't particularly interested in the Hokage, and he already knew most of this information.
Iruka frowned, his gaze settling on Tsuki. "Yawning in class?!"
Tsuki nodded sheepishly. "Iruka-sensei," he said, his voice polite but firm, "I already know all this stuff. What's the point of learning it all over again?"
"This lesson is for those who don't know as much as you do," Iruka replied, his tone patient but firm. "Sadly, the only thing you can do until this lesson is over is listen to me speak. It's not so bad, you know."
"Not necessarily, Iruka," a gruff voice boomed from above.
Everyone looked up to see the Third Hokage standing atop the monument, his presence commanding attention.
"Lord Third," Iruka bowed respectfully.
The Hokage's gaze fell upon Tsuki, meeting his eyes for the first time since that fateful incident. This time, however, there was no fear in the old man's eyes, only a thoughtful curiosity.
Tsuki didn't bow his head, nor did he offer a smile. He held the Hokage's gaze, his expression stoic.
'To others, you're a saint, a hero, the most powerful shinobi in the village,' Tsuki thought, his resolve unwavering. 'But to me, you're the one who locked me up, lied to Naruto and his parents, and the reason I would never become Hokage. It's a job for tyrants.'
The air crackled with unspoken tension as the Hokage descended the monument, his steps slow and deliberate. Tsuki didn't flinch, his defiance a silent challenge.
'I don't care that you're the strongest in the village,' Tsuki's thoughts echoed with a newfound determination. 'I hate you, and I'll surpass you.'
The two figures stood face to face, their gazes locked in a silent battle of wills. The other students watched in stunned silence, sensing the unspoken conflict brewing between the young boy and the venerable Hokage.
(Edited on 14/9/24)