After Kakashi announced the dismissal, the tense atmosphere relaxed considerably. The oppressive air dissipated, replaced by the pleasant scent of smoke from villagers. As everyone got up one by one, Naruto, looking unusually troubled, muttered, "Damn it, it took a lot of effort for me to graduate. I must pass the test, I am a man who wants to surpass all the Hokage..."
Saying the most quintessentially determined words, the simple-minded, hot-blooded blonde boy headed home. Sakura patted her clothes, glanced shyly at Sasuke, pinched the corner of her clothes, and couldn't help but said: "Sasuke, I'm going back first. See you tomorrow."
'Now that I am in the same team as Sasuke, it should be perfectly normal to say such familiar words, right?' Encouraging herself in her heart, she heard Sasuke responded with a mere 'hmm' without saying anything more.
She didn't find this surprising, after all, good looks always justified anything. However, she did find it strange to see Kakashi and Logan were still standing there, seemingly discussing something. As she walked towards the stairs, she sighed, wondering what kind of scary test awaited them tomorrow.
There were three people left here. Logan blinked at Sasuke. He wanted to raise his hand to say something, but then he paused and looked to the side.
Kakashi stood there with arms crossed and looked at him quietly.
'Sigh, the atmosphere didn't seem right.' Logan looked at Sasuke, who appeared to have something to say, then turned to look at Kakashi, who also seemed like he had something to say, 'This development is a bit crooked.'
Both Kakashi and Sasuke realized the awkwardness, glancing away from each other, as if sparks were flying in the air between them.
'Eh?'
Logan found this very unpleasant, and suddenly shouted: "Wait!"
Hearing this, Kakashi and Sasuke stopped their strange staring contest.
'Great, the atmosphere was normal again.'
Logan inexplicably felt relieved. It made sense for Sasuke to seek him out given their relationship. After all, today's unexpected encounter indeed needed some explanation. He turned to his superior and said, "Kakashi, why haven't you vanished in a flash yet?"
"Why should I vanish in a flash?" Kakashi said speechlessly. He glanced at Sasuke. Except Sakura, the other two children in this team should focus on him. Since they met, he could tell the subtle tension from Sasuke, "Do you know this kid?"
After a brief pause, Kakashi added: " We need to discuss tomorrow's test, 'Assistant Instructor Hattori'."
The emphasis on the last three words made Logan feel a bit embarrassed. Knowing it was official business, he turned to Sasuke and said, "You should head back first. I'll come find you later."
Sasuke hesitated for a moment but then nodded. Explaining things later wouldn't be too late, so he left.
Once Sasuke was gone, Logan smiled sheepishly at Kakashi, "A few years ago, after that incident happened, I went to Uchiha compound to pay my respects at the memorial. I happened to meet Sasuke there. The kid wanted to get stronger, so I taught him for a while."
Under the somewhat dim sunlight, Logan briefly explained how he came to know Sasuke.
Kakashi understood what 'that incident' referred to, and his expression couldn't help but turned serious after hearing it. The Uchiha massacre was a huge tragedy, a massive scar of fate. Such a heavy loss naturally elicited sympathy for the surviving child.
"Is that so?" Kakashi gazed at the distant sky, where the smoke from cooking fires was becoming denser. He thought about the team he might be leading and how many things seemed coincidental, both for others and for himself.
"That's why Sasuke is probably curious about why I'm the assistant teacher..." Logan chuckled and then waved his hand dismissively, " Enough about that. Kakashi, tell me about tomorrow's test. Haha, I was listening on the side and it sounded terrifying, like a hellish ordeal. I'm a bit scared myself."
Kakashi, familiar with Logan's unserious attitude, half-closed his eyes and ignored the nonsense, "I mentioned before that I'd be making the decisions. I'm not exaggerating about tomorrow's test. If the three of them don't meet the standards, I really will send them back to the Ninja Academy for retraining."
Kakashi's tone became serious as he said, "I'm just giving you a heads-up."
The bell test for the survival exercise was something Kakashi took seriously. He wanted to teach the fresh-out-of-the-Academy Genin the importance of cherishing their comrades, rather than focusing solely on the mission and orders.
Everyone has something they hold dear and beautiful, regardless of whether it fits reality, aligns with others, gains recognition, or seems a bit silly. As long as it's within one's capabilities, it's enough to strive for it without regrets.
Logan naturally had no objections to this. He supported this standard, which was harsh but full of positive values. Besides, the original work's development didn't need his interference.
"Don't worry, as I've said before, I won't interfere with the squad's daily matters unless there are special circumstances." Logan reassured the other party again.
"Good, then let me tell you about tomorrow's plan." Kakashi's face beneath the mask seemed to form a slight smile.
"First, even though I said to meet at five in the morning, we'll actually arrive at eleven."
"..."
"Is there a problem?"
"No."
"Good, the second point..."
——
After discussing with Kakashi about grabbing the bell test tomorrow, Logan headed towards Sasuke's house.
To say 'discussion' was a bit of a stretch, as Kakashi did most of the talking. The bell test was well-known to those familiar with the original work, so Logan didn't need to think much about it. Instead, he pondered how it would be depicted in the manga once he returned to Earth.
Maybe his involvement would turn it into a new 'Naruto' series.
Logan sighed as the setting sun cast a gentle glow on the path ahead, giving everything a warm, soft light. It felt pretty nice, actually.
When Logan arrived at Sasuke's house, he knocked on the door and found it unlocked, so he went in directly.
"Hattori-sensei." Sasuke was waiting in the courtyard. When he saw Logan appear, he put away the shuriken he had been polishing, "Come in and eat first."
"Oh." Logan was stunned for a moment, then followed in, only to see a table of food already on the table.
"The food is already prepared." Logan remarked, taking a seat without any formality.
"Well, I made it while waiting for you, Hattori-sensei." Sasuke replied coolly.
Since the night of the Uchiha massacre, Sasuke had been living alone. He had to learn some cooking skills, though given his personality, he likely didn't take it too seriously. Most days, he probably got by with rice balls and store-bought bento boxes after training.
There weren't many dishes, but they were made with care. In the world depicted by others, aside from battles, conspiracies, and flashbacks, daily mundane details were seldom mentioned. Perhaps the story with Logan's involvement would be similar, with battles and hot-blooded moments being the main focus. However, living in this world, Logan often experienced the warmth of simple, everyday things. Capital, the Land of the Moon, Konoha Village, Logan will remember it all.
During the meal, Logan gave a general explanation of how he ended up becoming a teaching assistant. In the end, the blame was naturally thrown to the old man Hiruzen. He also told Sasuke to follow Kakashi's guidance for the most part, as Logan would primarily be a hands-off, nominal supervisor.
Sasuke was surprised when he heard this, but since Logan would be a long-term presence in his life and now officially recognized as his teacher, Sasuke naturally accepted the situation.
After dinner, as dusk approached, Logan paced in the courtyard. He thought of something and called out to Sasuke, who was washing the dishes in the kitchen.
"Cough… Although the process is strange, I can really be considered your teacher now." Logan said, putting on a formal air with his hands behind his back, "Before, it was just like playing house. But now, it's time for some real lessons."
Sasuke looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.
"Listen up." Yu Logan said, standing upright and speaking clearly, "Uchiha Sasuke! I have a Secret Lightning Method, do you want to learn it or not?"