"Yep, he's the Kazekage now!" Shikamaru said.
"Anyway, being a high rank isn't that important to me. What really matters is how strong you are and how much you can do for your village!" Naruto said.
Meanwhile, Kakashi was going through the book Naruto gave him. "So, what do you think? Pretty good, right?" Jiraiya asked, standing there with a grin.
"If I do say so myself, this might just be my best work yet!" Jiraiya laughed.
"Naruto's all yours now, just like I promised!" Jiraiya said as they made their way through the village.
"He's definitely gotten taller, but has he matured?" Kakashi wondered.
"What, you think I haven't trained him right? Go ahead and underestimate him, you're in for a surprise!" Jiraiya warned.
"That's good to hear!" Kakashi said, intrigued.
"We've been watching some folks who are about to make their move," Jiraiya hinted, getting Kakashi's attention.
Later, Kakashi and Jiraiya were relaxing at a diner...
"So, they're finally showing themselves..." Kakashi noted.
"It was only a matter of time," Jiraiya agreed.
"The Akatsuki..." Kakashi said aloud...
---
Back to the Sand Village...
"Akatsuki, a shadowy band of a dozen or more ninja, each one a top-tier threat according to the Bingo Book. Among the identified members is Itachi Uchiha, a Leaf Village native who wiped out his entire clan in a single night," Yura briefed.
"Also, there's Kisame Hoshigaki, a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen from the Mist Village. And Orochimaru, the culprit behind our late Kazekage's death who nearly brought the Leaf to its knees. Rumor has it, he was once a part of them," Yura added.
---
Back in Konoha...
"So, any idea why they're stepping into the light now, what they're after?" Kakashi asked Jiraiya.
"While their ultimate goal remains a mystery, it's pretty clear they're after the fox spirit in Naruto for some sinister reason. That's why I've been alerting all our allies, warning them to tighten security and stay alert," Jiraiya responded.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Sakura were hanging out near their training spot, waiting for Kakashi to show up for a training match against him.
"Looks like some things never change..." Naruto remarked.
"Right, he's late again." Sakura agreed.
Then, with a sudden whoosh, Kakashi appeared on the fence next to where Naruto and Sakura were standing. "Sorry for being late, I was helping someone who needed it..."
"Yup, you're still the same old Kakashi-sensei" Naruto said, smirking, as Kakashi ruffled his hair.
A bit later, Naruto and Sakura walked into the training area with Kakashi...
They were back at the same spot where they had their very first training task, the bell test, with Kakashi.
"All the memories, huh?" Naruto said.
"This was where you had your first lesson as team!" Kakashi mentioned.
"Team 7's starting point!" Sakura chimed in.
"The three of us, together!" Naruto added, his mind drifting to memories of Sasuke and their team days.
"Right, Sasuke was with us back then!" Kakashi noted.
Sakura thought back to the last time she saw Sasuke before he left the village.
As the mood turned more serious, Kakashi pulled out two bells from his pocket. "Let's see how much you've improved. You haven't given up on Sasuke, right?" he challenged them.
"No way!" Sakura declared.
"Never!" Naruto said confidently.
"Good," Kakashi said with a grin. "The rules are the same. Get these bells from me, and remember..."
"If we're not ready to go all out..." "We won't get the bells," Naruto and Sakura said together, knowing the drill.
"We got it," Sakura stated.
"Exactly. Don't hold back if you want these bells," Kakashi added.
"Ready to start?" Kakashi asked, putting away his book.
"You're not going to sneak in any reading while fighting us this time, are you?" Naruto said.
"Nope, he won't!" Sakura said, slipping her gloves on.
"No, I'll keep the book for later. I have a feeling this fight will be something else. Time to focus!" Kakashi declared, taking his mask slightly down to reveal his Sharingan eyes.
Naruto and Sakura were gearing up for a spar with Kakashi, with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune watching over the match...
"Do you want to start? Sakura!" Naruto asked with a confident grin.
"I'd love to!" Sakura exclaimed, ready to jump into action.
Naruto and Sakura were standing together while Kakashi kept an eye on them quietly. "They've really grown up since last time, Naruto especially. He's not rushing in headfirst this time." Kakashi felt a wave of pride and smiled to himself. "Alright, we know the drill, let's get this started!" With a quick poof, Kakashi vanished from sight.
"Trying the old tricks, huh, Kakashi-sensei? Not going to work on me this time," Naruto thought, a confident grin on his face. "You got the plan, right?" he asked Sakura, still smiling.
"Of course!" Sakura replied, her tone full of confidence. "He's really not the same as he was three years ago!" she thought as she slammed her fist into the ground with incredible force, cracking it open. As the ground split, they spotted Kakashi hiding behind a tree, which also toppled over.
"Found you Kakashi Sensei!" Sakura said with a grin.
Kakashi patted his head with a awkward smile, "Such brute force!" Kakashi thought.
Meanwhile Jiraiya who was watching close by, "No doubt she is the student of Tsunade!" Jiraiya thought.
"Good work , Sakura!" Naruto said as he took a step forward, "Now My turn!" Naruto said as he vanished from his spot.
"What! Where did he..." Kakashi thought trying to spot Naruto as he looked around him but couldn't find any trail of Naruto.
Suddenly, Naruto was standing behind Kakashi, "What...when he moved here!?" Kakashi thought confusingly.
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]