----
Naruto, unceremoniously thrown out of Jiraiya's office, made a mental note to pay him back someday with a Reverse Harem Jutsu. That would teach him.
With Jiraiya off his list, Naruto decided to stake out Kakashi next. According to his mental map, Kakashi was still training with Gai.
'Seriously, are they going to train together all day? But Minato mentioned that Gai's team had a mission in the afternoon, so the training shouldn't last long.'
'I'll just head to Kakashi's place and wait for him to come home tonight' Naruto decided. He leapt across rooftops toward the residential district.
On the way, he spotted some commotion near the black-market casino. From a distance, he saw members of the police force escorting a dozen people out in cuffs.
At the entrance, Izumi Uchiha appeared to be scolding Tsunade, who looked sheepishly embarrassed, smiling like someone caught in a lie. She was completely devoid of the usual commanding air of a Sannin.
'Yup,' Naruto thought,' she must've lost everything in under ten minutes' Tsunade's expression said it all: she had blown through her entire monthly stipend and tried to borrow money when Izumi busted the door down.
Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. 'I better steer clear of Tsunade for a while. Unless I want to risk a "friendly wager" with her where the stakes involve her punching me into next week.'
---
On a mountaintop nearby, Gai and Kakashi sat after finishing an intense session of rock climbing training.
"Kakashi," Gai began, "I'll be heading out on a mission with my beloved students this afternoon. I won't be able to train with you anymore today."
"Huh? When did I invite you to train with me in the first place?" Kakashi deadpanned. He had been following his personal workout plan when Gai decided to turn it into a competition.
"A youthful invitation often doesn't require words!" Gai exclaimed passionately.
"Oh," Kakashi replied indifferently, returning to his push-ups without missing a beat.
"Are you testing me with that apathetic response?!" Gai shouted, dramatically clenching his fists. "Very well, I'll double my training regimen to prove my passion!"
"That's fine. Goodbye," Kakashi said flatly, waving him off without even glancing up.
While Gai sped off toward his team's meeting point, Kakashi remained focused on his routine. His goal was clear: improve his chakra reserves.
Years of intense training had yielded slow but steady results. By his estimates, he could now sustain five or six Raikiris before running out of chakra.
Naruto's over-the-top estimation was that Kakashi might one day be able to casually hold Raikiri in one hand and sip tea with the other. But that was a long way off.
---
After spotting Gai's green blur disappearing into the distance, Naruto decided it was time to act. Carefully masking his chakra, slowing his breathing, and softening his steps, he approached Kakashi with the utmost caution.
Remember Jiraiya's advice: don't look directly at him, don't overthink, just blend in with nature, Naruto reminded himself. He crouched behind a half-height boulder about 70 meters away and waited.
Kakashi continued his push-ups, occasionally counting aloud. Naruto observed cautiously, peeking only when a bird flew past or the wind picked up. Twenty minutes passed uneventfully, and Naruto felt hopeful. I'm almost there.
But the experience taught him to remain wary. The closer you get to success, the easier it is to fail. He likened it to an old computer crashing at 99% progress.
Five minutes later, Kakashi stopped his push-ups. "Alright, let's try this," he muttered, standing and pulling up his forehead protector to reveal his Sharingan. The three tomoe spun rapidly, forming the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Kamui," Kakashi murmured.
Naruto tensed as a dark vortex of space began to form in Kakashi's line of sight directly at the boulder Naruto was hiding behind. The rock vanished into the swirling void.
Oh no—! Acting on instinct, Naruto leapt out of hiding, throwing a kunai backwards as he moved.
The kunai fell harmlessly to the ground, missing the vortex entirely. So Kakashi's Kamui isn't just some mindless black hole—it only absorbs what he's targeting.
Naruto didn't have time to marvel. With a flash step, he appeared beside Kakashi, catching him just as the older ninja staggered. "Kakashi-sensei! Are you alright?"
Kakashi blinked, surprised. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"
"You almost collapsed!" Naruto said, adjusting Kakashi's weight on his back. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Kakashi said, though his voice was weak. "I just overused my chakra a little. I'll be fine after some rest."
"I've been hiding here for over 20 minutes," Naruto muttered. "And now this…"
Carrying Kakashi on his back, Naruto felt an odd mix of emotions. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Kakashi push himself to the brink, but this felt different.
In the past, it was always Kakashi catching him whether during training, after a fight, or even after being revived following the battle with Pain.
But now the roles were reversed. Naruto carried Kakashi, feeling an unfamiliar weight of responsibility. 'Is this what it means to be someone others can rely on?'
Kakashi, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts. When Naruto had caught him, he'd almost called out "Minato-sensei" instinctively. 'This kid… he's looking more and more like his dad every day. If he were just a little taller, this would almost feel like the old days.'
Clearing his throat, Kakashi asked, "So, what exactly are you doing here? Don't tell me you've been slacking on your training."
----
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