Kuzan smiled as he saw Aoki just coming out of the office, Aoki's eyes radiating confidence. "Aoki is doing just fine now. Aoki is much stronger than you think," Kuzan said to Sakumo.
Sakumo nodded, as if acknowledging the change in Aoki. "Is that so? In that case, I'll be on my way. Come on, Aoki, let's leave this place," Sakumo invited while saying goodbye to Kuzan.
"Alright, Uncle Sakumo." Aoki replied calmly before following Sakumo out, but before that, Aoki bid farewell to Kuzan.
Throughout the journey to the training field, a quiet atmosphere enveloped them. Sakumo seemed hesitant to start a conversation, while Aoki was lost in his own thoughts, not particularly wanting to talk.
Then they arrived at the training field, and Sakumo immediately began the training.
"Pay close attention, Aoki," Sakumo said firmly. Sakumo then demonstrated the basic movements of using a sword—vertical slashes from top to bottom, from bottom to top, then diagonal movements from various angles, and finally, Sakumo showed the horizontal slash.
Aoki observed each movement carefully before he began to try it himself. Although Aoki's strikes were not yet strong, accuracy was the main focus. With each slash, Aoki tried to instill discipline and control.
Time passed, and Aoki continued to repeat those movements tirelessly. At first, Aoki was able to follow Sakumo's instructions well, but as time went on, Aoki's body began to feel the strain of the training.
Aoki's hands started to ache, his legs began to hurt, and sweat soaked his entire body. Aoki's breathing then became heavier and more labored.
The training continued until evening approached, when Aoki finally ran out of energy and collapsed onto the ground. Despite his exhaustion and his body feeling almost broken, Aoki's eyes still shone with determination. Aoki had worked harder than ever—his resolve to become stronger burned even brighter.
As Aoki began to recover and prepare to go home, Sakumo suddenly stopped him. Aoki then looked at Sakumo in confusion, wondering what the man he had always respected would say.
Sakumo smiled wryly and patted Aoki's shoulder. "I promised to treat you to some meat, didn't I?"
Aoki paused for a moment, surprised by those words, but then a small laugh escaped his lips.
"That's true," Aoki replied with a smile. With renewed enthusiasm, Aoki quickly urged Sakumo to hurry, and they walked towards the famous barbecue restaurant in the village.
Sakumo saw Aoki's laughter and felt a deep sense of relief. Just a little while ago, the boy had shown a serious and somewhat sad face during training. But now, Aoki seemed lighter, more alive.
They walked through the bustling village streets, illuminated by the lights from stalls and shops along the way. The warm and lively evening atmosphere brought a sense of calm between the two of them, as if the burdens of the world had momentarily vanished.
However, suddenly, Aoki accidentally bumped into someone in the crowd, causing that person to fall.
"Rin! Are you okay?" A bespectacled boy quickly approached, a worried expression on his face.
"I'm fine, thank you, Obito," replied the girl who had fallen, shaking her head with a smile to reassure Obito. Then, the girl looked up, realizing that the person who bumped into her was extending a hand to help her up.
"Thank you," Rin said as she accepted the outstretched hand. When Rin looked up, she was surprised to find Aoki, who was staring at her with regret.
Suddenly, another voice rang out from the crowd, a voice that made Aoki freeze for a moment.
"Dad?" A boy with silvery-white hair and a mask covering part of his face looked at Sakumo with a questioning gaze. Kakashi Hatake—Sakumo's son, who in the future would be known as the Copy Ninja, the owner of the Sharingan, and even the Sixth Hokage.
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