It wasn't until late afternoon that Shizune came to walk home with Reiki, and he bid farewell to Hatake Sakumo before heading off.
More than an hour after Reiki left, Kakashi returned home from training to find his father sitting quietly in the courtyard, staring at a cold pot of tea—a rare sight. Sakumo never let his tea go cold, so this caught Kakashi's attention. After brewing a fresh pot, he joined his father.
"Kakashi, how have you found training these past few days?" Sakumo asked suddenly.
"It's fine," Kakashi replied. "The intensity's similar to what Obito and I usually do on our own. Rin's finding it a bit tough, but she's managing well as the team's support."
"And your teacher?"
"Minato-sensei's great. He spots our issues quickly and helps us improve. I've learned a lot," Kakashi responded, growing more curious. His father rarely seemed this serious since the end of the war.
"It's nothing," Sakumo replied with a distant expression. "Just remember to train hard and keep up with your swordsmanship."
With that, Sakumo stood and went inside, leaving Kakashi puzzled.
In the days that followed, Sakumo continued asking about Namikaze Minato, albeit subtly during Kakashi's routine updates. But the consistent questions made Kakashi suspicious. His father already knew Minato well, so why ask so much?
Finally, after a tiring day's training, Kakashi approached Minato, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Sensei, has something happened between you and my father recently?"
"Lord Sakumo? No, why do you ask?" Minato replied, visibly confused.
"Well, lately, he keeps asking me about you," Kakashi explained.
"Yeah, it's the same with Brother Nagasawa. He asks me about you every day when I get home!" Obito chimed in, overhearing the conversation and joining them.
Minato's confusion only deepened. Was this typical for every Jonin mentor? Brushing it off, he chuckled.
"You're both overthinking it. They're likely just interested in your training and want to make sure I'm doing a decent job as your instructor," he assured them. "I've taken on some missions for us starting tomorrow. Let's focus on that instead and keep getting stronger. It's the best way to answer them."
Relieved, Obito grinned. "So this is what it's like to be noticed, huh? Not bad! Hey, Rin, doesn't that mean I'm getting stronger?"
Rin smiled encouragingly. "Yes, Obito, you're definitely improving. But don't forget, your goal is to become Hokage!"
"Right!" Obito said with determination.
Kakashi, though still slightly suspicious, shrugged it off, thinking that Minato's explanation made sense. Maybe he really was overthinking it.
---
Meanwhile, Reiki, the one who had subtly stirred this curiosity, was invited to the Hyuga clan's compound for a special check-up.
"Any issues, Hyuga Tetsu? Have you been feeling any discomfort?" Reiki asked, examining Tetsu's condition with interest.
Reiki had been called here by the Hyuga clan on a designated mission, but Tetsu seemed in perfect health, as sturdy as an ox. So, what was the problem?
"That's just it," Hinata remarked from beside him, clearly worried. "Recently, Tetsu's progress has been… unusual."
"Unusual progress? Isn't that a good thing?" Reiki asked, puzzled. Most people trained tirelessly to improve faster, but here they seemed almost concerned about it.
"You don't understand," Hinata began. He explained that, typically, Byakugan required careful cultivation to awaken fully. The refinement of the Byakugan, as well as the mastery of Gentle Fist techniques, followed a steady progression. But recently, Tetsu's progress seemed almost miraculous, as though he were bypassing the usual limitations.
In a short period, Tetsu had mastered techniques like Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, something that usually took years. His Byakugan and body coordination felt completely natural, allowing him to strike meridians with pinpoint accuracy. The pace of this growth had left Hinata unnerved.
"I see…" Reiki fell silent, deep in thought. If it were simply a matter of natural improvement, there would be no cause for concern.
"Hyuga Tetsu, have you felt any discomfort in your eyes lately?" he asked directly.
"My eyes? Actually, they feel different—better. I see more clearly, and the chakra flow is smooth, without any of the usual resistance," Tetsu replied, almost annoyed by the worry around him. He was proud of his newfound skill and wondered why everyone seemed so concerned. This improvement meant he could now compete to become the next head of the Hyuga family.
Reiki stifled a laugh, glancing at Hinata, who looked somewhat embarrassed. Calling him over because Tetsu had suddenly become a "genius" did seem a bit silly in hindsight.
"Alright, I understand," Reiki said, managing to keep a straight face.
>>>>>
Up to Chapter 310 available on Patreon.com/c/GGFanfiction :)
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