"Obito! Obito!" Rin ran forward in a panic, frantically pulling at the collapsed pile of debris.
Even the usually indifferent Kakashi was startled, quickly leaping down from the rooftop.
"I'm fine—hiss—Rin, I'm fine! Hiss—so painful! Cough, cough—almost choked to death..." Obito's voice came from beneath the debris. He hadn't even finished speaking before he gasped in pain several times.
"Step aside." A calm voice came from behind Kakashi and Rin.
Hearing it, the two immediately stepped aside, knowing that Kei had chosen to help.
With a single-handed seal, the surrounding rainwater swiftly gathered around the debris. In an instant, a massive water sphere formed, completely enveloping the pile of debris in a translucent, pale-blue water prison.
With a flick of his hand, the water prison lifted several meters off the ground, carrying the debris within it, and then smoothly moved it to a corner.
Now exposed beneath the debris was Obito, curled up in pain, grimacing while tightly holding a small calico kitten.
"Are you okay? Don't move! Let me check..." Rin rushed to Obito's side and pulled out a portable first-aid kit from the pouch at her waist. She quickly began treating the wounds on his back.
Meanwhile, Kakashi took the mission target from Obito's hands.
His gaze remained fixed on the spot where the Water Prison Technique had just dissipated.
Instead of bursting apart with a splash, the water prison had released its contents in a controlled manner, neatly stacking the debris before dissolving soundlessly into the surrounding rain.
That level of water-style control... He had never seen—no, not even heard of such a technique!
The Water Prison Technique could be used like that? And after using a water jutsu, the water didn't just disperse instantly?
Was this man really from the Mizukage's clan? Shouldn't they specialize more in their clan's secret techniques?
Or was he an anomaly? Or perhaps... his clan's secret techniques were even stronger than Water Release?
Hmm? Hadn't Guy mentioned before that his squad's new instructor had the same name?
Despite keeping his usual cold, dead-fish-eyed expression, his mind was now filled with countless questions.
Watching the mysterious figure quietly turn and leave, Kakashi's grip on the kitten tightened slightly. He had always believed that his own strength was already close to that of seasoned jonin, lacking only battle experience.
He thought that once his body grew a little more, once his speed and power improved further, he could stand among the best of the jonin.
But now... it seemed he had been too arrogant.
Jonin... there were not only many strong ones but also true monsters like his teacher, and this man.
"Hey! Kakashi, I was the one who got the intel first this time, and I even captured the mission target myself!" Obito, now receiving Rin's meticulous treatment, still had a childish look of pride and triumph on his face.
As for his injuries, they were just bruises and minor contusions from falling debris. Once the medicine was applied, he'd be mostly fine in no time. Compared to the satisfaction of making Kakashi look bad, these minor injuries were nothing.
"You nearly got the mission target killed." Kakashi held the calico kitten under its front legs, looking at Obito with cold indifference and a hint of disdain.
It was just a D-rank mission. Failing the first capture attempt was one thing, but then Obito not only got himself injured but nearly harmed the target as well.
Impulsive. Reckless. Emotional. No sense of consequence. No concept of time. Always causing unexpected problems at crucial moments... Kakashi had never imagined he would ever have such a person as his teammate.
"Relax, relax~ Teammates should get along, you know... Huh? Did Kei-senpai already leave? We didn't even get to properly thank him for his help."
Rin subtly shifted her position, blocking the tense eye contact between Kakashi and Obito.
Glancing at the spot where Kei had stood moments ago, she deliberately changed the topic, playing the role of the team's mediator and peacemaker.
At a street corner hidden in the misty rain, Kei rolled his eyes upon noticing Minato's shadow clone peeking from behind a wall.
"If you're going to keep an eye on him, why not do it in the open?"
---
"Kakashi is already a jonin, but his personality and approach to handling things are a bit extreme. I still hope he can come to understand the importance of comrades. If he knew I was watching, it would affect his true thoughts and decisions." Minato scratched his head with a sheepish smile, indirectly pointing out Kakashi's problem.
Gifted, strong, and highly disciplined, but deeply affected by the incident with Sakumo. Some of Kakashi's behavior during missions gave Minato quite a headache.
"Tch—his father died for nothing." Kei clicked his tongue, casually making a jab at Kakashi.
"He'll understand one day." Minato sighed, a complicated look flashing in his eyes.
Konoha's White Fang had once been seen as a strong contender for the title of Fourth Hokage. Who could have predicted that a mere wave of rumors would drive him to take his own life?
Back then, even Minato himself couldn't understand why Sakumo made that choice.
But after Kei's insights and observing how Konoha had changed over the years, he truly felt the profound impact of that event. In the six months following Sakumo's death, Konoha's mission casualty rate skyrocketed.
Though some higher-ups refused to admit their mistake, the Hokage repeatedly reminded ninjas to value both their own lives and those of their comrades when accepting missions.
Many high-difficulty missions even included instructions allowing for withdrawal if necessary.
As long as there was a valid reason, no one would be held accountable. The number of missions that required completion "at any cost" had significantly decreased.
Many ninjas, especially those frequently assigned to high-risk missions, privately felt relieved.
Who could say that White Fang's death had no meaning?
"Where's your real body?" Kei had no intention of continuing the discussion about Sakumo.
He had once tried to change the White Fang's fate, but the Hatake clan came from a lineage of samurai. Sakumo had his own beliefs and principles, and it was precisely because of them that he became the legendary White Fang of Konoha.
So when those beliefs collapsed… Neither Kei nor anyone else could have convinced him otherwise.
"Well... those researchers we brought back from Summoning Island have all been interrogated using 'reverse hypnosis' by the ANBU. A new research facility is already under construction at Training Ground Zero. When Honoka heard about it, she volunteered to undergo reverse hypnosis as well."
"So your real body is with your girlfriend, while your shadow clone is babysitting your student? Must be tough for you."
"Haha~ it's not so bad!"
"Come to my place tomorrow afternoon with Honoka. Kushina, Shikaku, and Yoshino will be there too. We'll try out a new restaurant's menu."
"Honoka will definitely be happy to hear that." Minato nodded with a smile.
ANBU's reverse hypnosis wasn't as detailed as memory extraction, but it was enough to confirm Honoka's allegiance. Having her undergo questioning before meeting Kushina would prevent any objections, even from the Hokage.
Then, Minato suddenly recalled something awkward from the night before and hesitantly asked, "Do you know how to go about getting approval for residential land use?"
"Planning a love nest? Can't stretch out properly in the jonin apartments?"
"Huh?! No, no, that's not—I just—"
Minato panicked.
"Just bring your jonin ID and go see Suzaku. He's well-connected. When you move into your new home, I'll send you the best blessing possible."
Kei patted Minato's shoulder, cutting off any further explanations.
"Uh... what kind of blessing?"
"Nine babies in one go."
"???!!!"
---
Please don't give me too many Power Stones. My theory is that if a translation gets too popular (700-1000+ Power Stones), WN will delete it. I don't think we will ever reach 700 or beyond, but I've noticed several stories getting removed this way. Commenting and leaving reviews is more helpful!
---