At Kihon Tōichi's home.
Once again, Kakashi appeared on his balcony.
Kihon Tōichi glanced at the figure on the balcony and shook his head. "Kakashi, my house does have a door, you know."
Kakashi ignored the remark, gazing at the moonlight outside as he casually asked, "It seems you're quite pleased with that kid. I don't recall you ever participating in team dinners before."
Kihon Tōichi walked onto the balcony. "Seems like you're paying close attention to that kid as well."
"But you should know, he's my student," Kihon Tōichi said, looking at Kakashi.
Kakashi chuckled lightly. "Why so defensive? Are you worried I'm going to steal him from you?"
"I am a little concerned," Kihon Tōichi admitted. "After all, that kid is far more exceptional than I had anticipated."
"I'm guessing it was you in the woods earlier today, wasn't it?"
Kihon Tōichi had already noticed Kakashi's presence that day.
After all, Kihon Tōichi was once a Jōnin in the ANBU, specializing in interrogation. Despite his focus on that field, his sensory abilities were top-notch.
"Using a shadow clone to train your students—if they found out, they'd probably feel hurt," Kihon Tōichi teased.
"And besides, none of your students are simple-minded."
Kakashi wasn't fazed by the jab.
"Heh, that kid has changed you a lot. The old you wouldn't have said something like that," Kakashi remarked with a sigh.
"Yeah, that kid made me realize that if I don't teach him well, I'll regret it for the rest of my life," Kihon Tōichi admitted without hesitation.
Kakashi was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Kihon Tōichi to be so forthright, nor had he realized how highly Yoruha was regarded in Tōichi's eyes.
But then he recalled Yoruha fearlessly approaching the waterfall earlier that day, walking steadily even when he could have been struck down at any moment.
Kakashi couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy toward Tōichi.
"That kid's talent far exceeds mine," Kakashi said with a wry smile.
Kakashi himself had once been considered a prodigy of Konoha.
Graduating from the Ninja Academy at the age of 5, becoming a Chūnin at 6, and achieving the rank of Jōnin by 12, he had earned the nickname "Kakashi of the Sharingan" and gained fame throughout the ninja world.
He was undeniably a once-in-a-generation genius.
Even Uchiha Itachi paled slightly in comparison.
"He's still not on your level," Tōichi countered. "At 12, you were already a Jōnin. Right now, he's just a rookie."
"Oh, come on. If he had the resources I did, he'd probably already be a Jōnin too. Those six years at the Academy held him back," Kakashi replied.
Kakashi had always felt that Yoruha hiding his talent during his time at the Ninja Academy was unwise.
But then again, for someone so young to have no vanity and to conceal his talent so thoroughly was a feat even Kakashi couldn't have managed.
In his own case, there had been no reason to do so.
"What do you plan to teach him? Are you going to start teaching him ninjutsu already?" Kakashi asked, his gaze fixed on Tōichi.
Tōichi was silent for a moment.
"I haven't decided yet. Honestly, I don't think my ninjutsu is suitable for him," Tōichi admitted.
"Most of my techniques are related to interrogation, and I don't want him to end up in the ANBU."
With a sigh, Tōichi continued, "I'd love to teach him some powerful combat ninjutsu, but honestly, I don't even know any myself."
"Other than some basic elemental ninjutsu, I don't know any powerful combat-oriented techniques," Kihon Tōichi admitted.
"I really have no idea what I'll teach him once I've covered the fundamentals."
Kakashi observed Kihon Tōichi's troubled expression, then paused before saying, "If you're willing, I can help you out."
Kihon Tōichi looked at Kakashi in surprise, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"You'd help me? Aren't you worried the Hokage might object?"
After all, the Third Hokage had specifically entrusted Sasuke and Naruto to Kakashi, expecting him to train them thoroughly. If Kakashi diverted his attention to Yoruha, the Third Hokage would likely disapprove.
"Then let's make sure he doesn't find out," Kakashi replied nonchalantly. "For the time being, most of our missions will be within the village."
"With that kid's talent, I'm confident I can elevate his ninjutsu abilities to a Jōnin level before he's sent on missions outside the village."
Kihon Tōichi stared at Kakashi in disbelief.
While he was aware that Kakashi held Yoruha in high regard, he hadn't expected Kakashi to go to such lengths for him.
Kakashi, also known as the "Copy Ninja," was renowned for his mastery of over a thousand jutsu thanks to his Sharingan.
Even so, Kihon Tōichi hoped to be the one to teach Yoruha ninjutsu. But when he considered the fact that, aside from a few B-rank jutsu, most of his A-rank techniques were interrogation-related, he realized they would be of little use to Yoruha.
"Do you have any conditions?" Kihon Tōichi asked cautiously. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch.
"My condition is simple. When we go on missions, there will be times when I'll need to borrow him," Kakashi replied.
"You're not planning to take him on dangerous missions, are you?"
Kakashi nodded. "You should know better than anyone that a sheltered environment doesn't produce strong individuals."
"When I was twelve, I was already going on missions with the Fourth Hokage."
"He was him, and you were you," Kihon Tōichi retorted. "You underwent extensive training before that. No matter how talented he is, he's still just a rookie fresh out of the Ninja Academy."
"And the missions you take aren't anything below B-rank. I'm not letting my student risk his life with you!"
Kihon Tōichi was visibly agitated.
Kakashi's missions were not the relatively safe ones he handled with Naruto and the others but rather the high-stakes assignments he took on solo.
As one of Konoha's elite Jōnin—and one of the strongest at that—Kakashi often accepted missions that even regular Jōnin found perilous.
Though Yoruha was exceptionally talented, he hadn't yet mastered any ninjutsu or experienced real combat. Kihon Tōichi couldn't possibly agree to let him take such risks with Kakashi.
But Kakashi had his reasons.
"Tōichi, you should understand that exposing him to real danger early on will benefit his growth in the long run. In fact, it's already overdue," Kakashi said.
Kihon Tōichi remained firm. "I won't agree to it."
"I want him to develop gradually, and I'll only let him go out when he's strong enough to handle it."
Kakashi shook his head. "You're making a mistake. He's not like ordinary people. Developing gradually will only make him mediocre."
"Do you want him to end up as just another average ninja?"
"But I don't want him to die before me!" Kihon Tōichi snapped, glaring at Kakashi.
He truly regarded Yoruha as his student. Even if his cautious approach meant Yoruha wouldn't achieve his full potential, he couldn't bear the thought of Yoruha risking his life on missions with Kakashi.
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