Kakashi, seeing that Naruto completely refused to believe him, decided not to explain further.
After all, Yoruha's situation was indeed special.
Turning to Tazuna, Kakashi asked, "Mr. Tazuna, how many Jōnin has Gato hired?"
"Besides Zabuza, that is."
Tazuna thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not too sure about that. I only heard that Gato hired a Jōnin, but I didn't even know which one he hired until now."
Kakashi fell silent for a moment, contemplating whether to continue the mission.
Just dealing with Zabuza was already troublesome.
If another Jōnin showed up, it would be even more difficult.
Kakashi looked at Yoruha, as if seeking his opinion.
Yoruha nodded and said, "At this point, we can only continue."
"For the time being, I'll train harder. At the very least, I should be able to hold off one Jōnin. With your strength, Kakashi-sensei, if I can handle one of them, you should be able to defeat Zabuza."
"And if Zabuza is the only Jōnin, then with the two of us working together, he won't stand a chance."
Kakashi considered it and said, "Alright, in that case, let's proceed with the mission."
"During the time we're protecting Mr. Tazuna, I'll make sure to teach you some more jutsu."
"You already have Jōnin-level strength, and your combat experience is solid. Adding a few more powerful jutsu to your arsenal will make you a true Jōnin."
Kakashi's praise for Yoruha's abilities wasn't exaggerated in the slightest.
"I'll do my best," Yoruha agreed with Kakashi's suggestion.
Naruto leaned in and said, "Kakashi-sensei, don't forget about us! We're your students too!"
Looking at Naruto, Kakashi replied, "Of course I know that. But you're not ready to learn jutsu yet. You need to build a solid foundation first."
Naruto looked puzzled. "What foundation?"
"Kakashi-sensei, are you just making excuses because you don't want to teach us?"
Naruto suspected Kakashi was trying to avoid teaching them and was making up excuses.
Kakashi sighed in exasperation.
"You need to master the basics first. You haven't even learned proper chakra control yet, let alone advanced jutsu."
"Yoruha has already mastered excellent chakra control, so he doesn't need to spend time on that anymore."
Naruto still felt that Kakashi was being unfair.
Sasuke, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought.
Unlike Naruto, he agreed with Kakashi's perspective.
Meanwhile, Sakura looked at Yoruha with admiration.
Despite being so strong, Yoruha remained calm and composed.
Naruto, on the other hand, turned away with a pout, his frustration evident.
Kakashi could only shake his head in helplessness.
He really wasn't playing favorites.
Though he did value Yoruha more highly, Naruto was still the son of the Fourth Hokage and someone the Third Hokage had entrusted to him for special training.
From every angle, Kakashi wasn't being biased.
It was just that Naruto's foundation was practically nonexistent—what could Kakashi even teach him?
Even if he tried, Naruto probably wouldn't be able to learn it.
After all, Naruto had struggled even with the basic Clone Jutsu.
If not for the way the Shadow Clone Jutsu perfectly suited his unique chakra reserves, he might not have mastered it at all.
Back then, the Third Hokage had gone to great lengths to ensure Naruto learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Even something as vital as the Scroll of Seals had been conveniently made accessible to him.
It had taken a large-scale effort...
The ninjas sent out to find Naruto couldn't locate him, which showed how much effort the Third Hokage had put into the matter.
Those ninjas were probably too scared to capture Naruto themselves, worrying they might be punished if they did.
Kakashi felt helpless but knew explaining would be futile since Naruto wouldn't believe him anyway.
So, he simply dropped the subject.
The group continued their journey and eventually arrived at Tazuna's house.
In Tazuna's home lived three people: his daughter Tsunami and his grandson Inari.
When Inari saw Kakashi, Yoruha, and the others, his eyes were filled with doubt.
During dinner, Tazuna and Tsunami recounted the events of their journey to Inari.
Initially skeptical of Kakashi and the group, Inari's eyes began to light up as he listened to the stories, especially regarding Kakashi and Yoruha.
"Can you really defeat Gato's ninjas?" Inari couldn't help but ask Kakashi.
Scratching his head, Kakashi replied, "We should be able to."
However, Inari, noticing Kakashi's lack of confidence, quickly lost the hope that had started to form.
"So, it's impossible, huh? Those ninjas are so powerful. How could you beat them?"
Hearing this, Naruto couldn't hold back. "Don't be so pessimistic! I'm a ninja who's going to become Hokage! No matter how strong Zabuza is, I'll definitely beat him!"
But Inari showed no interest in Naruto's passionate declaration.
Instead, he sneered, "Your teacher doesn't even look confident, so how could you possibly do it?"
Clenching his fists, Naruto said seriously, "It's just Zabuza. I can beat him too!"
Sakura and Sasuke, sitting nearby, glanced at the fired-up Naruto, feeling a bit speechless.
In their earlier battle, Naruto certainly hadn't shown this level of heroism.
Inari, still unconvinced, sneered, "Gato is far stronger than you think. Anyone who goes against him will die."
His voice rose with emotion, as if recalling a painful memory.
Naruto was stunned by Inari's outburst.
He couldn't understand why someone they were trying to help would act so hostile toward them.
After yelling, Inari stormed out of the house.
Tazuna sighed heavily.
Kakashi asked, "That child must have gone through something painful, and it's probably related to Gato, right?"
Tazuna nodded and explained, "His father was killed by Gato for resisting him."
"Ever since he saw his father murdered before his eyes, Inari has stopped believing anyone can defeat Gato."
"He thinks people who try to act like heroes are just foolish."
"Actually, Inari was always proud of his father. But that event hit him too hard."
After hearing Tazuna's explanation, Naruto, who had wanted to argue with Inari earlier, fell silent.
Sitting beside Tazuna, Tsunami sighed. "That child still wishes someone would stand up and defeat Gato. But after so many years, no one has managed to do it."
"It's not just Inari. Everyone in the Land of Waves hopes someone will take down Gato."
Naruto looked at Tazuna with determination and said, "I'll definitely defeat Gato and change Inari's mind!"
But after Naruto's declaration, Tazuna didn't look at him. Instead, he turned to Kakashi and Yoruha.
"Kakashi, Yoruha, do you two really think you can defeat Zabuza?"
But he knew, based on their earlier battle, that Kakashi and Yoruha had indeed displayed incredible strength.
He, on the other hand, hadn't performed very well.
Yoruha stayed silent, feeling it wasn't his place to speak.
After some thought, Kakashi said, "If it's just Zabuza, I'm confident I can defeat him on my own."
"And with Yoruha here, if it's truly just Zabuza, he doesn't stand a chance against us."
"But if Gato hires another Jōnin, the outcome will be uncertain."
Hearing Kakashi's response, Tazuna looked worried.
Hiring Kakashi and Yoruha had already been a stroke of luck, especially for the cost of a C-rank mission.
He couldn't bring himself to ask for more.
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