"Yare yare, finally found them."
Just as Naruto and the others were wondering how exactly Kakashi planned to locate the bandits, Kakashi—who had been sitting under a tree reading his book—suddenly stretched lazily and closed it.
Naruto reacted first and quickly looked into the distance.
Sure enough, he saw another Kakashi walking toward them, carrying a burly man foaming at the mouth over his shoulder.
"A Shadow Clone? When did he…?"
Sasuke's expression darkened instantly.
That guy Kakashi… he actually sent a Shadow Clone to do the mission? When did he even do that?
Karin looked surprised. Until Kakashi himself spoke up, she hadn't sensed the presence of that clone—or even known whether it was the real body or not.
As expected of a jōnin from Konoha—truly no ordinary person.
When the Kakashi carrying the bandit took the Icha Icha Paradise book from the Kakashi who had been accompanying Naruto and the others, the one that had stayed with them all this time turned into a puff of smoke and vanished.
So that one was the clone?
Naruto's expression softened.
They'd been following Kakashi closely all this time and hadn't noticed him perform a single hand sign.
"Confusing, isn't it?"
Kakashi seemed quite pleased with the reaction he'd managed to create.
Although he was very familiar with these three, Anko had taken his place during the team assignments, so he hadn't had much of a chance to properly gauge their abilities.
Still, considering the strength of Minato and Fugaku, Kakashi had no intention of underestimating the three before him. He'd decided to show off just a little—to make sure they wouldn't get overconfident.
"Let's hear your guesses."
He dropped the bandit face down on the ground and sat on him like a cushion before turning to the three of them.
"Uh… maybe on the first night? You swapped with the clone while we were asleep?"
Karin was the first to answer, confident in her sensory ability and sure Kakashi must have done it while she was sleeping.
"Mm, a logical guess—but wrong."
Kakashi shook his head.
Sasuke thought for a moment, then a faint smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth as if he'd already figured it out.
"It was the second day—when you said you had a stomachache, right?"
"Also wrong." Kakashi continued to shake his head, then turned his gaze to Naruto.
"Maybe… when we met up in the village, Kakashi-sensei had already used the Shadow Clone Technique?"
Naruto had a faint hunch.
"Correct—but no reward."
Kakashi nodded in approval, then looked back at Karin.
"Not only that—my real body was actually trailing behind you all after we left the village, but you never noticed."
"I…" Karin was momentarily speechless.
"Your sensory ability is indeed impressive, but don't get overconfident. You're still young—your range and precision are nowhere near Kushina-sama's."
Kakashi's voice was calm and detached, showing no hint of leniency despite her lineage.
"I understand…" Karin lowered her head. While she admired Kushina, she also secretly resolved to work even harder to hone her sensory skills.
"Now, Naruto and Sasuke—your fundamentals are solid. Especially you, Naruto—you've already learned the Flying Thunder God Technique, haven't you?"
Naruto blinked in surprise. He was certain he'd never performed the Flying Thunder God in front of Kakashi.
"The Flying Thunder God Technique is powerful," Kakashi continued, "but at your age, it's not of much use to you yet."
He didn't mention where he'd gotten the information.
"For now, you should pause your practice of the Flying Thunder God and focus on ninjutsu and the basics. I know Minato-sama gave you detailed guidance, but remember—even he had his weaknesses. For example—his proficiency with the Five Nature Transformations."
Naruto understood what Kakashi was implying—he was telling him not to rely too much on his father's teaching.
"And lastly, Sasuke—you've done well so far, but you're too rigid. Many of the things you learned at the Academy need to be adapted to the situation. Understand?"
"Yeah." Sasuke's reply was flat and emotionless.
"Well, that's all I wanted to say. After this mission, we've gotten to know each other quite well. Next, we'll return to the village, hand in our report, and then grab some ramen together. Oh—and it's my treat."
Feeling that he'd impressed the three youngsters enough, Kakashi gave the bandit beneath him a light kick before generously announcing he'd treat them to a meal.
"Alright!"
The three, who'd been feeling a bit down moments earlier, immediately brightened up at the news, smiling all around.
A self-proclaimed genius pretending to be aloof, a by-the-book Uchiha, and a perceptive Uzumaki girl…
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Kakashi's mouth beneath his mask. He suddenly understood why Takeshi had insisted so strongly that he take this team.
So this is Konoha's finest new generation…
Takeshi: No, I wasn't thinking that deeply. I just felt the Seventh Squad wouldn't be complete without you—their soul.