The morning sun filtered softly through the paper windows of Kakashi's mansion. Inside the training hall, the wooden floors were clean, the air still. It was quiet, but there was a calm tension, like something important was about to happen.
Kakashi stood near the center of the room, his hands behind his back, looking like a wuxia elder. Naruto and Sasuke entered from opposite sides.
Naruto looked excited, his bright blue eyes wide and fists clenched. Sasuke was calm, his movements smooth and his expression was serious.
Kakashi gave the two a small nod.
"It's time to test what you've learned in a real-life and death," Kakashi said, his voice was steady, he knew that with their strength it would be easy, but if they don't know how to use it in a life or death one it is useless.
"Hidan and Kakuzu are our next targets." He continued.
Naruto's eyes lit up. "Finally!" he said. "I've been waiting for this!"
"Are they strong?"Sasuke narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Kakashi said. He motioned for them to sit. The three sat in a triangle, and Kakashi pulled out a scroll and a thin map of the Land of Fire. He laid it down on the floor.
…
"They're dangerous," Kakashi said. "You'll need to be careful."
He pointed to a drawing of Hidan first.
"Hidan uses a strange ritual. If he gets your blood and draws his circle, any damage he takes will happen to you and him. But he doesn't die from it. He's immortal."
"Immortal? How do we beat someone like that?"Naruto blinked.
"We seal him," Kakashi said. "We trap him somewhere he can't move. That's the only way."
He moved his finger to the next sketch.
"Kakuzu has five hearts. Each heart controls a different elemental nature. He can detach them, turn them into masks, and fight with them separately. Until all five hearts are destroyed, he won't die."
"That's… crazy."Naruto frowned.
Sasuke didn't speak. He was already planning in his head.
Kakashi looked at them both. "They fight as a pair. One's wild and reckless. The other is cold and calculating. But they both kill without mercy."
He then closed the scroll.
"I got some of this from Itachi before the surgery," he said. "And my spore clones' old reports gave us clues on their movements."
The room stayed silent. Naruto looked serious now. Sasuke's eyes were narrowed.
Kakashi gave a small smile.
"But I trust you two. That's why you're going, alone."
Later that day, Naruto stood outside near the garden. Red-orange chakra swirled around him as he focused. Kurama's voice echoed inside his mind.
"You want to seal someone like that?" Kurama asked. "Then stop rushing."
"I'm trying!" Naruto growled. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he shaped the swirling chakra into a new form. The sealing mark that Kakashi and his mother taught him glowed in the air, golden and red.
Kakashi watched him from a short distance with his arms crossed. Naruto's power was raw, hot like fire. But he was learning control, and beginning to learn sealing techniques.
Inside the mansion, Sasuke sat cross-legged in a dark room. His Mangekyō glowed faintly, the chakra he emitted was sharp and cold. The air shimmered around him as his Susanoo slowly formed, piece by piece.
Its glowing purple armor hovered over him like a silent giant.
Kakashi stepped in and placed a scroll near him.
"Support items from Shinrin Elixirs," he said.
"Special pills. Boost chakra, stamina, even reflexes." Although he knew the two didn't need them at all but what if? So better to be cautious.
"Thanks, Sensei."Sasuke gave a small nod.
"Don't push too hard. Save your strength for the real fight." Kakashi said as he placed a hand on his shoulder.
…
By nightfall, Kakashi stood in a shadowy alley near the edge of town. He pressed his hand to the earth and formed hand signs.
"Spore Clone Technique."
From his hands, small green sprouts appeared. They grew fast, turning into blank copies of a Zetsu like Kakashi.
Each clone received different instructions.
"You're looking for black market houses," Kakashi said.
"Start rumors. A bounty is being delivered. Make it sound real. Hidan and Kakuzu like money."
The clones nodded. One by one, they sank into the ground like whispers in the wind.
Kakashi stayed behind, arms crossed, as the wind rustled through the empty street. His plan was already moving.
…
The next morning was clear. The sun rose slowly over the village. Inside the mansion, Naruto adjusted his headband in front of the mirror. He grinned.
"No way those two freaks beat us."
Sasuke stood near the doorway. His swords were clean and sharp. He checked his supplies, his dark eyes cold but steady.
Kakashi came in quietly, holding a last scroll. He handed it to Naruto and helped him fix his collar. Then, he handed Sasuke a second scroll.
"This one's for emergency only," he said. "Use it if things get bad."
"You're not coming?"Naruto looked up.
Kakashi shook his head.
"As I said before, this mission is only for you two."
"We'll finish it."Sasuke glanced at Kakashi, then looked away.
Kakashi watched them for a moment. He thought about everything they had gone through, the training, the pain, the choices they had made.
He smiled.
"What legends will they become?" he thought. "The future is in their hands now."
Naruto and Sasuke didn't say anything else. They walked side by side out of the house and into the warm light of morning.