What surprised Yoruha the most was how quickly his chakra had grown.
At this point, the amount of chakra he possessed was already approaching Kakashi's level.
And Kakashi's chakra reserves were considered high even among elite jonin.
The only reason he sometimes appeared short on chakra during battles was because he lacked the Uchiha bloodline. His body wasn't fully compatible with the Sharingan, which he couldn't deactivate, leading to a constant drain on his chakra.
Without the Sharingan's consumption, Kakashi's chakra reserves would be on par with most Kage-level powerhouses.
When he was twelve years old, Kakashi could easily perform the B-rank ninjutsu Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, and its range spanned several dozen meters—a truly impressive feat.
That alone showed how vast his chakra reserves were without the Sharingan's burden.
And now, Yoruha's chakra had actually grown to nearly match Kakashi's.
This increase in chakra also enhanced Yoruha's mental energy and physical strength considerably.
After all, most people generated chakra by extracting it from their own bodies.
But Yoruha's chakra came directly from the natural world.
The more chakra he accumulated, the more it nourished his body instead of draining it.
After all, his chakra was the result of natural energy being refined and converted.
To handle that much chakra, his body had to be strong enough to withstand it.
"I wonder if it's just because I've only recently started, so the chakra is increasing quickly now. Once it gets higher, the growth rate probably won't stay this fast," Yoruha thought.
He assumed the rapid growth came from his initially weak foundation—his chakra base had been small, so the increase looked drastic.
But he didn't realize that the chakra he now possessed was already comparable to Kakashi's at over thirty years old.
And he was only twelve.
Even Naruto, without counting the Nine-Tails' chakra, only had about the same amount as Kakashi.
And that was because the Fourth Hokage's Four Symbols Seal constantly leaked some of the Nine-Tails' chakra, which gradually merged into Naruto's own.
It was hard to imagine just how terrifying Yoruha's chakra growth really was.
---
The next day, after Yoruha and Kimoto Tōichi finished a D-rank mission, Kakashi was already waiting for him at the training field.
He stood on a tree branch, reading his little orange book.
Kimoto Tōichi couldn't help but sigh.
"You're really impatient, aren't you? What, do you think I'd refuse to let Yoruha go?"
Although he knew Kakashi would be teaching Yoruha from now on, he hadn't expected him to be this eager.
They had just finished their mission, and Kakashi was already waiting.
By then, Yamada Jumoku and Motonoya Toko had gone home.
Tōichi had planned to keep Yoruha behind a bit longer to teach him a few ninjutsu.
He wasn't good at combat, but interrogation techniques could still be useful.
Who would have guessed Kakashi wouldn't even give him that chance?
Standing beside Tōichi, Yoruha looked up at Kakashi on the tree and felt a bit awkward.
Even though he already knew Tōichi had agreed, having both teachers there made him feel like he was betraying his original mentor.
Kakashi closed his book and jumped down from the tree.
"I just didn't take on any missions today, so I had some free time," he said casually.
"Let's go, Yoruha."
As Kakashi walked up to him, Yoruha glanced at Tōichi.
Kakashi said evenly, "Your teacher's already given his consent. Don't worry."
Tōichi could only sigh helplessly. He had wanted to teach Yoruha one more technique, but with Kakashi there, he had no choice but to let him go.
Patting Yoruha on the shoulder, he said,
"Learn well. That guy might seem lazy, but he's truly powerful. Aside from the Third Hokage, he's already the strongest ninja in Konoha."
Since Tsunade and Jiraiya were away from the village, Tōichi wasn't wrong.
With that, Tōichi turned and disappeared.
He feared that if he stayed longer, he wouldn't be able to resist keeping Yoruha for himself.
Watching his teacher vanish, Yoruha sighed.
"Tōichi-sensei really holds Kakashi-sensei in high regard."
Kakashi smiled faintly.
"He just hopes you'll become strong enough to stand as one of the village's pillars someday."
Taking the opportunity, Kakashi began a short lecture.
Yoruha didn't mind; he nodded seriously.
"I won't let him down."
"Kakashi-sensei, do you not have any missions today?"
Kakashi nodded. "No, we just finished one recently, so I gave my team a short break."
"Alright," he added, "before training, let's grab some food. You can't train well on an empty stomach."
Yoruha gave him a skeptical look.
"Kakashi-sensei, you're not planning to make me pay for your meal, are you?"
He knew full well that Kakashi could be stingy.
Kakashi blinked, a bit embarrassed by Yoruha's suspicious expression.
So his frugal habits had been noticed, huh?
Still, he hadn't intended to make Yoruha pay.
"Why would you think that?" he said. "Of course I'm paying."
Yoruha's lips twitched. "I hope so."
It wasn't that he minded paying, but he lived off what his parents had left behind.
He had just completed a D-rank mission, so he didn't have much money.
Still, since Kakashi was teaching him ninjutsu, even if he did end up paying, it would be worth it.
Kakashi sighed. "Is that really how you see me?"
Yoruha gave a wry grin and followed him.
Before long, they arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
When Kakashi entered, the owner, Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame both greeted him warmly.
"Oh, Kakashi, welcome!"
Kakashi was well-known in Konoha, after all.
But when Teuchi noticed Yoruha beside him, he was a little surprised.
After all, Kakashi and Yoruha hadn't had much contact before.
"What would you like today, Yoruha?" Ayame asked with a friendly smile from behind the counter.
Yoruha smiled back.
"One bowl of tonkotsu ramen, please."
Kakashi sat down beside him.
"Just one bowl?"
Yoruha nodded.
Because his chakra didn't come from his body, he didn't need food to replenish his physical energy.
Kakashi, however, seemed doubtful.
"We've got some intense training ahead. One bowl won't be enough."
"No need, one's plenty," Yoruha replied confidently. He knew his own situation well.
Still, Kakashi turned to Teuchi and said,
"Add two more for him—three bowls of tonkotsu ramen. And I'll take three bowls of beef ramen."
Kakashi knew how much energy the training would take, and he assumed Yoruha didn't understand just yet.
Yoruha could only sigh helplessly and accept it.
He couldn't exactly tell Kakashi that his chakra didn't rely on his body's energy at all.
Their casual back-and-forth left Teuchi stunned.
He could tell that Kakashi treated Yoruha differently from others—almost like a father speaking to his son.
But as far as Teuchi knew, the two had never interacted before.
He couldn't make sense of it.
Still, he knew better than to pry into a ninja's affairs.
That was probably why Ichiraku Ramen had managed to stay open for decades without ever running into trouble.
---
Currently at chapter 305 for advance chapters
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