"Whew!"
Kirito caught the falling bucket of concentrated solvent just in time. "That was close…"
Then he noticed Kakashi at the front desk, staring straight at him. At some point, Kakashi had already pulled up his forehead protector, revealing the blood-red Sharingan eye beneath, fixated on him.
"So... the Sharingan, huh…" Kirito murmured.
With that, it was obvious his subconscious technique just now had been clearly seen.
Yet, Kirito wasn't particularly bothered. From his perspective, hiding his capabilities was just a means to avoid unnecessary trouble. If they were accidentally revealed, then so be it. Like a game of hide-and-seek, once you're found, you're found. It wasn't a big deal.
He gently set the bucket aside. At that moment, Naruto and the others slid down from the ceiling one after another.
Clueless as ever, Naruto scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Haha, sorry about that! Slipped outta my hand."
"You really are hopeless, Naruto!" Sakura complained, arms crossed in frustration.
Neither of them noticed just how Kirito had caught the bucket. Only Sasuke, ever sharp, had caught the anomaly. His eyes narrowed, staring at Kirito, fist tightening.
Just now... what the hell was that? Even my eyes couldn't track his movements!
Kakashi strolled over, chuckling. "Really sorry about that. My idiot students almost caused a disaster. But with you around, I suppose the dojo is in good hands."
Kirito gave no reply to the deeper implication buried in Kakashi's words. He simply shook his head.
"Yeah. Just be more careful next time. Birchwood flooring doesn't come cheap..."
"..."
That calm, evasive response only made Kakashi more curious. His eye narrowed slightly.
Then he turned to his students. "Hey, you three. The Chūnin Exams are less than a week away. Time to buckle down and train."
"Ah?!"
Naruto jumped like a startled cat. "Kakashi-sensei! If you know we're taking the exams soon, then why are you making us do these dumb chores?!"
Sasuke remained silent. He'd already deduced the true intent of this cleaning mission. With the dojo's sloped ceilings, using chakra to stay inverted while cleaning was clearly a way to sharpen their control.
But for him, who'd already mastered it, the task had become meaningless.
Noticing Sasuke's glance, Kakashi nodded ever so slightly. Silent understanding passed between them. That was how clever minds communicated.
Then Kakashi feigned a disapproving frown, purposefully mocking Naruto.
"Naruto, you can't even complete this basic task, and you think you're ready for something bigger? It's been this long and you still haven't grown. Disappointing."
"What did you say?!"
Naruto's eyes bulged. He shrank a little, mumbling, "C'mon, Kakashi-sensei… I think I've gotten just a little stronger…"
Kakashi crossed his arms, wearing his usual half-lazy, half-serious face.
"As your teacher, I see everything. Are you saying you don't trust the judgment of a jōnin?"
"Agh…" Naruto opened his mouth, but couldn't respond.
Kakashi's eye glinted with satisfaction. Perfect timing. He changed tone.
"If you want to prove you've grown, it's easy."
Naruto perked up. "Huh? How?"
"Words mean nothing. Prove it through combat," Kakashi said smoothly.
It was a baiting tactic, and everyone with a brain could see it. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and slowly turned toward Kirito.
"Yeah! That's it!"
Naruto rolled up his sleeves, full of fighting spirit. He scanned the room, then jabbed a finger at Kakashi.
"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! Let's fight!"
"..."
"..."
"…Are you stupid, Naruto?" Sakura muttered, already facepalming.
"What's with those looks?!" Naruto snapped, annoyed. He scratched his head, looked at Sasuke, and muttered, "Forget it. Guess I'll beat up Sasuke first."
A large vein throbbed on Sasuke's forehead.
"Oh? Big words for the dead-last."
"What did you say?! Sasuke!!"
"Yup! Go get him, Sasuke! Beat that blockhead good!" Sakura cheered, clearly enjoying the chaos.
"Okay, this is getting way off track…" Kakashi sighed with a pained expression.
Then from the side, Kirito spoke up quietly.
"…Maybe I could be your opponent?"
"…?"
Kakashi looked at him with mild surprise. When their eyes met, he immediately understood, Kirito had seen through his intentions. And yet, knowing he was being tested, he still volunteered.
Kakashi's brow twitched slightly. This guy…
"Alright, alright! Then Kirito's up first!"
Naruto was already fully pumped for battle, completely under Kakashi's spell.
On the other hand, Sasuke's gaze sharpened.
"…Just now, did you say 'you guys'?"
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