Once Tazuna was safely escorted back to his home, the mission was technically complete.
Under normal circumstances, Team Seven should have turned around and headed back to the village.
Instead, Kakashi collapsed onto a log and announced they'd be staying a few more days.
"I need rest," he said flatly.
Tōma stared at him.
"…You're already this drained?"
They'd barely fought. Compared to canon, Kakashi hadn't even passed out this time. If anything, this was an improvement.
Sasuke spoke up, surprisingly serious.
"The Sharingan puts an enormous burden on someone who isn't an Uchiha."
He already knew the story now. Kakashi's eye wasn't inherited, but entrusted to him by a dying teammate. Sasuke had briefly wondered if Kakashi might be some hidden Uchiha offshoot, but that hope had been crushed quickly. Still, he respected the weight of what Kakashi carried.
"Well, excuse me," Kakashi said dryly. "I'd like to see you try running a three-tomoe Sharingan without the right blood."
Tōma didn't argue. Instead, he sighed.
If anyone deserved a rough hand in life, Kakashi was near the top of the list.
Born without a mother. Lost his father to public disgrace and suicide. Grew up listening to villagers curse the man he admired most. Finally found warmth in a team, only to lose one teammate and inherit the Sharingan as a keepsake. Then killed another teammate with his own hands. And in the end, lost his teacher and teacher's wife on the same day.
If Kakashi had been a real Uchiha, those experiences would've unlocked a Mangekyō without much resistance.
The problem wasn't the Sharingan's power. It was that Kakashi refused to let it go.
With Minato and Kushina's knowledge of sealing, preserving an eye's vitality wouldn't have been impossible. The only explanation was that Kakashi didn't want to seal it. Letting go meant losing the last thing his teammate left him.
From a purely practical standpoint, the optimal path was obvious: seal the Sharingan, rebuild his body, then unseal it later. With Kakashi's talent, mastering it again wouldn't take long.
But instead, he chose to use it constantly.
The result was predictable. Chronic chakra strain. A weakened constitution. Slower growth. A ceiling placed on himself.
With better management, Kakashi could have reached standard Kage-level without much trouble. Instead, he'd stalled in an awkward middle ground.
"…Anyway," Kakashi said, unaware he'd just been mentally dissected, "since we're resting, we might as well do some training."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all lit up.
Especially Sakura.
She'd finally realized how far behind she was. Any chance to close that gap mattered.
They headed into a nearby forest.
Kakashi clapped his hands.
"Alright. First exercise. Tree climbing."
"…Tōma already taught us that," Naruto said casually.
Kakashi froze.
"And water walking?" Kakashi tried again.
"Sasuke and I learned that too," Naruto added helpfully.
Kakashi slowly turned to look at Tōma.
So that's why they felt wrong. They weren't fighting like fresh genin at all.
"Sensei," Naruto said bluntly, "can you teach something else? Or are you out of ideas already?"
Kakashi's eye twitched.
"I… am very capable," he said through clenched teeth.
A small voice interrupted them.
"Um… I haven't learned those yet."
Sakura raised her hand, glancing awkwardly at Tōma. He'd never taught her. And honestly, she couldn't say he owed her anything.
Kakashi nearly teared up.
Finally. A normal student.
Then Tōma spoke.
"I'll handle Sakura's basics," he said calmly. "Naruto, Sasuke, you're lucky. Kakashi-senpai is the legendary Copy Ninja. Hundreds of jutsu. Thousands, supposedly."
Naruto and Sasuke immediately turned shining eyes on Kakashi.
Kakashi broke into a cold sweat.
"By the way," Tōma added with a smile that felt deeply malicious, "Naruto's nature is Wind. Sasuke's are Fire and Lightning. Don't mix them up."
This was a setup. A perfectly constructed one.
Lightning, though… Kakashi glanced at Sasuke. Uchiha. Sharingan. Lightning affinity. A bit frail now, but that would change.
Then it hit him.
"…Tōma," Kakashi said slowly, "you're Lightning too, aren't you?"
Tōma smiled.
So that's what this was about.
"I do know one Lightning jutsu," Kakashi said carefully. "But it requires extremely high dynamic vision."
"That won't be a problem," Tōma replied smoothly. "Sasuke has the Sharingan."
Kakashi stared at him for a long moment, then sighed.
"…Fine. You teach Sakura first. Then come over."
Tōma nodded, satisfied.
Permission obtained.
Naruto followed Kakashi eagerly, bombarding him with questions about Wind Style. Sasuke went quiet, but the excitement was obvious.
Sakura stayed behind, watching them leave.
"Can I… train over there too?" she asked softly. "It'd be the same, right?"
Tōma shook his head.
"No. What they're learning is too destructive. It'd interfere with you."
"…Okay."
She clenched her fists. Then she'd master the basics fast. As fast as possible.
"So," Sakura asked, steadying herself, "shall we start?"
"Not yet," Tōma said.
Her inner voice screamed.
Not yet?!
"Tree climbing and water walking won't be hard for you," Tōma continued. "They're tests of chakra control. That's your strength."
Sakura blinked.
"…Really?"
"Yes. Though your chakra reserves are low," he added bluntly.
That landed cleanly.
"I won't teach like Kakashi," Tōma went on. "He'll guide you gently. I won't. You already feel the gap between you and them, don't you? If you don't choose a path that suits you, that gap will only grow."
This wasn't what she'd expected. This wasn't just training.
"…What kind of path?" she asked quietly.
"Genjutsu. Or medical ninjutsu," Tōma said. "Both demand precision, not volume."
Sakura fell silent.
"Kakashi can help find a genjutsu mentor. For medical ninjutsu, I know people at the hospital," Tōma added. "Think about it later."
He stood up.
"For now, focus. Let's start with tree climbing."
Sakura nodded, confusion and determination mixing in her eyes.
She didn't know where this path led yet.
But she knew she couldn't stand still anymore.
...
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