While Naruto Uzumaki was dismantling the Akatsuki duo, Kakashi Hatake and Zabuza Momochi were locked in a fierce battle on the water.
The water dragons under their control tore at each other, the chakra of both combatants draining with every violent collision. Although Zabuza's reserves were severely depleted from maintaining the two Water Prison Jutsu, Kakashi's own chakra was also running dangerously low. Both men knew this fight had to end, and it had to end now.
After their constructs collapsed into the lake one last time, Zabuza abandoned ninjutsu, charging forward with a kunai held in a reverse grip.
Kakashi, however, brought a hand to his mouth, lightly biting his thumb.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
In a puff of smoke, eight ninja hounds of various sizes burst into existence, immediately pouncing on Zabuza. Faced with the trained pack, Zabuza swung his kunai wildly, injuring two of them before a larger hound clamped its jaws onto his thigh.
"Damn it."
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he raised his kunai to plunge it into the dog's head.
"Get a whiff of this, demon!" a gruff voice shouted.
Suddenly, a seemingly unremarkable pug leaped up, latching onto Zabuza's face like a face-hugger. His vision was completely obstructed, his senses assaulted by the dog's particular stench. Zabuza forgot the pain in his leg, tore the dog—Pakkun—from his face, and hurled him aside.
But that single, critical moment of distraction was all Kakashi needed. A flash of crackling lightning was already inches from Zabuza's chest.
"Lord Zabuza!"
At the last possible second, Haku appeared in a blur, slamming his own body into Kakashi's extended hand. The lightning-wreathed palm was knocked aside, but the volatile chakra still surged through Haku's body.
"Ugh!"
Though the blow didn't pierce him, Haku was electrocuted, smoke rising from his scorched clothes. The porcelain mask on his face shattered, revealing a soft, androgynous face contorted in pain.
"Lord Zabuza... run..." he gasped.
Seeing his loyal tool's sacrifice, Zabuza no longer hesitated. He hurled the kunai in his hand at Kakashi. By the time the Jonin dodged the projectile, the two figures had already vanished from the lake's surface, swallowed by the mist.
With their departure, the thick fog that had enveloped the area began to dissipate. Kakashi, utterly exhausted, crouched on the water, panting. If Zabuza hadn't retreated, he admitted to himself, he might have been the one to flee first. His chakra was nearly gone, and the Sharingan had drained what little he had left.
Plop.
A figure landed lightly on the water beside him. Kakashi looked up, his gaze meeting Naruto's. Seeing the boy's perfectly controlled water-walking, his heart sank. A Genin who could defeat an enemy like Kakuzu... not even he had been that "talented" back in the day. And looking at Naruto's clothes, which weren't even wrinkled, he knew the victory had been effortless.
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, his voice calm, "it looks like you have a lot of questions." He proactively reached out a hand. "Coincidentally, so do I. Perhaps we can talk—just the two of us."
Looking into Naruto's clear eyes, devoid of any malice, and thinking of the boy's true identity, Kakashi remained silent for a long moment before taking the offered hand.
Night had fallen. With three of their party unconscious, Naruto and Kakashi set up a simple camp in a nearby clearing. They were deep in the Land of Waves, not far from their destination. They would set off again once the others woke up.
But first, some things needed to be cleared up.
"I know, Kakashi-sensei. You were probably sent by Grandpa Hokage to watch me," Naruto said casually, leaning against a tree as he roasted a fish over the fire. "And I don't plan on hiding anything from you."
Kakashi had already pieced much of it together. He stood nearby, his eye fixed on the dancing flames. Hearing Naruto's words, he showed no shock, just a light nod.
"How about this: you ask me a question, and after I answer, I'll ask you one," Naruto proposed. "Fair, right?" He offered the perfectly cooked fish to his teacher. "You go first."
With that, Naruto took out his sake gourd and began to sip from it slowly.
Kakashi held the fish, his mind a tangled mess of questions. After a long silence, they all converged into a single sentence. "How did you do it?"
"Do what? Deal with those two, or..."
"A Genin who just graduated from the Academy... it's impossible for you to be this strong," Kakashi said, his voice low. "To be honest, I even suspected you might have been replaced." His gaze sharpened, ready to turn hostile in an instant.
But Naruto just shook his head. "Actually, I'm not sure myself." He took a breath. "Kakashi-sensei, let me tell you a story."
"Once upon a time, there was a student at the Ninja Academy who, wanting to graduate, was tricked into stealing the Scroll of Seals..."
Amidst the crackling of the fire, Naruto slowly recounted a fantastical tale, making no effort to hide the truth of his "travels."
"...And so, that ninja searched the seas for twenty years. In the end, just when he was about to give up, he suddenly returned to his old home. Sounds incredible, doesn't it?"
As a man hardened by the sea, he had grown to dislike the calculated, secretive nature of shinobi. Besides, weakness was what invited predators. The strong had the right to live openly. Of course, the real reason was that he sensed no malice from Kakashi—only a deep, underlying guilt, the same he felt from the Third Hokage.
Kakashi stood there, stunned, trying to process the impossible story. He had never heard of "transmigration," and as he had not yet become the Sixth Hokage, he had no knowledge of the Dragon Vein or the potential for time travel.
But he could sense the profound sincerity in Naruto's voice. With the strength the boy had displayed, he had no reason to lie.
If what he said is true... Kakashi's gaze fell on Naruto's face. He saw the still-young features, yet behind the eyes was a profound world-weariness that didn't belong, the weight of a long, hard life. A silent ache of sympathy went through him. How much did he suffer just to finally come home?
"Now, it's my turn to ask," Naruto said. He set his sake gourd on the ground, his expression turning serious. "Kakashi-sensei, I can feel that you and Grandpa Third hold no ill will towards me. But why is there someone from the village assigned to watch my every move? Why did someone use the Hokage's name to try and attack me?"
Hearing this, Kakashi's visible eyelid snapped up, his posture rigid.
"So, I want to know," Naruto continued, his voice steady and low. "What secret is hidden in my past that makes so many eyes watch me all the time?"
"This..." Kakashi was at a loss for words.
"Kakashi-sensei, please tell me the truth." Naruto's gaze was unwavering. "I have been honest with you. Your answer will determine my attitude towards Konoha from now on. I hope you will think very carefully before you speak."
As the words fell, Kakashi felt an immense pressure settle on his shoulders. After a long, heavy silence, he finally began to speak, his voice dry and strained.
"Actually..."
Their conversation was thus hidden in the night wind.
[Chapter Complete]
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