When a person's mental defenses collapse, that's when they're easiest to invade—and easiest to believe others.
Of course, pulling that off isn't as simple as it sounds, especially in a short time.
But if it was just these few brats in front of him, that wasn't hard for Kinoshita Jiro.
Same movement; make a few subtle changes, and the outcome becomes completely different.
Jiro's guidance for Sasuke and Sakura was completely correct, but when he guided Naruto—though it looked identical on the surface—the motions were wrong.
Give it a little time and the gap would open up.
Under Jiro's personal coaching, even Kakashi, standing right at his side, couldn't tell.
Day turned to dusk; before they knew it, they'd trained a full day.
Leaning against a tree, Kakashi shut his little book and glanced toward the center.
All three had improved; Sasuke most of all.
His gaze slid to the clumsy Naruto in the field, and a helpless look crossed his face.
As expected, with Naruto's carefree nature, memorizing these movements and attack patterns was tough.
Thinking that, Kakashi looked at Kinoshita Jiro. The man showed no hostility—but there was definitely something off about him.
In the clearing, watching the three drenched in sweat, Jiro smiled gently. "Alright, that's it for now. Take a breather—we're heading back."
At his voice, Sasuke drew a few rough breaths and stopped.
Clenching his fists, he felt a spark of joy. Combat technique might look minor on paper, but the gains were unexpectedly big.
Thinking back on his old fighting, he'd been childish. "Jiro-san, thank you!"
Sakura echoed him; her gains weren't as large as Sasuke's, but she'd still learned a lot.
"Um, Jiro-san, I want to keep training a bit," Naruto said, wiping sweat from his forehead with a grin.
"Is that so? Don't overdo it," Jiro said after a short pause, reaching out to gently ruffle Naruto's hair.
"Then let's head back. Kakashi-dono, coming?" Jiro smiled at Sasuke and Sakura, then looked over to Kakashi.
"We've been out here long enough. Time to head back. Naruto, be careful while you train," Kakashi said softly, stretching.
Either way, keeping Jiro within sight was Kakashi's current strategy.
Deep down, of the three, the one he cared about most was Sasuke. Letting Sasuke go off with Jiro didn't sit well with him.
Still, they weren't far from Tazuna's house; if anything happened, he could rush back quickly.
Watching them leave, Naruto's eyes flickered; he kept drilling the techniques Jiro had shown.
Before long he was panting, flopping onto his back. "Being behind Sasuke is one thing... but even Sakura learns faster than me?"
Unwillingness crossed his face. Jiro's gentle manner floated through his mind. Maybe he could ask Jiro-san for one-on-one help. Surely Jiro-san wouldn't refuse?
A breeze stirred the leaves.
The wind and fatigue made his eyelids heavy; he drifted closed.
A faint sound rose. Without noticing, Naruto now had a figure standing quietly at his side.
Yuto watched the dozing Naruto and smiled.
Sure enough, compared to his late teacher's son, Kakashi cared more about his best friend's clansman.
Some teacher Minato was: one student dead, another turned villain—he sparked the Kyūbi (Nine-Tails) rampage and indirectly got himself and his wife killed.
As for the other point, Yuto chuckled and shook his head—no way Kakashi didn't know Naruto was his teacher's child.
Yuto set a hand on Naruto's abdomen and pressed. A stream of chakura (chakra) flowed straight into him.
Half-asleep, Naruto felt something.
He tried to open his eyes; a wave of drowsiness hit and he sank fully into sleep.
Drip... drip...
Water echoed by Yuto's ear.
Dark, damp, empty.
He took in the sewerlike corridor, amusement flickering in his eyes.
A massive iron gate dominated the space. Beyond it, a colossal shape lay hidden—nine vast tails swaying as the Kyūbi (Nine-Tails) lounged with eyes closed.
"Hm? This aura..." The Kyūbi opened its eyes and looked out. When it saw the small figure at the gate, its pupils shrank.
"Long time no see, Kyūbi," Yuto said with a smile.
"So it's you. That Madara was right—even tossed into another space, you'd claw your way back someday." Having confirmed him, the Kyūbi lay back down and spoke coolly, though caution filled its eyes. The First Mizukage, Yuto.
It had fought Yuto before; it knew exactly how terrifying the power in this youth's body was.
"We're old acquaintances at least. Don't be so cold," Yuto said, spreading his hands with a helpless look.
But the fox's words made him thoughtful. Others might not know, but he did: after fighting Hashirama, Madara's "death" was faked. He lingered through the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) for quite some time. With that much time, Madara's caution, and Black Zetsu scheming behind the scenes, there was no way they hadn't left contingencies.
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