Before long, six steaming bowls of ramen were placed on the counter.
Arata turned his head and stared at Kakashi.
"What?" Kakashi asked, confused. "Why are you looking at me like that? Eat."
Arata didn't reply.
A moment later, Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Don't tell me… you're curious about my face too?"
Arata grinned. "Of course. Who wouldn't be curious?"
He had heard plenty of rumors—that Kakashi was absurdly handsome, so much so that even Ayame and Teuchi's eyes sparkled when he showed up. Arata wanted to see for himself if the stories were true.
Kakashi hesitated, then reluctantly pulled down his mask.
Arata blinked.
"…Well, damn," he said finally. "No wonder you wear that mask, Kakashi-sensei. If you didn't, half the girls in Konoha would be camped outside your door."
And he wasn't exaggerating. Kakashi's looks were sharp yet calm—handsome enough to make even the stoic Ayame and Teuchi freeze for a second, cheeks slightly flushed.
Kakashi sighed again and started eating. "Stop talking nonsense and eat."
Arata chuckled and dug into his ramen.
He was halfway through when the door curtain lifted and several new customers entered.
Arata didn't pay attention—until one of them shouted loudly, nearly making him drop his chopsticks.
"Yo! Kakashi! I didn't expect to see you here!"
Arata winced. That voice... too loud.
Kakashi froze for a second, then sighed helplessly. "Gai…"
Sure enough, standing at the entrance in a bright green jumpsuit and flashing a grin with impossibly white teeth, was none other than Might Guy.
Behind him followed his three students—Neji Hyūga, Rock Lee, and Tenten.
The moment they entered, Neji's pale eyes locked onto Arata.
He didn't know why, but the boy sitting beside Kakashi radiated a faint, quiet danger.
Threatening…? Neji had never felt such pressure from anyone his age before.
Guy plopped himself down beside Kakashi like it was his own home, while his students took the seats next to Arata.
Guy finally noticed Arata and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, Kakashi—this one of your students?"
Since he had been away on missions, Guy hadn't seen Kakashi's new team yet.
Kakashi paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah."
Guy grinned. "He's got good energy! What do you say, kid—want to learn taijutsu from me instead?"
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched. "…No need. I'll handle his training."
Guy burst out laughing. "Ha! Just kidding, just kidding!"
Though deep down, he wouldn't have minded. The thought of poaching Kakashi's student—and maybe one-upping him—was always tempting.
Meanwhile, Tenten leaned closer, curious. "Hi, I'm Tenten! So you're Kakashi-sensei's student, huh?"
Arata smiled politely. "Yeah. Name's Arata."
Rock Lee stepped forward, flashing his blinding smile. "I'm Rock Lee! Student of Might Guy! My dream is to surpass genius itself!"
He clenched his fist dramatically, teeth sparkling so bright that Arata had to fight the urge to squint.
And then there was Neji. The prodigy of the Hyūga branch family, who had been quietly observing Arata the entire time.
"I'm Neji Hyūga," he said evenly. "You're… different."
Arata tilted his head, unsure how to respond. "…I get that a lot."
Before the air could grow more awkward, Kakashi interjected quickly, "Alright, Gai, enough chatting—order something already. You're keeping the owner waiting."
"Ah, right!" Gai grinned sheepishly and turned to Teuchi.
Kakashi leaned toward Arata. "Eat. Quickly."
Arata immediately understood why.
Neji's Byakugan could see through the human body's chakra network. If he decided to activate it now, he'd instantly notice that Arata's chakra reserves were abnormally vast—far beyond what a genin should possess.
So Arata nodded, downing his ramen as fast as he could.
By the time he finished all three bowls, Kakashi had already thrown some money on the counter and pulled Arata out of the shop.
Neither Gai nor his students noticed, but Neji did.
As he watched Arata leave, that feeling of unease grew stronger.
Who is he? Why does someone like that exist among us?
On the Way to the Waterfall
Walking down Konoha's quiet street, Kakashi sighed. "Did you notice? Neji was watching you the entire time."
Arata nodded. "Yeah. His focus never left me. Weird, right?"
"Not weird," Kakashi said. "Neji was the top graduate last year—and he has the Byakugan. His instincts are sharp, and his strength is already at chūnin level."
Arata chuckled. "I've heard about him. Back in the academy, everyone talked about the Hyūga prodigy. We were in the same school, though he was a year ahead."
Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. "Then you probably know what kind of person he is. If he ever finds out about your chakra levels, things could get complicated. Gai's a good man—but… let's just say he's not great at keeping secrets."
Arata laughed softly. "Yeah, I got that impression."
Kakashi shrugged helplessly. "That's why I dragged you out so fast. I was afraid Neji might activate his Byakugan."
Arata thought for a moment. "Even if he did find out, I doubt he'd spread it around. He doesn't seem like the type to gossip."
Kakashi gave a small nod. "True. But still—better safe than sorry."
The two soon arrived at the familiar training ground behind Konoha, near the roaring waterfall where Arata had first practiced walking on water.
Kakashi turned serious. "Alright, Arata. I have two training paths in mind for you."
Arata met his gaze. "Let's hear them."
"The first path," Kakashi said, "is to dive straight into advanced ninjutsu training. It'll push your limits fast and skyrocket your combat ability."
"The second path is the traditional one—building from the fundamentals, step by step, until your base is unshakable."
He folded his arms. "It's your choice."
Arata fell silent for a long moment. The sound of the waterfall echoed between them. Then he looked up, eyes calm and unwavering.
"I'll take the first path."
Kakashi's single visible eye curved in amusement. "I thought so."
"You're not angry?" Arata asked, surprised.
"Why would I be?" Kakashi chuckled. "You're not like ordinary ninja, Arata. Following a normal path would only hold you back. I wanted you to pick this one."
His tone grew firm. "Let's begin."
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