Even Kakashi was starting to feel uneasy.
Arata's strength was growing too fast.
He'd always known the boy's talent was extraordinary — someone who might one day rival the Fourth Hokage himself —
but he hadn't expected this.
Arata wasn't just progressing; he was evolving at an unnatural pace.
All he lacked now were a few high-level offensive jutsu.
And with his rate of learning, even that was only a matter of time.
At this rate, he would soon stand among the jōnin — perhaps even elite jōnin.
Kakashi exhaled quietly, forming a quick series of seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."
Earthen barriers rose up from the ground, surrounding the corpses of the two slain assassins.
In seconds, the bodies were buried beneath the shifting soil — returned to the earth they had sprung from.
He stepped out of the forest, glancing at the line of shattered trees where Arata's attacks had struck.
Each trunk was as wide as a man's torso, snapped clean in half.
"Just… how much force did he use?" Kakashi muttered under his breath.
"Those weren't even direct hits — just the aftershock."
Even he couldn't fully comprehend it.
When Kakashi returned to the others, Arata was standing calmly beside the shaken genin — his face expressionless, golden chakra faintly pulsing beneath his skin.
Seeing Kakashi, Arata asked quietly, "How are they?"
"They're dead," Kakashi replied.
"Do you know who they were?" Arata already suspected, but he wanted confirmation.
"Two chūnin from Kirigakure," Kakashi said, his voice cold. "Their target was most likely Tazuna."
His single visible eye sharpened as it turned toward the old bridge builder.
This wasn't right.
Two chūnin assassins meant this wasn't a simple C-rank escort.
It was a B-rank, maybe even A-rank mission —
and that meant they'd been deceived.
Kakashi sighed quietly. "You've been hiding something, haven't you, Tazuna-san?"
The old man shifted nervously under his gaze. "H-Hiding? No, no, of course not. They were probably after you, not me!"
Kakashi's voice hardened. "Don't lie to me."
Tazuna swallowed.
The calm smile was gone from Kakashi's face, replaced by something far colder.
Before he could stammer out another excuse, Arata spoke.
"Mr. Tazuna," he said evenly, "if you don't tell us the full truth, we can't guarantee your safety.
And if we abandon this mission here, you know exactly what will happen to you."
The calm authority in the boy's voice made even Kakashi glance at him.
Tazuna stared into Arata's steady golden eyes — and the façade of confidence broke.
His shoulders slumped.
"…Alright," he whispered. "I'll tell you everything."
And so, he did.
The tale that followed was simple but grim —
a story of a country strangled by the greed of a single man.
When he finished, Tazuna dropped to his knees, voice trembling.
"Please… I know I lied. But the Land of Waves is poor — we can't afford to hire ninja for an A-rank mission.
But if the bridge isn't finished, my people will never be free. Please, I beg of you — help us!"
The forest fell silent.
Kakashi looked at him for a long moment, then at Arata.
The boy said nothing, but his calm eyes said enough.
He was waiting for Kakashi's decision.
After all, this was Team 7's mission, not his.
Kakashi helped the old man back to his feet.
"Everyone," he said, turning to his students, "you decide. Do we continue this mission or turn back to the village?"
The three genin looked at each other, uncertain.
None of them answered.
Sasuke's mind was still replaying Arata's earlier display of strength.
Sakura glanced at him, then at Arata, her lips parting — but she couldn't find words.
Naruto stood still, silent for once, his face pale.
Tazuna's hands trembled. The longer they hesitated, the more desperate he became.
If they refused… the bridge — his country's last hope — would die unfinished.
Kakashi sighed softly. His students were still too green — still shaken from the first sight of blood.
He turned to Arata.
The boy exhaled quietly, crossing his arms.
He didn't want to speak — but if he didn't, Kakashi might really call off the mission.
"Let's continue," Arata said finally. "I believe Tazuna-san."
Kakashi's visible eye curved slightly in approval. "Then it's decided. We'll proceed."
He turned back to Tazuna, his tone hard once more.
"But from now on, no more secrets. Tell us everything about who wants you dead — and who they've hired."
Tazuna nodded quickly. "Y-Yes, of course. The man behind this… is Gato. He's hired a jōnin from the Hidden Mist — a powerful one."
Kakashi's brow furrowed. "So it is a jōnin."
He muttered to himself, "Just as I thought."
This was no longer a child's errand.
It was a war zone waiting to happen.
Kakashi looked over his team.
They were brave — but inexperienced.
If another jōnin appeared, none of them except Arata would survive.
He took a breath.
"From here on, we proceed with extreme caution."
He looked at Arata. "You'll guard Tazuna. No matter what happens, keep him alive."
Then he turned to the others.
"Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura — stay close to Arata. Don't break formation. If you wander off, the enemy will pick you off one by one."
Sasuke frowned slightly. The implication stung —
that Arata, someone not even part of their team, was being entrusted with more responsibility than him.
But the memory of Arata's overwhelming power silenced any protest.
He clenched his fists but nodded. "Got it."
Sakura nodded as well. After all, Arata had saved her life.
If Kakashi trusted him, so would she.
Only Naruto remained frozen, staring at his hands.
Kakashi's voice softened. "What about you, Naruto?"
"Ah—" Naruto snapped back to reality. "I… I don't mind."
His voice wavered.
For the first time, he truly felt the distance between himself, Sasuke, and Arata.
During the battle, he hadn't moved an inch — hadn't helped anyone.
Shame burned through him.
"I swear," he muttered, gripping his kunai, "next time, I won't just stand there.
Next time, I'll protect them. I'll catch up to them."
Then, to everyone's shock, he drove the kunai straight through his own palm.
"Ah—!!" Sakura gasped, covering her mouth.
Even Kakashi blinked in surprise.
Blood dripped onto the dirt, but Naruto's expression was steady.
Kakashi studied him for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Your performance wasn't great," he said simply, "but recognizing your weakness is the first step forward."
His voice was gentle this time.
Naruto's act might have been reckless — but it was proof of determination.
As they resumed walking, Kakashi glanced at Arata from the corner of his eye.
He already suspected it —
the whole encounter with the assassins, the delay before he intervened —
it had all been a test.
A test to see just how far Arata's real combat power had come.
And the results were far beyond what he'd expected.
He's no ordinary genin anymore, Kakashi thought.
He's already fighting on a jōnin's level…..
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