"Well then…"
Hatake Sakumo adjusted his forehead protector and spoke in a gentle tone.
"I'm a Konoha jōnin—Hatake Sakumo. I specialize in kenjutsu, Body Flicker, Lightning Release, Wind Release, and Water Release."
He paused for a moment, then smiled at Kyusei.
"In my free time, I like watching my son grow up little by little."
As he said that, the look on Sakumo's face softened even further.
"If you ever have time, you can come over to my place and meet him. He's a very cute kid."
Kyusei scratched his head.
By his reckoning, Kakashi should be about two years old by now.
"As for my dream…" Sakumo continued after a brief pause, his voice calm.
"I suppose it's to watch my son grow up, get married someday, have children of his own—and then watch my grandchildren grow."
…Sorry, but no matter how you look at it, that dream probably isn't happening.
Kakashi's one true love is Might Guy.
Kyusei silently roasted him in his heart.
"Alright," Sakumo said with a smile. "Your turn."
"Leaf Village genin," Kyusei replied after thinking for a moment.
"I'm good at sensory ninjutsu and sealing techniques. As for what I like…"
He paused deliberately.
"I like Kaoru."
"And my dream is to be with Kaoru forever."
Sakumo blinked—then broke into a knowing, slightly mischievous grin.
"Not bad, kid. Snagging the top student at such a young age."
That I-know-exactly-what-you-mean look was unmistakable.
Kyusei stared at him in disbelief.
This guy had looked so gentle just moments ago—who would've thought he had this side too?
Then again, anyone who could invent something like the Thousand Years of Death probably wasn't as pure as they looked. Definitely a closet pervert.
"Alright," Sakumo said, quickly reining himself in.
"Enough with the kiddie introductions."
He stood up, his tone turning serious as he looked down at the red-haired boy.
"If we're going to work together, I need a rough idea of your strength."
"Do you need time to prepare?"
Standing against the sunlight, Sakumo's tall figure cast a long shadow.
"Because of how special this team is, if you don't meet my standards, I can request the Third Hokage to deem you unqualified."
"At that point, you'll be sent back to the academy to repeat a year."
Kyusei looked at him—and grinned, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Any restrictions?"
Seeing the boy's eagerness, a glint passed through Sakumo's dark eyes. He smiled provocatively.
"None."
"Fight with the intent to kill if you want."
"Use everything you have."
"Including your 'Kurama.'"
Faced with Sakumo's blatant confidence—his complete lack of concern—Kyusei didn't get angry in the slightest.
"Good!"
"You said it yourself!"
Even if you're Hatake Sakumo, I'll still yank your hair out!
—
Kyusei had always been the type to act immediately once he made up his mind.
No procrastination.
No grudges left overnight.
If he wanted to do something, he did it on the spot.
So it wasn't Sakumo giving Kyusei time to prepare.
It was Kyusei who didn't give Sakumo any time at all.
At a nearby training ground, the two stood facing each other from a distance.
"This surprises me," Sakumo said calmly, hands in his pockets.
"I thought you'd take some time to prepare."
He stood there casually, utterly relaxed, dark eyes fixed on the boy ahead.
Now that he had a decent grasp of Kyusei's personality, it was time to see what he could really do.
From their earlier conversation, Kyusei had openly stated that he could stably use the Nine-Tails' chakra up to three tails.
That alone put him around jōnin level.
And with sensory and sealing techniques, the options were obvious—Kagura's Mind Eye and Adamantine Sealing Chains.
With no teammates to coordinate with, there was no reason to hold back.
So his opening move was—
Adamantine Sealing Chains!
Golden chains burst from the ground beneath Sakumo's feet, lunging at him like living serpents!
An underground attack?
Interesting.
The Adamantine Chains were infamous throughout the ninja world. Sakumo knew exactly how dangerous they were.
Once bound and sealed, even a tailed beast would struggle to escape.
But Sakumo didn't panic.
With a light tap of his toe, his body lifted into the air like a soaring swallow.
Watching him land gracefully—like a gymnast—Kyusei's mouth twitched.
Sure enough, beneath that gentle exterior was a show-off's soul.
In other words—a massive closet show-off.
Seeing his attack fail, Kyusei remained completely unfazed. He raised one hand, forming a sword seal at his chest.
More golden chains erupted from his body, surging forward in relentless waves toward Sakumo.
A flicker of approval crossed Sakumo's eyes.
To master the Adamantine Chains to this level at such an age—this kid had clearly poured an absurd amount of effort into it.
Bang!
One of the chains straightened under Kyusei's control, hardening into a golden iron rod that smashed down toward Sakumo!
Sakumo didn't even bother pulling his hands from his pockets.
He merely leaned slightly to the side.
The chain missed him entirely, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Kyusei didn't get discouraged in the slightest.
More chains—over a dozen—burst forth and rushed Sakumo again.
Not just refined technique—his chakra reserves were abnormally deep as well.
Sakumo continued to dodge effortlessly, still wearing that casual smile, weaving through the barrage with elegant movements.
But the moment he leapt into the air again, he sensed something ahead.
He looked up.
A massive golden net—woven entirely from Adamantine Chains—had already formed in front of him, waiting.
At the same time, another net closed in from behind.
A perfect pincer.
From any angle, Sakumo seemed completely trapped.
"Not bad, kid."
Sakumo's gaze sharpened.
Lightning erupted from his body.
In the next instant, he moved—violently, impossibly fast—shattering the encirclement and tearing straight through the chains!
As expected… it wouldn't be that easy.
Kyusei's eyes narrowed, his expression calm.
If Hatake Sakumo could be taken down so simply, he wouldn't be called the White Fang of Konoha.
This was a man acknowledged by the entire ninja world.
Slowly, an orange-red chakra began to seep out of Kyusei's body.
Three translucent, blazing chakra tails unfurled behind him.
Tailed Beast Cloak.
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