Chapter 2: Chakra Comparable to the First Hokage, Byakuya?
On the other side, Kakashi quickly approached Byakuya's location.
"What is this?"
Kakashi recognized Byakuya immediately.
There was no enemy here, as Kakashi had expected, only a very ordinary child.
Having mastered Wood Release, Byakuya had already contained his Chakra.
Just as Kakashi thought his perception might be faulty, Byakuya suddenly looked towards his hiding spot.
"No way?"
A thought surfaced in Kakashi's mind: Had he been discovered?
One must know that Kakashi, as an Elite Jonin in the Anbu, had absolutely unquestionable stealth capabilities as a Ninja.
"Maybe it was just a misconception!"
Seeing this, Kakashi walked out directly.
"You are... Byakuya from the Graduating Class, right?"
"I have some impression of you!"
Kakashi looked at the child before him, whose handsomeness was enough to make Kakashi feel ashamed of his own looks.
Although he was young, he already showed the beginnings of a cool, aloof handsomeness, his eyes shining like cold stars.
This made it hard for Kakashi to imagine that he was the dead last in class, just like Naruto.
"Yes, I am!"
Facing Kakashi's inquiry, Byakuya naturally had no intention of hiding anything.
His identity in Konoha was absolutely real: an orphan whose parents had both died fighting for Konoha in the Ninja World War.
So, Byakuya wasn't afraid of Kakashi seeing anything unusual about him.
"I remember the Graduation Exam is coming up soon. You shouldn't be wandering around outside at a time like this."
Kakashi never thought there would come a day when he would advise someone else to study hard.
Perhaps it was because the Byakuya in front of him was indeed very handsome.
Sometimes it can be proven that a high appearance value can win over anyone.
If it were just an ordinary person here today, Kakashi might have left after a few words of advice.
But seeing Byakuya here, Kakashi still hoped the boy would work hard.
"Mm!"
Byakuya simply nodded.
From his expression, you couldn't tell whether he had listened to the advice or not.
"That perception just now definitely wasn't wrong; it was caused in this very spot."
While Kakashi was thinking, he looked back to find that Byakuya had already disappeared.
"How is that possible?"
Kakashi almost cried out in surprise; he hadn't noticed at all when Byakuya had left.
He had only been distracted for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, Byakuya was gone.
"Could that Chakra from earlier have been caused by Byakuya?"
A bold conjecture surfaced in Kakashi's heart.
"Impossible, impossible!!"
Kakashi shook his head again, dismissing the thought.
How old was Byakuya? How could a child have such powerful Chakra?
After Byakuya left, Kakashi didn't stay for a moment and went straight to the Hokage Building.
"Ah, it's Kakashi!"
The Third Hokage looked concerned as he saw Kakashi enter.
He then asked Kakashi about the mission.
But Kakashi was clearly distracted now and gave a cursory report on the mission.
However, regarding what happened on the eastern hillside of Konoha, Kakashi hesitated.
"Kakashi, you seem a bit anxious!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi noticed Kakashi's abnormality.
To hold the position of Hokage, even if one hasn't mastered everyone's heart, one is at least very proficient in reading expressions.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"
Kakashi eventually told the Third Hokage what happened on his way back.
After hearing it, the Third Hokage's brow furrowed.
"Are you saying you sensed someone with Chakra comparable to the First Hokage, and this person is just a Genin not even twenty years old?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered if Kakashi had injured his brain during the mission.
Of course, that was a polite way of putting it.
"Kakashi, I know what happened to Obito and Rin hurt you deeply, so much so that you're having hallucinations now."
"How about this, in my name as Hokage, I'll give you three days off. Go and get some rest."
As Kakashi's superior, Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke to him very considerately.
But Kakashi became anxious.
"Hokage-sama, do you also think this is a hallucination?"
Kakashi desperately wanted to prove that what he said was true.
The Chakra he sensed was real, its comparability to the First Hokage was real, and the fact that only Byakuya was there when he arrived was also real.
But why did all these facts put together seem like he was telling a joke?
"Kakashi, I think you should know that Byakuya's parents were both Chunin of Konoha."
"They both died in the Ninja World War. You could say Byakuya is the son of heroes."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said. He still had quite an impression of this person, Byakuya.
Someone in the Graduating Class who was very popular with girls.
If you said such a child possessed Chakra comparable to the First Hokage...
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't believe it.
"I understand!"
Kakashi finally nodded. He knew everything he just said was based on speculation.
He hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
"Don't worry, Kakashi. You can go back and rest well for a while."
"When the time comes, perhaps I can let you consider that matter."
Hiruzen Sarutobi gave Kakashi a break in his capacity as Hokage.
Now Hiruzen Sarutobi intended to let Kakashi step out of the shadows and into the sun.
"You can go and adapt in advance for this Graduation Exam."
"Understood!"
Kakashi could only leave helplessly in the end.