In Sakura's mind, Naruto had never been popular.
Kimoto Dōichi merely glanced at Kakashi and gave a slight nod before leading his team away.
Kakashi's gaze made Dōichi somewhat speechless.
Has Kakashi set his sights on Yoru?
He assumed it was because Yoru had hidden his strength.
If he had known Kakashi was actually envious, Dōichi might have grown wary.
After all—everyone wanted a good student.
Once Team Eleven left, Sakura turned to Kakashi.
"Kakashi-sensei, who was that?"
She had clearly noticed Kakashi staring at Yoru.
She assumed they were acquainted.
Kakashi looked away casually.
"An interesting fellow."
"Let's go inside."
He had no intention of explaining further.
From earlier, Sasuke had already felt something unusual.
A faint pressure.
It was the first time he had ever felt that from someone his age.
At the Academy, he had always ranked first.
He had never taken anyone seriously.
A classmate who could pressure him?
Impossible.
Yet after that brief encounter—
He had the unsettling feeling that Yoru might one day become his rival.
Kakashi said nothing.
Naruto, however, grinned widely and spoke to Sakura.
"That's Team Eleven! The guy who's only slightly less handsome than me is named Yoru. He's my friend!"
They hadn't known each other long, but Naruto had already declared him a friend.
He didn't seem to notice Yoru's subtle distance.
Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Idiot Naruto. Your skin is way too thick."
In her heart, Yoru's looks rivaled Sasuke's.
If not for Sasuke's special place in her heart—
She might even have thought Yoru looked better.
Meanwhile, Yoru and his team arrived at the rear mountain of Konoha.
Before them roared a massive waterfall.
Shumu and Tada immediately deflated.
"Sensei… why did we get a mission like this?"
"And the trash is under the waterfall! How are we supposed to clean that?"
Their task was simple in theory—
Clean the lake behind Konoha's mountain.
As rookies, of course they wouldn't receive combat assignments.
But the lake's upper stream fed directly from a waterfall forty to fifty meters high.
The current was violent.
The impact immense.
Cleaning beneath that torrent sounded like a nightmare.
Dōichi spoke flatly.
"Today, I'll teach you how to stand on water using chakra."
The two instantly revived.
"Really?! Sensei, you're teaching us a jutsu?"
Yoru looked at Dōichi.
Dōichi looked back at him.
Water walking.
A basic technique.
Yet extremely practical.
Yoru had never learned it.
Back then, his talent had been average.
He hadn't bothered.
Now—
He was genuinely interested.
Dōichi led them to a calmer area away from the waterfall.
The surface there was relatively still.
A perfect training spot.
He stepped forward slowly and placed his foot on the water.
"Watch carefully."
"When your foot touches the surface, channel chakra to the sole."
"Control the amount precisely."
"Enough to support your body. Not more. Not less."
"You'll have to find the balance yourselves."
As he spoke, he stood firmly atop the water—
As if standing on solid ground.
Not sinking at all.
Shumu and Tada stared in awe.
"Whoa! Sensei, you're actually standing on water!"
"That's incredible!"
Neither came from ninja clans.
They had never seen this up close.
Even Yoru was mildly surprised.
Understanding the theory and witnessing it were two entirely different feelings.
Shumu couldn't resist trying first.
He cautiously gathered chakra into his feet.
Though Dōichi had explained it clearly—
Attempting it himself made him nervous.
He stepped onto the water.
Prepared to shift his weight—
And immediately plunged in.
Splash.
"So hard! Sensei, how did you make it look so easy?"
Soaked, he stood up and wiped his hair awkwardly.
Tada, who had been about to try, hesitated upon seeing him.
"Is it really that hard? It looked simple…"
She asked quietly.
Shumu trudged back to shore, smiling bitterly.
"It sounds simple, but controlling the exact chakra output is ridiculously hard."
Dōichi nodded.
"Correct."
"You may not have succeeded, but you understood the core."
"Precise chakra control."
"I can't help you with that."
"You'll have to train and figure it out yourselves."
Shumu sighed.
"This feels impossible… I'll probably need a long time."
"I didn't even feel a moment where I could stand. It was the same as not using chakra at all."
He looked at Dōichi curiously.
"Sensei, how long did it take you to master this?"
Dōichi replied calmly.
"Two days."
"Two days?! Even you needed two days?"
"Then we'll probably need ten or more…"
Though his talent was average, Shumu understood theory.
And he knew his aptitude was nowhere near Dōichi's.
Jōnin were the top combat forces of a village.
Even in the Five Great Nations, they were elite.
Every jōnin excelled in some field.
Tada had been ready to try, but upon hearing that, she quietly withdrew her foot.
Her talent was similar to Shumu's.
"Sensei… what about the trash under the waterfall?"
She pointed nervously.
The crashing torrent looked deadly.
A drop of dozens of meters—
Enough to crush a person.
Dōichi shook his head.
"That's for you to figure out."
"That's the real purpose of this mission."
"If you can't handle something this simple…"
"How do you expect to survive against real enemies?"
"You'll be killed."
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