"Onii-san, are you a ninja?" Anko, a self-proclaimed lover of handsome faces, walked right over and sat down next to Diarmuid. Her personality was clearly as bold as they come.
Diarmuid rolled his eyes. "I'm not your 'Onii-san.' You should be calling me 'Oji-san.'"
"Hmph, doesn't that make you sound old?" Anko pouted.
"Whether by age or status, it's the truth, so it has nothing to do with sounding old," Diarmuid said with a chuckle. After a short pause, he added, "As for being a ninja... I suppose you could say it's a part-time job?"
"I knew it! Ninja don't usually carry swords like that. You're a samurai, right, Oji-san?" Might Guy interjected loudly.
"Hahaha, kid, you're quite sharp," Diarmuid replied noncommittally, neither confirming nor denying the claim.
Seeing that this handsome elder was easy to talk to, and given that none of these kids were particularly shy, they began to chat idly while waiting for their food.
Rin, a very observant young girl, looked at Diarmuid curiously. "Onii-san, you said you were Anko's uncle by status. Does that mean you're relatives?"
Anko only just realized the implication and quickly followed up, "Does my family really have a relative this handsome?"
"Your family definitely doesn't," Diarmuid laughed. "However, I have a good relationship with your Sensei. We're quite close friends."
"Sensei?" Anko blinked. "You mean Orochimaru-sensei?"
"Exactly," Diarmuid nodded.
The others looked at Diarmuid with a touch of admiration. At this stage, Orochimaru had not yet been expelled from Konoha. Given his status as one of the Sannin, his reputation as a hero of the Second Shinobi World War, and being a disciple of the Third Hokage, he held immense popularity in the village. As Danzo had noted, he was a prime candidate for the next Hokage.
Since Diarmuid claimed to be Orochimaru's friend and recognized Anko's identity instantly, they assumed he wasn't lying. By association, Diarmuid suddenly seemed like a very formidable person.
"So, Onii-san, are you here to see Orochimaru-sensei? It's been hard to find him lately; even I haven't seen him much," Anko added, still refusing to drop the "Onii-san " title.
Diarmuid gave up on correcting her and shook his head. "Not exactly. At least, not right now. I've just never been to Konoha before, so I came to see what the Number One Ninja Village looks like."
While Diarmuid chatted with them, Kakashi remained silent, watching him intently. The more he looked, the more familiar the man became. Yet, he couldn't pin down where this sense of familiarity was coming from.
Someone this handsome... if I had seen him before, I would definitely remember. It's impossible to forget a face like that.
Kakashi began to mentally summarize the facts. He talks naturally with 'kids' like us. Kind personality.Handsome appearance.His haori, hakama, and accessories look extremely expensive. Wealthy, likely from a noble house...Carries a sword, claims to be a 'part-time' ninja, and didn't deny Guy's 'samurai' theory.
As he compiled these details, the familiarity grew stronger, but the missing piece eluded him. Just then, he overheard Ebisu whispering to Genma: "I always thought Minato-senpai was the peak of handsomeness, but today I found someone even better..."
The moment those words were spoken, a bolt of lightning seemed to strike through the chaos in Kakashi's mind. His expression shifted violently for a split second before he used his shinobi discipline to rein it in, acting as if nothing had happened.
He had heard those words before! Back in the Hokage's office, hadn't Jiraiya used those exact terms to describe a certain individual?
The S-Rank International Criminal, the Outlaw: Rodriguez Diarmuid!
Looking at him through that lens... Good grief, he matches Jiraiya's description perfectly!Kind personality, doesn't feel "vile" or "evil" at all. At first glance, looks like a noble scion. Extraordinary grace and bearing!
Everything matched!
Recalling the image on the wanted posters, it was just as Jiraiya had said: there were only slight similarities because the artist simply couldn't capture how handsome he actually was...
Gradually, Kakashi became absolutely certain: the man sitting in front of him was the Outlaw.
Why is he in Konoha?How did he get into the village?What is his goal?Is he here to assassinate the Third Hokage?
It was a natural conclusion for Kakashi. Despite his kind appearance, Diarmuid's track record was anything but gentle—killing the Third Raikage and then the Earth Daimyo. Now that he had appeared in Konoha, Kakashi was convinced the Third Hokage was the next target!
The image of the Outlaw was one of wildness, unrestrained freedom, and utter audacity!
Kakashi desperately wanted to take Diarmuid down right then and there, but he remembered Jiraiya's evaluation of the man: 'The strongest I have ever seen in my life!'
In Jiraiya's eyes, this Outlaw was the ultimate power. Kakashi didn't dare act rashly. He considered leaving to get reinforcements, like notifying Minato, but that would be too suspicious. What if he alerted the man? His friends were still here; they could be taken as hostages, becoming a liability...
Dammit, I'm a Jonin! Think of something! Rin is sitting so close to him... even if just for Obito's sake, I can't let Rin stay in danger!
As Kakashi's mind raced, he suddenly noticed Diarmuid staring at him with an amused expression. Kakashi's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his face neutral, even forcing a frown. "What is it?"
"Hatake Kakashi... son of the White Fang..." Diarmuid said suddenly.
Surprised, Kakashi instinctively asked, "You knew my father?"
"Hahaha! Does knowing him one-sidedly count?" Diarmuid laughed heartily.
Kakashi: "???" I feel like I'm being toyed with.
Before Kakashi could dwell on it, Diarmuid continued, "Perhaps others have told you this already, but since we've met, I'll say it too. The White Fang... he was a true hero. Kakashi, you should be proud of having such a father. Though, that guy was a bit too weak-willed to commit suicide over such a thing. Quite disappointing. If you ask me, he should have just wandered the world with me instead. What a waste!"
He started with a compliment but ended on such a jarring note. For a moment, Kakashi thought of Obito, and he truly didn't know whether to be happy or insulted.
"Someone has told me that before. My best friend... Uchiha Obito," Kakashi said quietly.
Upon hearing Obito's name, the others' expressions turned somber, especially Rin's.
"The Hero of the Sharingan, eh?" Diarmuid's lips curled into a smirk as he looked at Kakashi's covered eye. "He and you are both still too young. You don't yet realize that every gift from destiny comes with a price tag already attached."
Sharingan Kakashi. Copy Ninja Kakashi. Mr. Worldwide 50/50...
Though Kakashi had many titles, some of which sounded like backhanded compliments, there was no denying he was a formidable shinobi. However, as the saying goes: "Success by the Sharingan, failure by the Sharingan."
As he was not of the Uchiha Clan, Kakashi couldn't fully master the techniques of the eye. Honestly, the Uchiha were already being generous by letting him keep it in the name of a hero, let alone teaching him how to use it. Thus, Kakashi had to figure it all out on his own.
His biggest obstacle was the inability to deactivate it. This was incredibly awkward; a constantly active Sharingan meant a constant drain on his chakra reserves. Because of this, the eye ate up over half of his capacity, leaving him at a permanent disadvantage in terms of stamina. He had to calculate every move and every battle with extreme precision. Even if he had mastered over a thousand ninjutsu, earning the name "Copy Ninja," he only dared to use a handful of techniques regularly.
Kakashi was a genius, but because of that eye, it seemed he would never quite reach the heights of the "White Fang of Konoha."
"Jack of all trades, master of none" described him perfectly. Eventually, he would even stop using his family's signature blade techniques.
"What do you mean by that!?" Kakashi's brow furrowed.
"One day, you'll understand, Kakashi," Diarmuid said cryptically, offering no further explanation.
Kakashi's teeth itched with irritation. If I weren't sure I'd lose, I'd have struck you by now.
"As for you, Spandex Kid, state your name," Diarmuid said, turning to Might Guy.
Guy was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure, declaring with full vigor, "I am Konoha's Noble Green Beast, Might Guy!!"
It was a bit chunibyo, but he truly radiated a sense of boiling passion that seemed impossible to extinguish.
"Hahahaha!" A smirk appeared on Diarmuid's face as he laughed without restraint. "Excellent! You are also the son of a hero. Your father was a hell of a man. He spent his life following a steadfast belief. I have great respect for people like that. Might Guy, keep working hard. In my eyes, you have a future more brilliant and dazzling than anyone else here. One day, you too will become a hero and carry on the will of your father."
To be so suddenly validated by Diarmuid left Guy a bit dazed. However, he could tell that this handsome man's praise for his father wasn't empty flattery; it was sincere. He could feel it in his bones.
His eyes welled up, and he shouted without hesitation, "Well, of course I will!!!"
"Guest, your Tonkotsu Ramen is ready! And you kids, sit down and eat!" Teuchi's father suddenly interrupted the "joyful" atmosphere.
Diarmuid chuckled and stopped teasing the kids. He accepted the bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen with great anticipation. One sniff and he knew, it smelled incredible!
"Not bad, Boss! In the realm of ramen, I, Diarmuid, am willing to call you the strongest!" Diarmuid praised.
The others might not have noticed or heard clearly, but Kakashi's heart sank. It really is him... Diarmuid!
"Hahaha! You certainly have a way with words! In honor of such high praise, today's meal is on the house!" Teuchi's father laughed heartily.
Everyone has their own pursuit. For him, it was the perfect bowl of ramen. And Diarmuid was, in his eyes, the perfect customer!
"Really? Then I'll be thick-skinned and eat my fill without paying a cent!" Diarmuid said without a hint of hesitation.
Teuchi's father laughed even harder. "I'll even give you a free refill on the noodles!"
Watching this scene from the side, Kakashi finally understood Jiraiya's words. Indeed, it was truly difficult to connect this man with the vile, bloodthirsty Outlaw. Even with him sitting right in front of you, the thought wouldn't even cross your mind.
If it weren't for that specific coincidence, perhaps even he wouldn't have thought twice about it.