"No matter what, thanks, you really saved us this time," Nono said sincerely.
However, Aaron had pulled it off didn't matter. What mattered was the result. From now on, she wouldn't have to worry about funding suddenly being cut off by Danzo.
"Just make sure Kabuto gets a solid foundation, that'll be more than enough repayment," Aaron said with a smile. "Besides, I like the kids at the orphanage. Helping out is the least I can do."
Nono nodded. She had already started teaching Kabuto the basics of being a shinobi.
Before, when she planned for him to live a quiet life running the orphanage, she'd only taught him a little basic medical ninjutsu. Now, she was training him like a future ninja.
After all, Kabuto himself had said he wanted to attend the Academy and become a shinobi. Naturally, she wasn't going to hold back anymore; she'd do everything she could to help him grow stronger… so he wouldn't end up dying on some mission someday.
Aaron waved him over.
Kabuto, who had been happily snacking on sweet dumplings, hesitated.
He already knew what was coming, Aaron would definitely mess up the hair he'd just carefully fixed.
But… he glanced at the food in his hand. No such thing as a free lunch.
With a quiet sigh, he walked over.
Just as expected, the moment he got close, Aaron's hand dropped onto his head.
No matter how Kabuto tried to dodge, weaving side to side, he couldn't escape. If anything, it almost looked like he was the one moving into Aaron's reach.
Seeing Kabuto's defeated expression, Aaron chuckled. Please, he was using sensory perception. There was no way a five-year-old kid could slip past him.
Only when Kabuto's lips had puffed up enough to hang a kettle on did Aaron finally stop.
"So, Kabuto have you been keeping up with your training lately?"
Kabuto carefully set aside the skewer from his finished snack and thought for a moment.
"If you mean whether I've been taking it seriously… then yeah, I think so."
"He's been working extremely hard," Nono added. "Shuriken throwing, kunai practice, the basic transformation techniques, he's putting real effort into all of it. Sometimes I worry he might be pushing himself too much."
She felt Kabuto was underselling it. He'd been giving it his all.
He's still such an innocent kid… I just hope no one takes advantage of that someday, she thought.
What she couldn't possibly imagine was that this quiet, slightly withdrawn child would one day grow into someone who nearly brought the entire world to the brink of destruction.
"Good," Aaron said with a grin. "Keep it up, Kabuto. If you do well, you might even graduate from the Academy early and start taking missions, earning real money."
"You can graduate early?" Kabuto asked, smoothing down his hair.
After he'd decided to enroll, Nono had already explained the basics, like the Academy being a six-year program.
Aaron nodded. "I know a jonin who graduated early. Became a full-fledged ninja at five… and made jonin by twelve."
"Five? That's incredible…" Kabuto couldn't help but stare. He was five himself and hadn't even entered the Academy yet.
"You're talking about Kakashi, aren't you?" Nono said with a faint sigh. "That kind of genius isn't exactly a fair comparison."
Even during her time in Root, she'd heard of Kakashi's reputation.
Making a name for himself on the battlefield at ten or eleven… then becoming a jonin at twelve.
Most kids were just graduating the Academy at that age. Kakashi had already reached elite status.
The difference was obvious.
Nono believed Kabuto had talent but nothing on that level.
Aaron just smiled. "Don't underestimate him. Kabuto's potential is every bit as great as Kakashi's."
He hadn't expected such a strong reaction. Being around Kakashi so often, where the boy acted more like a junior teammate; had made him forget just how famous a prodigy he really was.
"If you expect too much, you'll only put pressure on him," Nono said, rubbing her temples.
Aaron's expression turned serious.
"Nono… trust me. His potential is far beyond what you think."
Nono: …
Looking at Aaron's absolute confidence, she didn't even know how to respond.
Kabuto, meanwhile, silently etched Kakashi's record into his mind.
He had a new goal now.
Becoming a ninja wasn't enough.
He would surpass Kakashi.
He would prove himself and make Nono smile with pride whenever she spoke about him.
After personally testing Kabuto's progress and giving him a few tips on chakra control, Aaron left the orphanage.
Training Ground Three – Konoha
Team Seven of the Fourth Hokage's Anbu regrouped once more.
Kakashi and the others looked at Aaron with excitement. Today, he would begin teaching them the mysterious technique known as Haki.
"Haki is a hidden power within every person," Aaron began. "Presence, killing intent, fighting spirit… when you learn to control these invisible forces, your will itself becomes a weapon. That power that's Haki."
It had been over two weeks since he first demonstrated it to them. In that time, Aaron had spent a significant amount of resources unlocking their latent potential.
If trained properly, they could awaken Haki, just like warriors from another world.
"Your physical strength isn't quite there yet," he continued, glancing at them. "So we'll start with Observation Haki."
With a smile, he pulled out three black cloth strips and handed them over.
Inuzuka Midori frowned. "Don't tell me… these are for tying our hair back?"
Aaron's grin widened. From behind him, he produced a wooden staff.
"Nope. Blindfolds."
Midori's expression froze.
Looking at the staff… then at the cloth… she had a very bad feeling about this.
"You've got to be kidding me. We're just supposed to stand there and take hits?" she asked.
Aaron shrugged casually. "You can dodge. It's not getting hit, it's training."
"How are we supposed to dodge if we can't see? And this isn't normal cloth; I can't see anything through it!"
"Oh, it's high quality," Aaron said proudly. "Custom-made. Don't forget to bring payment tomorrow, ten thousand ryo each."
Midori: …
…I should've kept my mouth shut.
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