"How are you getting along with your new teammates?"
"They're just people I complete missions with. Getting along isn't important."
Kakashi replied indifferently.
Earlier that morning,
He had already met his two new teammates and their jonin instructor.
But he felt nothing in particular.
As long as the mission was completed—
That was enough.
Hearing his detached tone,
Rin could already tell…
Things weren't going well between him and his new team.
"I still have something to do."
Kakashi said, already starting to walk away.
"W-wait… Kakashi!"
Rin quickly called out.
"Are you studying chakra nature transformation? Like turning chakra into something similar to… electricity?"
She tried to find a common topic.
Although she hadn't succeeded that day—
She had carefully memorized all the theory Kiyoshi had taught her.
Kakashi stopped.
Then slowly turned around.
Rin stood there, hands clasped in front of her,
Her brown eyes fixed on him,
Worry clearly visible on her face.
She looked… more tired than before.
"…You've been learning chakra nature transformation?"
Kakashi sounded slightly surprised.
This kind of knowledge was rarely taught in the academy.
Only chunin and above truly dealt with it.
For students like them—
It was far too advanced.
"…Just a little."
Rin nodded.
Then, relying on memory,
She explained some of the theory.
As Kakashi listened—
He realized something.
She actually understood quite a lot.
Up until now,
He had been working on Lightning Release alone.
What he lacked most—
Was someone to exchange ideas with.
"Rin… what do you think about stimulating the cells in the wrist and palm?"
He asked.
Rin thought for a moment,
Then shared her perspective.
In truth—
Medical ninjutsu and Lightning Release had some overlap.
Both involved the human body.
And when it came to understanding cells—
Medical ninjutsu was unmatched.
"…Let's find somewhere to talk properly."
Kakashi's interest was clearly piqued.
Some of Rin's ideas—
Even he hadn't considered.
The technique he was developing was still incomplete.
He only had a rough framework.
There were many gaps left to fill.
"…Okay."
Rin nodded softly and quickly followed him.
A trace of joy appeared in her heart.
Even the worry on her face lessened slightly.
As long as she could stay close to Kakashi—
Maybe…
She could guide him back.
That was her hope.
Half a month later—
At the Ninja Academy.
Kiyoshi's life had gradually returned to calm.
He sat in class,
Listening to a chunin instructor lecture about ninja history.
This world knew very little about the ancient past.
Even the legendary Sage of Six Paths was vaguely recorded.
As for Kaguya—
Almost no one knew of her existence.
Ironically,
The clan that preserved the most secrets—
Was the Uchiha.
Deep within the Naka Shrine,
There existed an ancestral stone tablet.
"…It's slowing down."
Kiyoshi thought to himself.
The feedback from his Sharingan
Was no longer as rapid as before.
Instead,
It had become subtle—
Gradually synchronizing his body and mind.
The Sharingan…
Was a reflection of the soul.
And because it rapidly enhanced its user,
The Uchiha were feared by many.
The bell rang.
Break time.
As always—
Kurenai was the first to approach Kiyoshi.
Asking whether he understood the previous lesson.
Kiyoshi continued reading while responding casually.
Most of the time, she spoke—
He only replied briefly.
He was preparing for early graduation.
Compressing years of knowledge into a short time.
With his natural talent,
And his enhanced memory—
It wasn't impossible.
"Red went to talk to Kiyoshi again… she must really like genjutsu."
Akimichi Domaru said while eating chips.
"I've been training in my clan for days."
Asuma said confidently.
His genjutsu skills had always been average—
But after training,
He believed he had improved.
Beating Kiyoshi—
Who wasn't even using the Sharingan—
Shouldn't be difficult.
After all—
Without the Sharingan,
What was so special about the Uchiha?
"…Impressive."
Domaru replied lazily.
Asuma sighed.
Sometimes he wondered
How he even got along with someone like him.
Then—
Asuma glanced over.
Kiyoshi had said something—
And Kurenai actually laughed.
His expression changed instantly.
He stood up and walked over.
"Hey, Kiyoshi. Don't forget—you promised to spar with me."
He tapped the desk lightly.
Lowering his voice on purpose,
Trying to sound more mature.
"…Don't worry."
Kiyoshi nodded.
Seeing Kurenai's attention shift toward him—
Asuma felt satisfied and returned to his seat.
"Will you win?"
Obito turned around and asked.
He wanted to see Kiyoshi lose.
Ever since Kakashi stopped coming to school—
Things had become boring.
Watching Kiyoshi fail would be entertaining.
"…I will."
Asuma nodded confidently.
Then glanced at Obito with slight pity.
After all—
Obito had already lost to Kiyoshi once.
In front of Rin.
This time—
He would show him what a real man looked like.
"Kurenai… you won't mind if I win against Asuma, right?"
Kiyoshi asked calmly.
Asuma wasn't the man he would become in the future.
Right now—
He was just a boy seeking recognition.
The son of a hero often carried more pressure than others.
Because people would always compare.
"…If you win, that's fine."
Kurenai nodded.
"Maybe it'll help tone down his attitude a bit."
Despite spending less time with Asuma lately—
They were still close.
Childhood friends.
She also understood…
The complicated relationship between him and the Third Hokage.
The match was set.
And soon—someone would prove themselves.
— End of Chapter —