Meian widened his eyes in admiration, letting the reaction play across his face naturally. Kakashi seemed satisfied by it.
"He may seem mature for his age," Kakashi said, "but he's still just a kid."
A necessary performance, Meian thought, but nothing out of place. Anyone his age would react the same way.
Kakashi cleared his throat, shifting his weight. "Learning ninjutsu requires certain conditions. I can only teach those who are my direct students."
Meian's face fell convincingly. "I understand. Of course—such important techniques can't be shared with just anyone." He turned away, shoulders slumping. "I should be going. Thank you for the consideration, Sensei."
He was gone.
The world seemed to fold around him, space compressing as he activated the Body Flicker Technique. When he reappeared, he was two hundred meters away, moving low through the rooftops of the village.
Behind him, silence.
Then: "A Body Flicker Technique?" Kakashi's voice carried no surprise, only intrigue. "When did he learn that?" The silver-haired ninja replayed their first meeting in his mind. He must have picked it up that very day. To master it in mere hours—with his physical condition as a baseline? That's not talent. That's genius.
---
Meian winced as his feet touched down on a quiet street corner. Careless. I performed it right in front of him. Next time, I'll need to be more careful.
"Avoiding someone?"
Kakashi materialized beside him as if he'd always been there, hands folded casually, his visible eye gleaming with amusement.
Meian flinched. "Nothing! I was just—" He forced a laugh, running a hand through his hair. "That speed of yours is incredible, Sensei. I didn't sense you coming at all."
"You're lying," Kakashi said flatly. "Your body language changed the second you detected my presence. So—why were you running?"
Meian sighed, abandoning the pretense. He focused on gathering chakra to his feet. "I wasn't running from anything important. Just forgot to secure my house properly. Paranoid about thieves." He began to sink into a familiar stance. He already knows about the Body Flicker. No point hiding it now.
When Meian vanished, Kakashi's eye narrowed with genuine interest. Remarkable. Not just the technique itself—the control. The precision. This kid is exceptionally talented. A small smile crossed his masked face. A waste to let that potential stagnate.
Without hesitation, Kakashi followed.
---
He arrived at Meian's house first, materializing in the small courtyard with practiced ease. He'd reviewed the boy's file thoroughly—knew exactly where he lived. Kakashi settled himself on the porch, pouring a cup of tea from a pot left cooling on a wooden table.
The gate creaked open moments later.
Meian's expression shifted from surprise to resignation when he sensed the familiar chakra signature already present. He pushed through and approached the porch. "Sensei. What brings you here?"
Kakashi gestured to the empty seat beside him. "Sit."
Meian complied, pouring his own tea. The silence stretched between them—not uncomfortable, but weighted with unspoken questions.
"You have impressive sensory perception," Kakashi said eventually. "You detected me the moment you entered the gate. Most shinobi wouldn't pick up on that level of precision without years of training." He took a sip. "The tea is good. Your brewing technique is refined. And this place—" he glanced around the immaculate courtyard, "—you keep it well-maintained. Disciplined."
Meian said nothing, simply waiting. He'd learned long ago that silence was often the best response to fishing.
Kakashi set his cup down. "I have a question for you. One I need a straight answer to."
"Ask."
"I heard you performed the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique. That's a jutsu most Genin struggle with, even with proper training." Kakashi's eye fixed on him. "Is it true?"
Meian leaned back, studying the man across from him. "Why does it matter?"
"Because I think you might be a genius."
The statement hung in the air, simple and direct.
Meian's first instinct was wariness. "If that's what you believe, then you want something. What is it?"
Kakashi sighed. "What's going on in your head? I'm offering to teach you ninjutsu. Real ninjutsu. Techniques you won't find in any academy textbook."
"On what conditions?"
"You really don't trust me, do you?" Kakashi's lip twitched faintly. "Fine. One condition: never betray the Hidden Leaf Village."
Meian considered this. The condition was straightforward—almost suspiciously so. But Kakashi's chakra remained steady, his body language open. He wasn't lying. "That's it?"
"That's it," Kakashi confirmed. "Can you agree to that?"
Meian smiled. "Of course." As long as the Village doesn't give me reason to turn against it, there's no conflict. And regardless—such promises are only as binding as circumstances allow them to be. But there's no advantage to breaking one before necessity demands it.
Kakashi studied him for a long moment, as if looking past flesh and bone into something deeper. "I hope you remember these words when the time comes to honor them. But first—prove to me you can actually use the Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
Meian stood and walked to a large stone formation at the edge of the courtyard, positioned beside a small ornamental pond. "Move back, Sensei."
His hands began to move.
Kakashi watched closely, and his eye widened incrementally. His seal speed—it's already comparable to mine.
The motions blurred together: Rat, Ox, Tiger. Each seal flowed into the next with mechanical precision, no wasted movement, no hesitation.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Meian's lungs expanded. The handseals directed his chakra with surgical accuracy. When he released his breath, it ignited into a roaring inferno—a sphere of flame nearly four meters across, burning white-hot at its core.
The fireball struck the stone formation dead center.
The impact was catastrophic.
Rock exploded outward in razor-sharp fragments. The ground shook. Steam erupted from the pond as superheated water vaporized into mist. Dust and smoke swallowed the courtyard whole, choking the air.
When it cleared, all that remained of the formation was rubble.
Meian turned to Kakashi, breathing steadily, a slight smile on his face. "How was that?"
Kakashi was motionless. His single visible eye was wide, processing what he'd just witnessed. "I honestly didn't believe you could pull it off. And the power output—it exceeds a standard Great Fireball by a significant margin." He paused, then: "You taught yourself this?"
"Self-taught," Meian confirmed. "Why?"
Kakashi stood slowly, his gaze fixed on the rubble. When he finally spoke, his voice carried genuine weight. "Because that means your potential is even greater than I thought."
---