The three kids had been waiting for what felt like an eternity.
The sun blazed overhead. Two long hours had passed.
Just as they were about to give up and head home, a familiar voice drifted over.
"Not bad… even though someone was half an hour late."
"But all three of you did well."
Kazuyama slowly appeared before them, his signature mischievous grin in place.
"Holy shit! Kazuyama-sensei!" Obito blurted out in shock.
Kakashi and Rin also looked completely dumbfounded.
"What? Not happy to see me?"
The three immediately shook their heads like rattledrums.
Even Kakashi.
After all, this was Kazuyama—the demon teacher who conquered the Academy in just one year.
In his Stealth Course, you could never let your guard down. One second of distraction, and he'd drag you off from an angle you'd never expect.
Terrifying.
"I told you this on the very first day," Kazuyama continued.
"Patience... for a ninja, it's the most important skill."
"I actually arrived early this morning and have been watching you from over there."
"Well done. Especially you, Rin—you understand the value of patience and waiting."
Kazuyama grinned. Whatever the truth was, they had to accept it now.
"Sensei Kazuyama, you're our team leader?" Rin's eyes sparkled with excitement.
No matter what others thought, she genuinely liked the teacher standing before her—a Jōnin of Konoha, still young but undeniably strong.
"That's right. From today on, I'll be leading you three."
"In other words, you're now under my command."
"How about it? Excited?"
Kakashi and Obito exchanged glances.
There was no excitement. Only… mild depression.
Kazuyama was strong, sure. But how to put it…
He just wasn't serious enough.
The trauma of One Thousand Years of Death had yet to fade from their young minds.
"What's wrong, Kakashi, Obito? Not happy?"
"Or… are you thinking of this?"
Kazuyama slowly pressed his hands together, forming the Tiger Seal.
Kakashi and Obito visibly shuddered.
Instantly, they plastered on forced smiles.
"Of course not! With Kazuyama-sensei leading us, we'll definitely succeed!" Obito declared.
"Right, Kakashi?"
"…Right," Kakashi nodded vigorously.
Kazuyama burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! I'll believe that for now."
"Anyway, it's noon. You must be starving. I know I am."
"My treat—Ichiraku Ramen!"
…
After the meal, Kazuyama led the three straight to the mission center.
There was no need for long speeches—the best way to get them working as a team was to start a mission.
A simple D-rank task.
One of the classics: catching a rich woman's cat.
"This mission…" Kazuyama murmured, a nostalgic smile forming.
He remembered doing this when he first became a Genin.
That fat—no, wealthy—woman was quite generous, offering 10,000 ryo just to retrieve her cat.
And somehow, she always lost them.
Seriously, Is this some kind of divine punishment?
"This is your first mission as a team: catching a cat."
"It only runs around the village, so you have until nightfall to find it."
"Memorize the target's appearance and get to it! Go catch the cat!"
Kazuyama handed them a picture of the cat—then vanished in a blur, using the Body Flicker Technique to leave them behind.
"…Wait. Did he just ditch us?" Obito blinked.
"Catch a cat? Seriously? This is our first mission?"
"My god, I want to go to war! I want to make a name for myself!"
Meanwhile, Kakashi remained calm. He'd already gone through the D-rank mission stage before. He hadn't caught a cat, but he had weeded gardens.
"Let's go," Kakashi said. "If it's on the mission list, it's probably not an ordinary cat. If we don't search carefully, we might not find it before dark."
Rin nodded in agreement, then turned to Obito with a patient smile.
"Obito, since we accepted the mission, we have to finish it."
"Let's go catch that cat!"
Her words worked far better than Kazuyama's. Obito instantly perked up.
The three quickly got into the rhythm of things, going street by street, searching for the elusive feline.
Kazuyama hadn't really left—he stood on a nearby rooftop, watching them from above.
Seeing them work together brought a small smile to his face.
Chōmei, noticing Kazuyama's smirk, immediately perked up.
"Kazuyama, are you trying to cause trouble again?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Kazuyama replied smoothly. "I just want to add a little extra challenge for them. It's training."
"Cut it out. That's not training!"
The man and the beast exchanged glances—then burst into laughter, both filled with mischief.
"Just a little more difficulty is fine…"
"In that case…"
Kazuyama bit his finger and pressed a Summoning Technique onto the ceiling.
With a burst of white smoke, five snakes, each as thick as an arm, materialized before him.
"Hello, my friends. I need your help."
"Transformation Technique!"
As his chakra surged, the five snakes instantly turned into five identical cats.
"Alright, go out there and cause some confusion."
The "cats" darted off into the village.
Kazuyama chuckled and activated the Hive Mind, settling in to enjoy the show.
Meanwhile, his three students remained oblivious to their Sensei's interference.
They were still searching tirelessly for the cat.
"Kakashi, over there! That's the one from the mission!"
Obito pointed up at a wall, where a tabby cat was sprinting along.
Kakashi followed his gaze and nodded.
"Obito, Rin—surround it!"
"Go!"
At Kakashi's command, the three swiftly moved into position, boxing the cat in.
This was where Kakashi's talent shone. Despite his age, he had already reached Chūnin-level strength.
With a quick Body Flicker, he closed the gap, reaching out to snatch the cat.
Meanwhile, Obito and Rin flanked the sides, cutting off any escape routes.
"Got it!"
Kakashi's eyes flashed with satisfaction as his hands closed around the cat in a swift motion.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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