Chapter Five: Successfully Taking a Disciple, Onward with the Mission!

“Naruto! What did you do to him?” Naruto’s consciousness was dragged into the sealed space, and his body collapsed unconscious to the ground… Kakashi hurriedly caught Naruto, glaring furiously at Hao Yun.

“Tch, isn’t he a jinchuriki? Isn’t it obvious? Of course, Kurama just took him away.” Hao Yun shrugged, refusing to shoulder the blame. He wanted to take on apprentices, change some of the tragedies in the Hidden Leaf, but he certainly wasn’t going to kill the child of prophecy.

“What… what are you trying to do? Do you want to overthrow the Leaf?” Sitting on the ground, holding Naruto, Kakashi spoke weakly. Hao Yun noticed that at the mention of overturning the Leaf, a flicker of support seemed to cross Kakashi’s eyes.

Hmm, it seems the real reason behind White Fang’s death had left even this loyal Leaf ninja with some resentment.

“Why destroy the Leaf? I just can’t bear to watch anymore—I want to change some tragic fates.” Hao Yun spread his hands. “As for the Leaf, I only intend to wipe out Danzo, and expose the secrets of Black Zetsu. That’s all.”

“Are you serious?” Kakashi looked at Hao Yun, skeptical that someone would be so kind as to purge the Leaf of its cancer.

“Tch, I’ll have Sasuke promoted to jōnin in a few days—what does a tiny Leaf Village have to offer me? Relax, I just want to take in twelve apprentices and, by the way, help them defeat Kaguya Otsutsuki and Madara Uchiha! Yes, including Obito Uchiha!”

“Alright! If what you say is true, you have my full support!” Kakashi finally voiced his approval. He wanted to eliminate Danzo anyway, so why not join forces? As long as the Leaf isn’t destroyed, recruiting a few apprentices is something he could even help with.

After all, the man was a powerhouse, and fostering a good relationship with him could only benefit the Leaf.

With these thoughts, Kakashi glanced at Sakura… He knew Sasuke and Naruto—one with Uchiha blood, the other the son of the Fourth and a Uzumaki. But what was special about this girl in Team Seven? Did Sakura have some hidden strengths he hadn’t noticed?

Hao Yun had no intention of wasting time with Kakashi. His goal was to shatter the plot, and nothing worked faster than recruiting future powerhouses as apprentices.

“Sakura, how about it—I can guarantee Sasuke will marry you. As long as you become my disciple…”

“Master!” Sasuke blushed and stared at Hao Yun, mortified. Was there no shame? And who said he’d marry Sakura?

No way—he’d never marry any woman! For the pride of the Uchiha!

“I… Kakashi-sensei…” Sakura looked helplessly at Kakashi, though internally, Inner Sakura was screaming in excitement.

“Though it’s not really my place to interfere with your choice of master, I think you should seriously consider it—a powerhouse on par with the Kage.” Hao Yun eyed Kakashi strangely; he really agreed to Sakura becoming an apprentice?

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Sasuke had already become an apprentice, so what’s the harm in Sakura following suit?

“Very well—Master, please accept your disciple’s bow!” Sakura, decisive as ever, knelt and performed the formal apprentice’s salute as soon as she saw Kakashi didn’t object. Her loud declaration also woke Naruto, who’d been chatting with his parents inside his belly.

“Master, please accept your disciple’s bow!” This time, without even glancing at Kakashi, Naruto knelt decisively to Hao Yun. Indeed, his sunny disposition had faded, replaced by a gloominess somewhat like Sasuke’s.

“Naruto, I…” Kakashi hesitated, but Naruto interrupted, “Kakashi-sensei, my mom asked me to tell you: when you die and go to hell, she’ll have a good talk with you!”

“Uh…” A bead of cold sweat slid down Kakashi’s forehead. Master’s wife…

“Hey, are you ever going to escort me home?” The client, Uncle Tazuna, who’d been ignored for ages, shouted. He might not understand the situation, but his family’s urgent plight couldn’t afford delays.

Everyone turned to Hao Yun, who just shrugged. What else? Of course, the mission continues.

“Let’s proceed. There’s a jōnin who’s accepted an assassination mission—he’s your opponent. Perfect for sparring.”

“Jōnin?!” Kakashi exclaimed. For a C-rank mission, with two chunin and a jōnin, this was practically an S-rank mission! Was someone targeting Naruto again? Danzo, perhaps?

“Don’t overthink it, just a coincidence. Gato has money and happened to hire him.” Hao Yun, catching Kakashi’s thoughts, slapped him on the head and laid out the facts.

Kakashi sighed in relief—thank goodness it wasn’t Root. He wasn’t ready to go up against them yet.

“Alright, enough questions, let’s get moving!”

....................

On the road, Hao Yun had Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura begin chakra control training.

He had to admit, all three were geniuses. With his parents’ help, Naruto convinced Kurama to temporarily stop releasing chakra to interfere, making tree climbing and water walking easy. Sakura, a scholar, mastered it in a minute. Sasuke, comparatively, struggled the most, only achieving precise control over his sudden surge of chakra when they boarded the boat.

The result: Naruto unlocked his Rasengan skill tree, Sakura began learning Armament and Observation Haki, and Sasuke continued adapting to his physical strength.

“Get down!” After walking four or five days, just after the boat ride and nearing the Land of Waves, Kakashi suddenly cried out and pressed Tazuna to the ground!

“Sasuke!”

“Naruto!”

Killing intent approached from afar, and a huge blade sliced through the air… Naruto and Sasuke shouted together, Sasuke, dragged by Naruto, lunged at the blade and kicked it skyward, where it landed at an angle stuck in the ground.

The man who had planned to elegantly step onto the blade for his grand entrance, Zabuza Momochi, was forced to stand awkwardly on the ground, gazing mournfully at his sword in the distance.

“The Demon—Zabuza Momochi?”

“The Copy Ninja—Kakashi Hatake!”

Kakashi and Zabuza greeted each other, preparing for the usual exchange of compliments, but Sasuke, unable to hold back his urge to test his own strength, leapt into the air and kicked down hard.

“Substitution Jutsu!”

“Crack!”

The log Sasuke kicked shattered, and Zabuza returned to perch atop his blade… his gaze now even more forlorn.

Really, what happened to the customary exchange of compliments upon meeting? Kakashi, are you not a jōnin? Do you not understand standard procedures?

Without the mutual praise, how will anyone know each other’s strength when they clash? Even jōnin need followers and fans!

Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Zabuza, and Tazuna all looked strangely at Hao Yun… for all these words had come from his mouth.

Yes, the narrator!