Inside Kimoto Dōichi’s home.
Kakashi once again appeared on the balcony.
Looking at the figure standing there, Kimoto Dōichi shook his head.
“Kakashi… it’s not like my house doesn’t have a front door.” Kakashi ignored the complaint.
Gazing at the moonlit night outside, he asked casually, “It seems you’re very satisfied with that kid.
I’ve never seen you attend team dinners before.” Kimoto Dōichi walked onto the balcony.
“Looks like you’ve been paying close attention to him as well.” “But you should remember—he’s my student.” He looked straight at Kakashi.
Kakashi chuckled.
“Why so tense?
Are you worried I might steal him away?” “I do worry about that,” Kimoto Dōichi replied calmly.
“That kid is far more outstanding than I expected.” “I assume the person watching from the forest earlier today… was you.” Kimoto Dōichi had already sensed Kakashi’s presence during the day.
After all, he had once been a jōnin of the Anbu.
Even though he served in the interrogation division, sensory perception was one of his specialties.
“Using a Shadow Clone to train your students… if they ever found out, they’d probably feel pretty hurt.” “Besides, none of your students are ordinary either.” Kakashi didn’t mind the teasing.
“Heh… that kid has changed you quite a bit.
The old you wouldn’t talk like this.” Kakashi sighed lightly.
“Yes,” Kimoto Dōichi admitted.
“That kid made me realize something.” “If I don’t teach him well, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” Kakashi was surprised.
He hadn’t expected Kimoto Dōichi to admit it so directly—or for Kai to hold such a high place in his heart.
But when he recalled the scene earlier that day— Kai walking fearlessly toward the raging waterfall, completely calm even though he could have been smashed into the lake at any moment— Kakashi couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of Kimoto Dōichi.
“That kid’s talent… might even surpass mine.” Kakashi said it with a bitter smile.
Kakashi himself had once been Konoha’s greatest prodigy.
He graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of five.
At six, he became a chūnin.
By twelve, he had already been promoted to jōnin.
Later, he gained fame throughout the shinobi world as “Kakashi of the Sharingan.” He was undeniably one of the greatest geniuses in the history of the shinobi world.
Even Itachi Uchiha might have been slightly inferior in comparison.
Kimoto Dōichi shook his head.
“He’s still not at your level.
When you were twelve, you were already a jōnin.
Right now, he’s just a rookie.” “Oh, come on,” Kakashi replied.
“If he had the same resources I did, he might already be a jōnin too.” “The six years he spent in the Ninja Academy actually held him back.” Kakashi had always felt that Kai hiding his talent at the Academy was an unwise decision.
But then again… To suppress one’s vanity and conceal such talent at such a young age— Even Kakashi wasn’t sure he could have done that.
Back then, he never had any reason to hide his ability.
“So what are you planning to teach him?” Kakashi asked.
“Are you going to start teaching him ninjutsu already?” Kimoto Dōichi fell silent for a moment.
“I haven’t decided yet.” “To be honest… most of my techniques aren’t suitable for him.” “Most of the jutsu I know are related to interrogation techniques.
I don’t want him ending up in the Anbu.” Kimoto Dōichi sighed.
He truly wanted to teach Kai powerful combat ninjutsu.
But the reality was that he simply didn’t know many.
Aside from a few basic elemental techniques, most of the A-rank jutsu he knew were interrogation-based.
“I honestly don’t know what I’ll teach him once I finish covering the basics.” Seeing Kimoto Dōichi’s troubled expression, Kakashi remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“If you’re willing… I could help.” Kimoto Dōichi looked at him in shock.
“You’d help me?
Aren’t you worried the Hokage might object?” After all, the Third Hokage had assigned Naruto and Sasuke to Kakashi specifically so he could guide them.
If Kakashi diverted his attention to Kai, the Hokage would certainly have something to say about it.
Kakashi shrugged.
“Then we just don’t let him find out.” “For the time being, most of our missions will still be inside the village anyway.” “With that kid’s talent, I’m confident that before he’s even allowed to leave the village for missions, I can raise his ninjutsu ability to the level of a jōnin.” Kimoto Dōichi stared at Kakashi in disbelief.
He knew Kakashi thought highly of Kai.
But he hadn’t expected him to go this far.
After all, Kakashi was also known as the “Copy Ninja.” Thanks to the Sharingan, he had mastered thousands of techniques.
Even so, Kimoto Dōichi still wished he could personally teach Kai.
But aside from a few B-rank jutsu, every A-rank technique he knew was interrogation-related.
Even if Kai learned them, they would be of little use.
“What do you want in return?” Kimoto Dōichi asked.
He knew very well that nothing in the world came for free.
“My request is simple.” “When I go out on missions in the future, I may occasionally borrow him.” Kimoto Dōichi froze.
“You don’t mean… taking him on dangerous missions, do you?” Kakashi nodded.
“You should know better than anyone—a greenhouse can’t produce strong shinobi.” “When I was twelve, I was already following the Fourth Hokage on missions.” “That’s different,” Kimoto Dōichi snapped.
“You’re you.
He’s not you.” “You were trained for that.
No matter how talented he is, he’s still just a rookie who recently graduated from the Ninja Academy.” “And what kind of missions do you usually take?
None of them are below B-rank.” “I’m not letting my student risk his life like that.” Kimoto Dōichi was genuinely angry.
Because Kakashi could be incredibly unreliable.
The missions Kakashi referred to weren’t the ones he took with Naruto’s team.
They were the missions Kakashi accepted personally.
As one of Konoha’s strongest elite jōnin, even ordinary jōnin could face serious danger when working alongside him.
Kai might be talented—but right now he didn’t even know any real ninjutsu yet.
He hadn’t even experienced a real battle.
How could Kimoto Dōichi possibly allow him to follow Kakashi into such danger?
But Kakashi had his own reasoning.
“Dōichi, you should understand something.” “Letting him witness real danger earlier will help him grow.” “Honestly, he should have been exposed to it long ago.” “At this point, it might even be a little late.” Kimoto Dōichi still refused.
“I won’t agree to it.” “I want him to grow step by step.
Only when he has enough strength will I let him leave the village.” Kakashi shook his head.
“That way of thinking is wrong.” “He’s different from ordinary people.
Taking things slowly will only make him mediocre.” “Do you really want him to become just another average shinobi?” Kimoto Dōichi glared at him.
“But I want even less to see him die before me.” He truly regarded Kai as his student.
Even if his cautious approach meant Kai might become an ordinary shinobi someday— He would still never allow his student to risk his life on Kakashi’s deadly missions.
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