148 Guidance...

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Now then a personal message to this website

Webnovel.com

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Back in the Hidden Leaf Village...

The evening sun shone over the training grounds where Kakashi was standing in front of the Hidden Leaf Memorial stone.

"Kakashi," a familiar voice sounded close behind Kakashi.

"Sensei," glancing behind, Kakashi saw Minato in his ANBU robe without his mask.

The muffled sounds of footsteps on grass echoed as Minato approached Kakashi and stood beside him.

"Obito..." Minato murmured as he thought back to the Fourth Ninja War.

"It's surprising how much he changed at that time," Minato suddenly said.

"Yeah..." Kakashi replied as he thought back to the first moment Obito had awakened his Sharingan.

"War changes people." Kakashi said.

"Yeah..." Minato agreed.

The area became silent as the two quietly reminisced the past.

"I wonder what he is doing now..." Kakashi thought out loud.

"To think he could play the role of Tobi with all that despair in his heart," Minato said.

"Tobi won't join Akatsuki until Sasori dies," Kakashi said.

"That's true..." Minato nodded in agreement.

The two stared once more in silence...

"Kakashi," Minato called out.

"To be honest, I thought you wouldn't be able to move on after everything that had happened." Minato said as he thought back to how he, Rin, and Obito had left Kakashi.

This was also in addition to his father's death.

All these deaths added together was almost suffocating for Kakashi to the point he locked himself in darkness as he continued to serve in ANBU.

Hiruzen had relieved him then so that he could slowly face the light again as time passed.

As Kakashi started his jōnin career, he began to receive teams of genins only to fail them one after another since none of them could think quickly like Obito whenever he threatened them.

"It's thanks to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura that I was finally able to get over it." Kakashi smiled. "Naruto, eh..." Minato smiled,

"The first time they fought against you, all three had failed miserably," laughing as he said that. "Hehe, Naruto ended up being tied up just like Obito," Kakashi chuckled.

"Naruto is Obito and Sasuke is you," Minato compared.

"Yeah..." Kakashi murmured.

…

After some time, Minato and Kakashi decided to go back. Currently, they were walking through the forest on their way to the village.

Kakashi looked at Minato.

"Sensei?" Kakashi called out.

"What is it Kakashi?" Minato asked.

"True, Madara has been lonely the entire time."

"He faced solitude more than anyone else." Minato said.

"But, Madara wasn't entirely wrong in the end."

"It was because of him, the entire ninja world united as one." Kakashi said.

"Maybe... Madara was a hero after all..." Minato sighed.

"Itachi was the true unsung hero," Kakashi replied.

"True..."

"If Obito became the Hokage, the Uchiha clan probably wouldn't have planned for a coup. And perhaps Itachi would have enjoyed life without worries," Minato ruefully sighed.

"Fate was cruel indeed," Kakashi sighed,

"Naruto and Obito are the same. He could have truly become a Hokage, had he not met that accident."

Bang!

An explosive sound emerged.

"That's coming from the training field over there," Minato was surprised as he looked towards the entrance of a different training field that was by the side of the pathway they were walking on.

However, Kakashi knew that destruction sound all too well.

"It's Sasuke," Kakashi suddenly said.

"Sasuke?" Minato was surprised.

"He is training in the Raikiri," Kakashi replied.

"I see..." Minato trailed off before he said, "Kakashi."

"Sensei?" Kakashi looked at Minato.

"Why don't you go back to check on the mission Naruto went on? I'll go meet Sasuke-kun," Minato suggested.

"All right." Kakashi nodded,

"I'll leave Sasuke to you then." After which, Kakashi walked away.

Minato remained on the same place as he continued to look towards the entrance to the training field.

"I hope this conversation goes well..." Minato scratched his head with an awkward smile.

————————————

Back at the Hidden Grass…

The downpour of rain continued heavily.

Currently, Karin and Kurenai were trying to find where Asuma and the others went, but at this moment Karin suddenly had a bad feeling in her heart.

'Why does it hurt so much...?' Karin thought, following which she turned back and resolutely started running towards where Naruto and Hinata were.

"Karin!" Kurenai called out.

However, Karin did not listen.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Karin ran with all her might while the rain poured right over her head, making it difficult to see clearly.

However, despite that, her keen senses kicked in to guide her to the right direction.

"That tree," Karin's gaze soon landed on a particular tree.

However, after she took a few steps closer, she slowed down until she came to a stop, shaking as she fell on her knees.

Her crimson eyes widened into saucers as she saw a scene that broke her heart.

It was the moment when Hinata kissed Naruto.

"Why..." Karin murmured, tears streaming down her fair and immature face.

"Karin!" Kurenai called out with almost half of her voice being muffled by the heavy downpour.

"Huh...?" Hinata pulled herself back a bit, only to see Karin nearby standing up slowly.

"Karin..." Hinata looked at Karin who was looking at the ground in front of her as she stood in the heavy rain.

"Karin?" Naruto was surprised.

However, he also understood that she'd seen what they did.

"Karin..." Kurenai finally caught up.

Hinata ran out from underneath the tree cover to Karin.

"Karin!" Hinata called out.

"Hinata, it's not fair..." Karin murmured sadly.

Kurenai instantly understood.

Karin had seen Hinata and Naruto together.

Kurenai was already aware of Naruto's past, a bit of it which was told to her by Asuma, as well as the scene she saw through Hiruzen's orb that showed Naruto try to flirt with Hinata only to see her supposed student faint.

"This boy..." Kurenai couldn't help feeling a bit angry.

"Karin, come with me." Hinata said as she pulled Karin away only to see that Karin did not budge from her spot.

"Why...?" Karin asked again as she looked straight at Hinata.

Hinata sighed.

"I'll tell you what happened, just follow me." Hinata said as she took Karin away.

Karin followed her to a different tree that could provide them shelter from the rain, which was away from Naruto.

"Hinata... Karin..." Naruto stared at the two walking away in the heavy rain, his emotions complicated.

"Naruto!" Kurenai called out in a firm voice. "Yes!" Naruto was stunned.

"I need to speak with you," Kurenai said.

...

"Shino, Kiba," Asume called, "Are you able to get a lock on the other's location?"

"Sorry, Sensei. It's hard to find any clues when the rain is washing away most of the scents in the region," Kiba said after he tried to sniff around a bit.

"My bugs cannot fly in this rain," Shino gloomily said. "I see..." Asuma sighed.

"Asuma-sensei," Kiba called out.

"What is it, Kiba?" Asuma asked.

"What happened back on the bridge?" Kiba asked,

"Naruto just vanished for an instant, and he suddenly took out everyone. Not only that, but there was also something strange. It was like he was a monster or something," Kiba complained.

*Bark*, Akamaru agreed.

"What is going on, Sensei?" Kiba asked, wanting to get to the bottom of this.

"Kiba..." Asuma hesitated, "Naruto is much more than what you have seen of him in the academy. At this point, he is also a mystery to me..." Asuma sighed.

"What am I saying? Naruto is a ninja just like you guys, but way stronger," Asuma said irresponsibly, "It is because of that he is a jōnin today. As long as you guys train, you can become jōnins too." Asuma smiled.

"Asuma-sensei, you are a jōnin too. Even longer than Naruto. Are you stronger than him?" Kiba asked.

"Hehe," Asuma let out a light laugh. "What is it, Sensei?" Kiba asked.

"Ah... it's nothing..." Asuma took out a cigarette and started smoking as if without a care for the world. Internally, however, he was thinking back to the scene earlier.

("I have seen Lord Fourth battle before, but I think even he was not that fast...") Asuma thought as he puffed out a small cloud of smoke.

...

Kurenai looked at Naruto.

"Naruto," Kurenai started, "this is not good."

Naruto looked away in silence.

"You may have been married to Hinata in the future." Kurenai continued,

"And though I may not believe you one hundred percent, Hinata and Karin are just kids at this point. You are not thinking like an adult, Naruto. You should know that this is not the age for it."

Naruto wanted to deny her at first, but realized she was right. After all, Hinata was younger he was right now. Much, much younger. Not to mention the fact that he was even older than Kakashi and his father in this timeline, he was also older than Kurenai and Asuma at this point.

However, today, the incident was such that Kurenai couldn't help but step in.

"I understand, Kurenai-sensei, but this is difficult for me too, ya know." Naruto said.

Kurenai sighed.

"Naruto, first of all, I should have thanked you." Kurenai said as she bowed towards Naruto,

"Thank you for saving mine and Hinata's lives," Kurenai said.

"Kurenai-sensei, you shouldn't.

"Naruto lifted her and said, "Sensei, the problem is..."

Naruto explained everything regarding what had happened between him, Karin, and Hinata in the past two months.

"I see... that is indeed a problem..." Kurenai nodded slowly as she understood.

——————————————

Back in the Hidden Leaf Village, Training Field…

Huff! Huff! Huff!

Sasuke was breathing up and down heavily after practicing Raikiri.

("The part of shape manipulation is indeed very tough...") Sasuke thought.

"Sasuke-kun," suddenly, Minato called out.

"Mm?" Sasuke turned around to see Minato standing a few meters away from him.

'Why is Naruto's dad here?' Sasuke thought, confused.

"I'm not disturbing you right now, am I?" Minato asked politely.

"No," Sasuke answered back following which, "What business does Lord Fourth have with me?" Sasuke asked.

"Oh, I am here as Naruto's father, so you don't need to be so formal with me," Minato smiled.

"Huh?" Sasuke stared, following which he remembered what Kakashi had mentioned.

—FlashBack—

"Has there been anyone who has mastered both shape manipulation and nature manipulation?" Sasuke asked.

"So far there has been none when it is both nature and shape manipulation..."

"However there was one who managed to achieve Shape manipulation to the highest level, and he was the creator of the technique," Kakashi said.

"Who?" Sasuke asked immediately.

"It was the Fourth Hokage." Kakashi said.

—End of FlashBack—

("Now might be the perfect time to ask,") Sasuke thought as he looked at Minato.

"Actually, I do have a request I'd like to ask the Fourth Hokage," Sasuke said.

"Oh? Go on, Sasuke-kun," Minato said in eagerness.

"I want to... learn the Rasengan," Sasuke said.