Chapter no.75 Naruto

Chapter no.75 Training your Ninken

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Morning in Tazuna's house was chaos incarnate.

The scent of breakfast filled the air, but no one was eating peacefully.

Kiba sat at the breakfast table, head nodding every few seconds as he fought a losing battle against sleep. His hair was wild, even by his standards, and there were visible claw marks on his cheek likely from Akamaru trying to wake him earlier. Meanwhile, Naruto was buzzing with energy, bouncing from one person to the next like a wind-up toy. He was glued to Hinata's side as she knelt beside Oscar, her Byakugan active, her expression patient yet slightly exasperated.

"Naruto-kun, I promise he seems fine physically," Hinata said softly, repeating herself for what had to be the fifth time. "No injuries. No stress fractures in his crystal plating. All his joints are properly aligned."

"And chakra?" Naruto asked quickly, brows furrowed.

Hinata blinked and focused again, her eyes subtly shifting as she examined Oscar more deeply. "I... I don't see anything abnormal. His chakra flow is smooth. Slower than a human's, but... stable."

Naruto's face lost all color. He stood still, eyes locked on the lizard.

That didn't make sense.

Oscar wasn't supposed to have a chakra network. The creatures of Lordran, as far as Naruto had learned, didn't run on chakra at all. Chakra was something native to the Elemental Nations. If Oscar had a chakra network... that meant one thing.

The binding ritual had created one.

"Hey, Kiba," Naruto said slowly, turning toward the Inuzuka. "Last time, you mentioned that regular dogs aren't born with chakra. How exactly does that work with a binding contract?"

Kiba's head drooped. His eyes were closed. A faint snore escaped his lips.

Naruto sighed.

"Never mind." He turned to the adults. "Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi lowered his copy of Icha Icha Tactics just enough to show his single, ever-watchful eye. "Kiba's half right. Regular animals aren't born with accessible chakra. But that doesn't mean they don't have chakra at all. Every living organism has chakra, it's just a matter of scale and potential."

Naruto squinted. "So then what creates a chakra network?"

"That's a good question," Kakashi said, sitting up a bit straighter. "A chakra network forms as an organism grows. The more chakra it contains, the more refined the pathways become. Think of it like water paths developing in response to water flow. A baby in the womb doesn't have an active network at first. It borrows chakra from the mother. But over time, the fetus generates its own."

"That means the chakra I pushed into Oscar created a network," Naruto muttered, horrified.

The younbg knight's mind spun. A chakra network meant Oscar would start generating chakra on his own. And with a body made entirely of crystallized soul, that was dangerous. Incredibly dangerous. Chakra and soul magic didn't mix cleanly. If too much built up inside him, Oscar could shatter from within.

I can't let that happen, Naruto thought, panic tightening his chest. Come on. Think. There has to be a way to protect him.

The boy slammed his palm down on the table, shaking the plates and utensils. Everyone turned to stare.

"I've got it," he said sharply, more to himself than anyone else.

Hinata leaned in, concerned. "Got what?"

Naruto's eyes darted to Sakura, who was drying her hands after helping Tsunami with the dishes. "Sakura! That seal you made before the Core Seal. Can you teach it to me?"

"Uh, sure. Why?"

"I need to place one on Oscar. To act like a buffer. Something that absorbs overflow so he doesn't overload."

"Why is chakra overflow dangerous for Oscar?" Hinata asked softly, genuine curiosity in her voice.

Naruto tapped his fingers on the table, choosing his words carefully. "Because... we don't fully understand what happens when chakra mixes with the crystallization of a soul."

Most of the room just stared at him, blinking in confusion.

Kiba, however, shivered slightly. "I'd take the idiot's word for it," he muttered. "Last night, his lizard nearly exploded. There was a flash, a sound like thunder, and then this giant spike of glowing crystal just grew out of nowhere."

The realization clicked for everyone at once.

So that was why Naruto had been so frantic this morning.

Sakura tilted her head thoughtfully. "Okay, but... there are two problems. First, the Core Seal has a set limit. It won't absorb chakra forever. And second, it's passive. It doesn't pull chakra in, you have to manually fill it."

Naruto frowned. "So I'd need to connect something to it to draw the excess chakra in?"

"Exactly."

Naruto turned to Kakashi again. "Sensei, you've studied fuinjutsu, right? You know any seal that can draw chakra from a host and feed it into another?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, mildly impressed. "Not bad, Naruto. You're thinking of a Siphon Seal. It's a more advanced one. Forms a one-way connection between two seals. Chakra naturally flows from the higher-pressure point to the lower one. If you pair a Siphon Seal with the Core Seal, you could create a slow-draining buffer."

"Perfect." Naruto beamed. "Can you teach us both?"

Sakura's head whipped toward Kakashi. "When did you know fuinjutsu?"

Kurenai, seated across from him sipping tea, smirked into her cup. "You didn't know? His teacher was the Fourth Hokage."

"The Yellow Flash?" Kiba mumbled, still half-asleep.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Alright then. After breakfast, we'll get started."

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After breakfast, Team 7 sat cross-legged in a circle around Kakashi on the wooden floor of Tazuna's home, the early sun streaming through the windows. It felt almost like being back at the Academy except the stakes were higher, and one of them was technically a hero in the making.

"Well then," Kakashi said, flipping his orange book closed with a snap. "We're diving into the basics of fuinjutsu. Sakura already knows the fundamentals. Naruto wants to learn. And… why are you here, Sasuke?"

"Hn."

"Don't mind him, sensei," Naruto said with a grin. "He'd get lonely without us."

Sakura stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Kakashi sighed. "Right. Moving on."

For the next hour, Kakashi gave a surprisingly structured lecture on the basics of sealing arts. Sakura chimed in constantly, eager to show off her progress and correct any simplifications Kakashi made for Naruto's sake. Naruto, however, wasn't struggling at all.

In fact... it was kind of terrifying.

By the time they reached the practical portion, crafting explosive tags, Sasuke complained.

"This is hard," he muttered, staring at the smudged ink and crooked characters on his tag. His Sharingan activated instinctively, trying to decipher the structure.

"This is easy," Naruto said, casually sealing an active tag into a slip of cloth with elegant brushstrokes.

Even Kakashi had paused mid-step. Sakura leaned over Naruto's shoulder to inspect his work, her brow furrowing then rising. "This is amazing," she whispered. "Better than mine."

Naruto grinned and shot a smug look at Sasuke, who only narrowed his eyes and began drawing another tag with grim determination.

Sakura placed her brush down. "You really have a talent for fuinjutsu, Naruto."

Naruto knew the real reason: his stats. His high Dexterity allowed him to be perfectly ambidextrous, while his high Intelligence stat helped him grasp theory and fuinjutsu logic like he was born to it. But still, he liked to believe it was something else.

"That's because the Uzumaki clan were masters of fuinjutsu," he said. "Guess I've got some talent in my blood."

"Then why don't you use more of it in your fighting style?"

Naruto glanced at her, then at Oscar, who was curled up beside him. "Because Uzumaki fuinjutsu is... different from what's commonly taught. More advanced. More dangerous. It's not something I've really learned yet." He left out the part where Uzumaki fuinjutsu didn't even consider most modern sealing arts to be real techniques.

"So why learn this version at all?" Sakura asked.

Naruto didn't hesitate. "To protect Oscar."

Kakashi looked up from the small array of sealing materials he'd been prepping beside Oscar. Naruto had asked him to perform the Core and Siphon Seal combo on Oscar's chest just as a temporary measure, until Naruto mastered it himself. Kakashi had silently agreed, though something about Naruto's knowledge unsettled him.

"So," he asked casually, brushing the inkstone, "where did you learn about the Uzumaki clan?"

"The Old Man told me," Naruto said quickly, his tone too flat to be convincing.

Kakashi's single visible eye lingered on Naruto for a moment longer than necessary. The lie hadn't been blatant—but it was there. And that wasn't what bothered Kakashi most.

It was the why.

Why did Naruto so freely share some secrets and yet lie so easily about others? Why the selective honesty?

Before he could press further, Naruto broke the silence with a cheerful grin. "Come on," he said. "Let's keep going. We still need to finish the Siphon Seal and the Core Seal."

Sasuke stood, brushing off his hands. "Yeah, I'm done. Explosive tags are enough for one day."

"Cool," Naruto said. "You can take a shadow clone with you to get started on your swordsmanship drills."

A clone popped into existence beside Sasuke, saluting with exaggerated flair. "And what about the Fireball Technique?"

"Later," Naruto replied with a casual wave.

Sasuke vanished in a flicker, the clone keeping pace behind him.

Naruto turned back to Sakura. "We can handle your weapon selection once we finish the sealwork."

"Don't worry about it. I already know what I want."

Naruto blinked. "Really? What are you thinking? Sword? Spear? Maybe a shield?"

She smirked. "Axe. I want an axe."

Naruto paused, clearly surprised. "An axe?"

"Yep," she said with a shrug. "Strength-based, brutal, and surprisingly precise when used correctly. I've been thinking about it since the first time I cracked stone with my fist."

Naruto let out a low whistle. "Did not see that coming. Alright... I think a battle axe should work for you."

From the side, Kakashi finally spoke, half-lost in the conversation. "What... are you all talking about?"

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By evening, the sky was dyed a soft orange as Naruto sat cross-legged on the front lawn, scribbling furiously into a notebook. Oscar lay stretched beside him, tail twitching lazily as Naruto measured segments of the little lizard's body and jotted down numbers.

"What are you doing?" came Sasuke's voice, breathless but curious.

The Uchiha boy had just wrapped up an intense sword training session. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he trudged over, his claymore resting against his shoulder. Naruto casually tossed him a water bottle.

"Trying to figure out what to do once the core seal on Oscar gets full," Naruto said.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, wiping his brow. He took a swig, then glanced down at Naruto's notebook and nearly choked. "Is that... a gun?"

"Yup. A cannon, technically."

Sasuke blinked. "Why?"

"I'm designing it to channel Oscar's excess chakra and fire it off as a focused projectile."

"I don't know if that's even possible. Would it be better to just work on something more simple?"

"It's absolutely possible," Naruto said with that maddening confidence. He wasn't just guessing. He'd sensed it—the chakra inside Oscar's core seal was different now, touched by soul energy. That meant it could be used the same way a sorcerer's catalyst channeled spells. If he could forge the cannon's inner frame from a similar material, Oscar now had a way to attack while also dealing with the issue of excess chakra. But he didn't say any of that out loud. He still needed Rickert's insight to make sure it wouldn't kill Oscar by accident.

That's when the duo noticed Sakura across the field, laughing like a lunatic. A clone of Naruto charged at her with a dramatic overhead swing, and just before it landed, a pale blue barrier shimmered into place in front of her face.

"How the hell did she do that?"

"She's been working on some kind of new fuinjutsu," Sasuke explained, watching her reset the formation with careful precision.

"Something her teacher gave her to study during the mission. She creates a barrier seal in advance, stores it, and can activate it instantly in emergencies. After what happened with the warship, she's not taking any chances anymore."

Naruto watched, impressed, as Sakura ducked low and slashed upward, popping another clone with ease.

"She's gotten stronger," he said quietly.

"No," Sasuke replied. "We all have."

Naruto nodded, his thoughts drifting to the flaws he'd uncovered during his own fifteen days of training, to the weaknesses he hadn't noticed.

"I need to learn a long-range wind jutsu."

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The next day the sun was high in the sky, lazily warming the fields around Tazuna's home. Birds chirped. The breeze was light. And Kakashi Hatake was deep in a well-earned nap.

Or at least, he was trying to be.

Sprawled across a makeshift lawn chair with his orange book laid flat over his face, Kakashi looked perfectly at peace until a familiar voice shattered it. "Teach me ninja magic, old man!" Naruto's voice rang out with all the subtlety of a detonation tag.

Kakashi groaned, the book sliding off his face. He cracked open a single eye and sighed. "Naruto, can't you bother Sasuke about this?"

Naruto crossed his arms, grinning. "Nope. I want a wind-style jutsu. Teme's got fire and lightning and maybe water. And besides..." His grin widened. "You owe me. You never taught me my first jutsu properly."

"Fine. My nap's ruined anyway." He sat up, stretching slightly before standing. "So. What kind of wind jutsu are we thinking?"

"Long-range and lethal," Naruto said cheerfully.

"Hm. Wind Style: Wind Bullet might suit you."

Naruto tilted his head. "Was that one inspired by, like, a gun?"

Kakashi gave a faint chuckle. "Yes and no. The shape was modeled after a bullet, but the inspiration came from watching smoke rings."

"You're telling me people blowing smoke rings helped create a jutsu?"

Kakashi nodded. "You'd be surprised how often casual habits lead to breakthroughs. Wind Bullet is about rapid compression and controlled release. Imagine compressing a high-pressure pocket of air in your lungs, then forcing it through a tight shape like pursed lips to create a concentrated, high-speed projectile."

Naruto blinked. "That sounds more like physics than chakra."

"It is. But the chakra manipulation is what amplifies it beyond physics." Kakashi explained, holding up a finger. "The three components are: compression, containment, and propulsion."

He drew three symbols in the dirt as he spoke.

"One: You strengthen your diaphragm and lungs with chakra to create the internal pressure.

"Two: You learn to shape the escape path—your mouth, your tongue, even your teeth—so that the release of air maintains cohesion. Like firing a bullet from a barrel. The more shape control you have, the more accurate and faster the shot."

Naruto leaned in, absorbing every word.

"And three: Chakra-enhanced propulsion. The burst isn't just air, it's wind chakra. Razor-sharp. And that's what makes it deadly. Normal air disperses quickly. Wind chakra cuts."

"So it's like... a precision cannonball?"

"Exactly. It's a jutsu that mimics both the physics of projectile mechanics and the principles of cutting. The better you are with chakra shape and nature manipulation, the more devastating it becomes."

Naruto whistled. "Good thing I've got two advantages then."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Shadow clones?"

"And Hinata," Naruto said, beaming. "She can monitor my chakra flow in real time and help me fine-tune the control part."

"She's at the bridge with her team," Kakashi said, already knowing what was coming.

Naruto grinned, grabbed his gear, and vanished in a flicker of speed. Kakashi followed a moment later.

They arrived at the half-finished bridge, where Team 8 was wrapping up a patrol shift. Workers moved stone and iron around them, the clinking of tools echoing over the water.

"Kurenai," Kakashi greeted. "Mind if we borrow Hinata?"

The genjutsu specialist tilted her head, glancing at her student. "Of course. Hinata, go on."

Hinata stepped forward with a respectful nod. "For what exactly?" she asked.

"To help Naruto learn Wind Bullet," Kakashi said.

"Oh, I'd be honored," she said quickly, cheeks already coloring faintly.

Kakashi gave them a few more instructions, walking through the chakra flow, the breathing technique, and mouth shaping needed to start developing the technique. Naruto listened attentively, practicing how to pull in air, let it settle in his diaphragm, and then push it back up with force. Each motion was subtle, internal, but difficult.

"Now, practice is everything," Kakashi said.

"Got it," Naruto said with a grin. "Thanks, old man!"

"Don't call me old," Kakashi muttered, flicking open his book again.

Hinata opened her mouth to ask where they would be training but was immediately swept off her feet. Naruto had picked her up bridal style.

"W-Wait, Naruto-kun!?" she squeaked, face bright red.

He flashed a grin and shouted, "Training trip!" before leaping off the edge of the bridge.

Her scream echoed through the air.

Tazuna dropped a hammer. "Did that brat just jump off the bridge!?"

"Should you not do something?" one of the workers asked.

"I am doing something," Kakashi said casually, not lifting his eyes from the page as he turned it with deliberate calm.

A split second later, the sound of an enormous splash echoed from below the bridge, followed by the unmistakable metallic clang of heavy armor hitting water.

Several workers yelped, stepping back in alarm.

"They'll be fine," Kurenai said, unfazed as she glanced over the edge.

Down below, Naruto bobbed to the surface with a laugh, his waterlogged armor gleaming in the sunlight. Hinata floated beside him, flustered but unharmed, her chakra control keeping her steady atop the waves. The two began moving across the surface, Naruto gesturing animatedly as he explained something, Hinata nodding shyly and adjusting her stance.

Kakashi finally looked up.

He wasn't watching the two trainees, though. His gaze drifted instead to Kiba, who stood silently at the railing as a plan formed in the white-haired jonin's mind.

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By the time the orange hue of dusk blanketed the sky, Kiba and Naruto stood across from Kakashi and Pakkun in the open field. The air was heavy with the scent of salt and sweat.

Kiba groaned. "Kakashi-sensei, is this really necessary? Naruto's been going nonstop since dawn."

"Think of it as multitasking," Kakashi replied casually. "Naruto needs to learn how to coordinate with Oscar. And you," he pointed lazily at Kiba, "could use some polish on working with Akamaru. This is just a light spar. A practical evaluation."

"Great," Pakkun muttered from the side, voice gruff and unimpressed. "Do I really have to train Ugly and Uglier?"

"Oi! Who the hell are you calling ugly?"

"The other one."

Kiba smirked, turning to Naruto with a smug look. "Ha! Sucks to be you."

Naruto shrugged, completely unfazed. "I concede. I'm the ugly one."

"Damn right... wait, hold on!"

Clang!

Everyone looked down. Oscar had smacked his crystal head against Naruto's gauntlet, stubby limbs wriggling with anticipation. The sound echoed like a tiny war drum.

"See? Oscar's ready," Naruto grinned, kissing the lizard's head affectionately.

Kakashi gave a nod. "Good. Now fight."

"Wait, you didn't even teach us anything!" Kiba protested.

"I'm evaluating, not instructing."

Naruto sighed but stepped forward, forming the Seal of Confrontation. "Let's get this over with."

Kiba mirrored him. "Hajime."

It was over in a blink.

The flat edge of Naruto's Zweihander was at Kiba's throat before the Inuzuka could even shift his footing. The sheer weight of the black blade made the earth groan. Kakashi noted the weapon with a degree of caution, it was unlike anything he knew.

"I win," Naruto said plainly.

Kiba gritted his teeth. "This was supposed to be about working with our ninken, not just flexing your oversized butterknife."

Naruto turned to Oscar, who was sitting with his legs curled underneath him like a well-mannered student, blinking up in confusion.

"...Yeah, okay, fair point," Naruto admitted.

"Also, why is it black?"

"Because it's stronger," Naruto said as Kiba's questioning was cut off.

"Restart," Kakashi said, tossing a kunai high into the air.

This time, both teams had a moment to prepare. The kunai spun once, twice, then clattered to the ground.

"Hajime."

Kiba and Akamaru sprang forward like arrows loosed from a bow. Their synchronization was uncanny—Kiba darted left while Akamaru curved right, fangs gleaming with chakra.

Naruto created a shadow clone, tossing Oscar toward it. The lizard chirped once in protest, then got scooped up and carried away to safety.

"Don't worry, buddy. This is gonna get messy."

"Fire Style: Fire Fang!"

Both Kiba and Akamaru's jaws erupted in synchronized bursts of flame, tongues of fire licking their fangs as chakra surged through their limbs. With a sharp howl, the two launched forward, spinning violently around each other. Their bodies blurred into a twin helix of fire and fang, spiraling through the air like a living, flaming drill. The heat cracked the earth beneath their takeoff point, and every rotation howled with wind and combustion.

Naruto, unfazed, pulled the Dragon Crest Shield from his inventory and braced.

BOOM!

The impact was thunderous. Flames exploded around him as the fire-spun vortex slammed into the shield with enough force to send tremors through the earth. Naruto grunted, digging his heels into the dirt. The Zweihander stayed sheathed; he held his ground with the shield alone.

The force pushed him back, furrows forming beneath his feet, but he didn't stagger.

Kiba and Akamaru bounced off, landing in a crouch, panting heavily.

Then Akamaru yelped, a high-pitched panic, as Oscar reemerged, head popping from the dirt like a mischievous trapdoor spider. His crystal jaws clamped firmly on Akamaru's tail, and the poor pup began spinning wildly in place, kicking up dust.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Kiba shouted.

Naruto took the opening.

One swift step forward and BAM!

A heavy kick landed square in Kiba's chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. In a flash, Naruto was on him, a crossbow drawn and aimed between Kiba's eyes.

"That's game," Naruto said, smirking.

Kiba groaned, winded and stunned. "Remind me... not to spar you again."

"Remind me to train Oscar to aim for the throat next time," Naruto joked, lowering the crossbow and offering a hand.

Kakashi turned to the small pug at his feet. "Thoughts?"

Pakkun gave the two boys a long, slow look, his beady eyes narrowing. "Alright, let's break it down." He jerked his snout toward Kiba. "Dog Boy over there has solid instincts and some decent synergy, but his pup can't do jack without him."

"Oi!" Kiba barked.

Pakkun didn't even flinch. "You fight like you're two people with one brain and all the subtlety of a headbutt. No finesse. No layers. You expect Akamaru to follow your lead, but you haven't taught him what to do when things go sideways."

Kiba's jaw clenched, but his eyes flicked to Akamaru.

"Think. Why didn't your mutt bite back when that lizard of Blondie's nipped him?"

Kiba stiffened.

"You trained him to follow. Not to think. And that's a problem. You want a partner, not a pawn. You wanna win against smarter enemies? Start letting Akamaru make his own decisions. Give him space to grow."

Akamaru gave a quiet whine and nudged his partner's leg. Kiba lowered a hand to ruffle his fur, silent but thoughtful.

Then Pakkun turned to Naruto, sizing him up like a tailor measuring a restless client. "And you. Blondie. You look marginally less stupid than before. That's something, I guess."

"Uh... thanks?"

"Don't thank me yet. Tell me, how do you think you did?"

"Not great. I fought solo. Oscar fought solo. No coordination, no plan. I was just swinging around, and he was biting stuff. We need actual teamwork."

Pakkun gave a small grunt of approval. "Self-awareness. Finally." He stepped forward. "But that's not the real question. The real question is: what kind of partnership do you want?"

"Huh?"

"Look at Kakashi," Pakkun said, nodding toward the silver-haired jonin. "He uses summons as tools: support, tracking, flankers. Kiba's the opposite. His fighting style revolves entirely around Akamaru. So what do you want to be?"

Naruto went quiet for a moment. Then his eyes lit up. "Both."

Pakkun blinked. "Both?"

Naruto grinned wide. "I wanna fight on my own if I need to. But I also wanna fight with Oscar, like Kiba and Akamaru. I want us to cover each other's backs. To be partners."

There was a moment of silence.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled in quiet approval.

Pakkun let out a rough bark of laughter. "That's ambitious. Not easy, but not impossible. It'll take time, trust, and a whole lotta trial and error."

"I'm good at failing forward," Naruto said, grinning. "Now I just need to teach him how to use chakra."

Oscar, currently trying to gnaw on a bent kunai, chirped in response.

Kakashi pulled a small scroll from his vest and tossed it to Naruto. "This has the base method for chakra-beast transference and training. Basic steps for sensing, synchronizing, and shaping chakra in non-human companions."

Naruto caught the scroll and carefully stored it in his inventory pouch.

"Alright!" Pakkun snapped. "Since you're both so eager to fail your way into greatness, let's go through some drills."

"Yes, sir," Naruto and Kiba said in unison.

Pakkun narrowed his eyes. "Next time I want to hear that with spine. Or I'm going to bite your balls off."

"YES, SIR!" both boys yelled.

Hours later, as night fell over the Land of Waves, the stars scattered across the sky like distant fires. A quiet peace settled over the town, but Naruto's heart was anything but still.

Training had gone well. Oscar was adapting. Wind Bullet was beginning to take shape. And Hinata's guidance had helped him unlock new levels of control. But deep inside, there was a pull. A familiar one.

Lordran called to him.

It wasn't just curiosity anymore. He needed to test how chakra and soul truly interacted within Oscar. He needed to refine Oscar's transformation into a proper ninchū companion. Wind-style jutsu, fuinjutsu, and more—it was all theory until he had a place where time moved differently and danger sharpened his instincts.

And Lordran gave him exactly that.

So, when the house fell quiet and the others were deep in sleep, Naruto stepped outside under the moonlight. He pulled out the Homeward Bone from his inventory. "Let's get to work," he muttered to himself.

A swirl of light enveloped him and in an instant, Naruto was gone.

Back to the land of fading fire and undead dreams.

Back to Lordran.

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A few minutes went by as the air slightly shimmered from where Naruto had vanished. The faint shimmer lingered, distorting the light like heat rising from stone. Kakashi stepped out from the shadows of the trees, exhaling slowly. The forest around him was quiet... too quiet for comfort. He glanced toward the fading sigils etched into the earth, the remnants of whatever reverse summoning method Naruto had used.

"That's some fuinjutsu," Pakkun murmured, padding beside him with his usual frown.

Kakashi didn't respond immediately. His single visible eye was fixed on the ground, tracing the ghostly afterimages of the glowing symbols. They weren't just advanced, they were alien. Even with the knowledge passed down from Minato, even with decades of field experience, Kakashi didn't recognize a single stroke.

It made his skin crawl.

"You sure about this?" Pakkun asked, ears twitching. "You know how summoning clans treat trespassers."

Kakashi gave a stiff nod. "I know. Intrude on the wrong clan, and you're lucky if trials are all you face. Some... won't even let you finish your first step."

"And you still wanna go through with it?"

"I need answers, Pakkun."

Kakashi had tried to rationalize it. But with every new piece of evidence, the rational explanations thinned. He needed to know where Naruto was going. Who he was dealing with. What kind of summoning clan had accepted him.

And so he set his plan into motion.

All of it.

The Wind Bullet training. The ninchū ritual with Pakkun and Kiba. The overwhelming schedule. Kakashi had loaded Naruto down with just enough to force a retreat—just enough pressure to make returning to his clan the most logical option.

And now, all Kakashi needed was to follow.

The scroll he had given Naruto for Oscar's training wasn't just a training tool. Hidden inside was a sealed kunai etched with a reverse summoning sign, one linked directly to Pakkun. As soon as Naruto entered the summoning realm again, the sign would activate after a few minutes, and Pakkun would be drawn in after him. Then Pakkun would reverse summon Kakashi in.

That was the plan.

"Okay," Kakashi said. "We're close. The reverse summoning sign should go off in a few minutes."

Pakkun gave a resigned grunt, closed his eyes, and waited.

A minute passed. Then two.

Then fifteen.

Nothing.

Pakkun blinked. "Uh. Is something supposed to happen?"

Kakashi's silence was immediate. He didn't move. He didn't breathe. His eye widened, only slightly, but in that single motion, it was obvious: something was wrong. Very wrong. The reverse summoning seal... had been nullified.

That wasn't supposed to be possible.

"Pakkun," Kakashi said slowly, voice dry. "Are you sensing anything at all? Even a pull?"

"Nothing. Not even a tug. It's like the space doesn't exist to me."

"Do you know of any summoning clan that can block reverse summoning from the inside?"

Pakkun hesitated. "Maybe one or two of the Old Clans. The ones who signed their pacts before even the Sage of Six Paths came down the mountain. But I've never seen it. Never heard of it being done like this."

Kakashi turned, walking a slow circle before driving his fist into the bark of a tree.

The thud echoed in the woods.

"This isn't like you," Pakkun said softly.

"I know." Kakashi let his hand drop. "I just... I staked everything on this one move. If I could get in, just once, I could get answers."

"So again," Pakkun asked, voice gentler this time, "why? Why go through all this trouble?"

Kakashi closed his eye and breathed deeply. "Because I'm scared, Pakkun."

They sat beneath a tree on the edge of the forest. The wind rustled the leaves gently, but Kakashi's voice carried low and clear, stripped of his usual aloofness.

"I'm scared of where Naruto's path is leading him," he continued, fingers idly brushing over the hidden pouch strapped to his thigh. "The things he's done in the Wave... the way he fights, the things he says, the ideals he has. For heaven's sake, the boy thinks that being a shinobi is a hobby."

Pakkun blinked his small eyes and listened, his ears twitching.

Kakashi's visible eye darkened. "He's kind. Relentlessly so. And yet, I've seen that same kid cleave men in half with a straight face. I've seen him come back soaked in blood and guts with no regret. That kind of contradiction, it's not natural. It's not sustainable. And the worst part?"

He paused.

"I can't tell if I should be proud or afraid."

Pakkun let out a low, thoughtful grunt. "You're not afraid of him. You're afraid for him."

Kakashi gave a slow nod. "Naruto's ideals, whatever they are, they don't align with the shinobi world. He doesn't kill like a tool. He doesn't obey orders like a soldier. He's not chasing rank or prestige. And because of that... I can already see how the others will look at him someday. Not like a comrade. Not even like a weapon. But like an anomaly. Something they can't control, so they'll try to isolate him. Or worse."

His voice lowered.

"The way they did with my father."

Pakkun said nothing.

"He died a hero, but they treated him like a traitor first. I still remember how quiet the village got when they talked about the White Fang. All those years, and they still don't say his name with honor. If Naruto keeps growing like this, if he keeps breaking the rules the way he does..."

"You think the shinobi will turn on him?" Pakkun asked.

Kakashi nodded once. "And not just us. The other villages... the moment they learn what Naruto's carrying: the jutsu, the items, the bloodline. He'll be a target. Not just as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. But as a threat to their balance."

"And what happens," Pakkun said slowly, "when Naruto realizes that?"

Kakashi didn't answer.

"Or worse," Pakkun went on, "what happens if he decides he doesn't need the Leaf anymore?"

"...Then the hunt begins," Kakashi said softly. "We'll brand him a missing-nin. We'll send hunter-nin after him. ANBU. Teams of his friends. And eventually... someone will kill him or he'll burn Konoha to the ground."

He bowed his head, the weight of the words settling like iron on his shoulders.

"And I'll have helped it happen."

Pakkun tilted his head. "So you think sneaking into the summoning clan's territory will prevent that future?"

Kakashi closed his eye, torn. "I don't know. But if I can learn something... anything about what's behind all this, maybe I can help guide him. Maybe I can protect him from what's coming."

"And you don't think telling Naruto the truth is the better option?"

"I can't risk it," Kakashi murmured, his voice barely audible over the wind. "If I dig too deep, ask too soon... he'll know. Naruto might act like a simple kid, but I've seen the signs. That kid's sharp. Dangerously sharp. And if he starts connecting dots, if he begins to suspect me, or the Third..."

He didn't finish the thought.

Pakkun sat beside him, tail still, small eyes unreadable. "So you want to protect the cake while stealing a bite."

Kakashi sighed, lips twitching bitterly. "I don't want him to feel used," he said quietly. "Everyone's been waiting for him to become a weapon. I just want him to feel... trusted."

"But you are breaking his trust," Pakkun said, flat and unflinching.

Kakashi flinched.

"I'm not trying to be cruel," Pakkun went on. "But you're dancing the same dance, Kakashi. The one that left Obito under a boulder. The one that left Rin bleeding out by your hand. You think caution makes you safe. But maybe it just makes you alone."

Silence.

"I'm not doing this for control," Kakashi finally said, jaw tight. "I want to be ready. I want to be prepared. I want to be the one who steps in when it all falls apart again. So maybe this time... no one dies."

"Even if it means becoming the one who breaks him?"

Kakashi said nothing.

"If that territory he vanished into really blocked a reverse summoning," Pakkun continued, "then whatever's out there already knows more than you do. If they tell Naruto what you're planning—about the kunai, the seal—what do you think he'll feel?"

The question lingered like a blade just shy of his neck.

"That you're waiting for him to fail?" Pakkun asked softly. "That you don't trust him? That you see him as a danger?"

Kakashi's mouth was a hard line. "I didn't want it to come to this. I just wanted answers," he whispered.

"Then you shouldn't have gambled," Pakkun said. "Because now you're not chasing the truth. You're betting against trust."

Kakashi felt something crack inside him. And Pakkun, the pug who had seen him through blood and loss and silence, didn't raise his voice. He simply looked him in the eye. "You can't protect him by controlling him, Kakashi. And if you keep walking this line, be ready. Because when it breaks and it will, the only thing waiting on the other side will be regret."

Then, without another word, Pakkun padded off into the night.

Leaving Kakashi alone with the weight of what he had done, as he felt the old curse return again.

The same curse that had haunted him at the death of Obito. At the grave of Rin. At the fall of Minato.

The curse of too little, too late.

Of good intentions turned to ruin.

Of choosing wrong when it mattered most.

And now?

Now it might be happening all over again.

Kakashi didn't speak.

He didn't need to.

Because in his silence, he finally understood what he'd done. And a part of him already knew, Naruto would find out. And he was scared of what would happen next.

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[ Author Note: What do you think is going to happen when Naruto realizes Kakashi’s plan? ]