Soon, six bowls of steaming hot ramen were brought to the table.
Yoruha turned to look at Kakashi.
Kakashi, feeling puzzled, asked, "What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and eat."
Yoruha didn't say anything.
It didn't take long for Kakashi to realize what Yoruha was thinking.
He sighed with exasperation. "So, you're that bored, huh?"
He knew Yoruha was curious to see his face under the mask.
Yoruha smiled. "Curiosity."
Although Kakashi was undoubtedly handsome, Yoruha really wanted to know just how handsome he was—enough to make Teuchi and Ayame look at him with starry eyes.
Kakashi shook his head and slowly removed his mask, revealing his true face.
When Yoruha saw Kakashi's true face, he was momentarily stunned.
"Kakashi-sensei, Kakashi… no wonder you wear the mask. If you didn't, all the girls in Konoha would be crowding outside your door."
Kakashi was indeed very handsome, and Yoruha understood very well how much of an impact Kakashi's looks had on girls.
As expected, when Teuchi and Ayame saw Kakashi's true face, their eyes immediately filled with admiration.
Kakashi shook his head and began eating his ramen.
Yoruha didn't argue and began eating as well.
However, just as he was halfway through his meal, a few people walked in.
At first, Yoruha didn't pay much attention, but when they saw Kakashi, one of them suddenly shouted, startling Yoruha to the point where he almost pulled out his kunai to prepare for a fight.
"Yo, Kakashi! Didn't expect to see you here!"
Yoruha turned to look at the newcomers, feeling a little annoyed.
Kakashi felt the same way, staring at the person in front of him—wearing a full green spandex suit and grinning widely, flashing a set of blinding white teeth. He sighed. "Guy."
The person was none other than Might Guy.
Behind him were his three students: Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten.
The moment they entered, Neji's eyes were fixed on Yoruha.
What Yoruha didn't know was that Neji had noticed him as soon as he came in.
Neji felt an intense sense of threat from Yoruha.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this person in front of him could pose a real threat.
It was something he'd never felt from his peers before.
Guy casually sat next to Kakashi, while Neji and the others sat beside Yoruha.
Once they sat down, Guy noticed Yoruha's presence.
He glanced at Kakashi and seemed surprised. "Kakashi, is this your student?"
Since Guy had been away on missions, he didn't know who Kakashi's students were.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes."
Guy didn't notice Kakashi's expression and, hearing that Yoruha was Kakashi's student, immediately laughed. "Kakashi, your student looks pretty energetic. How about learning some taijutsu from me?"
Kakashi twitched his lips.
"No, thanks. I'll teach him myself."
Guy laughed heartily, knowing that he was just joking.
Of course, if Yoruha really wanted to learn from him, he would be happy to teach.
There were few taijutsu practitioners in the ninja world, so having one more was something Guy was always happy about.
Moreover, if Yoruha learned taijutsu from Guy, that would mean he had beaten Kakashi in this area, and Guy was more than happy with that.
Tenten, sitting next to Yoruha, was curiously watching him.
"Hello, I'm Tenten. You're Kakashi-sensei's student, right?"
"Hello, I'm Yoruha," he replied.
Upon seeing Tenten and Yoruha greet each other, Rock Lee and Neji also approached.
"I'm Rock Lee, a student of Guy-sensei. My goal is to defeat geniuses as a ninja," Lee declared, flashing a bright, gleaming smile.
This expression mirrored Guy's perfectly, making Yoruha feel slightly awkward.
Neji, standing to the side, spoke calmly, "I'm Hyuga Neji. I sense there's something unusual about you."
His words were straightforward, and Yoruha couldn't ignore the peculiar impression Neji had of him.
Yoruha chuckled lightly and brushed it off. "Is that so?"
Nearby, Kakashi noticed Neji's serious demeanor and interjected, "Guy, stop chatting and hurry up with your order. The shopkeeper's been waiting."
Without overthinking, Guy began ordering food.
Kakashi turned to Yoru. "Let's eat quickly."
Yoruha understood what Kakashi was worried about. Neji, with his Byakugan, could easily detect the enormous and extraordinary chakra stored within Yoru's body if he decided to investigate.
Nodding, Yoruha quickly finished off three bowls of ramen. Afterward, Kakashi led him out of the Ichiraku Ramen shop, leaving Guy behind.
However, Neji's curiosity about Yoruha was piqued.
Unlike anyone else his age, Yoruha radiated a tangible sense of threat that Neji couldn't ignore.
As they strolled through the streets after leaving Ichiraku, Kakashi broke the silence. "Neji noticed you earlier. Did you feel it?"
Yoruha nodded. "He was focused on me the whole time. It was… unusual."
Kakashi sighed. "Neji was the top student in his class last year, and with the Byakugan, his perception is unparalleled. Over the past year, his strength has already reached Chunin-level. His instincts as a ninja are sharp."
Yoruha nodded in agreement. "I've heard about him before. He was pretty famous back when I was in the academy."
Yoruha had attended the same academy as Neji for five years, though Neji was a year older. The ninja academy was a six-year program, and during that time, Yoru's mediocrity—and his deliberate attempts to stay low-key—meant he'd never caught Neji's attention.
Kakashi looked at Yoruha seriously. "If he ever finds out about the immense chakra within you, it'll be trouble. Guy can't keep a secret to save his life, and it's one of the reasons the Third Hokage didn't allow him into the Anbu."
Guy excelled at direct, straightforward missions but wasn't suited for operations requiring discretion or secrecy.
Yoruha nodded. "I can sense that. But honestly, your rush to leave might have made it even more obvious. Neji would've found it hard not to notice."
Kakashi sighed. "I know, but if we stayed any longer, I was afraid Neji might activate his Byakugan."
Yoruha chuckled. "Even if he finds out, I don't think it'll be a big deal. Given Neji's personality, I doubt he'd casually spill the secret."
Kakashi considered this for a moment and nodded. "True, he's not the type. Still, it's better to be cautious."
Soon, the two arrived at a serene lake beneath a waterfall in Konoha's back mountains.
Standing by the lakeside, Kakashi faced Yoruha with a serious expression. "I have two training plans in mind. I'll let you decide which one you want to follow."
Yoruha met his gaze. "Please, tell me."
"The first option is for me to teach you a high-level ninjutsu right away, dramatically boosting your current strength."
"The second option is a gradual approach, starting with basic ninjutsu and progressively increasing the difficulty."
After laying out the options, Kakashi silently observed Yoruha's reaction.
Yoruha contemplated briefly before replying calmly, "I'll choose the first option."
He expected Kakashi to disapprove, but to his surprise, Kakashi wasn't upset. Instead, he smiled. "I figured as much. I knew you'd pick the first option."
"Honestly, I wanted you to choose it too. You're not like ordinary people. Following a standard path might do you more harm than good."
Read 2 months ahead at:
[email protected]/ChakraMaster