DONG!
DONG!
DONG!
DONG! DONG! DONG!
[Danger!]
Boom~ Ugh… Heh heh heh—HYAAAAHHHH~~~
Following a series of clashing metallic sounds came an unavoidable impact, then the grunts and yelps of two boys being beaten—one subdued, the other wailing miserably and loudly.
This was what was currently taking place at Training Ground No. 5—Sakumo Hatake, under the alias "Lone Wolf," was violently disciplining his dear son Kakashi and his dear son's good buddy, Obito Uchiha.
Sakumo, as "Lone Wolf," had launched a hands-on combat drill with the two—although Obito was merely a tagalong.
As for the techniques used, Sakumo deliberately avoided employing the signature White Fang sword style of the Hatake Clan. That technique was too well-known; using it would instantly expose his identity.
Instead, he fought using the skills he had mastered as the Ashina Wolf—techniques from Ashina Style, Shinobi Style, and other arts from the Land of Ashina, culminating in his own perfected "my style" swordsmanship.
Every killing move was plain and unadorned, yet these simple movements were terrifyingly lethal—techniques honed through mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
While facing Sakumo, the two boys quickly went from casual to terrified, then fell into genuine panic. Fear gripped them, and the overwhelming pressure made them feel as if they were staring at a demon, like Kibutsuji Muzan encountering Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Paired with an oppressive BGM, even the special effects could be skipped.
Then came Sakumo's furious scolding.
"You two… have really disappointed me!"
"Kakashi Hatake, what the hell are you doing? The Hatake sword style has reigned over the Shinobi World since the Warring States era, but in your hands I see no trace of its courage or edge—only weakness and impotence!"
"And you, Obito Uchiha! Are you proud of awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan? Your fighting now relies entirely on your Sharingan! Are you saying that without your Sharingan, you've completely forgotten how to fight, how to be a shinobi?!"
"Get up! Pick up your weapons and fight me again!"
Like a driving instructor possessed by fury, Sakumo exuded pressure and stern authority, making the boys shudder. They scrambled to their feet and responded loudly before resuming their one-sided lesson under the Lone Wolf's blade.
The two were frustrated—deeply frustrated.
After all, the three of Minato's students were no longer what they once were. Thanks to the butterfly effect brought by Uchiha Kei and the chance to train through the Genjutsu Game, their strength had drastically surpassed canon levels—they were classic cheat-code characters.
Even the weakest, Rin Nohara, had Chūnin-level strength. Kakashi and Obito were without question at Special Jōnin level.
When the two good friends fought together, even regular Jōnin were no match. Only elite Jōnin could fully suppress them.
In the past few months, they had completed several missions under elite Jōnin arranged by Minato Namikaze, facing off against enemy Jōnin from other villages. In those encounters, they had even managed to kill enemy Jōnin fairly easily.
After all, given their young age, most enemies underestimated them—a mistake that proved fatal. The boys were already capable of going toe-to-toe with Jōnin and often emerged victorious.
Their record made them proud. Among their peers, there were very few who could match them. The only one they acknowledged as stronger was Might Guy.
But even then, that was only when Guy opened the Eight Gates. In normal conditions, they were stronger.
All this gave the boys the impression that the Shinobi World wasn't that scary anymore. Jōnin were no longer out of reach. The future belonged to them—they were destined to become the strongest.
And then today came crashing down on them.
A mysterious figure with no name, no background, and no known intel had crushed them with pure swordsmanship and taijutsu. Their ninjutsu, dōjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu were all useless before this opponent. Every technique was seen through and dismantled with ease. Their pride was shattered into dust.
Not long after, Rin arrived and was promptly dragged into this hellish trial—brutally beaten alongside them.
Though Sakumo went easier on the girl, she wasn't spared. Watered-down or not, this was the first time the three experienced the true horror of being dominated by the Lone Wolf.
By 8 PM, with the moon hanging high, Sakumo finally sheathed his sword. Looking down at the trio lying on the ground with tongues out from exhaustion, he announced the end of the day's training—allowing their lifeless eyes to flicker back with a trace of hope.
But his next words dimmed them again instantly.
"From today on, I'll be training you once every two days. Training will start at 1 PM instead of just before dinner."
Leaving those words and three teens whose futures had gone dark, Sakumo walked away.
The trio got to their feet and looked at each other. Finally, they sighed in unison.
Their good days were over. From now on, they would experience what it meant to be under strict discipline.
And yet, despite their gloom, none of them felt resentment. They all knew Sakumo was doing it for their sake. If Uchiha Kei and Minato Namikaze arranged this training, it was undoubtedly for their own good. They weren't ungrateful.
What's more, all three of them instinctively felt a sense of familiarity with "Lone Wolf." Even after the harsh beating, he gave them the vibe of a reliable senior.
Especially for Kakashi—the feeling was even stronger. It was almost like… facing his father.
Of course, Kakashi told himself it was just an illusion—probably because this "Lone Wolf" shared some personality traits with his father.
Now that he had moved past the shadow of his father's death, Kakashi found himself drawn to this feeling. He wanted to experience more of it.
In the end, the three teens went together to a night market newly set up in the Leaf—a project proposed by Uchiha Kei. After filling their bellies, they each returned home.
Tonight, the only thing on their minds was getting a good night's sleep.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Kei watched Sakumo return and greeted him with a smile. "Looks like you got along well with Kakashi and the others."
Sakumo scratched his head in embarrassment. "You flatter me… I just couldn't hold it in after seeing them spend all day in the arcade. I know the Genjutsu Game has training value, but I also believe real-world training shouldn't be neglected."
Uchiha Kei nodded in agreement. "That's true. Minato has been busy assisting the Hokage lately, so he hasn't had time to train them. It's a good thing you're stepping in. I'll talk to Minato. From now on, you'll train them every other day."
Clearly, Sakumo's new schedule had Kei's full support. Without Kei's Mangekyō Sharingan, Sakumo wouldn't even be able to return to reality.
Uchiha Kei always took good care of those under him—when he could.
Thus, Sakumo became the first "free" heroic spirit.
This development was later shared with Hashirama Senju and Nawaki, informing them that freedom was possible.
Their reactions were mixed. Nawaki was thrilled—he had built a "New Leaf" in the Genjutsu World but remained curious about the real Leaf. He was eager to visit.
He had also become good friends with Kakashi, Obito, and Rin through the Genjutsu Game. Naturally, he was excited about meeting them in real life.
Hashirama, however, reacted more calmly. Though curious about the real Hidden Leaf, he wasn't particularly eager.
After all, even if he went to the real world, he wouldn't be able to see his best friend, Uchiha Madara.
Given that, Hashirama preferred to stay in the Genjutsu Game—at least there, he could see Madara every day.
Uchiha Kei understood and smiled. "Actually, Uncle Hashirama, you don't need to worry. From what I know, Uchiha Madara is also able to move around to some extent. He can already roam the Leaf."
"Also, the alias you use in the game can be carried into the real world. Sakumo did exactly that today—his disguised identity couldn't be seen through even by those with abilities that surpass the traditional Transformation Jutsu."
Hashirama blinked, then his eyes lit up. "You mean… I can use my 'Muzi' identity to meet Madara?!"
Kei smiled, fully embodying his inner mischief. "Exactly. So if you ever feel like meeting Uchiha Madara in real life, you totally can."
Oblivious to Kei's scheming, Hashirama was ecstatic, already fantasizing about meeting his best buddy in the real world. He rushed into the Genjutsu Game to share the good news with Madara.
As for Nawaki, he hadn't initially thought of using an alias to meet his friends. But then he remembered—he was officially dead in the real world. His resurrection was still classified. Showing up in public as himself would cause chaos.
So he scratched his head and said, "Uhh… I guess I'll have to use my 'Naruko' disguise to meet Kakashi and the others… Otherwise, someone's bound to recognize me."
Kei chuckled and patted his head. "No worries. Just use the Naruko form and then use the Transformation Jutsu to shift back to your real form. Even if someone sees it, they'll think it's just a normal Transformation Jutsu—not that you're Nawaki."
Nawaki was dumbfounded. "Uh… transform while disguised? That's weird… But it could work. Eh, never mind, I'll just go as Naruko. They all know my situation anyway. Disguise is disguise—no big deal."
Since Nawaki had made his choice, Kei didn't push. After all, it was their decision. He was only offering the option.
In fact, Kei gave the two a perfect excuse to meet others—a new game launch event was coming up. It was sure to be a grand occasion, another Leaf Village celebration, and the perfect chance to arrange meetings.
This was mainly aimed at Madara. The trio from Minato's team would probably accept invitations easily.
Madara, however, was a different story. He had all sorts of issues and concerns. A direct invitation might spook him. But using a new game launch as an excuse? He'd be less suspicious.
Still…
Madara would probably panic just from receiving the invite.
The reason was simple—his in-game persona was a masked youth. Young and energetic.
But in reality, Madara was a hundred-year-old geezer—withered and frail. Not exactly easy on the eyes.
Meeting someone in real life like that? Even Madara's nerves might not survive the blow.
No doubt, he would refuse. But with Hashirama's personality, he wouldn't give up after a single rejection. He'd keep asking.
And then the real fun would begin.
After enough invitations, even Madara wouldn't be able to endure it. That was exactly how Hashirama "conquered" him the first time.
If he eventually accepted… then the real question would be: would Madara show up as his true self, or would he create another alias?
Just imagining it made Uchiha Kei giddy with anticipation.
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