"No way."
Though he already knew the answer, Kakashi still asked, "You've mastered the hand seals and techniques of the Five Elements Seal, right?"
"Of course," Shiki answered firmly.
In reality, for him it wasn't just mastery—it was perfection.
He had even tried multiple times to replicate the Five Elements Seal using his limited chakra.
If he had enough usable chakra, he believed he could already perform the Five Elements Seal himself.
Although he wasn't sure whether the Five Elements Seal was indeed a sealing technique from the Uzumaki clan, as far as the Uzumaki were concerned, sealing techniques weren't divided by school.
Kakashi was silent for a moment before slowly speaking up. "After this Chunin Exams, I'll take you to see Princess Tsunade with Hayate Gekko."
Chapter 120 Cheating
"Why?" Shiki instinctively asked.
"Why?" Kakashi seemed hesitant again, scratching his head uncontrollably. "Could I say it's because you bought me ramen before?"
"But—" Before Shiki could speak further, Kakashi pushed him into the room. "Naruto and the others are coming soon. I have lots to do. We'll talk later."
Without giving him a chance to protest, Shiki was shoved inside.
Only then did Kakashi pull out a copy of Make-Out Paradise and start reading it leisurely.
Why?
After Shiki left, Kakashi carefully thought about that question Shiki had just asked.
The matter of Shiki Uzumaki originally had nothing to do with him at all—he could easily have stayed uninvolved, given that the Uzumaki clan (to which Shiki belonged) was not part of his responsibilities.
If anything, saying it was out of a sense of justice might barely work—a flimsy excuse.
Every day, so many people got hurt—some a lot worse off than Shiki Uzumaki. So why should he go out of his way for him?
It wasn't even his responsibility, and Shiki wouldn't be in life-or-death danger without his help either.
He could have simply offered encouragement, then put it aside and focused entirely on teaching his own team.
Even if someone needed to search for ways to recover, that person should be Hayate Gekko.
What did it have to do with him?
Footsteps approached from afar as Ao walked forward lazily, hands covering his head.
"Sakura, I'll definitely become Hokage someday. Then everyone will finally respect me—people will actually ask *for my name* specifically: 'That's Shiki Uzumaki!'"
Naruto still seemed preoccupied over what had happened earlier.
Sasuke remained indifferent, scoffing slightly, "Dead last."
Looking at the two walking toward him, Kakashi suddenly felt like he'd found an answer within himself.
"I guess I still can't move past my shadow from back then..."
Kakashi murmured to himself. Of all his students, those three were probably the ones he worried about the most.
Naruto—the clumsy, idiotic guy who, at critical moments, turned surprisingly dependable. He was exactly like Obito used to be. And perhaps the one he owed the most was Obito himself.
Sasuke, always cold in appearance, actually deeply valued his companions deep down—but right now he prioritized vengeance over those around him.
Looking at him, Kakashi even saw a reflection of his younger self.
And yet Shiki Uzumaki wasn't Obito, nor was he Kakashi himself.
But he was exactly what Kakashi had always wanted to be—someone who possessed great talent, and bore the burden of darkness and injustice. Yet still smiled warmly toward everyone around him.
If only I'd been like him back then… would the final outcome have changed?
A blinding flash of lightning suddenly crossed Kakashi's mind—the screech of a thousand birds, Rin looking at him with blood on her lips, smiling.
A sharp pain shot through his chest.
"Kakashi-sensei, why do you look so troubled again? Got a mental block or something?" Naruto asked bluntly.
Naruto's words brought Kakashi back to reality. He noticed that Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura were already standing right in front of him.
After calming himself down a bit, Kakashi teased, "No, I'm just upset because you arrived too late to participate in the Chunin Exams."
"Eh?! Sensei, why didn't you tell me sooner!" Naruto exclaimed anxiously, grabbing his already messy golden hair until it looked even wilder.
"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei is just pulling your leg," Sakura said, shaking her head at how easily Naruto fell for it.
"By the way, Kakashi-sensei, earlier Sasuke got beaten by some guy with seriously bushy eyebrows," Naruto proudly reported the gossip.
"Shut up. Next time, I'll defeat him." Sasuke slowly lifted his head, a slight smirk forming on his lips. "This year's Chunin Exam is getting more interesting by the minute."
Shiki, Yuuma, and Seiji had already been waiting inside this classroom for quite some time. The place was filled with ninja from various other villages, wearing bizarre outfits—so strange, in fact, that even Shiki found them odd.
Since Team 8 and Team 10 were also here, Team 9 didn't stand out any more than they did.
That was especially true after Naruto—the walking powder keg—walked in, stirring up even more discussion.
Tensions flared mainly between Kiba Inuzuka and Naruto.
"All this noise is giving me a headache."
A voice muttered in complaint, one that sounded oddly familiar to Shiki.
But that familiar vibe instantly set off warning signs in his head—a strong sense of danger.
He turned around and saw a young man wearing a Konoha forehead protector and a pair of neat glasses, looking slightly older than the rest.
Seemingly just an ordinary genin from Konoha; after all, practically no one else his age remained in this examination hall anymore.
Most people paid him little attention.
Except for Shiki.
"Long time no see, Shiki," Kabuto Yakushi greeted him with a bright, almost too-friendly smile.
Everyone present looked surprised—no one had expected that this self-important-looking Kabuto would actually know Shiki Uzumaki.
"Shiki, you know that silver-haired guy?" Naruto asked curiously while draping his arm over Shiki's shoulder.
Before Shiki could answer, Kabuto stepped in smoothly, "Oh, we've been through a lot together—we're very close friends. We've helped each other out in all kinds of ways—like talking about life goals and dreams and all that."
"Back when I was at my lowest point, it was Shiki who helped me find hope and a way forward."
Because Shiki got along well with everyone in each class, people started warming up to him — all because of what Kabuto Yakushi said.
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