What surprised Arata most that morning wasn't Kakashi's offer to train him—it was his own chakra.
Overnight, his chakra reserves had skyrocketed.
Now, they were nearly on par with Kakashi's.
That was absurd. Kakashi's chakra capacity was among the highest even for a jōnin. The only reason he sometimes seemed to run short was because of his Sharingan—he didn't have Uchiha blood, so the eye constantly drained his chakra since it couldn't be turned off.
If not for that, Kakashi's chakra would easily rival that of a Kage-level shinobi.
After all, by the age of twelve, Kakashi could already unleash Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, a B-rank jutsu, on a massive scale dozens of meters wide.
And now, at the same age, Arata's chakra level had caught up to him.
The increase didn't just strengthen his chakra—it enhanced his body and spirit as well. Most ninja drew chakra from within their own bodies. Arata's, however, came from nature itself, converted and refined by his mysterious AFK system.
That made his chakra purer, denser, and more nurturing to his body. The stronger the flow, the stronger he became in turn.
He lay on his futon, staring at the ceiling with a thoughtful frown.
Maybe this early boost is just because my foundation was weak. Once my chakra pool gets larger, it probably won't grow this fast anymore.
He couldn't have been more wrong. Even now, his chakra reserves rivaled Kakashi's at twenty years old—and Arata was barely twelve.
For perspective, even Naruto—without factoring in the Nine-Tails' chakra—had only reached that level because the Fourth Hokage's seal allowed the fox's chakra to slowly merge with his own.
It was terrifying how far Arata had already come.
The Training Invitation
The next day, after finishing a D-rank mission with Tomoe, Arata found Kakashi already waiting for him at the training grounds—perched casually on a tree branch with his nose buried in a book.
Tomoe sighed heavily. "You're really in a hurry, huh? What, did you think I'd refuse to let him go?"
Though he already knew Kakashi was going to teach Arata, he hadn't expected him to show up this fast.
They had just completed their mission, and Kakashi was already waiting like an impatient hawk.
By then, Arata's teammates—Yamada Shuki and Moto Yatako—had already gone home. Tomoe had kept Arata back to teach him a few interrogation-style jutsu. They weren't battle techniques, but could still prove useful.
Unfortunately, Kakashi's sudden arrival ruined that plan.
Standing beside his teacher, Arata felt awkward. Even though Tomoe had approved, facing both mentors at once gave him an odd sense of guilt—like he was betraying one teacher for another.
Kakashi closed his book and leapt down from the tree.
"I just happened to be free today," he said casually. "No missions, no excuses."
He gestured toward Arata. "Let's go."
Arata glanced at Tomoe uncertainly, but Kakashi reassured him, "Your teacher already agreed. Don't worry about it."
Tomoe sighed, a touch of helplessness in his eyes. He had wanted to teach Arata one last technique himself, but now he could only let him go.
He patted Arata's shoulder firmly. "Learn well. He may look lazy, but his strength is unmatched. Aside from the Third Hokage, Kakashi is the strongest shinobi in Konoha."
And since both Tsunade and Jiraiya were away from the village, that statement wasn't an exaggeration.
With that, Tomoe disappeared in a flicker of movement—perhaps because if he stayed any longer, he might've tried to keep Arata for himself.
Watching him vanish, Arata couldn't help but smile faintly. "Tomoe-sensei really respects you, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi chuckled softly. "He just wants you to grow strong enough to protect the village one day."
He took the chance to deliver a small lecture.
Arata didn't mind. He nodded. "I won't disappoint him."
"Good," Kakashi said with a satisfied tone. "Now—have you eaten yet?"
Arata blinked. "Huh?"
"You can't train on an empty stomach. Come on, I'll take you to eat first."
Arata gave him a suspicious look. "You're not planning to make me pay, are you?"
Kakashi froze, visibly caught off guard.
Apparently, his reputation for stinginess had already reached Arata's ears.
He coughed awkwardly. "Why would you think that?"
Arata raised an eyebrow.
Kakashi sighed. "Fine, fine. Of course I'm treating."
"Let's hope so," Arata muttered dryly under his breath.
He wasn't exactly rich himself—living off the modest savings his late parents had left him. D-rank missions didn't pay much either. But if Kakashi was going to be his mentor, he supposed letting him buy dinner wasn't too much to ask.
Kakashi gave him a slightly wounded look. "Am I really that kind of guy to you?"
Arata just smirked wordlessly and followed.
Ichiraku Ramen
Soon, the two arrived at Ichiraku Ramen.
Teuchi, the owner, looked up from behind the counter with a welcoming grin. "Well, if it isn't Kakashi! Haven't seen you in a while."
Kakashi nodded with his usual half-smile. But when Teuchi spotted Arata behind him, his brows rose slightly.
Arata wasn't someone he'd seen with Kakashi before.
Ayame, Teuchi's daughter, leaned on the counter cheerfully. "Arata! What'll it be today?"
"Pork bone ramen, please," Arata said with a smile.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Just one bowl?"
Arata nodded. "That's enough."
Because his chakra didn't draw from his body's stamina, he didn't need to eat much to stay in top condition.
Kakashi didn't seem convinced. "You'll be training hard after this. One bowl won't cut it."
"I'll be fine," Arata insisted calmly.
Kakashi turned to Teuchi. "Make that three pork ramen for him—and three tonkotsu ramen for me."
Arata could only sigh helplessly. He couldn't exactly explain that his chakra wasn't fueled by calories like everyone else's.
Teuchi glanced between the two, wide-eyed. He had served countless shinobi, but something about their dynamic struck him as odd.
Kakashi's tone, his concern, the way he treated Arata—it wasn't like a teacher and student. It was… closer to a father looking out for his son.
And that puzzled Teuchi even more, because as far as he knew, these two had barely known each other before yesterday.
Still, he knew better than to pry into ninja affairs. That was the secret to why Ichiraku Ramen had stayed in business for decades.
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