Facing Shii's praise, Kakashi remained unmoved, instead looking at the blade in his hand and making a silent vow.
One day, I will surpass my father.
[What ambition!]
[A fledgling eagle will sooner or later spread its wings and soar independently across the sky, not live under the shadow of its father's name.]
[One of a man's ultimate dreams: to surpass his heroic father.]
[Sakumo: Waiting to be supported by my child.]
[I feel like Sakumo would happily enjoy his retirement.]
[He'd totally do that.]
[Looking at it this way, Sakumo is quite… abstract.]
As expected, the second group that showed up was also thoroughly thrashed by Naraku and his teammates.
Might Duy, while shouting about making them feel the fire of youth, swiftly took down the opposing team leader like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves.
Kakashi and Naraku, on the other hand, delivered a thrilling sensory feast to the audience with their flawless coordination, a blur of blades and swords forming an inescapable net.
The animator put an exceptional amount of effort into this fight scene; the editing was smooth and fluid, the combat breathtaking, and coupled with rousing music, it sent adrenaline surging, blood boiling, and a rush of exhilaration from head to toe.
[This fight scene is amazing; the camera work and composition are world-class.]
[Putting everything else aside, The Old Thief's skill in visual presentation is truly invincible.]
[It will definitely be selected as this year's Hokage's Scene of the Year!]
[I'm so hyped my scalp is tingling.]
[This level of tacit agreement—even Hashirama and Madara back in the day didn't have it.]
[It's as if they have telepathy. How is that possible?]
[CP fans are really celebrating the New Year!]
[I can't even imagine how lively the forum must be.]
[Coward, I can imagine it.]
[To the two above, the CP section of the forum is already in a frenzy.]
[Pop the champagne, pop the champagne! Our KakaNaru is invincible! Woohoo!]
[Why can't it be Naka?]
[Kaka is 1, so it's still 1!! (screaming hoarsely)]
The scene shifted again, and Kakashi handed five mission tags to the Examiner, then rested at the checkpoint with Naraku and Might Duy.
They only emerged from the tall tower after the exam time ended, walked out of the Forest of Death, and went their separate ways to rest.
Another episode ended. Naraku glanced at the clock; it was still early, so he switched to the next episode.
Kakashi was organizing his ninja tool pouch.
Having just gone through two consecutive exams, his throwing weapons were quickly depleted and insufficient to support another battle.
Moreover, the next stage would be one-on-one duels, which would be an even more severe test for his supply of various consumables.
Time to spend money again.
He remembered the money he had spent on purchases before, plus the fact that he hadn't taken on any mission work recently to prepare for the exams. His personal savings had dwindled significantly, causing him a headache.
Just then, he heard Naraku's voice.
"Let's go buy them at the Uchiha Clan Compound."
He turned to his side, saw the other's serious gaze, hesitated to speak, and finally nodded.
[Kakashi has to worry about money?]
[That shouldn't be right; Sakumo should earn a lot, shouldn't he?]
[Perhaps Kakashi feels he's already a ninja, so he doesn't really ask his father for money.]
[That makes sense.]
[That's how little boys' self-esteem works.]
[Oh no, will something happen if Naraku goes back to the Uchiha Clan Compound?]
[What if he runs into his Scum Father or that bully… who was it again?]
[What's there to be afraid of? Who dares to bully Naraku now? Is White Fang a pushover?]
[It's a good chance to get revenge and show them how strong Naraku is now.]
[Beat them up!]
[To return home rich and not show it off is like walking in embroidered clothes at night.]
The scene cut, and the two had already entered the Uchiha Clan Compound.
As soon as they arrived, the scene meticulously showed everything from Kakashi's perspective, observing their surroundings from his side, especially Naraku's reaction.
Sensing Naraku's slightly concealed tension, Kakashi silently stayed close to him, wanting to give him a sense of security.
At the same time, it would be easier to provide protection if anything happened.
Naraku noticed his intention, and the tautness in his expression softened instantly as he quietly smiled.
[Naraku still can't move on, boo hoo hoo T_T]
[How can he move on? How much suffering did he endure before meeting Kakashi? How can you expect him to forget?]
[I feel like Naraku even has PTSD.]
Naraku scratched his head at this point, thinking that when he entered the clan compound, he had only acted based on his character setting, and he hadn't expected it to be quite so effective.
Watching the barrage of comments expressing sympathy for him, Naraku's conscience twinged slightly, but remembering the soaring popularity points, he tossed that useless feeling aside.
To become strong enough to survive well in the ninja world and protect the people important to him, he could abandon his conscience.
[Ah ah ah ah ah, cuddling! They're cuddling!]
[Kakashi practically wants to hang himself on Naraku.]
[How can he be so good at this?]
[Kakashi loves him so much.]
[Unconscious reactions reveal the most about a person's heart.]
[He really does, I'm crying.]
[Even if I die today, I will shout it out loud: KakaNaru is real!!]
[Ah ~ that knowing smile.]
[KakaNaru is real!]
[Help, this is too ambiguous; I'm wriggling on the bed like a worm.]
[I ship it so hard!]
[I ship it so hard!]
[Mutual affection is what moves people the most.]
[My life has no regrets (peaceful).]
[If this isn't love, what else is there to be sad about?]
Coming out of the ninja tool shop with their bags, they saw two Uchiha youths walking towards Kakashi and Naraku, saying that the Clan Head had requested their presence.
[You scared me; I thought they were coming to cause trouble.]
[Me too...]
[Not necessarily; most Uchiha are disdainful of bullying children.]
[That's true in principle, but every clan has its scumbags, and you might just be unlucky enough to run into one.]
[Like Scum Shinji.]
[He doesn't even deserve the Uchiha surname; just expel him from the main family.]
[Seconded.]
[Seconded.]