Kakashi smiled faintly and nodded. "Good. You have a clear understanding of yourself."
Then his expression turned serious as he looked at Yoru.
"Your teacher and I used to be comrades. You know that, right?"
Yoru didn't answer. Of course he could guess as much.
Kakashi didn't press him. Instead, he briefly explained the agreement he and Dōichi had reached.
"So," Kakashi asked at last, "what do you think?"
The two of them could technically decide Yoru's future without consulting him.
But Kakashi still wanted his opinion.
Yoru thought for a moment.
"I don't think I really have the option to refuse."
"No," Kakashi said calmly. "I want to know what you think. Your thoughts matter."
Yoru shrugged lightly. "I don't have any strong feelings about it. Having another teacher isn't a bad thing."
Kakashi frowned slightly.
"You're not excited? You know your teacher's background. You should understand how rare it is to be taught by an ANBU jōnin."
"I know," Yoru replied evenly. "But gaining another teacher doesn't make me particularly happy either."
That answer left Kakashi puzzled.
He almost wondered if Yoru disliked him.
"I believe my strength will allow me to teach you many things."
Yoru nodded. "I believe that too. You're Kakashi-sensei. Even without rumors, your reputation in the village speaks for itself."
And that wasn't based on memories from another life.
Kakashi was genuinely famous in Konoha. Anyone with normal awareness had heard of him—aside from Naruto, perhaps.
That only made Kakashi more confused.
If Yoru understood how capable he was… why was he so indifferent?
"Kakashi-sensei," Yoru said calmly, "what matters most to me is living steadily as a ninja. I don't have an overwhelming desire to become the strongest."
That was both true—and not.
True, because Yoru genuinely didn't possess much competitive ambition. He simply wanted to survive peacefully in this world.
Not entirely true, because he had the system.
Even without guidance, he knew he would grow stronger eventually.
It would just take more time.
Kakashi felt a headache coming on.
Yoru's mindset lacked… drive.
But then again—
Did he have the right to criticize?
"Don't you have a dream?" Kakashi pressed.
Yoru smiled faintly.
"My dream is to survive my ninja career peacefully. You know better than anyone how short a ninja's lifespan can be."
That answer left Kakashi speechless.
It wasn't wrong.
But Yoru wasn't an ordinary ninja.
At least, not in Kakashi's eyes.
He was a prodigy worth cultivating into one of Konoha's pillars.
How could someone like that lack ambition?
"Is there nothing you want to protect?" Kakashi asked again.
Yoru considered carefully this time.
"Of course there is. If I have enough strength, I'll protect what's precious to me."
Kakashi finally smiled.
"Then why did you say something so… defeated earlier?"
Yoru shook his head.
"I don't think what I said was defeated. Wanting a steady life doesn't mean I won't work hard."
"If I want stability, I must become stronger."
"But once I can protect what matters, that's enough. There's no need to chase endless strength."
"Whether I succeed or not doesn't matter. As long as I try, that's sufficient."
Kakashi let out a helpless chuckle.
"You're twelve. Why do you talk like an old man?"
He waved a hand.
"Fine. I won't bother with introductions. I assume you already know enough about me."
"You're not like Naruto."
It was true.
Naruto barely knew Kakashi's past.
Even Sasuke—despite Kakashi once working alongside Itachi—knew surprisingly little.
And Kakashi suspected Itachi had never spoken about those days.
Which, in fact, was correct.
Itachi rarely discussed ANBU matters with Sasuke.
Especially not Kakashi.
Kakashi stepped closer.
Under the moonlight, his tall frame cast a long shadow.
At twelve years old, Yoru was already over 1.6 meters tall—noticeably taller than most of his peers.
Kakashi wasn't distant or cold now.
He placed a hand on Yoru's shoulder.
"From today onward, I'm also your teacher."
"And I expect you to reach jōnin-level strength within a year."
He paused.
"Preferably within half a year."
"Once you reach that level, I'll take you on certain missions personally."
For the first time, Yoru's calm expression cracked.
"…Take me on missions?"
"…Half a year to reach jōnin level?!"
His lips twitched.
"Kakashi-sensei… how highly do you think of me?"
"Who can become a jōnin in half a year?"
"And you of all people should know what kind of missions you handle."
Those weren't ordinary assignments.
Even ordinary jōnin faced danger alongside Kakashi.
Yoru knew his growth would be fast.
But half a year?
That bordered on absurd.
The difference between chūnin and jōnin might look like one rank.
In reality, it was the difference between clouds and mud.
A single jōnin could overwhelm multiple chūnin with ease.
Without cheats, a chūnin facing a jōnin was simply prey.
And it wasn't just about mastering techniques.
It was about combat experience.
That was what Yoru valued most.
Jutsu could be learned.
Battle sense required blood.
He knew exactly how Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had been sealed.
Raw power alone meant nothing without combat intelligence.
The Ōtsutsuki relied on overwhelming force.
Against weaker enemies, that worked perfectly.
But against opponents near their level with superior battle instincts?
They lost.
Yoru knew his real combat experience was practically zero.
Reaching jōnin-level strength wasn't just about power—
It required time.
What Yoru didn't realize—
Was that his standards were simply too high.
The way he had handled Kakashi's attack earlier already exceeded ordinary chūnin capability.
The gap he felt wasn't merely experience—
It was raw power.
But he mistook that difference for a lack of battle experience.
In truth, with his "Exceptional Learning Ability,"
Yoru's combat instincts were already developing far beyond normal expectations.
Otherwise—
He never would have displayed strength surpassing most chūnin after learning only a few basic techniques.
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