Chapter 30: Kakashi: I Want to Improve So Badly!

Words : 1225 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"If you refuse to cooperate, I’ll have no choice but to take you to Konoha and negotiate with Kirigakure." Jiraiya crouched down and said. Kisame remained silent. He couldn’t afford the consequences of "cooperating." Jiraiya didn’t press further. He tied Kisame up securely and knocked him out. As for the other two, he let them sleep— Well, one of them might never wake up. "Kurenai, no need to save him. Just tie up the one who’s still alive and bring him along." "Understood." Yuhi Kurenai stood up and glanced at Kyohiko. In truth, even if she wanted to save him, she couldn’t. She had only been studying the situation to gain more medical experience. The injured ninja looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, likely a chunin from Kirigakure. During the crisis, Kyohiko had used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of her and punched the attacker away. And yet. With just that one punch. The ninja’s heart was nearly shattered, and he was now likely suffering from massive internal bleeding. She couldn’t save him. Such terrifying strength! Has he already fully mastered Lady Tsunade’s Superhuman Strength technique? Yuhi Kurenai secretly observed Kyohiko, feeling a mix of envy and admiration. Just a while ago, Kyohiko hadn’t fully grasped the technique, but now he could use it effortlessly without injuring himself... What an incredible rate of improvement! If this had been two or three months ago, she would have attributed it to natural talent. But now. Her perspective had changed. Behind the rapid progress, both Kyohiko and Kakashi had put in unimaginable effort. Over the past few days, he must have been training day and night. "Lord Jiraiya, is it over?" "Yes, Mr. Matsuyama. We can continue on our way to Gato’s place." "Good, good. Thank you. If it weren’t for you... and your three subordinates, I would have been in serious trouble this time." Matsuyama Ichiro was filled with relief. At the same time, his eyes burned with hatred. "That damned Gato! Our Matsuyama family has been honest and diligent in our dealings with him, but he wants to devour us. I’ll make him pay!" Then, Matsuyama Ichiro’s gaze turned fierce. "Lord Jiraiya, could I ask you to take on another mission for me?" "If it’s about killing Gato..." Jiraiya hesitated for a moment but ultimately shook his head. "I might not be able to give you an answer right away." "Why?" Matsuyama Ichiro was puzzled. Jiraiya explained. "From what you’ve said, Gato is a significant force in the Land of Waves, and the situation here is complicated. My actions could send unintended signals to the outside world." "Ah! I understand. Let’s go. At least we need to finish this business deal." Matsuyama Ichiro sighed. They continued northeast. As they approached the streets, Kakashi finally woke up. He opened his eyes, still dazed, but upon seeing his surroundings, he immediately became alert. He had passed out? And then— Wait? Kakashi’s face turned pale as he jumped down from the toad’s back. He saw the two tied-up figures being dragged behind the carriage. Kirigakure ninjas? He seemed to have missed something important! Jiraiya sensed Kakashi waking up and slowed down, moving from the front to the middle of the group. "Jiraiya, your subordinate is awake. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back now." "Alright, thank you." Jiraiya politely expressed his gratitude. Iron Arm Toad nodded slightly and then disappeared. Kakashi immediately bowed. "I’m sorry, teacher. I passed out at a critical moment during the mission. I don’t deserve to be a ninja!" Both his eyes and tone revealed that he truly meant what he said. Jiraiya sighed. This kid’s mindset was a bit too extreme! Mission above all else? This wasn’t even a particularly important mission. He glanced around and had an idea. He straightened up and said seriously, "Kakashi, you shouldn’t be apologizing to me. You should apologize to your teammates because they’re the ones who needed you the most." Kakashi looked back at Kyohiko and Yuhi Kurenai. He immediately understood Jiraiya’s meaning. To Jiraiya, his strength was insignificant. The ones who truly needed him were Kyohiko and Yuhi Kurenai, but during the battle, he hadn’t been there. Of course. The situation wasn’t as dangerous as Kakashi imagined. While Yuhi Kurenai had nearly been attacked, Jiraiya had been keeping an eye on the battle, and Iron Arm Toad had also been nearby. If there had been real danger, Iron Arm Toad would have stepped in to protect them. After Jiraiya finished speaking, he returned to the front. Kakashi moved to the back. Before he could say anything, Yuhi Kurenai spoke gently, "Kakashi, it’s good that you’re okay. Just make sure not to push yourself to the point of passing out next time, alright?" He looked at Kyohiko and Yuhi Kurenai, his mask twitching several times, but he didn’t know what to say. Kakashi had imagined many scenarios. For example— Kyohiko might mock him for not following the rules or for not contributing during the mission. Perhaps he’d call him useless. Yuhi Kurenai... Though kind-hearted, she might also give him a cold shoulder, seeing him as a burden. But. Kyohiko said nothing, and Yuhi Kurenai comforted him gently, not seeing him as a burden or a liability. Kakashi was stunned. "But I didn’t help at all." "You don’t need to feel sorry. Everyone has their flaws and shortcomings. That’s why we need to rely on and help each other, forming a team. Besides, the mission wasn’t that important. As long as everyone’s safe, it’s fine." Kyohiko’s face was youthful, but his tone was mature. Then. He changed the subject. "But you really should apologize." "Huh?" Yuhi Kurenai was confused. She thought Kyohiko would comfort him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Kakashi was also puzzled, not understanding what Kyohiko meant. "As a ninja, you should be responsible for your teammates and partners. Even I, who just graduated, understand this. You knew we had a mission today, yet you stayed up all night training yesterday? Even if you hadn’t passed out, how well could you have performed? You might have even put your teammates in danger." Kyohiko spoke earnestly. "I’m sorry. I just wanted to master this technique so badly. It won’t happen again!" Kakashi responded seriously. Over the past couple of days, he had been desperate to catch up to Kyohiko. Although Kyohiko claimed he had been practicing similar techniques, Kakashi knew that Kyohiko hadn’t had such advanced chakra control before. Even if he had, it had only been since he started practicing water release. At most, a month or so. In just a month, Kyohiko had made rapid progress. And him? He had barely improved! Kakashi was acutely aware of this and recognized his own shortcomings, which was why he had been so desperate to get stronger. However. This was indeed irrational. Whether for the mission or for his teammates, Kakashi was filled with self-reproach. Kyohiko, standing nearby, was secretly pleased. Although the process and circumstances were different, the result seemed to align with his expectations. The next step was to help Kakashi truly understand the importance of teamwork and camaraderie. Additionally— According to the reward mechanism, if the impact on the target was significant, the reward would often be related to their strongest trait. Kakashi, you’d better improve quickly!

Chapter 30: Kakashi: I Want to Improve So Badly!

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