Chapter 201: Are You Also a Micro-Management Master?

Ame-nin? How did they get all the way here? A trace of suspicion flickered through Kakashi’s mind. After the whole incident with the so-called “Samurai,” he had developed a habit of looking at everything with skepticism — especially figures who suddenly popped up under questionable circumstances, wrapped in metaphorical disguises. Still… He didn’t voice his doubts. Instead, he stayed silent on the side, quietly observing his new “teammates.” Uchiha Shisui. Yūhi Kurenai. Kyoichi’s students. For the past two Chūnin Exams, Kakashi — having already long been promoted to Chūnin — had only been a bystander, but even so, he had developed a pretty good grasp of Kyoichi’s three disciples. Shisui was the most well-rounded. Asuma was the strongest in direct combat. As for Kurenai… Kakashi didn’t know as much about her. He only knew that she had originally been an exceptional genjutsu user, but ever since joining Kyoichi’s team, her focus had shifted — she was now developing more in medical ninjutsu and taijutsu. Still worth keeping an eye on. “If we’re going to work together, the first step should be gathering intel on our teammates, right? Understanding them well enough…” Kakashi recalled Kyoichi’s words and suddenly realized something important. He knew Shisui and Kurenai fairly well. But… Shisui and Kurenai barely knew anything about him. He’d need to find time to communicate with them properly. A hundred thoughts ran through his mind. But… Even after leaving Konoha, traveling all the way to the border of the Land of Fire, and stopping for a short rest, Kakashi still hadn’t spoken a word to his two teammates. Minato watched this unfold, feeling quietly anxious. And Kakashi himself was conflicted. With outsiders present, it felt awkward to start discussing sensitive matters with Shisui and Kurenai… But breaking off alone wasn’t safe either. What was he supposed to do? Kyoichi, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel amused. Without question, Kakashi was a top-class ninja — the problem was that he held himself and others to standards that were almost absurdly strict, following rules to the point of being mechanical. Sure, ignoring discipline was wrong. But being too rigidly disciplined — well, that wasn’t without its own problems. Take Kakashi, for example. Kyoichi didn’t believe for a second that this guy hadn’t figured out that Mizuwa was a disguised ally. And considering even Konan had taught at the Academy before, it was clear how much Kyoichi trusted her. In short… Everyone here was on the same side. What was he even being so guarded about? And yet… Kakashi still sat there like a stone statue. Meanwhile, Shisui remained unbothered, perfectly calm, and Kurenai, on the other hand, was starting to get restless. The team… Didn’t seem to be gelling very well. Just as Kurenai was about to speak, she noticed Shisui subtly move his fingers — making a small, discreet hand signal. Don’t act. Huh? She was a bit puzzled, but out of trust for her teammate, she silently kept her mouth shut. They left the Land of Fire. Still, Kakashi waited. And even when they reached the northern part of the Land of Rivers, there was no real opportunity. Shisui and Kurenai were casually chatting away, discussing the conditions up north, laughing and talking like old friends. Kakashi, meanwhile, was left out in the cold. He usually didn’t care much about things like this. In the past, he believed ninjas didn’t need friends; they were only together for the sake of completing missions. Even with Obito and Rin. They’d been teammates for ages, but he had never truly integrated into the group. It was only because Obito and Rin kept reaching out to him that they eventually became close. But now, when his teammates didn’t reach out to him first… Kakashi felt it. That uncomfortable sting of isolation. Kyoichi silently gave Shisui a mental thumbs-up. Great teamwork… Look at this student of his! And then look at Kakashi — practically the poster child for “loner orphan mode.” Kyoichi gave Minato a meaningful glance. Minato was speechless. He knew he bore some responsibility for Kakashi’s poor social skills. At the very least, he hadn’t provided enough emotional support to address Kakashi’s psychological scars. And besides… When it came to teaching, Minato had always thought Kyoichi was the real master — there was no point even comparing himself. If Minato were really that good… Would he still be working himself to the bone over here, pulling double shifts nonstop? Minato held his head high with justified pride. As they approached the border of the Land of Rain, even Konan was starting to lose her patience. Was this guy really planning to just stay in loner mode forever? No communication with his teammates? Come on, this was a mission! Take it seriously! She glanced up at the sky and stiffly said, “Up ahead is the Land of Rain. The rainfall’s already starting to pick up around here. If we push on through the night, it could get messy. How about we stay in the next town overnight?” “Sure. You’re familiar with this area — we’ll follow your lead,” Kyoichi replied casually. Fixing Kakashi’s mindset was secondary. The mission — and the bigger prize they were after — was what really mattered. Kyoichi wasn’t about to sacrifice the big picture just to fix one teammate. When Kakashi heard they’d be staying overnight, he quietly let out a breath of relief. Good! This is my chance. They reached a small town just as scattered raindrops began to fall from the sky. They weren’t officially inside the Land of Rain yet, but the weather here was already just as miserable — rivers crisscrossing the land, currents running fast and strong. The town wasn’t large. But its location — right on the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Rivers — made it an important hub for travelers, missing-nins, and mercenaries passing through. That meant it was, paradoxically, the busiest and most prosperous town in the northern region. Konan led the way easily, quickly finding a familiar innkeeper she knew. They secured four rooms — S~eaʀᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. One each for Konan, Kyoichi, and Minato. And one shared room for Kakashi, Shisui, and Kurenai. Once they’d settled in— Knock, knock, knock. Kyoichi opened the door and found Konan standing outside. He paused for a moment, then smirked, “Knocking on a man’s door in the middle of the night — woman, are you trying to commit a crime?” “Cut the crap. Who’s that masked kid, anyway? Why is he… so strange? And you — you clearly brought him along to train him or something. Why haven’t you stepped in to help even once?” Konan couldn’t hold it in any longer. This was like the eunuch fretting while the emperor sat calmly. Kyoichi gave a helpless sigh. Seeing her frustrated expression, he gestured inside, signaling her to come in. “You’re more impatient than I am.” “It’s dragging on forever! Even with me here as an outsider, they could at least chat a bit, swap intel or something, right?” “You’re not wrong — but he won’t.” Kyoichi acknowledged her point. Konan looked puzzled. Wasn’t communication with your teammates a basic ninja skill? “It’s complicated. I can’t explain it all to you.” Kyoichi didn’t tell her about Sakumo’s story. Some things — if you understood, you understood. If you didn’t, no amount of explanation would help. Konan fell silent. He looked like a kid with a lot of baggage. She let out a quiet sigh. Just as she was about to leave, there was another knock — knock, knock, knock. “Ah, here comes the one who should be anxious.” Kyoichi chuckled and opened the door — outside stood Mizuwa. Seeing Konan there too, Minato paused briefly, then gave a small nod before turning to Kyoichi and saying urgently, “Quick — check in on them!” “Uh…?” Konan blinked, confused. The next second, Minato slipped into the room and promptly located the crystal ball hidden under the table. Credit where it was due. When it came to intel-gathering, Minato really had maxed out the skill tree. “…Fine.” Kyoichi gave in and began the scrying technique. After all… Who was going to say no to the man who was currently working himself to death helping everyone? A moment later, the crystal ball flickered, and Konan saw a live image of Kakashi’s room — the three of them were sitting together, finally talking, apparently discussing their abilities and coming up with a coordinated strategy. Konan’s sharp eyes swept over the scene — and she was left speechless. Kyoichi, you bastard… He’d acted all calm earlier, pretending he didn’t care — but the whole time, he’d been watching everything. Couldn’t he just act like a normal person? Not even Jiraiya would pull something like this. “Kakashi seems to be communicating now — that’s a relief, sigh…” Minato exhaled, his shoulders easing slightly. He’d tried counseling Kakashi before, but honestly, it hadn’t worked at all. He’d even gone to Tsunade for help — mainly because he’d heard she’d recently been researching psychological medicine. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected… That Kakashi would almost get “counseled” straight into the ANBU. Absolutely absurd. Konan was starting to piece things together. Kakashi was Minato’s student… Which meant, indirectly, he was basically a junior of hers? No, wait… Kakashi. That name sounded really familiar. She thought for a long moment — and suddenly, a surname surfaced in her mind. Hatake… The son of the White Fang? “You’re celebrating too soon. Didn’t you notice? Right now, he’s just talking to himself — he hasn’t even asked Shisui or Kurenai for their input. You call that teamwork?” Kyoichi shook his head. Still needs work. A squad’s coordination isn’t a one-man show. Battle is full of unpredictable variables. No one can make everything go exactly according to plan. Even he, when giving orders, only sets the general direction — the details are left for the team to adjust on their own. But Kakashi… he seemed to want to control everything in his own hands. This was overcorrecting, plain and simple. “…You’re right,” Minato admitted, scratching his head, “but when he’s on my squad, that’s kind of how he’s always been.” He hadn’t thought it was a bad thing before. Under Kakashi’s command, Obito and Rin performed up to their full potential — it was arguably a near-perfect coordination. But… Was that really considered coordination, in Kyoichi’s eyes? “Obito and Shisui — you realize they’re not the same kind of person, right? No offense, but if you let Obito take part in operational planning, chances are he’d just charge straight at the enemy for a showdown.” “That’s… yeah, pretty much.” Konan nodded in full agreement. Minato paused, then gave a small nod too. With different teammates, the thinking had to change. Shisui, both in mindset and capability, was every bit Kakashi’s equal. A teammate like that shouldn’t be treated as just another piece on a game board. Too rigid! Looking at it this way… Maybe he himself was part of the problem. Minato fell into self-reflection. Kyoichi watched for a bit, almost tempted to yawn. Right now, Kakashi was probably still feeling pleased with his own “brilliant” tactics. He had factored in the weather, the terrain, the conditions — impressive thinking for his age, no doubt. But once they crossed into the Land of Rain, who exactly would the enemy be? Planning combat strategies and even mapping out ninjutsu combinations without knowing the opponent’s identity — did he think he was some micromanagement master? “…They’ve stopped talking now. Konan, does your village have any particularly strong squads?” “Uh, to be honest, no.” Konan really wanted to answer “yes,” but their actual strength just didn’t allow it — not when facing a lineup like Kakashi, Shisui, and Kurenai. Kyoichi furrowed his brow slightly. “So, even knowing their tactics, is there any group in Amegakure that could at least give them some trouble?” “I don’t think so,” Konan replied frankly. “The elite of Amegakure… you already saw most of them at the Chūnin Exams. If you think any of them are reliable, just let me know.” Well, that ruled them out. Even Kakashi’s somewhat mechanical tactical combinations required opponents with a certain level of strength to break or counter. Simply knowing their plans wouldn’t help much otherwise. Kyoichi thought for a moment, then said, “Alright, pick a squad of chūnin under fifteen. Since all three of them are chūnin too, if they lose, it’ll motivate the Ame-nin, and if they win, it’ll be a good lesson for Kakashi. Either way, we don’t lose out.” “Fine by me. It’s just an exchange match, after all…” Konan didn’t object. After all, Konoha’s squad was visiting Amegakure for training and exchange, mainly to push the Ame-nin forward and stir up some spirit. Kyoichi’s real business lay back in Konoha.