Chapter 30: The Question
Naruto followed Kakashi through the forest, his brow furrowed slightly. He didn't understand why Kakashi had pulled him away from the others. Wasn't it simpler to train them all together? Or did Kakashi have something to say that he didn't want Sasuke and Sakura to hear?
Soon, he had his answer.
Kakashi stopped in a small clearing far from the training site, well out of earshot of Sasuke and Sakura. He turned to face Naruto, his visible eye sharp and focused.
Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but Kakashi spoke first.
"Naruto. Tell me the truth." A pause. "Who taught you?"
Naruto froze.
For a heartbeat, his composure wavered. He hadn't expected that question.
Then, quickly, he recovered. His expression smoothed back into careful neutrality.
He thinks someone has been training me in secret, Naruto realized. He thinks there's a hidden teacher behind my strength.
After all, even a prodigy like Sasuke had received training from his father and brother. Naruto had surpassed Sasuke by a wide margin. In Kakashi's mind, that kind of ability didn't appear from nowhere.
Naruto let out a small, almost amused breath.
"No one taught me, Kakashi-sensei," he said. "I learned on my own."
Now it was Kakashi's turn to freeze. His eye widened, disbelief plain on his face.
"You learned… by yourself?" Kakashi's voice rose slightly with incredulity. "Everything? Climbing trees?"
Naruto nodded.
"I saw other ninjas doing it—walking on trees, walking on water. So I practiced on my own until I got it right."
Kakashi stared at him as if he had grown a second head.
But Naruto wasn't lying. No one had ever taught him. He had watched from the shadows, observed the techniques of others, and then trained relentlessly using his Shadow Clones. It had been slow at first, frustrating, full of failure. But his perseverance had paid off. Years ago, he had mastered both tree climbing and water walking.
He had no reason to hide that now. Pretending to be weak would only invite more suspicion, given everything Kakashi had already witnessed.
Better to appear honest, Naruto thought. Let him believe I'm just a self-taught prodigy.
Kakashi's eyes widened even further. His mouth fell open slightly.
"Wait—did you just say water walking too?"
Naruto blinked, feigning mild surprise at Kakashi's reaction. "Yes? I saw ninjas doing it. So I practiced."
Kakashi stared at him, utterly speechless. His gaze was that of a man looking at a monster.
He had expected Naruto to know tree climbing. He hadn't expected water walking—a technique several times more difficult, requiring far finer chakra control.
What am I supposed to teach this kid? Kakashi thought, exasperated. I pulled him aside specifically to teach him water walking…
He shook his head, letting out a helpless sigh.
"Are you sure you were the dead-last of the academy?" Kakashi asked, half-joking, half-genuinely bewildered.
Naruto just smiled.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck, thinking. Finally, he said, "Well. Since you've already mastered both, there's no point in having you practice with Sasuke and Sakura. For now, you'll stay close to me and help protect Tazuna. And during our downtime…" He met Naruto's eyes. "I'll teach you personally."
Naruto's expression flickered—just for a moment. Surprise, then something softer.
He's willing to teach me.
No one had ever offered to train him before. No one had ever taken an interest in his growth. Kakashi was the first.
Naruto nodded, his voice quieter than usual. "Okay."
Kakashi smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good. Head back now. I'm going to check on Sasuke and Sakura's progress." His eye crinkled warmly. "Starting tomorrow, you and I will train together."
Naruto turned and walked back toward the training site.
Kakashi watched him go, his expression softening into something almost nostalgic.
Minato-sensei… he thought. This is your son. His talent… it might even surpass yours.