"So? What do you think? Want to learn ninjutsu from me? Once I retire, I'll have all the time in the world. Whenever you want to train, I can make time for you."
"Huh?"
Seriously?
He really wanted to teach him?
For the first time in a while, Byakuya dropped his usual indifferent expression and looked at the Third Hokage with open curiosity.
To be honest, lately he really had started to feel like his strength had hit a wall.
The enemies waiting in the future were all going to be monsters far beyond common sense, one ridiculous power-up after another, and someone like him, who did not even have any proper secret arts or high-level jutsu, would have a hard time surviving what was coming.
One careless mistake, and he might get killed by some random nightmare long before Naruto was even old enough to grow up.
"Come with me. We still have a little time."
The Third Hokage rose from his seat and glanced back at Byakuya.
Byakuya had not expected him to start teaching right now. He froze for a second, then quickly followed after him.
Honestly, being personally taught ninjutsu by the Hokage praised as the strongest of all generations was the kind of opportunity that only came once in a lifetime.
What Byakuya could not understand was why the man was being so good to him.
"Am I really worth that much?"
Turning down something handed to him this directly was not Byakuya's style, but he still wanted to know why.
The Third Hokage stopped walking, turned toward him, and said, "Value isn't something you decide for yourself."
"You mean you see value in me?"
"Mm. Value is not quite the right word. More accurately, I see possibility. And will."
The Third Hokage said it with an expression that plainly declared he trusted his own judgment.
Byakuya looked at him and came to one conclusion with complete certainty.
The old man had really gone senile.
Anyone looking at Byakuya should have seen nothing but dead eyes and a guy whose only goal was to survive until Naruto was born. And yet somehow the Third Hokage was seeing "will" and "possibility" in that. There had to be something seriously wrong with his eyesight.
---
"Well, look who it is. Long time no see."
Someone smacked him several times across the back, and Byakuya frowned, looking away.
Training with the Hokage really was a good thing. Honestly, this kind of opportunity was not something you could just hope to run into.
But Byakuya had forgotten one important detail.
The person standing here was Asuma.
Sarutobi Asuma.
"When training's over, want to grab some yakiniku? My treat."
Byakuya could not help wondering why this guy acted so close to him.
They had barely seen each other since graduating from the Academy, and yet Asuma still acted like they were old friends. Byakuya let out a helpless sigh.
Thinking about all the effort he had put into acting like a villain, forcing cold looks and building up a terrible image, only to have it amount to nothing, left him feeling weirdly empty inside.
"Kurenai said she wants to thank you again for what happened before. So, what do you think? The three of us can go eat yakiniku together. My treat."
Byakuya still had absolutely no idea why Kurenai wanted to thank him.
Even now, he still had not figured it out.
He had always felt there was no benefit in getting too close to the original characters, and he was just about to turn him down when he met the Third Hokage's kindly, expectant gaze.
Under that look, he just could not make himself say no.
"...Beef. The most expensive kind."
Byakuya muttered it so softly it was almost under his breath, then turned and walked away.
Tonight's dinner was beef.
---
Byakuya was sent flying hard and crashed to the ground spread-eagle. The moment he opened his eyes, all he saw was a wide blue sky.
"...What a pain."
Everything hurt. His shoulders, his waist, his legs, his arms. There was not a single part of him that did not ache.
He had completely lost the strength to get up and could only lie there blankly, staring upward.
"How long are you planning to stay down there?"
"..."
Until the day Naruto is born and kills me?
Right now, Byakuya wanted nothing more than to lie there doing absolutely nothing until that day finally came.
At the sound of the Third Hokage urging him on, he forced his aching body up again, gripped his sword, and took his stance.
"That's better."
The Third Hokage looked at Byakuya and tightened his own fists once more, settling back into a fighting posture.
Before either of them had really noticed, he had already stepped down. Time had flown by, and Minato had become the Fourth Hokage.
On the day of Minato's inauguration, Byakuya had seen him for the first time and immediately clicked his tongue inside his head, muttering one short, bitter thought.
Handsome geniuses should just die already.
"Try taking this one too!"
He had only let his mind wander for a second, and suddenly a huge wave of flames came roaring straight toward him.
Even if he leaped away, there was no dodging an attack with that much range. Byakuya immediately formed seals and countered with Water Style. Water and fire slammed together in midair, and steam exploded outward in every direction.
"Right."
Clang!
Following the warning that rang through his head, he swung his blade to the right just in time to block the Third Hokage, who was grinning with a shuriken in hand.
The instant he saw that grin, Byakuya activated the technique carved into his sword. The blade passed through the Third's shuriken and nearly reached his throat.
Bang!
One moment before the edge could touch the Third Hokage's neck, Byakuya took a brutal kick to the side and was launched sideways, slamming into the ground all over again.
"...So annoying."
He lost the strength to get back up again and stayed there for quite a while.
His stamina was completely spent. He still had chakra left, but since he was technically on a mission and had been warned not to use too much chakra unless necessary, he had been holding on to it.
"Well done. That's enough for today."
"...Thank you."
Was this old man just using training as an excuse to beat the hell out of him?
Still, he had learned things, at least. Byakuya pushed himself to his feet and dipped his head slightly in thanks.
Now he could adapt to the Hokage's movements at least a little, which probably counted as progress.
"You said you're on assignment, right? What do you think of the new Hokage?"
"That's not really for me to comment on."
Byakuya slid his sword back into its sheath and answered in a perfunctory tone.
Talking about the current Hokage in front of the previous one was exactly the sort of thing that could go very wrong if handled carelessly.
"That's true. People serving close to the Hokage can't afford to have loose lips."
"..."
Is he testing me?
Byakuya glanced at the Third with a flicker of unease, afraid he might say the wrong thing and bring down another harsh lesson on himself.
People like this crafty old fox were never easy to deal with.
He could feel cold sweat forming on his back.
"I... should get going."
"Good work today," the Third Hokage said with a nod.
It really had been work.
Byakuya looked down at his tattered clothes and hesitated over whether it was fine to go like this, but then he figured it was still better than showing up late and quickly turned to leave.
He had heard there was a newcomer reporting in today.
The whole thing really had nothing to do with him, but the captain had ordered everyone to assemble, so he had no choice but to show up on time.
"Sorry. I'm late."
When he reached the assembly area, which was more crowded and lively than usual, Byakuya tossed out a casual apology.
The squad captain knew Byakuya had been off training under the Third Hokage, so he did not say much. He simply clapped his hands and got everyone's attention.
"All right, everyone's here. Focus up. I've got an announcement."
These guys again.
Byakuya already knew there would not be any original-story characters here, so while dusting the dirt off his clothes, he casually pulled a jutsu scroll from inside his vest and started reading.
It was a new Fire Style scroll the Third had given him. He had only gotten halfway through it so far and had been wondering when he would get a chance to finish.
"So, starting today, your squad captain will be this man here, Byakuya. Byakuya, you understand, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll just muddle through it or... wait, what?"
He had been staring down at the scroll, but at those words he jerked his head sideways and fixed a hard stare on the captain, who was smiling brightly.
"I've decided to step down from the squad. Out of everyone here, you've got the most seniority after me. I already recommended you to the Hokage too. So from here on out, I'm leaving things to you, Captain Byakuya."
"..."
Byakuya felt a deep, bone-weary exhaustion settle over him.
He was honestly considering whether he should just punch the man who was cheerfully patting him on the shoulder.
After just barely suppressing the urge to strike a superior officer, Byakuya looked up and swept his eyes across the people who were apparently about to become his subordinates.
"..."
What was with that familiar white hair?
Byakuya had a sudden, overwhelming feeling that something that absolutely should not happen, something that could not be allowed to happen, was about to happen.
Those black eyes were looking back at him with that signature lazy expression.
They should not have been familiar.
And yet they were.
That face. That hair. That expression. Those dull, unmotivated eyes.
Anyone with half a brain would know exactly who it was.
What the hell is Kakashi doing here...?