Chapter 15: Kakashi Still Has Too Much Pride

Chapter 15: Kakashi Is Still Too Concerned About Face

“By the way, your surname is Yagyu?”

“Yes.”

Chiba nodded. “But I’m just a commoner.”

“Some commoners were nobles during the samurai era; they just declined in the ninja age. I recall seeing the Yagyu name in old family records. It was probably a samurai family once.”

“Perhaps.” After all, there were no sword manuals at home. Otherwise, Chiba wouldn’t have needed to learn swordsmanship from Tenten.

“Well, honestly, those are outdated things. Even the Land of Iron has started training chakra now. Being a samurai family probably doesn’t mean much anymore.”

Kakashi spoke casually, but his right hand twitched impatiently.

The conversation was rather dull; he almost wanted to pull out a book to read. However, considering the content wasn’t appropriate for all ages, he restrained himself.

Still...

He could control his mind, but not his hand.

Though Chiba was not yet a ninja, his observational skills were sharp. Naturally, he noticed everything and had only one thought—

Kakashi seemed to still care about his dignity at this moment.

In the story, he would calmly read in front of Naruto and the others, indifferent to their opinions, as if he cared nothing for Konoha.

Maybe he was wary of Chiba’s sharp mind, suspecting the book’s inappropriate content.

Shaking his head secretly, Chiba said, “If you want to read, you don’t need to worry about my opinion.”

“Uh…”

Kakashi’s hand froze, a little embarrassed.

“It’s nothing. I haven’t read Master Jiraiya’s books, but I’ve heard about them.”

He had secretly glanced at Hokuzan’s treasured book. Honestly, it wasn’t particularly explosive; it contained much of Jiraiya’s personal flair. He had plenty of such books in his mind.

Kakashi fell silent for a few seconds.

He had encountered this situation before and never minded it, but before Chiba, he couldn’t remain completely at ease. After all, they both walked while reading, but Chiba held medical and ninja technique texts.

And he?

An adult’s art book.

The difference was too vast.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi said, “No matter. Books are just to cultivate one’s temperament, not necessities. Let’s walk and talk. The Third Hokage mentioned you to me; I’m quite interested.”

“The Third Hokage mentioned me?”

Chiba was surprised.

It seemed the Third had considered having Kakashi mentor him, but Kakashi probably declined; otherwise, he wouldn’t have just extended the ANBU invitation.

“Heh, the Third Hokage cares about the village’s talent.”

Page 2

Yeah, right.

Chiba cursed silently.

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s talent development...

It wasn’t that there was none, just that it was all for show, living off the legacy of Senju Tobirama’s ninja academy system.

However,

He acknowledged the Third’s mastery of ninjutsu and his qualities.

For a ninja without any special bloodline or constitution, to reach such levels was remarkable. It was just his teaching and mentoring skills that left much to be desired.

Chiba and Kakashi weren’t close.

Even with the Third’s introduction, it was impossible to immediately ask Kakashi for guidance in ninjutsu or swordsmanship. Likewise, Kakashi knew little about Chiba, so they mostly made small talk.

The two walked while chatting.

Near the village entrance, Chiba looked up and voiced a question that had puzzled him since his past life.

“Senior Kakashi, the Sharingan you obtained, you can’t close it, right?”

“Hm? Why do you ask that?”

Kakashi wore his mask and was reading, so Chiba couldn’t see his expression.

Still,

He decided to continue.

“If your eye can’t close, it must put a chakra strain on you. I heard your chakra reserves aren’t abundant, so using a sword would consume less, right?”

This was a question he’d had since watching Naruto in his past life.

The White Fang’s swordsmanship was no joke.

Kakashi had practiced swordsmanship since childhood, relying on it heavily before developing Chidori. Now, though the White Fang’s blade was broken, Chiba didn’t believe the Hatake clan or Konoha couldn’t produce a chakra blade.

Though Raikiri was a different kind of blade...

How much chakra do you really have, anyway?

Faced with the question, Kakashi couldn’t answer immediately.

He hadn’t turned the page of the adult book in a long while.

After half a minute of silence, he spoke, “Swords may not suit someone like me, and this eye was left to me by a comrade. I have to carry it with me.”

“Of course, there are few things that would drain my chakra completely.”

Kakashi sounded slightly melancholic before returning to his book.

Chiba was speechless.

Although they both held the rank of jonin, elite jonin varied greatly.

“Anyway, today’s conversation was pleasant.”

Kakashi stretched lazily, returning to his usual nonchalance. “I’m serious about the ANBU invitation, but your choice is good. Sometimes, progressing too quickly isn’t beneficial. If you ever consider joining ANBU, you can always consult the Hokage.”

Page 3

“Yes!”

“Let’s go.”

Waving his hand, Kakashi walked toward Ichiraku Ramen, reading as he went.

Chiba bought some rice balls before heading to the ninja academy.

Shikamaru sat on the swing at the gate.

Tenten glanced around restlessly nearby.

“What a hassle. We could have left long ago, but you kept me waiting for half an hour.”

“Sorry, I lost track of time chatting with a senior.”

Chiba handed over the remaining rice balls. Tenten’s eyes lit up; without hesitation, she grabbed them and thanked him before devouring the food eagerly.

Shikamaru sighed helplessly and pulled two books from his pocket:

Research on Nara Clan Medicinal Herbs

The other was not a book but a notebook, apparently copied from the Akimichi clan based on its signature and contents.

“Books for you.”

“Please thank Lord Chikaku for me.”

“I really don’t get it. You could spend more time on ninjutsu and training, so why bother with this?”

Leaning against the swing’s ropes, Shikamaru looked puzzled.

“To me, discovering these medicines isn’t difficult, but they greatly boost training efficiency. Why not research them? And the benefits aren’t just for me alone.”

Chiba shrugged. “You haven’t been through it, so it’s normal you don’t understand. When you face helplessness and despair one day, you’ll know why.”

“...”

Shikamaru was momentarily stunned but said nothing, silently stepping off the swing and leaving.

On the way home, he saw Naruto training.

Never been through that?

He glanced at Naruto, then back toward where Chiba had been, deep in thought.

“Shikamaru, you’ve been distracted lately.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Maybe what he said to Dad was right. Let’s go, Tenten, time for dinner.”

Shikamaru looked listless.

(End of chapter)