章 279: Chapter 279: Why Didn't Your Father Say I'm a Hexagonal Warrior?
"Really?"
Sakumo's eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly pulled himself together and forced a smile:
"That might not be too far off. After all, the Mist Village is surrounded by the sea, and they excel at naval battles, whereas we're at a disadvantage in that regard. Plus, their mobility is high."
"It's easy for them to launch surprise attacks from all directions. I imagine Orochimaru must be having quite a headache right now."
In terms of strength, Sakumo Hatake was almost at the pinnacle of ordinary shinobi, and he wasn't lacking in battle command either. He was outstanding in all aspects.
If there were any shortcomings to point out, Takuya would say it was Sakumo's lack of political insight—to be precise, a lack of political acumen.
"Pretty much," Takuya said with a smile. "From what I heard from Tsunade, it's been a hassle. The Mist Village doesn't engage in direct combat; they just keep harassing us, building military installations on small islands in the sea."
"It probably won't be long until you get the order to head to the front lines, senior."
"Hahaha, I hope so."
Sakumo's mood lifted quite a bit after hearing Takuya's words.
Ever since his request to head to the front lines was denied, he'd been cooped up at home, feeling down.
So much so that he didn't even have the motivation to prepare food for his son.
Instead, he took his son out for ramen.
"Senior, I'm finished. I'll take my leave now."
"Alright, take care. I'll treat you to a meal next time."
Takuya paid for their ramen along with his own. Sakumo didn't think much of it; he figured he'd just return the favor next time. There was no need to insist.
Takuya waved to the busy Teuchi and leisurely headed home, carrying his groceries.
He couldn't help but wonder when Sakumo would finally come to realize the situation.
The Hokage's half-sleeve appointment was a mark of recognition from both the village and the daimyo for Sakumo Hatake, but it also marked the beginning of his suppression.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's acceptance of Danzo's suggestion was the clearest evidence.
That was why Takuya considered Sakumo's political sense so poor.
The Hokage half-sleeve was suggested by the daimyo, and the Third Hokage couldn't refuse it, which led to Sakumo accepting it gleefully.
The daimyo was happy, thinking Sakumo was someone worth pulling in.
But it put the Third Hokage and the other high-ups in a difficult position.
Setting aside power struggles, which side did Sakumo Hatake align himself with?
Whose side was he on?
Unfortunately, regardless of his stance, people like the Third Hokage would target him anyway.
As one of the involved parties, Takuya knew this all too well.
Would Sakumo still be targeted and slandered?
Takuya wasn't sure if Danzo would try such underhanded tactics during the war.
And the bigger question was, would Sakumo still die? That was a concern.
From a personal standpoint, Takuya naturally hoped Sakumo wouldn't die, especially since they had a decent relationship.
As Takuya walked, he came to a stop at a park and turned around, sighing.
"Hey, kiddo. You've been following me for a while now. Are you not planning to come out?"
Hidden among the bushes, Kakashi froze. Had he been found out?
He'd tried so hard to conceal his presence, but Takuya had still noticed.
Seeing Kakashi not coming out, Takuya chuckled.
"Kid, didn't anyone tell you your stealth skills are quite lacking?"
"Anyone with a bit of sensory ability would notice. Or are you trying to play hide-and-seek with me?"
Takuya spun a few kunai in his hand.
"Hide-and-seek can be dangerous, you know."
"..."
Who plays hide-and-seek with kunai?!
Kakashi quickly jumped out, awkwardly bowing.
"I'm very sorry for disturbing you, senior."
"You followed me. Did you need something?"
In the original story, Kakashi was known for his cold demeanor. But as a child, while Kakashi was somewhat reserved, he wasn't that cold.
Though even at this age, he had already developed the habit of looking at people from a forty-five-degree angle—a habit that made people want to smack him.
After Sakumo Hatake's death, Kakashi's personality drastically changed, and he shut himself off emotionally.
As he grew up, the presence of cheerful Obito and caring Rin helped him gradually open up again.
But just when he hadn't fully opened up, Obito's incident happened, and Rin died.
Kakashi's emotional walls closed again—this time for over a decade—until Naruto graduated.
Due to Naruto and Sasuke, Kakashi once more opened up, only for Sasuke to betray the village and Naruto to leave with Jiraiya.
Kakashi's life was truly a series of tragedies.
"I want to ask you to be my teacher. Please accept me as your student."
"Nani?!"
Kakashi suddenly gave a deep bow and asked to be taken as a disciple, catching Takuya completely off guard. He stepped back several times.
Did you forget to take your meds today, kid?!
Isn't your father the person you admire the most?
He's the one teaching you, so why are you asking me to be your mentor?
"Kakashi is really straightforward. Looks like Takuya got quite a shock," Sakumo Hatake muttered as he watched secretly from afar.
His son had quickly finished his ramen, then made up an excuse to leave. Sakumo knew Kakashi was lying.
So, he followed along and ended up seeing this drama unfold.
"I hope he doesn't get too discouraged."
Sakumo had mentioned before that if possible, he wouldn't mind swallowing his pride and asking Takuya to take Kakashi as a student.
But he hadn't said that Takuya had a strict policy against accepting students.
Thus, Kakashi had come by himself.
"Why do you want to do this?"
Takuya rubbed his nose, chuckling.
"You're learning the Hatake Swordsmanship. Your father is the best teacher you could have. There's no need for you to train under someone else."
Still bowing, Kakashi said earnestly:
"Father said your swordsmanship and taijutsu aren't inferior to his, and your mastery of Lightning Release and even genjutsu surpasses his own. He said you're one of the few truly suitable teachers for me, so please, senior, accept me."
"..."
Why didn't your father say that Yagami Takuya is a hexagonal warrior while he was at it?
Takuya wasn't really an all-around prodigy.
He dabbled in many things but didn't specialize in everything. His expertise in genjutsu and ninjutsu wasn't particularly strong. He mostly relied on his eccentric dance skills for genjutsu, and he didn't use many different ninjutsu techniques.
Hearing such high praise from Kakashi was rare, but unfortunately, he would have to disappoint the boy.
Takuya shook his head and flicked Kakashi on the forehead. Kakashi yelped, holding his head in pain. He could feel a small bump forming.
He really didn't understand why Takuya had flicked him.
"Kid, remember this: I don't take on students. That includes you. So don't try this again in the future. As I said before, your father is the best teacher for you."
"And don't listen to your father talking nonsense. He's much stronger than me."
"See you around, little guy."
With a wave of his hand, Takuya vanished, leaving Kakashi rubbing his head and staring blankly at where Takuya had been.
Just like that?
You don't take students, but did you really have to flick my forehead? It hurt...
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Next Bonus: 2400 Power Stones ╰ (´꒳`) ╯
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 340+ at patreon.com/ Emik01. ಥ‿ಥ
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