"Kakashi-sensei, you've been quiet… You seem kind of down."
Tenten finally asked the question that had been on her mind ever since they left the borders of the Hidden Leaf.
She had held it in for a while, but curiosity and concern eventually won.
"Huh?" Kakashi lifted his head lazily, his voice listless. "Oh, it's nothing. Just… lost my way on the road of life again."
Garou opened his mouth as if to respond, but in the end, chose silence.
'Gift of the Sages…'
It's not the right time yet.
Once Chiriku finishes negotiating with the Temple of Fire, then he could reveal everything to Kakashi and the others.
Kakashi gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing, simply shaking his head slightly as the group pressed onward.
Beside them, Kasumi was practicing with her blade, completely immersed. Her focus bordered on obsession, her movements repetitive but not without effort.
She was clearly hooked on kenjutsu now. Whether her form was good or bad didn't matter yet. What mattered was that she had found a direction.
That alone was progress.
Garou watched her quietly but offered no correction or feedback.
Her swordsmanship was hers alone to shape.
If he interfered too much now, it would never truly be her own.
This stage was about building foundations. Once she had that, once she discovered her personal style, then he would step in if needed.
He shifted his gaze to Kakashi.
Despite looking disinterested, that man was always watching. He never let a detail slip. He just acted lazy, but he knew everything going on with each of them. Tenten's affinity for ninja tools and her earth release. Kasumi's lightning release and sword techniques.
As for Garou… Kakashi hadn't taught him any specific jutsu. He mostly just answered questions when asked.
He was more like a walking encyclopedia than a sensei.
Still… he was doing his job well.
Of course, if his students were like Naruto's team, this hands-off approach wouldn't work.
None of them were like that trio.
Garou glanced at Kakashi again and sighed inwardly.
Back when Naruto was just a loudmouthed brat, before he met Jiraiya… man, those were some rough days.
Then again, that was part of his growth.
All the pain and hardship he went through, that's what tempered him. It's almost unbelievable how he never broke. Anyone else would've cracked.
He couldn't help but admire that.
"We're here. That factory up ahead is where they forge ninja tools. I've been here before." Tenten pointed to a facility in the distance, excitement lighting up her expression.
Her parents had worked and studied here in their younger days. For her, this place was more than familiar.
It was like coming home.
"Let's go," she urged, leading the way.
Along the path, she greeted several workers and guards, clearly well-known in the area. Before long, the group was introduced to the head of the factory.
An elderly man named Domoto, once a master smith renowned across the Land of Fire.
Age had slowed him down, and he no longer forged weapons himself, instead managing the factory's operations from behind the scenes.
"Grandpa Domoto, we're here on the Hokage's orders. We need a special ninja tool made."
"The Hokage, you say?" Domoto looked surprised, but then nodded respectfully. "Do you have a blueprint?"
"Yes." Tenten handed it over.
Domoto examined the scroll with careful eyes, then nodded in approval. "I don't understand everything in the diagram, but the drawing is precise and beautifully detailed."
"This tool is meant to work in conjunction with a barrier jutsu," Garou stepped forward and began pointing at the scroll. "The iron parts are marked out clearly, but the rest requires other materials."
Domoto glanced up at him with a raised brow. "You know about this kind of thing?"
Most craftspeople nowadays knew only basic forging techniques.
Combining barrier seals with ninja tools was rare and highly advanced, something even the top engineers in the village struggled with.
This boy, however, spoke with casual clarity, as if it were second nature.
"A little," Garou replied humbly.
"Cough… Domoto-san," Kakashi added, "This is still in the testing phase. Perhaps we should craft a prototype first?"
"That sounds reasonable," Domoto agreed after a pause. "Since this order comes from the Hokage and with Kakashi here to oversee, we'll proceed. I'll have my craftsmen begin immediately."
He turned to organize the work.
Most ninja wouldn't choose the path of a blacksmith unless they had no talent for combat.
These workers were mostly civilians or academy washouts.
'Geniuses like him wouldn't understand what it's like to struggle in mediocrity.'
"I want to try too!" Tenten piped up eagerly.
Domoto hesitated, then looked to Kakashi.
Kakashi gave her a small nod of approval.
"Very well," Domoto said. "But you'll need to follow our factory's rules."
"Yes, sir!" Tenten beamed, then dashed off to change and prepare.
Garou and the rest followed at a slower pace. Kasumi finally sheathed her blade, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar equipment in the factory with curiosity.
Once they were a short distance behind, she leaned closer to Garou and whispered, "Garou, what rules was he talking about?"
"No idea," Garou replied honestly.
Kasumi looked at him, clearly stunned. "You don't know?"
Her expression was almost comically shocked. Garou found it hard not to chuckle.
"What? Am I supposed to know every little thing?" he sighed. "Tenten's been here before. Her family deals in weapons and tools. Of course she knows the place inside out."
"So you're not an all-knowing genius after all," Kasumi teased.
"I never claimed to be. I don't read every book under the sun, and I don't work here. Why would I study their factory policies?"
Garou groaned.
Kasumi giggled under her breath.
Nearby, Kakashi was walking with a book in hand, eyes half-closed, and still managing to avoid every obstacle in his path. He looked oddly relaxed, his earlier gloom nowhere to be found.
Domoto worked quickly. He assigned three of his top smiths to begin forging the iron components, while an older artisan was chosen to mentor Tenten through her contribution.
Garou and the others stood to the side, observing.
Since the weapon also required woodwork and the integration of seals, Domoto called in two specialists for those segments.
Time passed, and soon, the wood portion of the ninja tool was complete.
"I'll handle the sealing portion from here," Garou said calmly.
"May we watch?" Domoto asked hesitantly.
Sealing jutsu often involved sensitive information. Typically, it wasn't something a craftsman, or anyone outside the shinobi corps, was allowed to see.
But curiosity got the better of him.
He wanted to know just how advanced this boy's knowledge truly was.
Kakashi considered the request. He glanced at Domoto, then studied the craftsmen nearby. After a moment, he spoke.
"Let's move to a quiet room on the side."
"Thank you very much!" Domoto was visibly thrilled.
"It's nothing too secretive," Garou added with a casual smile.
Still, he followed Kakashi into a private chamber.
Inside, he took out carving tools and brushes, then began his work.
Though he wasn't a sculptor by trade, his swordsmanship ensured steady hands and precision.
That was more than enough.
Line after line flowed across the wood.
Even Domoto was awestruck.
'This boy… even if he never became a ninja, he could have been a master artisan. A genius is truly a genius in anything they do.'
Despite being over sixty years old, Domoto couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
Garou inscribed each seal with utmost care. As the symbols glowed faintly, he dipped his brush in ink and applied the final strokes.
Kakashi's eyes narrowed.
'This sealing formula… It's not the standard absorption barrier technique. No, I've seen this structure before… But where?'
He thought deeply.
'The Fire Temple. The two stone statues that guard its gate!'
"I see now," Kakashi whispered to himself.
Those statues held the temple's protective seal, a barrier that converted and concentrated chakra.
Garou had clearly studied it and incorporated the essence into his new design.
'Incredible…'
He glanced at the craftsmen watching.
These were trusted individuals. He had seen their files in the anbu archives.
They were loyal, clean, and careful.
Besides, just as Garou said, the formula alone wouldn't activate without the full suite of techniques.
And knowing him… Kakashi was sure Garou had held something back, just in case.
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