The warm sunlight of the Land of Flowers poured down, and the air was filled with a faint, elusive fragrance.
Takuno hid among the trees, his gaze locked onto a four-person squad executing a mission not far away.
When his gaze landed on the blonde youth wearing a Konoha Shinobi headband, Naruto, his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Although this Naruto was still young, the contours of his brows and that familiar expression overlapped surprisingly with Uzumaki Menma, whom he remembered from Tenten's "Infinite Tsukuyomi" illusion.
The Uzumaki Menma in that illusion possessed a calm and wisdom that his original self, Naruto, lacked.
If Naruto's bravery was the kind that had subtle details hidden within its roughness, then Uzumaki Menma was exceptionally intelligent.
However, Takuno was not too surprised by the composed temperament that Naruto displayed, which far exceeded that of his peers.
After all, this child had avoided the childhood full of loneliness and malice from the original story.
Furthermore, he had grown up under the meticulous guidance of his exceptional parents, Minato and Kushina.
If, in such an environment, Naruto had still grown up to be the boisterous "Dead Last" who constantly needed to prove himself as in the original story, Takuno would have instead doubted whether the trajectory of fate was truly unshakeable.
Watching the youth before him who acted with such propriety, Takuno felt relieved.
However, while some things had changed, others had never changed at all.
Takuno keenly captured that whenever Hinata interacted with Naruto, her fair little face would instantly flush red, her eyes would dart away, and her fingers would unconsciously twist together; that shyness had not diminished in the slightest.
It seems that the encounter in their childhood where he saved the damsel in distress still occurred.
It's just that this time, with the guidance of Minato and greater strength, Naruto surely wouldn't end up beaten black and blue just to save her like in the original story, right?
Takuno speculated with great interest.
He did not reveal himself to disturb them, but like a silent ghost, he observed every move of the squad from the shadows with meticulous detail.
Kakashi had, as expected, grown into that iconic, lazy posture, looking as if he were never fully awake, and even his movements while reading "Icha Icha Paradise" carried a sense of casual leisure;
And Sasuke, who had not experienced the tragedy of the clan's annihilation, had completely transformed into a typical arrogant Uchiha young master, arms crossed and expression cold, but in reality, he had a heart of gold.
After several days of observation from the shadows, Takuno reached a clear conclusion.
There was ultimately an essential difference between Naruto and Uzumaki Menma.
What he had seen and heard over the past few days clearly told him that Naruto's changes were mainly reflected in his way of handling things; he had learned to be thoughtful, weighing the pros and cons before acting, appearing composed and calm.
However, the sincerity and never-give-up persistence branded deep in his soul were exactly the same as his source, Naruto.
In other words, things that Naruto would do for his friends—like risking his life or challenging powerful enemies—Naruto would absolutely do without hesitation!
The only difference was that Naruto might rely on his hot-bloodedness to charge in directly, while Naruto would assess the situation and choose a safer, more effective path to achieve his goal.
Watching the focused and bright profile of the blonde youth collaborating with his companions under the sunlight, Takuno couldn't help but nod.
"This… is also quite nice."
Takuno paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping calmly over the two figures, Naruto and Sasuke.
The tacit understanding and closeness they shared at this moment almost blurred the mark of the fated confrontation in the eyes of the world.
With this scene, the purpose of his trip had already been achieved.
His return to Konoha this time was precisely because he discovered that these two youths had already graduated from the Shinobi Academy.
What drove him was the curiosity deep in his heart about the ultimate fate of the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura, those two Ancestors of chakra who had been entangled for millennia.
What he saw before him seemed to portend a future completely different from history.
There would no longer be a tragic, final confrontation like that of Madara and Hashirama, which lasted until one party perished.
If no accidents occurred, peaceful coexistence and walking side by side would become the keynote of this lifetime.
However, could this prematurely arrived "mutual love and affection" truly untie the knot of resentment that was deeply rooted in the soul and had spanned countless cycles of reincarnation?
Takuno was a bit skeptical about this.
In the originally destined trajectory, the inheritors of the chakra of Indra and Ashura, Naruto and Sasuke.
Their path to reconciliation was paved with blood and tears, betrayal and redemption, destruction and rebirth.
What a rugged, thorny path that was.
From the innocent camaraderie at the Shinobi Academy and in Team 7, to the heartbreaking rupture and defection at the Valley of the End;
After experiencing long years of pursuit and exile, they finally managed to briefly join hands in the flames of the Fourth Shinobi World War, only to fatefully head toward an even more tragic final confrontation.
That battle almost exhausted their lives, and it was only at the cost of each losing an arm that they were able to arduously perform the Seal of Reconciliation upon the ruins.
Behind those brief descriptions lay the pain and despair that only the parties involved could fully chew on.
Now, everything had changed because of his arrival; judging by the current trend, these things could no longer happen.
Naruto and Sasuke had skipped all the heart-wrenching trials and arrived directly at a seemingly perfect end.
For the soul wills of Indra and Ashura, who were fixated on proving their paths and seeking answers through their own battles and realizations, did this premature "reconciliation" seem too easy?
Could they truly recognize and accept this fruit of peace that had not undergone the test of trials?
Takuno shook his head slightly; he could not be sure.
Whether the foundation of this "peace" was solid enough, and whether the bonds contained within it could carry the heavy, millennial-old grudge, remained an unknown.
However, all these questions and uncertainties, to him, were ultimately no longer important.
Even if Ashura and Indra could cross the barriers of time and space at this moment and come here in person, their wills and powers could no longer have any influence on him.
As for their next reincarnation?
That was an even more distant future, requiring the wait for these two youths before him to finish their long lives.
This period of time was indeed too long.
Takuno shook his head, turned into a wisp of white mist, and dissipated, disappearing from the Land of Flowers.
Not long after Takuno left.
Kakashi and his group finally completed their task at hand.
The afterglow of the setting sun stretched their shadows long, and the group set off on the journey back to Konoha.
As they walked, Kakashi sneezed loudly without warning.
He rubbed his nose bridge, which was pressed by his headband, in some distress, and subconsciously looked up toward Konoha, a trace of inexplicable chill sweeping across his heart.
"I don't have a cold, though…" he whispered, his brows slightly knitted, "I just have a feeling… of an ominous premonition."
This slight movement immediately caught the attention of his students.
Hinata's clear white eyes were filled with concern; she gently took out a clean handkerchief from her sleeve, timidly yet firmly handed it to Kakashi, her voice like a feather brushing past.
"Kakashi-sensei, do you have a cold?"
Looking at this thoughtful disciple before him, a warm current surged in Kakashi's heart.
Being cared for so sincerely felt really not bad.
He gently took the handkerchief, and although he didn't use it, his tone softened even more.
"Thank you for your concern, Hinata. Sensei does not have a cold."
Beside them, Sasuke crossed his arms and turned his face away slightly, seemingly disdaining to show concern, but the words that came out carried the awkward care typical of a young person.
"If you're sick, just go rest honestly. What's the point of toughing it out here? We're not in a rush to return to Konoha."
Naruto immediately nodded in agreement from the side, calmly analyzing.
"Sasuke is right. Toughing it out isn't a good habit, and you might even infect us."
Facing the concern of his two disciples, Kakashi sighed helplessly, then reached out a large hand, and with a "dangerous" smile, pressed down on the heads of Naruto and Sasuke.
He deliberately rubbed their hair hard with his fingers: "Hey, hey, I'm telling you two brats, Sensei clearly said, I. Am. Not. Sick!"
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Sensei, we were wrong!"
After the little bit of playful banter, the team returned to calm.
Kakashi looked at the three students beside him, filled with emotion, his gaze finally landing on Hinata, who was quietly following by his side.
Sure enough, by comparison, girls are more considerate.
Not only that, Kakashi also sincerely appreciated Hinata's progress.
He clearly observed that this little girl, who used to be so shy that she would faint in front of Naruto.
Now, not only had she mastered the Gentle Fist Art, for which the Hyuga Clan was famous, very solidly, but she had also cultivated the Eight Trigrams Palms to the level of thirty-two palms.
You must know, this was an achievement only one step away from the family's secret technique, the Sixty-Four Palms.
In Kakashi's view, with this talent and effort, in the entire Konoha, only that genius of the Hyuga Branch House often mentioned by Might Guy, Neji, could slightly surpass her.
Kakashi had never been stingy with his affirmation of excellent juniors.
"Hinata, your progress is truly significant. Whether it's the Gentle Fist or the Eight Trigrams Palms, you have mastered them excellently, no worse than your brother."
"Indeed, Hinata has helped us a lot," Naruto also said from the side; if it weren't for her Byakugan, many things would have become much more troublesome.
Hearing the praise from Kakashi and Naruto, Hinata's fair cheeks instantly flushed with two red clouds; she habitually lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting together, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum.
"Th-thank you. But… my talent is far inferior to Neji-nii-san's. I can have the results I have today all because Neji-nii-san has been patiently practicing with me and teaching me the techniques he has comprehended bit by bit…"
The trajectory of this world was indeed different because of the changed outcome of the war with Kumogakure.
Precisely because that conflict ended in Konoha's victory, Hizashi, who was Neji's father, did not die as a substitute for his older brother Hiashi as he might have in another possible timeline; he was still alive.
This twist of fate meant that the thick ice that stood between Neji and Hinata was never born.
The resentment and misunderstanding from the original story dissipated without a trace, and naturally, there was no tragedy of Neji losing control and hurting Hinata during practice due to the pain of losing his father.
Now, Neji had become Hinata's most reliable sparring partner.
And Hinata's heartfelt gentleness and respect, which made no distinction between the Main House and the Branch House, also deeply moved Neji.
Even if deep in his heart, Hizashi might still harbor a trace of unspeakable imbalance and resentment toward the Main House heiress, Hinata, who had far less talent, because his own gifted son had to bear the fate of the "Caged Bird" curse seal.
But he had no substantial hatred for Hinata herself.
This knot in his heart, when it came down to it, was more like the guilt and resentment Hizashi felt over his son Neji being branded with the Caged Bird that was at work.
Perhaps, if Hinata could possess talent even stronger than Neji's, the bit of imbalance in Hizashi's heart would also be smoothed over much more.
"No need to belittle yourself, Hinata," Kakashi said gently, "You have already done very well."
Watching them, Kakashi's heart was filled with gratification.
These three disciples, although they had different personalities, all possessed a precious quality: never giving up on their companions.
This bond and realization shone brightly, and in a trance, it made him feel as if he saw the figures of himself, Obito, and Rin walking side by side in that bygone era.
This inheritance was the treasure he cherished the most.
When the group of four returned to Konoha, Kakashi dismissed the team, and after returning home.
When he learned the news of Takuno's return, although he was a little surprised, he was more pleasantly surprised; but when he learned that Takuno had brought back a wife, he was instantly stunned.
Kakashi stood where he was, his mouth slightly agape under his mask, his always lazy, dead-fish eyes now wide open.
At this moment, he perhaps understood what his ominous premonition actually was.
Time passed, and the day of the appointed gathering arrived.
Takuno looked at Kakashi's complaining gaze, as if asking why he had betrayed "our" revolutionary friendship, and couldn't help but curl his lips.
You have psychological trauma because of the war and the loss of your companions, but he did not.
He hadn't sought them out before, simply because he had some secrets that were inconvenient to disclose.
He and Kakashi were fundamentally different.
Besides, this was just the beginning.
Thus, amidst the laughter around the table, Takuno seized the opportunity and said casually: "Speaking of which, Kakashi, at your age… you aren't exactly young anymore, are you?"
The moment the words fell, the atmosphere at the entire dinner table changed subtly.
Minato and Kushina beside him turned their heads almost simultaneously.
Their gazes focused collectively on Kakashi, the temperature so scorching that he almost wanted to shrink into his chair.
Kakashi's eyes widened at this moment, looking at Takuno in disbelief.
Immediately after, the scene he had anticipated played out.
Minato, with the care of an "old father," began to euphemistically mention the significance of starting a family and the importance of having a partner.
Kushina was firing on all cylinders, slapping the table and excitedly listing the eligible and excellent female Shinobi in the Village, even beginning to imagine the future of "little Kakashis" running around on the training ground.
The wave of matchmaking pressure came crashing down, catching the usually calm and self-possessed Kakashi off guard.
And the instigator of all this, Takuno, leaned back in his chair with composure, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.
He and Sara watched this scene together, feeling…
Interesting, truly extremely interesting!
Besides, if that person in Rōran knew, they would probably praise him for a job well done!