Chapter 96: Konoha's Stabilizing Pillar
Haruko pulled open the curtain of the Ichiraku Ramen Shop, and a familiar aroma wafted toward him.
"Welcome—eh, Brother Haruko? Why do you look like this?" Ayame was wiping a table, and seeing Haruko's pale face, she quickly put down her rag.
"Why do you look so... drained?" A teasing female voice drifted from the side.
Kaede rested her chin on one hand, her alluring eyes sweeping over Haruko's face.
"Could it be... you spent the whole day fooling around in some post town?"
"Miss Kaede!" Kin scolded, then looked at Haruko with concern. "Brother Haruko, are you alright?"
Haruko waved his hand and sat at the counter. "I'm fine, just a bit tired. Old man, a bowl of Chashu Ramen, please."
"Coming right up." Teuchi skillfully began preparing while glancing at Haruko. "Looking at you, today's training must have been tough?"
"Sigh, don't mention it. I had a fight with a Jonin." Haruko leaned against the counter, feeling the coolness of the surface.
"As expected of Big Brother, you can already fight against a Jonin!" Tayuya became very excited upon hearing this. "Hey, hey, Big Brother, did you win? Are Jonin powerful?"
"The opponent didn't even use their full strength, so there's no talk of winning or losing..."
"You've worked hard, dear~" Kaede moved behind Haruko and began to massage him gently.
At the same time, she whispered into his ear, "Weren't you'showing off' a bit too much today? If needed, I can use the clan's method to help you slightly suppress those battle urges."
"Whew... not for now." Haruko closed his eyes and relaxed. "Besides... I did it on purpose."
"Since I've entered the Third Old Man's sights, I might as well show off a bit more. The Third is a relatively rational person, as long as I don't cross his bottom line. The stronger I am, the less profitable it is to turn against me, and the safer you all will be."
"ramen's here!"
Teuchi's vigorous voice accompanied the arrival of a steaming large bowl of ramen.
Haruko straightened up and took a deep breath of the soup's aroma. The familiar scent traveled through his nose into his lungs, completely relaxing his nerves.
"Thanks for the food."
...
Meanwhile, at the Hokage Building.
"So you're saying that Haruko didn't even use Sage Mode, and just one Shadow Clone pushed you to your limit?"
The Third would rather believe he was under a genjutsu, or that the Kakashi before him was an impostor, than believe what he had just heard.
"You could say that," Kakashi confirmed again.
The Third took a deep drag of his pipe and slowly exhaled, calming his mind.
"Tell me in detail, starting from the very beginning."
"Yes." Kakashi recounted the course of the battle truthfully.
From the moment they met until they disbanded, he spoke for a full fifteen minutes.
The pipe in the Third's hand stopped in mid-air.
He knew Haruko was strong, but he hadn't expected him to be this strong.
One must know that Kakashi was an Elite Jonin from the Anbu; even if he didn't use his full strength, the number of Ninjas in Konoha who could defeat him head-on didn't exceed ten.
"Where do you think you lost?"
"Intelligence." Kakashi didn't hesitate. "He practically knew me inside out, so he held the initiative of the battle firmly from start to finish."
The Third's brow furrowed slightly.
Intelligence.
In a Ninja duel, intelligence is life. It was no wonder Kakashi lost.
There was only one possible source for Haruko to have such detailed intelligence on Kakashi.
"It seems that boy Itachi... left him quite a few things before he left," the Third mused.
Other than Uchiha Itachi, who was already in the Akatsuki Organization, no one would provide Haruko with such detailed intelligence on a former Anbu captain.
There was likely some special communication channel between Haruko and Itachi.
The Third was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, what are your thoughts regarding Haruko's guidance?"
"To be honest, I don't think there's much I can teach him," Kakashi scratched his head.
"His Ninjutsu repertoire is rich and comprehensive, enough to handle any situation. His mind is also top-tier, and his tactics are as dirty as a veteran who's been through the ringer for years. His strength is much greater than mine was at the same age; even promoting him to Jonin right now wouldn't be a problem."
"Nothing to teach, huh..."
The Third stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the seemingly peaceful Village below.
Haruko had sufficient strength, had no interest in power, and unlike Jiraiya, he didn't run around outside the Village all year round.
He was a godsend, the perfect candidate for a Stabilizing Pillar.
As long as he could be kept in Konoha, once he grew up, he could bring decades of stability to the Village.
However, forceful orders and empty slogans were meaningless to Haruko and would only push him further away.
"Since Ninja skills require no guidance, then teach him something else." The Third turned around, a sharp glint in his old eyes.
"Something else?" Kakashi was somewhat puzzled.
"Bonds."
The Third tapped his pipe, emptying the ashes.
"Haruko is very cold toward outsiders and has no sense of belonging to the Village. But at the same time, he is extremely sentimental; he has a strong protective urge toward Teuchi's family and the girls around him."
"What do you mean?"
"Let him find something to care about besides the Ramen Shop. Companions, responsibility, recognition... Once a person has something they cherish, they will naturally move to protect it."
The Third looked at Kakashi, his tone becoming serious. "You must use this opportunity of teaming up to build a true bond of comradeship between him, Uchiha Izumi, and Inuzuka Hana. Make him realize that companions are not a burden, but people to whom he can entrust his back."
"I understand," Kakashi nodded. "Then the Chunin Exams..."
"With Haruko's strength, the Chunin Exams are nothing more than a formality for him," the Third waved his hand.
"The key is to let other Villages see the strength of Konoha's new generation. So you must also put effort into guiding Izumi and Hana; the best outcome would be for the three of them to take the top three spots."
"Yes." Kakashi nodded. "Then I'll take my leave."
After Kakashi left, the Third sat alone in his office, lost in thought.
Now that it was confirmed that Haruko's value far exceeded expectations, some previous arrangements needed to be adjusted.
Especially after hearing that the relationship between Haruko and that Kaguya Kaede was becoming increasingly close, with even a record of them staying at a hot spring inn together a few days ago...
"Go and call Anko Mitarashi."
"Yes."
An Anbu disappeared with a Body Flicker.
Since the Taketori Clan had already made the first move, he couldn't just let things be; he had to take the initiative.
"Wherever leaves dance, fire burns..."
But he knew very well that some fires needed someone to add fuel for them to burn brightly.
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