As Long as There Is No Morality, You Can't Kidnap Me!
But since Kaito didn't want to reveal his true strength, Kakashi chose not to expose him either.
After all, whatever reason Kaito had for hiding his abilities, it wasn't Kakashi's concern. He had no interest in prying into another ninja's secrets.
Besides, he had witnessed Kaito's actions firsthand—especially how he saved Sakura without hesitation. If Kaito had any ulterior motives, he wouldn't have bothered to rescue her.
In Kakashi's mind, Kaito was a reliable presence. Having a teammate of similar strength only added a layer of security to the mission, didn't it?
Turning his attention to Naruto, who was still sprawled on the ground, Kakashi let out a sigh and said,
"Sorry, Naruto. I wasn't fast enough to save you."
Then, with a teasing tone, he added, "But I didn't expect you to just lie there and not move…"
Naruto, stung by the remark, immediately jumped to his feet, his face red with embarrassment.
"I—I was just… I was just—!!!"
Watching Naruto fumble for an excuse, Kakashi rolled his eyes and continued,
"Alright, enough of that. That blade from earlier was coated with poison. Did it cut your hand?"
"If you don't deal with it quickly, the poison will spread."
It was only then that everyone noticed the wound on Naruto's palm, blood trickling down.
Sakura gasped in concern. "Naruto, if that wound is poisoned, we should go back to the village and get you treated!"
Hearing this, Naruto stiffened. Go back? Because of him? No way! He wasn't going to be the one to hold everyone back again!
Determined, he clenched his teeth and shouted, "I'm not going back!"
Without hesitation, he pulled out a kunai and stabbed it into his own hand, letting the blood flow freely to flush out the poison.
Kakashi, watching the scene unfold, chuckled beneath his mask.
"Well done, Naruto."
Naruto, now beaming from the praise, scratched the back of his head and laughed his signature goofy laugh.
"Ahahaha!!!"
Seeing Naruto panic, Kakashi smirked slightly and continued, "However, your hand has been bleeding this whole time. If you don't stop the bleeding soon, you might just bleed to death!"
Naruto immediately paled at the words, hastily shoving his injured hand toward Kakashi. "Kakashi-sensei, I don't wanna die yet! You have to save me!!"
Watching the scene unfold, Sasuke sighed in exasperation while Sakura looked on with mild concern. Meanwhile, Tazuna, the bridge builder they were escorting, stood awkwardly to the side.
Yet, another onlooker—Kaito, a young shinobi accompanying them—couldn't help but twitch at Naruto's dramatics. Poisoned? Bleeding to death? He scoffed inwardly. Yeah, right. If a Jinchūriki like him could die from something that minor, Kurama might as well bash his own head against a rock and end it all.
As expected, when Kakashi crouched to inspect Naruto's wound, he immediately noticed the rapid healing process. The deep cut was already closing, the regenerative abilities of the Nine-Tails working at full force.
Kakashi exhaled, slightly relieved but also annoyed at Naruto's overreaction. "You really should pay more attention in training. Your wounds heal faster than normal people's, remember?"
Still, Naruto grumbled, flexing his fingers. "Hmph! Doesn't mean it didn't hurt…"
Before Kakashi could decide whether to move forward or give the team a moment to regroup, Tazuna suddenly broke down into exaggerated sobs.
"You can't just leave me behind!" the old man wailed. "I'm only halfway there! If you abandon me now, what happens if I get attacked?! What if I get killed on the way?! My adorable grandson will cry himself to sleep every night!"
He sniffled dramatically. "And my daughter… she'll hate Konoha forever because of this!"
Kakashi's brows furrowed, a flicker of irritation crossing his face.
Sakura, feeling bad for the old man, hesitated. "Sensei, maybe we should just help him…"
But Naruto, crossing his arms, raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second, old man. Did you just say your daughter would hate Konoha?"
A heavy silence settled between them as Kakashi's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
Kaito, standing beside Kakashi, suddenly stepped forward, releasing a faint but oppressive chakra aura as he fixed a sharp gaze on Tazuna.
Tazuna's face paled at the pressure. His body stiffened, but he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to say,
"N-No… That's right! If I'm killed because you abandon the mission, my daughter will hate Konoha forever!"
Kaito scoffed, crossing his arms. He then pointed at Kakashi and asked,
"Do you even know who he is?"
Tazuna blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. He hesitated before shaking his head.
Seeing this, Kaito smirked and casually walked over to Kakashi, giving his arm a light pat before continuing,
"This is Hatake Kakashi—the Copy Ninja of Konoha. He's mastered over a thousand jutsu and taken down more enemies than you've likely ever seen in your lifetime."
He chuckled darkly before adding,
"And as for your daughter hating Konoha? There are already plenty of people who hold grudges against this village. How old is she, anyway? If you die here, will she really be able to do anything about it?"
Kaito turned slightly, his tone becoming even colder.
"We're not obligated to take your mission. If you truly perish because of this, your daughter is free to seek revenge—though I doubt she'd get far. If it comes to that, the great Copy Ninja Kakashi might just send your whole family to the Pure Land himself."
At those words, the corner of Kakashi's eye twitched. He sighed inwardly, thinking, Is this guy praising me or making me sound like a villain?