After defeating Kakashi, Asaru Chiren's reputation in the village soared. Even while walking down the streets, he would occasionally overhear people whispering about him.
Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, was one of the strongest shinobi in the village, with a strength even surpassing that of the Sannin. He was regarded as a hero by the entire village. As the genius son of Konoha's White Fang, Kakashi naturally attracted widespread attention.
And now, Asaru Chiren had defeated Kakashi, regardless of the method. The title of 'Kakashi's Conqueror' was now his to bear.
This victory, especially among civilian ninjas, became the talk of the town. At this time in Konoha, civilian ninjas were still struggling to rise through the ranks. Many were often sent as cannon fodder during the wars, while the clan ninjas never had to undertake such dangerous missions.
Although the civilian ninjas were dissatisfied, there wasn't much they could do. However, with the rise of powerful shinobi like Jiraiya and Orochimaru, who were also from non-clan backgrounds, and with Jiraiya's apprentice Minato Namikaze beginning to stand out, there was renewed hope among the civilian ninjas.
Now, as a commoner ninja, Asaru Chiren defeating Kakashi, the son of a hero, was particularly exciting for them. It seemed to signify a new dawn for the civilian shinobi of Konoha.
After the final exam at the Ninja Academy, the students were given a two-month vacation.
Asaru Chiren, with the mind of an adult, knew how powerful the enemies he would face in the future would be. Naturally, he wasn't going to become arrogant after just defeating Kakashi. Along with his daily training, Asaru frequently visited Hideyoshi Yamamoto's home to inquire about ninjutsu, absorbing as much knowledge as he could.
Hideyoshi Yamamoto was surprised by Asaru Chiren's persistence. Rather than being content after defeating Kakashi, Asaru trained even harder. Pleased by his determination, Hideyoshi didn't hesitate to share his knowledge, never holding back any secrets.
Two months passed, but much to Asaru Chiren's disappointment, he hadn't garnered the attention from Konoha's leadership that he expected.
Asaru had even contemplated joining Danzo's ROOT, should he be invited. Although ROOT was notorious for brainwashing and placing restrictions on its members, Asaru saw it as a shortcut to power. He believed that, with time, he could regain his freedom, especially since he knew from future events that Danzo would die at the hands of Sasuke Uchiha.
But those two months passed without any such invitation from ROOT. Shimura Danzo, though intrigued by Asaru's potential, knew that the boy was already a student at the Ninja Academy. Once a ninja joined the Academy, they were considered part of the Hokage's domain, and Danzo knew the Third Hokage would never easily hand over a talented child to ROOT. As a result, Asaru Chiren remained out of Danzo's reach.
Life at the Ninja Academy was uneventful, with training and classes occupying most of Asaru's time. Though the routine was monotonous, Asaru persevered. He knew that to thrive in the ninja world, he needed to become strong.
After defeating Kakashi, Asaru had risen to the top of his class. While some still argued that Kakashi was stronger, claiming that Asaru had won through strategy, most civilian ninjas supported Asaru Chiren.
Asaru had been waiting for a rematch with Kakashi, but rumors soon spread in the village about a major incident involving Kakashi's father, Sakumo Hatake. It was said that Sakumo had abandoned a critical mission, causing great harm to Konoha.
Asaru didn't know the specifics of the mission Sakumo abandoned or whether the rumors were fueled by the village's higher-ups. But these matters seemed distant and irrelevant to Asaru's daily life.
Then, one day, Kakashi didn't show up for class. Asaru had a sinking feeling that Konoha's White Fang, Sakumo Hatake, had taken his own life.
Despite the gravity of the event, Sakumo's death didn't cause much upheaval in the village. Even most villagers didn't realize that the famed White Fang had passed. The Hatake clan's presence in Konoha faded into silence.
Kakashi disappeared from the village for a while, and there was no news about him until two months later. The village was buzzing with excitement five-year-old Kakashi Hatake had officially graduated from the Ninja Academy, setting the record for the youngest-ever graduate in Konoha's history. The Third Hokage personally oversaw the graduation ceremony and placed the headband on Kakashi's forehead.
Asaru Chiren, along with most of his classmates, attended the ceremony. Watching Kakashi emerge from the exam, Asaru couldn't help but notice that Kakashi seemed lifeless, like a puppet. His once vibrant energy was gone.
After the ceremony, Kakashi left without speaking to anyone. Asaru, who had once seen Kakashi as his rival, now pitied the boy. The darkness of Konoha's politics had snuffed out Kakashi's spark. Asaru silently vowed that he would never allow himself to fall into such despair.
Kakashi's fall from grace was a stark reminder to Asaru that talent alone wasn't enough in the world of ninjas. There was darkness everywhere, but as long as Asaru could avoid getting caught up in it, he would stay on his path to power.