A faint vibration resonated through the inner sanctum. It wasn't particularly noticeable—just enough to make Elias pause his training. And what did he see outside? Kakashi, using a double lariat on two masked ninjas, then attaching them with chains to a tree.
Weren't they supposed to be killing each other?Was he not afraid their comrades would notice, regroup, and come back stronger for revenge?
While Sasuke was taunting poor Naruto, the gentle little fox noticed an infected, hideous scratch on the boy's left hand—was this a sign? Was the opportunity about to arrive?
Naruto felt a familiar paw tap against his hand. His wounds closed and healed within moments—no scar, no pain.
"Gentle, good little ninjas deserve to be healthy!" said the little fox, trotting lightly around him.
"Thank you, little Fox! I knew I could count on you!" Naruto exclaimed, creeping out his companions.
Kakashi was disturbed in a different way. Was this "imaginary friend" a coping mechanism—not for loneliness, but for the presence of the Nine-Tails? Was it connected to the demon fox after all?
Unfortunately, they were outside the village on an escort mission, and Kakashi lacked the skill to examine the seal. Even though no one except the Hokage had the right, especially outside of Konoha—the secret had to be protected.
It turned out that the old man, Tazuna the bridge builder, hadn't told them everything. He simply didn't have the money to pay for a B-rank mission. He needed protection because the leader of the Gato Company—Gato himself—wanted him dead. The businessman couldn't afford to let a bridge that might threaten his maritime monopoly or help the people of the Land of Waves unite, to be completed.
They traveled by land, then by boat, and now through mangroves. Suddenly, a shuriken flew into one bush, then another. Naruto got scolded for acting recklessly, but he stood firm—his friend never lied. A frightened white rabbit was laying unconscious beneath one of the shuriken. As Sakura started scolding him again, Kakashi stayed silent, thinking.
Then came the giant sword—swinging from behind, nearly cutting everyone in half, only Kakashi's experienced shout to duck saved them.
To Elias, it looked like a performance—each side pretended to fight, as in some choreographed game. The newly arrived Zabuza was exchanging words with Kakashi like they were old friends catching up before gently trying to kill each other, appearing behind one another in turn.
Then came that disturbing eye again—the Sharingan. They even took time to explain what it was. Were all of Kirigakure's missing-nin secretly hired to teach kids basic lessons during their first missions outside the village these days?
Oh! Finally, Kakashi-sensei got trapped inside a giant water prison! And another Zabuza emerged from the water to deal with three kids and an old man. It looked like the end! But no—he just kicked Naruto and felt obliged to start telling a story. This had to be rehearsed, right? But then he kicked Naruto again—was he about to start fighting for real?
Elias cringed. Were all the ninja who once tried to stop him truly on the same level as these two? How could that stupid lazy beast end up sealed and used so many times by people like these, was something wrong with it's perception and all memories he had access to were flawed? Was there ever any reason to be cautious? But he had already made a plan—a plan approved by the Council of Friendship, Love, and Rainbows. It was too late to change it now...
After the terrifying Demon of the Mist was defeated and taken away by an unknown ninja, Sakura and Sasuke continued the mission. They had to protect an old man, carry an unconscious Kakashi, while a limping Naruto kept muttering to himself with a strange smile on his face.
Sakura even began to wonder: was being a ninja really just about dealing with weirdos? If not for Kakashi's earlier display of skill, she might have quit already.
Back in the inner sanctum, the little fox was unimpressed by the Sharingan's power in the fight. It couldn't break through physical limitations, and the copied ninjutsu couldn't be used freely afterward—likely because there was no one to copy from again, and chakra roots remained a limiting factor.
The Kyūbi closed his eyes once more, a golden aura surrounding him... Back to training.