Konoha cat breeder

Chapter 254: Wedding Robe

Asuma glanced toward the source of the voice, his gaze sharp and inquisitive.

There stood Tonari, face adorned with an easy smile, but with little sincerity in his tone.

"Really…?"

Asuma dragged out the word, eyes drifting past Tonari to the two figures standing behind him—Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi.

More precisely, to the bulging water bags they carried, teeming with wriggling goldfish.

"Tonari-sensei!"

Unlike Asuma, Guy and Kurenai were far less concerned, their faces lighting up with excitement. Especially Guy—his appetite primed for the feast ahead.

Tonari, amused by Asuma's scrutiny, hooked an arm around his neck in a loose headlock. His other hand formed a mock fist, playfully grinding against Asuma's temple.

"Asuma, you know… Sometimes, a brat who's too smart isn't very likable."

Asuma froze, an involuntary shudder rippling down his spine. Memories resurfaced.

That terrifying lesson in submission.

Physical dominance didn't tolerate clever retorts. Especially when the dominant party held the power to blacken both eyes with impunity.

"Cough… cough…!"

Asuma surrendered instantly, tapping out.

Only then did Tonari release him, grinning in satisfaction.

"Alright, let me introduce these two. My new disciples. As seniors, you'll need to look out for them."

With that, he nudged Shisui and Itachi forward.

Shisui, ever eager, bowed deeply.

"Greetings, senpai! I'm Uchiha Shisui. Please guide me well!"

Beside him, Itachi, smaller and struggling to hold his heavy water bag, awkwardly mimicked the bow, teetering slightly.

"Senpai, I'm Uchiha Itachi. Please take care of me."

Kurenai, noticing Itachi's strain, immediately stepped forward, taking the water bag from his tiny hands.

"No need to be so formal. If you're Tonari-sensei's students, that makes us comrades."

Guy, ever the enthusiast, clapped Shisui on the back.

"Exactly! We're family now!"

Asuma, watching the exchange, couldn't resist puffing out his chest.

"Shisui, Itachi—if anyone gives you trouble in Konoha, just drop my name. Sarutobi Asuma still carries some weight around here."

Sarutobi Asuma. Son of the Third Hokage. Influential? More like practically royalty.

Or so he thought.

"Wait." Guy frowned, genuinely puzzled.

"Why mention your name, Asuma? Wouldn't it be more effective to mention Tonari-sensei? No one would dare disrespect the Konoha Wildcat!"

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

Asuma choked, the smugness draining from his face. Checkmate.

Guy, in all his innocent sincerity, had effortlessly shattered Asuma's pretense.

Shisui and Itachi, observing their seniors' antics, felt their initial nervousness melt away.

"So… this is what it's like, having comrades you can laugh with."

"Right. And you two already know this person…"

Tonari gestured toward Reika, but before he could finish—

"Reika-neechan!"

The entire group chorused, their familiarity evident.

Reika's smile widened, eyes curving like crescent moons.

In the midst of this lively gathering, only one figure stood apart:

Kakashi, leaning silently against a nearby wall, eye closed, posture slack.

He neither watched nor engaged, though his heart stirred nonetheless.

We used to be like this too… Sensei. Obito. Rin…

Though he'd always been the aloof one, their bond had been unshakable.

"Why so distant, Kakashi?"

A calm voice pulled him from his reverie.

Slowly, Kakashi cracked open his single visible eye, drowsiness fading as he recognized the speaker.

"Tonari-sensei."

Of all the people in Konoha, Tonari had known Kakashi the longest.

He'd trained alongside Sakumo, witnessed the White Fang's fall, and mourned in silence when others condemned.

Tonari leaned against the wall beside him, arms crossed, gaze fixed skyward.

"Kakashi… You can't live in the past forever. Sometimes, looking forward is the only way to survive."

Kakashi remained silent, expecting the usual platitudes.

But Tonari's next words caught him off guard.

"Though honestly… That whole 'move on' nonsense? It's utter bullshit. Spoken by people who've never tasted real grief."

Kakashi blinked, startled.

He'd braced for another empty sermon, not… this.

"Let's be real," Tonari continued, voice low and sardonic.

"It's easy to preach forgiveness when it's not your life shattered. Their 'kind advice'? Just words—nothing more. They don't feel your pain. They don't lie awake at night, drowning in regret."

Kakashi's dull gaze sharpened.

"But here's the thing… If you don't seek answers, you'll never know the truth."

"Truth?" Kakashi's brows furrowed.

"Think about it. Why did Iwagakure launch a thousand-strong raid on Kusagakure? Why was your squad—the only reinforcement—sent alone?

Was it truly because your teacher, Minato, was just that strong? Or did someone—knowing his strength—expect him to die?"

Kakashi stiffened.

"Your sensei stood alone against nearly a thousand shinobi. Meanwhile, I infiltrated Kirigakure, buying time for Konoha's forces in the Land of Hot Springs.

Yet when I returned, I wasn't praised. I was suspected. By our own village.

Doesn't that strike you as… odd?"

Kakashi's fists clenched.

The timing. The isolation. The betrayal.

He'd never questioned it before.

But now…

"And Rin. Did you ever wonder why she ran herself through? Why she chose death?"

Kakashi froze.

"She had a reason, Kakashi. People don't throw away their lives for nothing.

And yet… When Minato arrived to rescue you, Rin's body was gone.

But the Kirigakure ANBU? All dead. Faces twisted in agony.

So ask yourself—what really happened that day? And who benefited from it?"

Kakashi's mind raced. Unspoken doubts resurfaced.

For years, he'd buried the questions, accepting convenient explanations out of sheer exhaustion.

Now, confronted with the fragments of truth, he could no longer ignore the holes in the narrative.

"Don't let others decide your truth, Kakashi."

Tonari's voice softened, but his gaze remained piercing.

"Turn your pain into strength. Become strong enough to uncover the answers yourself.

You might not like what you find, but at least it'll be your truth—not someone else's lie."

Kakashi, silent, processed the weight of Tonari's words.

The fog of despair that had clouded his mind thinned, if only slightly.

A spark—small but defiant—flickered within him.

Satisfied, Tonari smiled faintly.

Sakumo… Your son won't drown in this darkness. Not on my watch.

"Alright! Enough brooding. It's barbecue time!"

Tonari clapped his hands, drawing the group's attention.

"Tonight's mission: Empty the whole damn restaurant! Who's with me?!"

"YOSH!!!"

Guy, ever the loudest, punched the air.

Even Itachi, usually reserved, perked up, eager to follow his new comrades.

And Kakashi?

He lagged behind, still thoughtful.

But for the first time in months, his steps felt lighter.

The feast was, predictably, rowdy and indulgent.

Laughter rang out, plates piled high, until the barbecue shop emptied, save for their single crowded table.

Though they hadn't cleared the entire stock, they'd consumed enough to make the owner beam with delight—and even offer Tonari a discount.

Strolling down the dimly lit streets afterward, the group chatted easily, the night cool and calm.

The bonds between them—new and old alike—had visibly strengthened.

Even Kakashi, once detached, had eaten well.

"Starting tomorrow, Kakashi, you'll train alongside Shisui and Itachi.

Asuma, Guy, Kurenai—you've just returned from the battlefield. Rest first.

Once you're fully recovered—we'll regroup."

The decision had been carefully weighed.

Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai had proven themselves in war, earning their Chūnin ranks through grit and teamwork.

Their synergy—Kurenai's genjutsu, Guy's taijutsu, Asuma's wind-based ninjutsu—was now flawless.

Together, they could challenge even Jōnin-level threats.

Meanwhile, the Kakashi-Shisui-Itachi trio was an entirely different beast.

Itachi's brow furrowed.

"Sensei… Why pair us with Kakashi-senpai?"

Tonari chuckled, waving lazily.

"See for yourself. Kakashi—show them."

Kakashi hesitated, then sighed.

With a practiced motion, he slid up his hitai-ate, revealing the scarlet glow beneath.

"A… Sharingan?!"

Asuma's eyes widened, voice echoing down the empty street.

Guy, bless his heart, looked genuinely impressed.

"Kakashi! You're an Uchiha?! No wonder you're my eternal rival!"

Kakashi's eye twitched, while the others facepalmed.

"No, idiot," Shisui sighed.

"Kakashi-senpai inherited that eye from Uchiha Obito… A hero of Konoha."

He quickly recounted Obito's sacrifice, Rin's death, and Kakashi's subsequent downward spiral.

By the end, even Asuma—usually the loudest—stood silent and somber.

"So that's why…"

Tonari nodded.

"Exactly. Shisui, Itachi—you're both Uchiha. Learn from Kakashi.

Kakashi—learn to master that eye. It's not just an heirloom. It's a testament—to the comrade who trusted you with his dream."

The logic was irrefutable.

Even Itachi, quiet as ever, murmured thoughtfully:

"…Three-tomoe."

"That's right." Tonari ruffled his hair.

"Train hard. You'll need it."

The mood lightened, but as they prepared to part ways, Tonari's face suddenly froze.

"Tonari-kun?"

Reika, ever perceptive, sensed the shift immediately.

"No big deal. You head home. I'll catch up soon."

Reika hesitated, then nodded.

"Okay. But… don't be long."

With that, she turned and left.

Tonari's gaze drifted toward a shadowed alley, chakra signature faint but deliberate.

"Someone's watching."

Without another word, he vanished, reappearing deep within Konoha's Forest of Death.

There, amid the moonlit foliage, stood a lithe figure cloaked in forest hues—eyes golden, tongue flicking like a serpent's.

"…Orochimaru-sensei."

Indeed, it was Orochimaru himself.

"Tonari-kun… It seems you've finally caught up to me."

His smile was sly, but his eyes gleamed with rare approval.

"In the Land of Rain, your exploits have spread like wildfire. 'Konoha's Wildcat,' they call you. A name that rivals even the Sannin."

For once, genuine pride flickered across Orochimaru's face.

Tonari exhaled slowly.

"Why are you here, Sensei? Shouldn't you still be leading the Rainfront?"

Orochimaru snorted, his smile turning mocking.

"Because your dear friend, the Yellow Flash, has taken my place."

Tonari's eyes widened.

"When?"

Then it hit him.

The urgent departure. Minato, leading dozens of shinobi, rushing from the village.

I thought it was for me… But it was for this.

Tonari laughed bitterly.

"So… We paved the way, only for others to don the wedding robe."

Orochimaru's smile deepened, unmistakably sardonic.

"Precisely, Tonari-kun. Precisely."

End of Chapter.

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