Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze: the clan Genius

Chapter 20; Overthinking for the Better.

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"The man has been paid. It is time we go back to Konoha,"

Kakashi kept the disappointment out of his voice as made the comment. 

He wanted to know what kind of person Teru was. Not because he was interested in his character, but because he wanted to know he saved those people; be it directly, or indirectly.

Heading to his village, he was on guard. Out of everything, he didn't want to face any difficulties returning.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, concerned. 

"I am okay, Sakura, no need to worry," Kakashi smiled.

He felt that this mission had brought them closer together than anything ever could. 

Sasuke and Sakura knew what it was like to be in a stressful situation, he himself learned some information about that village's new ally. And Naruto... was just Naruto.

The Naruto whose information provided by the academy was not true.

Naruto; who was not behaving like he was supposed to; a kicked puppy who just wanted to prove himself.

Kakashi knew what it felt like, to be the kicked puppy in life.

But courtesy of Danzo, he couldn't stop Naruto from feeling like that.

Of course, he should've taken the job. He should've stepped up and fought back, but he didn't.

He was so shaken by the attack that happened ten years ago, the death of his sensei, that he couldn't bring himself to care for anyone else.

Everything that was left to him was his sensei, whom he saw as a father.

His father, who chose life over rules, sacrificed himself. His sensei, who chose the village over his life, sacrificed himself too. Rin chose the village over her life. Obito chose him before his own life.

It was the kind of life that shinobi lived. There was little difference between day or night, alive or dead. For all they cared about, was the mission.

It was always their precious things at stake. Having to choose between his precious things; it had made him tired.

Kami, he was tired of this life.

The kind of person that he wanted to be, was all in ruins.

"Don't worry sensei. The past should be left in the past. Don't worry about the future too, just try to live in the present and maybe you will find happiness," 

Kakashi's eyes widened as he glanced at the shortest shinobi in the team, Naruto.

"Don't overthink it, it might not be too late," he smiled at him.

Kakashi's eyes met his and Naruto smiled sincerely at him. Kakashi took those words to heart, it might not be too late, right?

He looked into his student's eyes, understanding.

Those were the eyes of a comrade, a mature shinobi. 

A Shinobi who learned to live in the present may as have won the world. If you learned the worth of what you have now, you may be happy.

Kakashi's eyes moistened, 'Just like sensei.'

That was the specialty of his sensei; his eyes could tell everything, yet nothing.

He turned his thoughts forward. He would follow through with their expectations.

"Thanks," Kakashi said nonchalantly, but Naruto nodded towards him indicating that he understood and acknowledged him.

'He's being weird again,' Sakura looked between Naruto and her sensei.

She was severely left behind. Her team was not what she expected it to be, at all.

Naruto was just so different from how he used to be. The four years they spent in the academy suddenly felt like nothing. She knew absolutely nothing of him.

She was also not good at judging people.  

Yeah, people change all the time, it's nothing out of the ordinary. 

But what she saw was a drastic change, a persona of maturity overtaking a mere child's body.

Naruto was more mature than any of their classmates. Probably better than them too.

She was the best kunoichi in the academy just because she had perfect scores in her studies.

But studies seldom helped in fights. Only if you knew how to apply them did they come in handy.

Practical knowledge could just save your life one day. She did not have practical knowledge, but Naruto did.

He was superior to her, the dead last in the class.

She stole a glance at Naruto, so relaxed like he knew he could handle his problems.

Then she looked into herself, full of nervousness because she herself knew that there was no way she could ever match with Naruto.

'Naruto could be a role model too, someone to look up to,' Sakura came to this startling realization as she stared at his face.

'He indeed has changed, hasn't he? It's just me who is immature on the team,' Everyone on her team knew what it was like to lose someone, but she didn't.

She was getting left behind. She might just hold this team back if she didn't grow to the speed her team was growing. She had to work on herself, and fast.

She must improve herself.

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