37 Chapter 37

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"Uncle Sakumo, as it's my first visit, please accept this," Kyomu bowed respectfully and presented a small gift.

"But I remember, Kyomu, you have visited before, haven't you?" Sakumo looked Kyomu up and down. "I heard from Kakashi that you were the one who stewed the old hen at home?"

Kyomu suddenly felt a bit embarrassed and discreetly glanced at Kakashi, but the latter just turned his head away, ignoring him.

"Well, there was such a thing..." Kyomu scratched his head. "But Uncle wasn't home at that time, it's a pity. I'm quite skilled at stewing chicken. If you'd like, I can buy one from the market and stew a pot for you."

"You're not afraid at all, and quite slippery," Sakumo chuckled even more. "Alright, enough joking, come in."

Making way for Kyomu and Kakashi to enter the house, Sakumo led Kyomu to sit on the sofa while Kakashi turned to the kitchen to prepare some fruit snacks for hospitality.

Though they were very familiar with each other, basic etiquette when guests come was still necessary.

Sitting on the sofa with Sakumo, Kyomu was bold, constantly sizing him up.

Sakumo was the same, curious about what kind of person could become such good friends with Kakashi in just three months.

"Kyomu, you're not afraid of me at all."

"Uncle is very kind, why should I be afraid?" Kyomu seemed very natural.

"Do you know me?"

"Not really." Kyomu shook his head. "But I know Kakashi."

Sakumo was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. "I see now why Kakashi became friends with you so quickly."

"Uncle overpraises me. It's me who became friends with Kakashi." Kyomu corrected, "Mainly because I kept pestering him, and Kakashi gradually agreed to be friends with me."

"You're quite straightforward." Sakumo seemed to see through Kyomu's thoughts deep down. "But that's not a problem, and I don't see anything wrong with it."

Having experienced many ups and downs in life, with both strength and talent, as well as a keen eye for judging people, Sakumo had a clear understanding of Kyomu's implicit intentions and his initial intentions for approaching Kakashi.

But on the other hand, many people had similar intentions as Aragami Kyomu, but few could be as candid without arousing aversion.

"However, Kyomu, I still want to ask you, why do you do this?"

"There are many reasons, but the most crucial is that I want to have strength, to have the power to control my own destiny and break free from predetermined fate."

"Breaking fate?" Sakumo pondered for a moment. "I see, I hope one day you can fulfill your dream."

"Thank you for understanding, Uncle."

Waving his hand, Sakumo shook his head with a smile. "No need to thank me, I accept your apology."

"It's okay, I accept Uncle's apology."

"Haha..." Sakumo couldn't help but laugh again. "Kyomu, oh Kyomu, if I were Kakashi, I would definitely choose you as a friend, even entrust each other as close friends."

After getting a simple understanding of Kyomu's character, Sakumo completely let go, giving Kyomu a high score for emotional intelligence.

Knowing what to say to whom, when to say it, whether to joke or not, and what kind of jokes to make, Kyomu's precision was impeccable.

Although there were suspicions of slickness, Kyomu's sincere qualities perfectly eliminated any concerns in this regard.

In short, being friends with Kyomu, as long as both parties were sincere, there would be no dirty tricks between them, which was very reassuring.

Moreover, Kyomu never waited for others to open up first; he always took the initiative to show his sincerity, which was another bonus point.

However, Kyomu dared to do this because he had a reliance that outsiders didn't know about.

Sakumo, Kakashi, Obito, Guy, Rin, and others' character traits were well known to Kyomu; otherwise, he wouldn't dare to play like this.

Kakashi, who was hiding in the kitchen, listened to the conversation between Aragami Kyomu and his father, and his heart finally relaxed.

Kyomu had passed the most critical test of his father's character.

"Hey, freshly washed apples." Kakashi walked to the sofa with a fruit platter, Kyomu casually took three and generously handed one to Sakumo and Kakashi each.

"You kid, do you really treat this place like your own home?"

"Why not?" Kyomu took a bite of the apple, looking very relaxed. "When I first saw Uncle, I knew you would spoil me, so naturally, I would feel at ease."

"He's good at sizing people up." Kakashi chimed in and squeezed onto the sofa next to Kyomu. "And he's thick-skinned, sharp-tongued, and always gets away with things."

"Why would you be friends with him then?" Sakumo asked with a smile.

"Just one advantage, speaking the truth, doing real things, speaking from the heart." Kakashi looked towards Sakumo, speaking much more than usual. "But this bastard Kyomu speaks the truth selectively, with lots of hidden thoughts."

"You can't say that." Kyomu took another bite of the apple. "If I said you look girly, that would be the truth, but would you be happy?"

"Kyomu!" Kakashi's forehead vein throbbed. "Just for this, I really want to chop you up with a knife."

"It's just because you can't argue with me. If it were Obito, you would instantly bully him."

Listening to the banter between the two, Sakumo laughed heartily, feeling relieved that his son had found a good friend.

"Alright, you two, calm down for a moment." Sakumo interrupted, then turned to Kyomu. "Kyomu, how did you consider the early graduation?"

"I didn't plan to graduate early, but when Kakashi told me that you would be our team leader after graduation, I wished I could graduate from the Ninja School right away."

"You're interested in my father's strength, aren't you?" Kakashi glanced sideways. "I knew you had a lot of thoughts."

"Strength is one aspect, but character is most important." Kyomu didn't deny it. "And considering my background, early graduation would only bring disadvantages to me. If my team leader after early graduation wasn't you, Uncle, I would endure until the normal graduation."

Sakumo fell silent, and Kakashi also lowered his head in thought.

"It's a mature consideration." Sakumo nodded. "But it seems like you're implying something?"

"Not really, it's just an immature thought in my mind." Kyomu shook his head. "Or you could say it's just a hunch."

"But you're so casually revealing your secrets to me, aren't you worried..."

"Not worried." Kyomu tossed the apple core into the trash. "From now on, I'll call you Teacher, Uncle. There's nothing to hide."

"See, father, this guy only has this one advantage." Kakashi intervened. "He always reveals his cards first, leaving you with no anger or reluctance to deal with him."

"Haha, but I believe it's what you said about Kyomu being observant and having other intentions. Kyomu wouldn't do this." Sakumo smiled in response. "Alright, let's end the joke here."

Kyomu immediately sat up straight, no longer as relaxed as before. The first turning point in his destiny was about to come.

"Kyomu."

"Yes, Uncle?"

"I have high hopes for you, but I can also sense that you have a kind of danger in your heart that I can't see or touch."

Sakumo paused, and his next words would determine Kyomu's fate. "But I've decided to take you as my disciple."

Relieved, Kyomu stood up and bowed in thanks. "Thank you for understanding, Teacher!"

"You change your tune quickly." Kakashi turned his dead fish eyes away, but the corners of his mouth hidden behind the mask curved into a subtle arc.

It's done!

Actually, not just Kakashi, Kyomu felt the same way.

His teacher was none other than Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo!

(End of Chapter)