Naruto: Konoha's Psychic

As a transmigrator, Inoiki immediately recognized the style of the attack. The ink-based technique, the precision, the silent approach—it could only belong to Sai of Root. But in this life, he had never officially met him, so he couldn't afford to reveal what he shouldn't know.

Sai slowly raised his hands in surrender. "My name is Sai. I've been assigned as backup for Team Kakashi, along with another operative. I apologize for the surprise attack—I was curious about your strength. I've heard a lot about your abilities."

Inoiki studied him in silence for a moment, then lowered his sword from Sai's neck.

"Follow me," he said flatly. "And I hope you're telling the truth. If you're not… you know the consequences."

He sheathed his sword with a smooth motion and vanished from the rooftop in an instant.

Moments later, he reappeared in front of Naruto and Sakura.

"Who was it?" Naruto asked, scowling. "Who attacked you?"

Before Inoiki could answer, Sai landed between them, calm and collected.

Inoiki pointed toward Sai. "He attacked me. According to him, he's part of our backup team, along with another ninja who'll be trailing us during the mission. Let's wait for Kakashi-san to arrive—once he does, we'll know whether Sai is telling the truth."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sai. "Who launches a sneak attack just to test someone's strength?"

Sai remained calm. "I only wanted to assess Inoiki's capabilities. I've heard a lot about him, and I was confident that an attack like that wouldn't harm him. I assumed he could easily handle it."

Naruto looked ready to argue, but before he could speak, Kakashi and another shinobi appeared beside them in a flash.

"Alright, Naruto—calm down," Kakashi said casually. "He'll be traveling with us. Sai and another ninja have been assigned as backup, in case things get out of hand. That said, try to get along."

Naruto crossed his arms with a huff. "Humph."

Kakashi shook his head slightly, then gestured toward the new arrival. "Let me formally introduce your backup team. This is Yamato—he's a Jōnin-ranked ninja, as is Sai. They'll be supporting us if the situation calls for it."

Yamato stepped forward, his expression calm and composed as he addressed the group. "Hello, everyone. It's a pleasure to meet you all. I look forward to working together."

From the side, Sai took a small step closer. His posture was precise, almost rehearsed, and his face bore a polite, unwavering smile. "My name is Sai," he said, voice flat but courteous. "I hope we can all get along and cooperate efficiently."

Sakura turned to look at him, her brow furrowing slightly as she studied his expression. The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes—it looked more like something copied from a book than a genuine display of emotion. "That smile of yours," she said bluntly, "it doesn't feel real. It's clearly fake."

Sai didn't flinch. His expression didn't change in the slightest. "I've read that maintaining a smile can help make social interactions smoother," he replied, his voice even and mechanical, as if quoting from a manual. "It's supposed to make others feel at ease."

The smile remained, frozen in place like a mask. There was something uncanny about it, something that made the silence that followed stretch just a bit too long.

Kakashi and Yamato exchanged a quick glance. They knew Sai well enough not to press the issue.

"Well," Kakashi said finally, his tone light but authoritative, "let's get going. Team Kakashi will take point. Our support team will follow from behind at a steady distance—stay sharp and maintain formation."

With that, the team set out. Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Inoiki took the lead, moving in a synchronized sprint across the terrain. Behind them, Yamato and Sai followed, maintaining the designated distance with precision.

The forest hummed around them as they darted between trees and navigated rugged ground. The mission had begun.

As they ran, Naruto glanced at Inoiki, curiosity lighting up his face. "Hey," he called out, "aren't you going to fly like usual? You know, on your sword?"

Inoiki replied with a small smile, "First of all, I'm following you because I can't exactly travel on my own right now, can I? And if I tried to carry all of you with me, I'd burn through my chakra way too fast. That wouldn't end well if we were ambushed by the Akatsuki. I need to be at full strength if something like that happens."

He paused, then added more seriously, "Second—and this is the important part—I'm working on my chakra control. I want to reach a point where I can regulate exactly how much I use and when. Just like Kakashi-san. He doesn't have a huge chakra reserve, but thanks to his skill, he knows when to rely on taijutsu and when to use ninjutsu. That balance is what's made him one of the strongest shinobi beneath the Kage level."

Naruto and Sakura nodded, clearly impressed.

"I'll start working on that too," Naruto said with determination.

Inoiki chuckled. "Honestly, you don't really need to. You've got so much chakra it's almost unfair. But yeah, improving your control will still help. Especially when you're dealing with techniques that require precision."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully after hearing Inoiki's explanation.

Kakashi chimed in, his voice calm but firm. "Inoiki's absolutely right. Chakra control is a vital skill, and it'll help you in the long run. In fact, once we've completed this mission, I'm planning to start training you personally."

Naruto's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really!? You mean it?"

Kakashi gave a quick nod as they continued running. "Yes. I want to help you develop a unique and powerful ninjutsu—something that's yours alone. A technique only you can use."

Naruto grinned, energized by the idea. The group pressed on, their pace steady.

The journey continued mostly in silence, broken only by the occasional break to rest and recover. Hours passed as they covered ground, the forest growing darker as night settled in.

Eventually, Yamato and Sai, who had been trailing behind at a calculated distance, caught up with the team. Without wasting time, Yamato stepped forward and used his Wood Style ninjutsu, Wood Release: Four-Pillar House Technique, to construct a house—efficient, sturdy, and concealed within the trees, large enough for the nights rest.

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