Naruto and Sasuke's pursuit

After several weeks, Naruto and the rest of the team finally returned to Konoha, their home. As Naruto caught sight of the village he had been away from for so long, a surge of rejuvenation coursed through him, complemented by the warmth of the sun that bathed the land.

"We've made it back to the Village Hidden in the Leaves!" Naruto's hand shot up in a triumphant gesture, though fatigue still lingered from their arduous journey. Nonetheless, the sight of the village beyond the gate revitalized his spirit.

Kakashi, Sakura, and even Sasuke wore subtle smiles as they beheld the familiar surroundings.

"I must say, all of you have surpassed my expectations... And if the Third Hokage were to learn of the success of your first C-Class mission, he would undoubtedly be satisfied with the progress you three have made." Kakashi looked at his students with one eye closed, a content smile reflected in his closed eye.

Naruto and Sasuke couldn't help but feel a swell of pride in their accomplishments. Naruto grinned proudly, stealing a quick glance at Sakura from the corner of his eye, hoping to catch a glimpse of her noticing his growth. However, his smile faltered when he realized Sakura's gaze was fixed on Sasuke, who wore a faint smile on his face.

Naruto's pride gave way to a sense of discontent.

His thoughts shifted to Haku and Zabuza, and the joy of completing the mission became tinged with sadness as the memories of their tragic fate resurfaced.

Kakashi, attuned to his students' emotions, detected a subtle sorrow in Naruto's eyes.

"All of you have made remarkable progress, especially you, Naruto and Sasuke." Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on their shoulders, catching them off guard.

Following the heartfelt moment, they proceeded through the village gate, and Kakashi was preparing to report to the Third Hokage when Naruto interjected.

"Kakashi-sensei! Do you remember Kazaru, the person who fought with me a few weeks ago?" Naruto's excitement spilled over, barely contained.

"Why do you ask? What is the reason behind your curiosity?" Kakashi already had a faint inkling of Naruto's intentions, but he posed the question nonetheless.

"Do I really need a reason? Of course, I want to face him again! I want to prove that I have become a formidable ninja since our last encounter!" Naruto clenched his fist, his face alive with anticipation.

Although Kizaru didn't really engage in a serious fight with Naruto before, as Kizaru seemed uninterested, Naruto's desire to face him again grew stronger. Naruto's pride as a ninja had hit an all-time low after his defeat, and he yearned for an opportunity to redeem himself.

Not only Naruto, but Sasuke, who had been secretly observing from behind a tree, also emerged. Kakashi wasn't particularly surprised by Sasuke's presence. Dealing with these determined young ones could be quite troublesome, especially since both Naruto and Sasuke were eager to prove their strength by facing formidable opponents.

"Please, Sensei! Let me meet that Kazaru guy!" Naruto pleaded, noticing Kakashi's hesitation.

"Idiot, his name is Kizaru, not Kazaru," Sasuke's voice came from behind Naruto.

"Who are you calling an idiot? Can't you hear? I said Kizaru, not Kazaru!" Naruto felt embarrassed but refused to admit it, shouting at Sasuke with a flushed face.

"Whatever, I don't have time to deal with an idiot like you," Sasuke snorted, dismissing Naruto.

"Why, you!" Naruto clenched his teeth in anger, but he suppressed it as he saw Sasuke's serious expression.

"I also want to fight that person. Please introduce us to him," Sasuke straightforwardly requested, leaving Kakashi sighing in helplessness.

Of course, Kakashi knew exactly who Sasuke was referring to. It was Kizaru. Despite his hesitation, Kakashi couldn't deny that there was more to Kizaru than met the eye. Since that day when he witnessed Kizaru's incredible speed, surpassing his own and even his student's, Kakashi, a Jonin, felt incomparable to Kizaru in terms of speed alone. Moreover, Kizaru had barely revealed his true strength during the fight against Naruto and Sasuke, mostly evading their attacks.

Even Kakashi himself considered Kizaru a mysterious character, someone he barely knew. If it weren't for the bookstore owner's claim about Kizaru's age, Kakashi would have thought the kid was only slightly younger than him. Kakashi was contemplating consulting the Third Hokage about this matter and conducting further investigations into Kizaru.

And now, after completing their mission outside the village, Naruto and Sasuke felt confident in their abilities and expressed a desire to fight formidable opponents like Kizaru once again. It appeared that their encounters with a Jonin had boosted their self-assurance.

"Let's discuss it later. Just wait for me after I finish my report to the Third Hokage," Kakashi assured Naruto and Sasuke before disappearing completely, not even waiting to hear their response.

"Kakashi-sensei left us behind!" Naruto angrily stomped on the ground and turned to Sasuke. "Hey, what if we search for Kizaru ourselves? What do you think?"

Sasuke, who was about to leave and wait for Kakashi, paused and glanced at Naruto. Despite disliking Naruto's foolishness, he never truly hated him, and he knew that Naruto could occasionally come up with a good idea. Sasuke found himself intrigued by Naruto's plan but maintained a cold expression.

"Sometimes, even an idiot like you can come up with a good idea," Sasuke reluctantly agreed, observing Naruto's expectant face.

"I told you not to call me an idiot!" Naruto scolded Sasuke, who simply offered a faint smile.

...

In the meantime, Kizaru, having recently honed his skills in manipulating his devil fruit powers and blending them with chakra, sat in tranquility, savoring a cup of tea. He found solace in the pages of "Tales of the Gutsy Shinobi," a novel he had taken to reading after his father forbade him from indulging in the Icha Icha series.

Not that he particularly minded; the act of reading provided him with a way to recharge his energy while also passing the time.

Little did Kizaru realize, two troublesome young individuals were now tirelessly scouring every nook and cranny of Konoha in search of him.