Sarutobi Hiruzen was greatly troubled.
Because Orochimaru had mastered the Edo Tensei, it posed an even greater threat to the Konoha Village. However, Hiruzen had no time to pay attention to Orochimaru and gestured for Akihara Kagura to go to work.
Outside the Hokage Building.
Hatake Kakashi was still waiting here.
Upon seeing Akihara Kagura, Kakashi immediately started complaining to his old friend: "The higher-ups have really assigned me a few problem students!"
Whether it was Uchiha Sasuke or Uzumaki Naruto, both were exceptionally troublesome students. Kakashi felt melancholy, always feeling that these two students would cause some major trouble in the future.
"This is the leadership's recognition."
Akihara Kagura patted Kakashi's shoulder with great esteem: "I originally planned to take you to pursue Uchiha Itachi, to ask him if he had any opinions on the guidance assignment for his brother, but unfortunately, the Hokage did not agree to this..."
"What kind of shady operation is this!"
Kakashi looked at Akihara Kagura speechlessly.
If the Third Hokage hadn't stopped Kagura, with his character, he really could have done such a thing!
Kagura still felt some regret: "The Third Hokage's instructions were only for me to take you to see the living people in the village, probably Haruno Sakura's parents first, then we can go to Uchiha Sasuke's house to have a look, and you should be very familiar with Naruto's house..."
Kakashi nodded.
Over the years, Kakashi and Kagura were quite familiar with Uzumaki Naruto, having seen what a mess his house was, not even knowing when the milk expired.
The home visit went very smoothly.
Kagura and Kakashi met Haruno Sakura's parents, a couple who were very warm and hospitable, and then went to Uchiha Sasuke's house. This orphan left over from the night of the clan massacre had kept his house very tidy and clean.
"Actually, it's much cleaner than Naruto's house..."
Kagura glanced around and flipped through some scrolls in Uchiha Sasuke's house, which even contained some jutsu scrolls left by the Uchiha clan.
Uchiha Sasuke had always been hard working.
As an excellent student who consistently ranked first in the ninja school, Uchiha Sasuke's achievements were not solely due to his Kekkei Genkai; it would be unfair to dismiss his efforts as mere genius.
"Go see your students."
Kagura patted Kakashi's shoulder and said softly: "I've wanted to take Uchiha Sasuke from the Third Hokage to train him for revenge against Uchiha Itachi, but the Third Hokage rejected this idea..."
"You're still thinking about revenge against Uchiha Itachi..."
Kakashi could only lament the deep grudge between his former two subordinates.
Kagura did not hide it, nodding: "As long as Uchiha Itachi lives unhappily, I'll feel a bit better..."
Kakashi also had a headache.
But...
What troubled him more was...
He was about to have two subordinates who didn't get along.
At the ninja school.
Three little brats were in the class, waiting for their Jonin instructor.
Uzumaki Naruto was excited that his teammate was his favorite, Haruno Sakura, but he was somewhat annoyed that his other teammate was Uchiha Sasuke. He was pondering who his future Jonin instructor would be and if he would encounter any troublesome characters...
Then.
Hatake Kakashi walked in.
Uzumaki Naruto immediately lost interest, sitting in his spot with an indifferent expression, muttering, "I thought it would be someone else. Didn't expect it to be Kakashi!"
Because in the family Naruto imagined, with Kakashi as the head, he was undoubtedly the most underachieving member.
Facing such a Jonin instructor as Kakashi, would he end up like Kakashi? Having to let his juniors pay when eating ramen...
"This brat!"
Daring to look down on him like this!
Kakashi helplessly glanced at Uzumaki Naruto, then looked at Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura present: "Pack your things, follow me to the rooftop."
This is the problem with being too familiar; it seems I need to intimidate this little brat a bit to let him know that just graduating from the Ninja Academy doesn't guarantee becoming a ninja!
As long as I, his Jonin instructor, do not agree, this little brat who constantly nags about wanting to become the Hokage will have to stay in the Ninja Academy and retake courses!
However...
The three youngsters still passed Hatake Kakashi's test and smoothly became his subordinates. The performance of the three little ones was indeed quite good. At least each of them took care of their teammates, which made Hatake Kakashi believe they were qualified enough.
Even though Uchiha Obito, who once said, "Those who do not value their companions are worse than scum," has become a rogue ninja, Hatake Kakashi still adheres to the creed of Uchiha Obito, hoping his subordinates will not become what he once was.
On another note...
Akihara Kagura returned to the Hokage's office to report back.
[System Prompt]: [Accompanying Hatake Kakashi on a home visit to understand the family situation of the future Team 7, the mission has been completed. Reward: Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique.]
[Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique (Sneaking into the ground and dragging the opponent into it, leaving only their head exposed.)]
I'm not a Jonin instructor, what do I need this technique for!
This technique is purely for Jonin instructors to bully the weak!
Akihara Kagura felt that his superior, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had a bit too many mines on him; just last time, he dug up a treasure of a Combined Nature Transformations technique, and now he's found a small mine again.
However...
Just one Combined Nature Transformations technique is enough for practice for a while.
Yet, as the Hokage's assistant, Akihara Kagura is quite busy, sometimes having to go on duty at the mission assembly hall, where he encounters these freshly graduated little brats from time to time.
Some of these little brats even pick and choose the missions he offers.
To help these little brats grow more, Akihara Kagura can only assign the most troublesome little brats the hardest garbage collection missions to train their chakra control.
"Not bad handling!"
When the Third Hokage came to inspect the work while smoking his pipe, he mentioned something: "I came to you because there is a troublesome mission. The Mist Village sent a message that there is large-scale smuggling between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire..."
"Even some nobles and ninjas of the Land of Water are involved, causing great loss to the tax revenue of the Land of Water's daimyo. The Mist Village hopes that Konoha can investigate this issue and issue an S-rank hiring mission to Konoha..."
This kind of thing is quite common.
The Mist Village could completely help the daimyo of the Land of Water to investigate the smuggling, but this matter involves the interests of many nobles. The Mist Village is worried about offending too many nobles; they did the daimyo's work, but will the nobles speak ill of them in front of the daimyo later?
The Mist Village handed this matter over to Konoha to handle, just so, as Konoha is an ally of the Mist Village, but tasks involving countries must be S-rank missions.
Moreover...
This matter has caused severe damage to the tax revenue of the Land of Water.
The Mist Village does not want to get involved and does not mind spending a little money to solve big problems, anyway, the daimyo of the Land of Water will pay for the expenses of this matter in the end.
Sarutobi Hiruzen intends to hand this mission over to the Anbu, not caring if Akihara Kagura and the Anbu executing the mission will cause any trouble, preferring to deal with the smugglers by force.
[System Prompt]: [New work mission (from Sarutobi Hiruzen), go and deal with the smugglers between the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, and uproot the smugglers' stronghold.]
"I'll go personally! It's a bit boring to be on duty here..."
Akihara Kagura volunteered, planning to stretch his muscles well, and also wanted to take this opportunity to meet with Orochimaru and Shimura Danzo.
The Chunin Exam in the second half of the year is approaching, and Orochimaru has not yet sent over the new plan. Akihara Kagura plans to have a good chat with Orochimaru.
"Okay."
Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed and took the opportunity to educate: "The mission assembly hall is related to the life of ninjas in the village; we must be responsible for the ninjas in the village..."
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was naggingly educating, an old man wearing glasses walked in and asked, "Excuse me, is this the Konoha assembly hall?"
"This is the place."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had to stop.
"I'll leave first."
Akihara Kagura waved his hand and left the mission assembly hall.
However, as Akihara Kagura was leaving, he heard the old man with glasses also naggingly saying, "I am Tazuna, a bridge-building expert, and I want to post a C-rank protection mission here. Please, the ninjas of Konoha protect me as I go to the Land of Waves to build a big bridge..."
"Hmm?"
The moment Akihara Kagura stepped out of the room.
He finally felt a long-lost sense of familiarity.
The Land of Waves.
That name sounds a bit familiar!
However, when Akihara Kagura returned to the root base and used the characteristics of "Ninja in the Shadows" to investigate the smugglers in the Land of Water and the Land of Fire, she discovered that the smugglers' stronghold was in the Land of Waves and decided to set the meeting place there.
"Karin, gather the personnel, we are going out to carry out a mission."
Akihara Kagura called Karin and then ordered, "Also, have someone tell Orochimaru that I want to meet him in the Land of Waves."
Meanwhile,
Inside the mission assembly hall,
Sarutobi Hiruzen, with a pipe in his mouth, watched Uzumaki Naruto causing a commotion in the mission assembly hall and assigned the mission of escorting the bridge builder Tazuna to the Land of Waves to Team 7.
"..."
Hatake Kakashi glanced at Tazuna and seemed to notice that there was something not quite truthful about Tazuna, the employer who posted the mission, but he didn't say anything more.
Anyway...
Hatake Kakashi believed he had the ability to protect the three kids.
Although Hatake Kakashi, over the years, had not been able to reach the same standard as his teacher, Minato, with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could still quickly create a Flying Thunder God Formation and transport the three kids to a safe place in times of danger.
In theory...
Indeed, that was the case.
If nothing unexpected happened, this mission would indeed go smoothly.
However, Shimura Danzo and Orochimaru, two S-rank rogue ninjas from Konoha, upon receiving the message sent by Akihara Kagura, immediately headed to the Land of Waves, wanting to meet with Akihara Kagura to discuss what plan Akihara Kagura wanted to use during the Chunin Exams.
Outside the Konoha,
Hatake Kakashi, leading the three young members of Team 7, was leaving the village when Akihara Kagura, along with a group of root ninjas, happened to be heading out as well.
"Kagura."
Uzumaki Naruto shouted excitedly at Akihara Kagura, bragging loudly, "We've been assigned a C-rank mission! A C-rank mission!"
After saying this, Uzumaki Naruto then complained, "The Hokage Grandpa is the best! Unlike you, always giving us those garbage collection missions!"
"..."
Akihara Kagura gave this youngster an odd look.
Standing behind Akihara Kagura, Karin and a group of root ninjas from the Uchiha clan looked at Uzumaki Naruto with pity, as if looking at a pitiful person.
"Are you going out on a mission?"
Hatake Kakashi took the initiative to greet them and then waved his hand dismissively, "Never mind, we can't inquire about the root ninjas..."
"It's okay."
Akihara Kagura shook her head, voluntarily leaking secrets: "We are going to carry out an S-rank mission, this time probably killing quite a few people, I wonder if their bodies could fill a river. If a river gets filled with bodies, I'll personally pay for a mission to clear the river."
"..."
Hatake Kakashi felt he shouldn't have asked.
Haruno Sakura, the girl with pink hair, started shivering a bit and even Uchiha Sasuke's face turned a bit pale next to her.
"Hey, hey, hey! Kagura! Don't take revenge privately!"
Uzumaki Naruto, still somewhat oblivious to danger, pointed at Akihara Kagura, "Otherwise, when I become Hokage, I'll definitely dismiss you, the unqualified Hokage assistant!"
"Just shut up and move on!"
Hatake Kakashi hit one of his students on the forehead with a punch.
"Then you'd better work hard..."
Akihara Kagura laughed lightly, not caring about Uzumaki Naruto's shouting, and led a group of root ninjas away, each passing by Uzumaki Naruto with an even more pitying look.
"Naruto..."
After seeing Akihara Kagura and a group of root ninjas leave, Haruno Sakura immediately loudly reprimanded her teammate, "You always shout and holler, causing us to offend him again!"
"Kagura is not a petty person!"
Uzumaki Naruto adjusted his ninja headband, believing he understood Akihara Kagura well, "I have known him for many years!"
Hatake Kakashi looked at Uzumaki Naruto helplessly, "It seems you have lived in vain all these years, still not recognizing how petty that guy can be..."
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Uzumaki Naruto immediately reprimanded his teacher, "Kagura is our friend, how can you talk bad about him behind his back!"
Uchiha Sasuke rolled his eyes, thinking Uzumaki Naruto was really stupid, "But you, the idiot, were just provoking him..."
"I speak my mind!"
Uzumaki Naruto immediately wanted to argue with Uchiha Sasuke.
"It's time to move on."
Hatake Kakashi adjusted his ninja headband, stopping the argument between his two subordinates, and quietly speculated about Akihara Kagura and the root ninjas' destination.
That direction...
Were Akihara Kagura and the root heading to the Land of Water?
Those guys couldn't possibly be heading in the direction of the Land of Waves, could they?
~~~
New FanFic: Killing Makes You Stronger
Please check it out!
Patreon.com/Bleam
— 70 Advance Chapters!
Get 2 Sponsored Chapters "Every Month" for every person who joins the "Special Jonin•Bleam" Membership!