25 million ryo wasn't a huge sum for an escort mission—just enough to be reasonable.
Kakashi wasn't particularly concerned about the amount. After all, they had to leave the village for a month anyway, so they might as well handle this mission along the way.
He glanced at the three kids, wanting to hear their opinions, especially Naruto… The mission reward had just dropped from 200 million to 25 million ryo—who knows how the kid might react.
Sasuke, hands in his pockets, frowned slightly as sparks of lightning occasionally flickered around him. He glanced at Kakashi and said indifferently, "Whatever."
Sakura, with her pink hair bouncing, hopped out from behind Sasuke and raised her right hand.
"Kakashi-sensei, I'm fine with it."
Seeing his only female student behave so obediently, Kakashi felt a bit of relief.
At least there's one normal student in my team...
Then, his gaze shifted to the troublesome one, Uzumaki Naruto. He watched him carefully, worried Naruto might cause more trouble.
Naruto turned his back to Kakashi, clearly still fuming.
Not to mention, I shouted the 200 million ryo price out loud... How can I back down now?
Besides...
This white-haired idiot couldn't even give me a graceful way out? So immature!
"Hahaha, old man, we'll take the mission." Kakashi let out a dry laugh, trying to smooth things over before leading Tazuna to register the mission.
The other ninjas standing around watching all let out a collective sigh of relief.
Thank goodness...
It seemed like Team 7 had taken another mission, so they wouldn't be back anytime soon.
Now they all had to hurry and snatch up the few remaining low-level missions in the village.
The group of ninjas, who had been joking around just moments ago, suddenly tensed up, realizing that everyone around them was now their competition. The once friendly looks quickly turned hostile.
Damn it!
The next batch of low-level missions is mine!
Konoha's ninja were about to launch a new wave of fierce competition...
A new storm was on the horizon, and how could the ninja of Konoha remain still?
Watching Kakashi's retreating figure, Naruto still appeared a little angry, but deep down, he was starting to get excited.
The Land of Waves mission was finally about to begin.
He was eager to see just how strong he had become.
The last time he landed a punch on Kakashi, it was only because the white-haired Jonin hadn't been paying attention and didn't dodge.
Besides, Konoha's "Golden Technician," Kakashi, could hold his own against just about anyone. Using him as a benchmark wasn't exactly reliable.
After all, this guy fought Zabuza to a standstill and later even managed to spar with the likes of the Otsutsuki clan.
By that logic, Zabuza = Otsutsuki Kaguya.
Naruto couldn't help but feel that Kakashi had some kind of plot armor protecting him.
So it only made sense to use Zabuza, an early-game boss, to test his own abilities.
It wasn't long before Kakashi returned, leading Tazuna down from the Hokage's office.
"Tomorrow morning at 7, meet at the village gate. Don't be late."
Kakashi said it as if he wasn't at all concerned about punctuality.
The three Genin all stared at Kakashi, barely holding back from calling him out directly.
Wasn't he the one who was always late?
"Alright, dismissed."
Kakashi, being a seasoned veteran, wasn't at all fazed by the glares from his team. Keeping his expression neutral, he sent everyone home, then went off with Tazuna to arrange accommodations.
Sasuke, with no home to return to, skillfully took advantage of Naruto's teleportation gate and headed back to the small forest to train.
Sakura, who used to feel awkward about having Naruto transport her, was now completely comfortable. She walked through the portal, arriving right at her doorstep.
As for Naruto...
His situation wasn't too different from Sasuke's—he had a house, but it didn't feel like a home.
The only difference was that his "in-laws" were quite numerous.
After dropping off his two teammates, Naruto opened another space portal and headed for the Hyuga compound. The moment the Hyuga guards saw the familiar yellow-haired figure, the atmosphere grew tense.
Naruto pretended not to notice, casually walking along the perimeter wall.
With several eyes on him, he climbed the wall in a couple of swift moves and leapt into the inner courtyard.
Why didn't he just use the space gate to enter?
Mainly because Naruto found this way more thrilling.
The Hyuga clan's guards watched as Naruto effortlessly scaled the wall. Their veins bulged with frustration, and if it weren't for their exceptional physical control, they might have already popped a blood vessel because of him.
But at least...
That rascal would be leaving the village tomorrow!
Once inside, Naruto began thinking about how to say goodbye to Hinata. But before he could make a move, he turned around and bumped into a massive figure.
Looking up, Naruto's face stiffened.
Uh-oh!
Why was Hiashi here?
The two stood silently, staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. Naruto's gaze darted around nervously, his heart sinking.
There was nothing he could do—there was just something about a father-in-law that naturally intimidated his son-in-law.
Hiashi's sharp, piercing gaze felt like a blade. Thanks to the Byakugan, Naruto couldn't read his expression, but the stern look on his face made it clear...
He wasn't pleased.
After what seemed like forever, Hiashi finally spoke in a low, calm voice.
"Next time, use the front gate."
"Hinata's at the training grounds."
With that, Hiashi turned and walked away.
Naruto scratched his head, his expression a little complicated.
It seemed like... Hiashi wasn't as scary as he thought.
The Hyuga compound was enormous. It took Naruto nearly ten minutes to reach the training grounds.
You had to hand it to the Hyuga—they really were Konoha's top clan.
When he spotted Hinata training, Naruto called out a greeting and sat down on the veranda, watching her quietly.
The Hyuga family was strict about their training. Once a regimen was set, it had to be completed in one go. So, even with Naruto there, Hinata didn't stop practicing.
However, the little girl's mind was clearly not on her training. Every time she struck the training dummy, she'd sneak a glance at Naruto.
Eventually, one of the Hyuga elders sighed and signaled that training was over for the day.
The elder cast a glance at Hinata, then at the yellow-haired boy sitting nearby, sighing deeply before walking off, hands clasped behind his back.
He finally understood.
The young lady of the house had clearly set her heart on this kid.
Good thing the clan head had been wise. Years ago, when he first noticed this brat, he had already begun shifting his attention toward the younger daughter.
Hinata, drenched in sweat after finishing her training, had damp strands of hair clinging to her flushed face, which looked as red as an apple.
She found a spot to sit down but didn't dare sit next to Naruto, worrying about him smelling her sweat.
The thoughts of a young girl were always hard to predict. Naruto, of course, wasn't thinking about such things at all and didn't understand why Hinata had sat so far away.
"Why are you sitting all the way over there?"
"I..."
Before she could finish, Naruto grabbed her delicate, snow-white ankle and gently pulled her toward him.
"Ah..."
"N-Naruto-kun... let go..."
"This is... embarrassing."
Hinata gasped, her small mouth slightly open, overwhelmed with embarrassment. Worried that someone might see, she instinctively covered her mouth.
Feeling the warmth from Naruto's hand on her ankle, her ears turned bright red. After realizing what had happened, she frantically covered her flushed face, as if trying to cool down the steam rising from her head.
It was clear that after all these years, Hinata had gradually become less shy, though she was still easily flustered when teased.
Naruto chuckled heartily, thinking that Hinata looked absolutely adorable like this.
My wife is amazing!
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