Sasuke scoffed at Kakashi's words, feeling that while he and Naruto still had a long way to go, they remained very much human. He took Kakashi's comment as a strange form of praise.
In his mind, Sasuke muttered darkly: Uchiha Itachi! Just wait! I'll kill you soon!
Naruto, on the other hand, frowned in distress, his gaze locking onto Kakashi.
Hatake Kakashi! You've sealed your fate!
Even though Naruto's healing abilities were a bit faster than most, he definitely didn't appreciate being dehumanized!
Gritting his teeth, Naruto silently pulled out a massive door slab and crept toward Kakashi, though lugging such a large object was far from stealthy.
Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the door, cold sweat instantly forming on his forehead.
What is with this kid and his obsession with doors?
Or was this some sort of tribute to his father, the Fourth Hokage, Minato?
"Naruto!"
"What do you think you're doing?"
All eyes turned to Naruto, and the atmosphere suddenly grew thick with awkwardness, his plan to ambush Kakashi instantly foiled.
Realizing the odd looks from everyone, Naruto couldn't very well attack his own teacher in front of them.
After all, respect for one's teacher is a core virtue, right?
Well, except for in the world of shinobi, where students backstabbing their senseis was practically a time-honored tradition.
Bang!
Naruto stood the door upright, stirring up a cloud of dust, and then patted it twice.
"The door's gotten moldy…"
"I thought I'd air it out."
"That's reasonable, right?"
"Hahaha, Kakashi-sensei, you didn't actually think I was going to attack you, did you?"
Kakashi: …...
If you hadn't raised that door and snuck up behind me, I might have believed you!
"Let's go, we're wasting time on this mission," Kakashi expertly used his distraction tactic again, shifting attention away from the situation. He then turned to Tazuna.
"And about this mission…"
"Old man, something doesn't add up, does it?"
"How does a simple C-rank escort mission involve ninja attacks?"
His single eye narrowed, and a wave of killing intent rolled off him, directed straight at Tazuna.
"This seems more like an A-rank mission, doesn't it?"
Though Kakashi often appeared lazy, he wasn't about to let himself be taken advantage of.
But this could also serve as an opportunity to test Team 7's resolve.
Tazuna averted his eyes, unable to meet Kakashi's gaze. He had no doubt the shinobi would kill him if necessary.
His thoughts went to his family and the bridge he had yet to complete, amplifying his fear.
"Haha, relax," Kakashi chuckled, softening his demeanor. He glanced at the three young shinobi.
"This mission is now at A-rank difficulty."
"Do you want to continue or back out?"
"Continue," Sasuke responded coldly, and Sakura quickly followed suit.
"I'm good to go."
Naruto's face had grown serious, clearly indicating he was ready as well.
Tazuna's face lit up with relief, though it was soon replaced by guilt. He sighed deeply and said, "I'm sorry, everyone…"
"The reason I did this is because…"
"Shut up! Skip it! Skip!!" Naruto interrupted, waving him off. He had no patience for long-winded explanations, especially ones filled with sob stories.
His approach was simple: I don't know who I am, I don't know where I am, but I do know I'm here to unleash havoc!
The rest of Team 7 twitched in disbelief.
Here we go again…
Naruto was back to spouting nonsensical lines.
Tazuna had been preparing to guilt-trip the shinobi into helping him with a heartfelt speech, but Naruto's interruption left his words caught in his throat.
Why can't this kid just let me finish my explanation?
Naruto had already anticipated this scenario.
Moral blackmail?
You can't guilt-trip someone who doesn't have morals!
The mission itself wasn't even that important to him; after all, he was just here to grind through the Land of Waves questline.
As for the suffering people of the Land of Waves…
I'm no compassionate deity like the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Why should I care about their fate?
Once Kakashi confirmed that no one had any objections, he nodded and motioned for the group to continue on their journey.
The road ahead proved uneventful, with no further ninja attacks.
During lunch, Naruto, feeling bored, glanced at the book in Kakashi's hands and then at the dazed Sasuke. A mischievous smile spread across his face as he dove into his system inventory, searching through the various items.
After about twenty minutes, he found what he was looking for.
"Got it!"
The title on the cover was clear: X Breaking the Heavens.
Naruto chuckled, then withdrew from the system space. He glanced again at Sasuke, whose face remained impassive, and then tossed the book to him.
In this world, the book instantly transformed, with the text adapting to the local language.
"Here, Sasuke. This is for you."
Sasuke, still lost in thought, caught the book reflexively. He glanced at the cover, X Breaking the Heavens, not understanding the strange title.
He then shot a quick look at Kakashi.
Sensing something, Kakashi turned to look at the book in Sasuke's hands, his expression immediately growing awkward.
What's Naruto up to now?
Had Naruto gone to the bookstore after seeing Kakashi's Icha Icha Paradise?
Isn't this kind of material a bit too mature for them?
Kakashi's eyes widened in concern.
Could it be… Did I inadvertently corrupt my students with my own reading habits?
The thought of Tsunade finding out flashed in his mind, followed by a vision of her smashing him into the afterlife.
If she finds out… I'll suffer even after I'm dead.
And his father, upon seeing what had become of him, would no doubt deliver a solid punch.
Sigh, I can't let myself fall any further.
Tightening his grip on Icha Icha Paradise, Kakashi wrestled with his inner turmoil. But for the sake of his students, he made up his mind.
From today onward…
He would abstain!
No more Icha Icha Paradise!
Having made this monumental decision, Kakashi turned to Sasuke and Naruto, ready to give them a serious lecture. He spoke with surprising conviction.
"Naruto, Sasuke."
"This kind of material is far too early for you."
"The adult world is not something for your age."
With that, he slowly reached out to take the book from Sasuke, fully intending to confiscate it. Even though he hadn't seen the contents yet, just the title X Breaking raised alarms.
He had seen enough dubious titles in his time.
Slap—
Sasuke slapped Kakashi's hand away. Hearing that it was off-limits only made him more curious.
Besides, Sasuke figured that with the heavy burden of revenge, he was mature enough to understand the adult world.
Sakura's face turned red, her eyes darting between Sasuke and the book.
This is it!
Has Sasuke finally awakened to these things?!
Thank you, Naruto!
"Kakashi-sensei, what are you even talking about?"
"This isn't that kind of book."
Naruto rolled his eyes, growing more and more exasperated. Typical Kakashi, always assuming the worst.
Hearing this, Sasuke opened the book and skimmed a few pages before nodding in agreement with Naruto.
Realizing he had jumped to the wrong conclusion and made a fool of himself, Kakashi awkwardly withdrew, acting as if nothing had happened. He reached for his Icha Icha Paradise, but remembering his vow, he stopped short.
Sakura, realizing the book wasn't what she thought, hugged her knees in disappointment, looking utterly defeated.
However, during this whole scene…
Sasuke found the book's contents oddly intriguing. But after reading a little more, he also found it somewhat strange.
An underdog rising to greatness?
How utterly boring!
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