Chapter 68
The next day, early morning.
Haneda had just woken up and was washing up.
*Knock knock knock...*
There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it? Obito?"
With a toothbrush in hand, Haneda walked to the door. Upon opening it, he was greeted by a black-clad ninja wearing a bird mask, who said:
"Uchiha Haneda, I'm an ANBU member. The Hokage requests your presence in the office."
After speaking, the ANBU ninja handed Haneda a mission scroll and disappeared in a flash.
Holding the mission scroll, Haneda felt a bit annoyed. He had just completed a mission, and now another one? Couldn't he get a break?
With the toothbrush in his mouth, Haneda unrolled the mission scroll. Seeing the names on the roster—Team 7 and Team 9—he smiled slightly.
"Kakashi, looks like we'll be fighting side by side again."
"It'll also be a good chance to see how much Obito has improved since graduation. He must have been working hard, right?"
Haneda tucked the scroll into his pouch and hurriedly rinsed his mouth. He splashed some water on his face, wiped it clean with a towel, and then with a "bang," locked the door as he left.
...
At the Hokage's office, the teams were already gathering.
Minato and Sakumo had arrived early and were chatting with the Third Hokage.
When Haneda arrived with Obito in tow, Minato raised an eyebrow and remarked with surprise:
"Obito's not late for once? Is it because of Haneda?"
Kakashi commented, "Sensei, Haneda probably dragged Obito here. Haneda's sense of time is far better than this slacker."
"Idiot Kakashi! I woke up early today! I just happened to run into Haneda on the way!" Obito retorted, clearly annoyed.
After all, who wouldn't wake up early when a masked stranger barged into your house and tossed you a mission scroll?
"Hmph, slacker."
"Idiot Kakashi!"
Seeing the two about to argue again, Haneda sighed and stepped in to mediate:
"I did bump into Obito on the way here. Let's listen to Uncle Sakumo and the others explain the mission first."
At this moment, the Third Hokage coughed a few times and cleared his throat before speaking:
"This mission was issued on short notice. It's a B-rank, and the location is an underground black market in the northern town of Mizukuchi."
"This black market has been involved in gathering intel on Konoha and selling it to Kumogakure."
"Team 7 and Team 9 are tasked with locating the black market and retrieving the intel."
"The intel won't be sent out until payment is made, but you'll need to act quickly."
"The details have already been shared with Minato and Sakumo."
Though the Hokage said this, he had already sent Root to handle part of the mission. This team's assignment was more about fostering connections between Haneda and the Hokage's faction.
"Hokage-sama, shouldn't we destroy the black market?" Minato asked, puzzled.
"The black market is too entangled with various entities. At times, even Konoha has to make use of it, as do the other five great nations."
"In time, you'll come to understand, Minato," the Third Hokage replied.
...
After leaving the Hokage's office, Haneda began chatting with Obito and Kakashi.
"How's the progress on refining *Chidori's* shape transformation, Kakashi?" Haneda asked.
"It's coming along. I'm getting the hang of your *Chidori Senbon* technique," Kakashi replied.
"And what about you, Obito? I specifically taught you that enhanced version of *Phoenix Flower Jutsu*, didn't I?"
"That one with the shuriken? Heh, after a night of practice, I've mastered it."
Asuma, feeling a bit left out as he glanced between Kurenai, Rin, and the trio, interjected:
"Haneda, shouldn't we focus on the mission?"
"Hey, Asuma, with Minato-sensei, Uncle Sakumo, and Haneda here, this mission is as good as done," Obito said nonchalantly.
Not to mention Minato and Sakumo, Haneda alone could probably handle the entire mission. After all, he had just recently taken down a Mist Village jonin with ease.
"Slacker, even though this is just a B-rank mission, there could still be unexpected dangers," Kakashi threw in unexpectedly.
"Are you doubting my friend Haneda, Kakashi?"
"I'm not! Don't twist my words, Obito," Kakashi said, shaking his head quickly.
Up ahead, Minato overheard his students bickering again, this time because of Haneda. He smiled and turned to Sakumo, saying:
"It seems like Haneda is quite the capable ninja, according to Obito and the others, Sakumo-senpai."
"Kakashi has been close friends with both Haneda and Obito since they were young."
"And with this mission being just about retrieving intel, it shouldn't be too challenging for Haneda," Sakumo remarked.
"Is this mission meant to be a training opportunity for the students?" Minato asked.
"This is a good chance, don't you think? I'm even considering telling Haneda not to intervene," Sakumo chuckled, clearly confident in Haneda's abilities.
"I see…"
Minato glanced back at Haneda, who was trying to mediate between Kakashi and Obito. He thought to himself, with Haneda being able to defeat a Mist jonin head-on, it was no surprise that Sakumo had such confidence.
His gaze then shifted to Rin, Obito, and Kakashi. He wasn't too concerned about Kakashi and Rin, but Obito was a different story.
"Maybe it's time to push Obito a little harder," Minato thought to himself.
...
Not long after Haneda and Obito left Konoha, Madara, far away in the Land of Water, received word of their departure.
"Madara-sama, Haneda and Obito have headed north in the Land of Fire."
"Their mentors, Sakumo Hatake and Minato Namikaze, along with Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara, are with them," White Zetsu reported to Madara.
Madara sat on a stone chair, eyes closed. His long white hair and wrinkled face gave him a deathly appearance.
After a while, Madara asked, "How is Haneda's relationship with Sakumo and his teammates?"
"Based on Haneda's performance in the Land of Waves, Sakumo is not only his kenjutsu instructor but also a mentor in life."
"However, his relationships with Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi aren't as close," White Zetsu replied.
At this point, Black Zetsu spoke in a sinister tone:
"Madara-sama, since both Haneda's close friend Kakashi and Obito's love interest Rin are present, perhaps we could..."
"Hehehe, we could awaken two pairs of Mangekyo Sharingan at once, Madara-sama!"
Madara remained motionless, as though he had fallen asleep.
After a long pause, he opened his eyes and said:
"Sakumo's swordsmanship is decent, quite skilled."
"Minato has mastered Tobirama's *Flying Thunder God*, also worth noting."
"It will be difficult to provoke Haneda into awakening his eyes."
"Besides, Obito's Sharingan hasn't even awakened yet. Let's see if we can push him a little this time."
After speaking, Madara fell silent once more, deep in thought.
After a while, he added:
"Black Zetsu, send Ichirou to attack at the right moment. Target Rin, Haneda, and Kakashi. We need to push Obito into awakening his Sharingan."
"And test Haneda's current strength."
...
***
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