Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Hattori's voice betrayed a hint of bluff and embarrassment, making everyone laugh even harder.
This is commonly known as the reverse effect.
Unbeknownst to the others, once Chiyo dragged Hattori out of sight, he immediately stopped shouting, and his expression became calm.
"Alright, teacher, you can let go now. They can't see us anymore!"
"Hm?"
Hearing Hattori's words and seeing his composed expression, a flash of surprise crossed Chiyo's face.
"Did you do that on purpose just now?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Hattori said, spreading his hands.
"Slug is Tsunade's summoning beast—everyone knows that. Now that I've summoned it, even with your endorsement as my teacher, it's not enough to completely erase their doubts."
"Oh!" Chiyo's face lit up with understanding. "So that's why you were acting foolish earlier!"
Hattori: "..."
What kind of description is that?
Normally, he would argue with Chiyo about such a term, but not now. He just waved dismissively at her.
"That's not important. What matters is that I can contribute on the battlefield. I may not be able to change the final outcome, but I can at least help keep as many ninja alive as possible!"
Chiyo fell silent upon hearing this, her brow furrowing as she contemplated.
After a while, she sighed and nodded.
"Alright, at this point, we have no other choice. Having a strong summoning beast like the Slug with you will indeed make you safer on the battlefield."
"So, you're allowing me to go?" Hattori asked for confirmation.
"Yes," Chiyo nodded, then patted his shoulder with a smile.
"If you want to become one of Sunagakure's leaders, you need merits to your name. Just be careful, don't overextend, and take Pakura with you."
"Understood!"
With that, Hattori did something that took Chiyo by surprise.
He opened his arms and gave her a big hug, whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, teacher, I'll come back alive!"
Hearing this, Chiyo felt something tug at her heartstrings, making her shiver slightly and bringing a misty sheen to her eyes.
She opened her mouth as if to speak, but by the time Hattori let go and turned to leave, she remained silent.
As his figure disappeared into the night, she whispered in a hoarse voice.
"Be careful out there..."
---
Of course, Hattori didn't hear Chiyo's words. By now, he had returned to the camp and summoned the giant-winged dragonfly.
However, he didn't cancel the summoning of the Slug; he left it in the camp and gave it instructions.
"Katsuyu, this clone of yours will stay here. If anything urgent happens, notify me immediately!"
As a clone, the Slug could share vision, transmit chakra, and relay information. Tsunade had often used this technique, so Shengyu was quite familiar with it.
After hearing Hattori's instructions, it nodded.
"Understood, Master Hattori. Please take this part of me along so I can notify you instantly if needed."
The Slug then split off a palm-sized clone, placing it in front of Hattori.
Seeing this, Hattori smiled and nodded.
"Thanks for your help."
He picked up the tiny Slug and placed it on his shoulder, then turned to Pakura with a smile.
"Alright, Sister Pakura, it's time for us to go!"
"Mm!"
Pakura nodded and joined Hattori on the giant-winged dragonfly. Under the watchful eyes of hundreds from the medical camp, they soared into the sky.
The dragonfly's wings beat rapidly, and soon they vanished into the night sky.
The echoes of voices lingered in the camp.
"Lord Hattori, travel safely!"
"Come back safe with Lady Pakura!"
"We'll be waiting for you to return and make our lives harder…"
Hattori stood on the dragonfly's back, watching the firelight of the camp gradually dim and disappear in the distance. A slight smile curved his lips.
"What a bunch of troublesome people. So weak, yet so full of chatter!"
"Yes, indeed," Pakura replied, laughing as she nodded.
"But that's why we have to protect them. By the way, why does the Slug call you Hattori? Is that your name? Can I call you Hattori?"
"Of course!" Hattori answered immediately.
"Hattori is my name. You can call me that, just like I can call you Sister Pakura, or even wife."
"Stop it... Who's your wife? Don't say that!"
Pakura burst into laughter and playfully poked his forehead.
"You cheeky kid. Don't forget, I'm over ten years older than you. You want to marry me? By the time you're grown up, I'll be old!"
"Not at all!" Hattori chuckled again.
"You may be older now, but in ten years we'll be the same age. Isn't that perfect? Will you marry me then?"
"But I like men older than me."
"Then I'll try harder?"
"Hahaha…"
The two laughed and joked as they flew, the mood light as if they were simply out on an adventure.
But both Hattori and Pakura knew the truth: they weren't out for fun. They were heading to the battlefield, risking their lives.
With the giant-winged dragonfly's swift flight, they soon crossed the border of the Land of Rivers and entered the Land of Fire.
The distant silhouette of Kikyo Mountain was in sight, its fiery glow and the sounds of explosions growing ever clearer.
Hattori's expression turned serious.
"That's it. That's Kikyo Mountain."
He pointed at it, then looked at Pakura.
"Old Man Ebizo told me he planned to have the decisive battle with Konoha there in a month."
"A month?" Pakura asked, puzzled as she glanced at the distant mountain, already ablaze with fire and echoing with explosions.
"Then why does it seem like the battle has already started? Did something unexpected happen?"
"Nothing unexpected."
Hattori shook his head, a touch of helplessness mixed with the seriousness on his face.
"As I expected, Konoha sees Sunagakure as its top priority. They're concentrating all their might to defeat us as quickly as possible. Sunagakure is in big trouble."
"..."
*(End of chapter)*