Lord Jiraiya assigned a mission to Kamishiro, Kakashi and the other two. They were to conduct a surveillance mission on the Cloud Ninjas' encampment that they had investigated before.
Suddenly, Kamishiro acted out of character. "Yes! I'll resolutely carry out the mission assigned by Lord Jiraiya, come what may! I, Kamishiro, will complete this mission even if it means smashing myself to pieces!"
Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi and the other two stared at Kamishiro in astonishment.
Wasn't the usual thing for him to cry, make a scene, and play the weakling? Well, I mean, be reluctant, throw a tantrum, and act all weak?
However, Kamishiro now looked so determined that it seemed he could pierce through any obstacle.
Is this Kamishiro a fake?
Kamishiro sneered inwardly at the incredulous looks on Lord Jiraiya and the others' faces.
Stupid Konoha ninjas! How could they ever get what Lord Kamishiro's thinking!
In Kamishiro's eyes, the surveillance mission on the Cloud Ninjas' encampment was super safe. All he had to do was hide and spy. If the Cloud Ninjas did anything, he'd just come back and report - no need for The Battle.
If he didn't take this mission, what if he got a dangerous one later?
So, only a fool would turn down this mission.
Kamishiro, suddenly all serious, left Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi and the others completely dumbfounded.
Lord Jiraiya forced a laugh and said, "It's good that you have this kind of determination, Kamishiro. Then I'll leave this mission to you. Now, set off immediately!"
Kamishiro put on a serious face and said, "Yes! I guarantee to complete the mission! I won't let Lord Jiraiya or Konoha down!"
Kakashi, Obito and Rin Nohara suddenly shivered and got goosebumps all over their bodies.
Obito frowned and advised, "Kamishiro, can you be normal?"
Kamishiro rolled his eyes at Obito and snorted, "You're the one being weird, okay? For the sake of Konoha, what does it matter if I die at the hands of the enemy? I'd have no regrets even if I sacrificed myself for Konoha! Because... I love Konoha deeply, you know~"
Kamishiro's words "I love Konoha deeply, you know" left Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi and the others speechless.
Lord Jiraiya said awkwardly, "Well, Kamishiro, it's just a surveillance mission. It's not that serious."
Kamishiro said with a straight face, "Well, you're wrong. As a member of Konoha, I should always be ready to sacrifice myself for Konoha. Kakashi, Obito, Rin! Follow me! I can't wait to sacrifice myself for Konoha!"
Kamishiro led the way out of the tent.
Lord Jiraiya, Kakashi and the others looked at each other in dismay.
Lord Jiraiya asked blankly, "What's gotten into him?"
Kakashi shrugged and said, "Who knows? But we don't have to deal with his antics this time. It'll save us a lot of trouble. Then, Lord Jiraiya, we're setting off."
Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, be careful. Once you notice their movements, come back and report to us right away. This means they're about to take action against us, so we'll make preparations here. Orochimaru plans to wipe them out."
Kakashi immediately became serious.
If that's the case, then this mission is a big deal for them.
Once they detect the movements of the Cloud Ninjas, they must return to Konoha's camp immediately to report; otherwise, if the Cloud Ninjas launch an attack first due to a late report, they'll lose the initiative.
At the same time, they mustn't let the Cloud Ninjas discover them. If they're found out, all the preparations made by their comrades in Konoha's camp might go to waste.
"I understand, Lord Jiraiya! Then we're setting off. Let's go, Obito, Rin."
Kakashi led Obito and Rin out of the tent. They found Kamishiro not far away and headed towards the Cloud Ninjas' camp in the southwest again.
To avoid being discovered by the Cloud Ninjas, Kakashi chose a spot at a considerable distance from the camp, just barely able to catch a glimpse of it for surveillance.
Kakashi held a telescope in his hand, constantly observing the movements at the Cloud Ninjas' camp. When he got tired, Obito or Rin would take over and keep watch.
As for Kamishiro.
Kamishiro found a comfortable spot to lean back and rest.
Kakashi was already thankful that Kamishiro didn't cause any trouble. Moreover, this mission was very important, and Kakashi didn't trust Kamishiro with it. So as long as Kamishiro stayed quiet, Kakashi didn't care what he did.
Days passed.
It was already the third day of the surveillance mission.
"Ah~ This is so boring."
Kamishiro had a cockscomb grass in his mouth, lying on a tree branch with droopy eyelids, looking listless.
Since they couldn't start a fire and didn't bring any dry food, they had to make do with Military Rations Pills (a kind of ninja ration).
But you know how it is.
They were several times worse than the dry naan Kamishiro had eaten in Sunagakure Village. Not even a dog would touch these things.
Ever since he was 'captured' by Minato Namikaze and the others, Kamishiro could be said to have been eating coarse bran every day. Now he missed his previous meals more than ever.
Kakashi and Obito ignored Kamishiro.
They had been listening to his complaints for three days.
Rin said to Kamishiro helplessly, "Kamishiro, this surveillance mission is just this boring. It's only been three days. We once monitored a target for a whole month on a mission."
Kamishiro exclaimed in shock, "Ah? A whole month? Eating these Military Rations Pills that not even a dog would touch for a month?"
Obito replied, "Yeah, what else could we eat? By the way, Kamishiro, you haven't eaten for almost a day, right? Do you want a Military Rations Pill?"
Kamishiro quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no. I'm not hungry yet. You can have it."
I've got to say, the Military Rations Pill is really good at keeping hunger at bay. One pill can keep you full for almost an entire day.
So, Kamishiro wouldn't take one unless his stomach was rumbling.
Kakashi, who was observing the Cloud Ninjas' encampment, said in a low voice, "Something's going on!"
Obito, Rin, and Kamishiro immediately rushed to Kakashi's side.
Kakashi kept observing and said, "Two Cloud Ninjas have gone into the cave."
Kamishiro asked curiously, "And then?"
Kakashi replied, "They haven't come out yet."
Kamishiro grumbled, "Uh... What sort of 'Something's going on' is that? I thought they were gonna make a move."
Kakashi said seriously, "It looks like they're really gonna act! Everyone in the cave has come out! 1, 2, 3... 16, 17, 18. The numbers add up. The two newly - arrived Cloud Ninjas plus the original 16, making a total of 18 Cloud Ninjas!"
Kakashi handed the binoculars in his hand to Obito. After Obito took a look, he passed them to Rin, and finally, the binoculars ended up in Kamishiro's hands.
Kamishiro took the binoculars and started looking. Sure enough, as Kakashi had said, those 18 Cloud Ninjas were standing in formation outside the cave.
But then, Kamishiro suddenly squinted his eyes. "Hey, it looks like someone's looking our way and even pointing at us."