Mitarashi eagerly awaited the moment she could return home and sink into a hot bath. And after that – just collapse onto her side. Only a little more to endure. Just a tiny bit. Soon they would appear before the radiant eyes of the village ruler, report the successful completion of the mission, and then she could rest with a clear conscience.
"Yeah, right!" Anko thought, clicking her tongue in annoyance. Peace and quiet were the stuff of dreams for the foreseeable future. If the mission had been standard and unfolded without any unforeseen circumstances, then yes – a five-minute verbal report, listening to Hiruzen's motivational speeches, and that would be it – freedom. But not this time. All because of those damn missing-nin. Now the kunoichi would have to write a detailed report about the mission. As if she didn't have enough reports about Saitama already!
Saitama and Anko ascended the stairs to the Hokage's office, the kunoichi's mood inexplicably worsening with each passing moment. She sank into contemplation regarding the recent assignment.
The mission in the Land of Waves, after the encounter with the S-rank missing-nin, proceeded without incident. Zabuza and his student left, as promised. Surprisingly, the Mist missing-nin didn't even take their equipment. However, this only made her feel more at ease.
Truthfully, it was as if a spring had been released within Mitarashi when she learned of Gato's assassination. Of course, even after this excellent news, she still expected some kind of attack for a while, as one couldn't relax in enemy territory, especially during a mission... But everything was relatively quiet. One couldn't really consider the actions of small bands of bastards, who wanted to profit at the expense of civilians or vent their frustrations on girls, as attacks. Neji had a rather thorough conversation with the bandits. Well, how thorough? He killed a couple and crippled about thirty. Gato's former mercenaries were deeply impressed by the young Hyuga's "instructions" and stopped their lawlessness. Presumably, most of them, having learned from their accomplices about the shinobi boy with the terrifying eyes, decided to clear out.
Now, the small Land of Waves had become calmer. And it was fortunate that those cloaked mercenaries didn't show themselves in any way after their clash with the bald guy. Those were the last people Anko wanted to encounter under any circumstances. Those shinobi were just too strong. If it hadn't been for Saitama, Konoha would have lost one of its strongest genin teams and the most powerful taijutsu master. Speaking of Might Guy and his students.
After Zabuza's departure, the bridge was completed in four days. And since Guy and Lee took direct (and very active) part in the construction, the name for the architectural structure was chosen almost immediately: "The Bridge of Youth"; not surprisingly, though, as the green duo constantly and everywhere harped on about it. The residents were grateful for the help, and since the jonin and his student didn't ask for any extra money beyond the C-rank mission fee (for the latter, it was just another good training exercise), the architect and workers decided to at least pay tribute to the eccentric thick-browed individuals, thanks to whom the construction was completed much earlier than planned.
When it was time to return to the Hidden Leaf, the Green Beasts showed themselves in all their glory. And they traveled the road to Konoha... on their hands. After all, Team Three hadn't met the mission completion deadline set by Lee, so the thick-browed sensei decided to support his beloved student and "punish" himself for company. Might Guy wanted to involve the others as well, but Saitama asked Guy to be quiet and leave him alone with his stupid requests. Anko just mentally twirled a finger at her temple but also ignored the taijutsu master's initiative. And Tenten and Neji diligently pretended that they were not involved and had nothing to do with Guy's team at all. After all, to travel the road to Konoha on one's hands, one needed not only to be a psycho but also a genuine monster... well, or a monster in the making, like Lee.
However, all of this was quite amusing to watch. Mitarashi especially remembered the moment when the thick-browed duo decided to have a competition to see who would cross the Nami Strait first. The other genin of Team Three also joined the competition. But, strangely enough, Guy and Lee kept up with the others from the very start, despite moving across the water on their hands. Watching this scene, Anko couldn't suppress a smile. True, the smile vanished as soon as Saitama took off and ran across the water as if he were under the Gates. As it turned out, he subsequently arrived first, which caused Guy's subsequent exclamations about the "Power of Youth of Saitama-fama."
At first, she was glad that she didn't have to carry the bald guy on her back, but then it dawned on Mitarashi: "And what the hell was I carrying him for if he can walk on water perfectly well himself?!" Indignation seethed within the kunoichi. Later, she gave Saitama a dressing-down for such mockery. But the guy with the absolutely impassive expression said that he had only recently learned to do this, so he didn't understand the complaints. Of course, Anko didn't believe a single word he said. It was obvious that the bald guy was simply making fun of her. Gritting her teeth, she was forced to retreat and think about how to get revenge on Saitama later...
— Don't dawdle, old man, just show it already.
The girl was jolted from her thoughts by Saitama's excited voice.
Earlier, Mitarashi had placed the mission completion document on the Hokage's desk and listened with half an ear as Hiruzen spoke about the Will of Fire, then something about the upcoming Chunin Exams. But now, apparently, the Hokage's monologue had ended, and it would finally be possible to report on the mission.
"What's this? What happened?" Anko wondered mentally when she saw an unhealthy glint in the bald guy's eyes. Then the girl turned her gaze to the Hokage's desk, on which lay some kind of small bag.
— Don't worry, Saitama. Everything has been done as you requested, — the Hokage said, pointing to the bag.
Anko's eyebrows shot up. Apparently, daydreaming while "on the carpet" in the Hokage's office was a bad idea. What had she missed?
The bald guy approached the Hokage's desk and with slightly trembling hands, opening the bag, began to pull out its contents.
A couple of moments later, the girl saw "it"...
Mitarashi understood at first glance that "it" turned out to be clothing. A jumpsuit, to be precise. A poisonous yellow color. The bald guy also took out scarlet boots and equally scarlet gloves from the bag.
— Hey, where's the cloak? — Saitama asked.
The Hokage puffed on his pipe and said:
— Saitama, you are a shinobi. A cloak will only interfere with field work...
Saitama abruptly turned around, fixing a dissatisfied gaze on Anko's clothing.
— But she's allowed? — the bald guy voiced his question. And indeed, Anko always wore a cloak, albeit not the mantle that the bald guy wanted, but still.
Sarutobi rolled his eyes:
— Alright, Saitama. You'll get your cloak.
— White, — Saitama reminded him. After which, he began to take off his clothes.
— Saitama, what are you doing? — Mitarashi exclaimed. Her cheeks flushed instantly, but she didn't look away and, as if spellbound, began to watch the bald guy's "striptease." Hiruzen, for his part, first opened his mouth, from which his pipe almost fell out, but then, regaining his composure, the old man hid his eyes under his hat, and the corners of his lips curved into something resembling a smile — probably due to Mitarashi's reaction.
And there was something to see. Saitama only looked unremarkable in his clothes, but as soon as he was shirtless, the girl could see the guy's pumped-up torso. Tight cords of muscle intertwined his body; the guy had simply unimaginable definition, clearly visible to the naked eye. Such a body was worthy of a sculpture. And the skin. Smooth skin, without hair or any scars or birthmarks.
Then Saitama pulled off his breeches, baring his hips and remaining in only his underwear. Anko, holding her breath, blushed even more deeply. Before she could properly examine everything, the bald guy began to put on this horror.
"Oh Kami, I wish you were still naked."
The costume didn't suit him. Not at all. While one could get used to Naruto's appearance, in Mitarashi's opinion, one could never get used to "this." The jumpsuit was absolutely not adapted for field work. Reconnaissance could be forgotten. Completely. No, she was sure that the clothes were comfortable and made to order from the highest quality and durable materials, but still.
"I hope you'll only wear it on missions. And preferably when I'm not around to see it."
Putting on the red boots and gloves, Saitama began to look around for a mirror. Not finding one, he clicked his tongue, but still began to examine himself and stretch, checking how the jumpsuit fit and if it was tight anywhere.
— Well? How do I look from the side? — the bald guy asked Anko. — If you ask me, it's missing a cloak. But for the time being, I think this will do.
Mitarashi's eye twitched. She was about to voice everything she thought about this stupid and impractical outfit when Hiruzen spoke:
— In my opinion, it looks excellent, Saitama, — he declared with exaggerated cheerfulness, looking sternly at Anko. — The main thing is that it's comfortable. Right, Anko?
— Uh... uh-huh... yeah, — she nodded, trying to look somewhere else.
— Oh, there's no problem with that, — Saitama stated, throwing his old clothes into the bag. — By the way, what about the payment for the mission?
***
Saitama finally returned to Konoha, for which he was incredibly happy. The reason for his good mood was not so much arriving in the village itself, but returning to his small mansion and checking the money he had left under the mattress. Seeing that everything in the house was still in its place, and that no one had touched his money, the bald guy visibly calmed down. But Saitama decided to secure his financial well-being anyway, so after visiting the house, he immediately hurried to go with Anko to the bank, where he opened an account and was able to deposit most of his funds.
"I'll save up for a TV," he thought.
Although the old man had promised to give him a television after a year of service, it was still not worth hoping for too much. Who knew what might happen in the future, so the counter in the bald guy's head started working, information about pre-holiday summer discounts surfaced on its own, and Saitama had already begun planning when, how, and on what he could save. And not only to save up for the coveted TV but also, as they say, to put aside something for a rainy day.
In general, the bald guy's anxiety about his livelihood reached its peak during the mission in the Land of Waves. The thought that his house might be robbed in his absence sometimes kept Saitama awake at night. But after Anko's numerous reassurances and guarantees that the money was completely safe, he decided to trust the girl and tried not to think about it anymore. To some extent, he succeeded. The very fact of the mission and the trip to another country played a significant role here. After all, new lands, new acquaintances, and new experiences were able to distract him a little from his worried thoughts.
A lot had happened in the past time. The clash with the guys in cloaks. The meeting with the bandaged swordsman and his student. The annoying thick-browed guys who wanted to become his students. The sparring match with the older thick-browed one. It seemed there was something else. Oh yeah. He had forgotten about the friendly get-together with Itachi.
The kind Uchiha was one of those bright memories that warmed his soul and allowed him to understand that the world was not without good people. Itachi had treated him to food at the tavern and had even invited him to join an organization with the strange name Akatsuki. Saitama refused without hesitation, saying that he didn't join guys playing villains, that he had already chosen a side and didn't intend to switch camps.
It was just a shame that nothing could be found out about the client who had hired their group to eliminate him. But no matter. Such circumstances added some spice to his measured life. Although... there was one factor that wouldn't let him get bored. Naruto. He wondered how his student was doing...
With such thoughts, Saitama entered the Hokage's office. Clearly, with Anko.
The old man spoke for a long time about fire. Whether he was cold in his old age or something else – Saitama never understood. Then came absolutely unnecessary and boring information regarding some Chunin Shiken. The bald guy was already openly yawning and thinking about dozing off while standing, right there. But suddenly, Hiruzen managed to cheer him up with wonderful news that instantly banished his sleepiness...
Anticipatingly opening the bag, Saitama thought: "Finally, I have my hero costume again."
It didn't matter what the old man called it: jonin uniform, jumpsuit, or whatever else, it was all the same. He had already missed his good old yellow spandex with red gloves and boots.
And although the material was completely different, and the absence of a cloak somewhat disappointed the hero, after trying on the costume, Saitama's mood noticeably improved. To further brighten his day, the bald guy inquired about the payment for the mission they had just returned from.
— Saitama. Your B-rank mission has escalated to an S-rank mission, — after a short pause, the Hokage began. — Therefore, the reward will be corresponding. Although it will mostly be paid from the village treasury, the Land of Waves still needs to recover from Gato's terror...
The bald guy perked up. He didn't care whose treasury the payment would come from. He only grasped the most important thing for himself.
Reward! Reward was good. And a reward for an S-rank mission was simply wonderful. After all, he had made the right decision to agree to the old man's offer to become a shinobi. If no unforeseen circumstances occurred and there were more of these easy missions, he would soon be able to get back on his feet more firmly, and buying a television no longer seemed impossible.
Noticing Saitama's transformation, Hiruzen continued:
— This mission has been valued at two million ryō.
At this phrase, the guy's eyes widened, and a smile crept onto his face. However, Anko narrowed her eyes for some reason, which Saitama, however, didn't pay any attention to.
— However, you weren't alone there... — the Hokage released a ring of smoke. — Two groups completed the mission – Guy's team and you with Anko. Therefore, we will divide the money into one million per team.
Saitama frowned slightly. He thought that the money would be divided fairly, half for him and half for Anko. Well, how half? One and a half million for him, and five hundred thousand would be enough for Mitarashi.
— I can give my share to Saitama, Hokage-sama, — Anko offered. — After all, he did most of the work, so it would be unfair of me to demand payment for work I didn't do. Moreover, if it hadn't been for Saitama, Konoha would have lost promising genin and the best taijutsu master...
Saitama took some time to absorb what he had heard. Namely, the first sentence about the girl wanting to give her share to him. He ignored the kunoichi's subsequent outpouring of words.
The bald guy's gaze lit up, after which he looked at the kunoichi with gratitude. Anko had never seen such puppy-like delight in the guy's eyes before.
— Even so? — Hiruzen inquired. — Well, alright, in that case, Guy's team receives half the amount, and the other half will be paid to Saitama, — he nodded.
Saitama barely suppressed a smile. Guy, in principle, was likeable to him (after all, he had promised to treat the bald guy to Ichiraku for a month), and the thick-browed guy also needed the money. Especially considering the jonin's need for new teeth, which Saitama himself had knocked out.
So everything was fine.
— Well, that's splendid, — the Hokage put his pipe back in his mouth. — Anko, I expect a detailed written report from you on this assignment! — he stated sternly.
The girl gave a bow:
— Is that all?
— Not quite, — Sarutobi shook his head. — There's something else that worries me. Sooner or later, Saitama will have to come out from under your care, and he must become an independent shinobi, — the girl raised an eyebrow questioningly, not understanding what Hiruzen was getting at.
The Hokage didn't beat around the bush:
— Anko, how is Saitama's training progressing? What are his achievements?
— Uh... — Anko hesitated. During the mission, they hadn't engaged in any training at all, but a truthful answer was unlikely to satisfy Sarutobi.
Saitama was about to say something, but suddenly there was a confident knock at the door. After which, without waiting for permission, a man in a headband with scars on his face entered the room.
— Glancing at Saitama, the shinobi looked heavily at Anko.
— Ibiki-san, — Mitarashi nodded.
— Welcome back, Anko, — the head of the interrogation department said coldly, then turned to Hiruzen, — Hokage-sama, we have learned important information from a rogue ninja... hmm... — he hesitated.
Sarutobi stared expectantly at Morino. The latter cast a gloomy glance at Saitama, implying that the information was not intended for outsiders.
— Ibiki, don't pull the bijuu by the tail. Saitama is one of us.
Morino snorted skeptically but began to report:
— Unfortunately, the prisoner doesn't know as much as we would like. However, there is something. He is from a group of mercenaries called Akatsuki. The organization consists of various S-rank rogue ninjas. They work in pairs. Their goals are presumably to seize power and gather resources. The latter goal was achieved by killing Gato and seizing his funds. Regarding power – these are just our assumptions, but...
— Wait a minute, — Anko dared to interrupt her former superior and began to think aloud. — And these mercenaries, by any chance, don't they wear black cloaks with red clouds? And is one of their members Uchiha Itachi?
Ibiki raised an eyebrow in surprise:
— That's right. Both about the clothes and about Uchiha Itachi. But, Anko... Where did you get this information?
— Oh, Itachi! — Saitama exclaimed, hearing a familiar name. — Good guy. He treated me to some grub on the mission. And he also invited me to join those, what were they called... Akatsuki, yeah.
Anko's eyes widened, and Sarutobi, after realizing what he had heard, choked on his smoke and coughed.
— You're probably mistaken, or we're talking about a different Itachi, — Ibiki suggested, looking at Saitama as if he were an idiot.
— Saitama, — Mitarashi began insinuatingly. — You didn't say you interacted with this rogue ninja. And you certainly didn't say he treated you to food and tried to recruit you into a criminal organization! — by the end of her speech, the girl's voice turned into a hiss.
— Well, you didn't ask, — Saitama shrugged, picking at his ear.
— Wait, — Hiruzen raised his hands, indicating surrender. — I don't understand what you have to do with this. And, Anko, explain finally, how do you know about Akatsuki and why didn't you tell us about them earlier?
Anko slowly exhaled. She had a long conversation with Saitama ahead of her. But now she should tell the Hokage everything that happened on the mission in the Land of Waves, and then correlate the data with the information Ibiki had.
"Bijuu, this is going to be a long report," she thought, "and apparently, I won't be taking a bath anytime soon..."
***
Kakashi walked deeper into the ward, placing a bag of fruit down. Upon returning from the mission, he had been guarding Naruto day and night near Konoha Hospital to prevent him from running away and doing something stupid. But, to the surprise of the medical staff and Hatake himself, Uzumaki hadn't even tried to escape. He just lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. On the third day, the boy got tired of this pastime and wanted to train in the ward, but as soon as the nurse on duty saw this, she immediately gave the blond a dressing-down, calling the attending medical-nin. The latter strictly forbade the boy from showing any activity in the coming days. Kakashi's clone watched all this, perched on a tree.
Today, the jonin had personally come to visit his ward for the first time since the incident in the Land of Rivers. Uzumaki had been lying on the hospital bed for the fourth day, staring at the ceiling.
— I'm sorry this happened, Naruto, — Kakashi scratched the back of his head.
— It's not your fault, dattebayo. It's all me, — Naruto forced a smile, turning his head towards Hatake.
— No, you're wrong. It's not your fault. It's... it's all the Kyuubi, he... — Kakashi wasn't a psychologist, nor had he prepared for a conversation with the blond. Therefore, he didn't know how to behave with him.
— No, sensei, — Naruto's gaze turned cold, — it's my fault. If I had listened to you back then and hadn't sent clones for reconnaissance... then I wouldn't have seen all that the rogue ninjas did, — the blond grimaced at the memory of those events. — And I wouldn't have lost it... Um... — Uzumaki hesitated. — Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.
The jonin raised an eyebrow in surprise.
— Thank you for stopping me back then, — Naruto explained.
— Mma-mma, — Kakashi made his signature eye-smile. — Come on, Naruto. Anyone in my place would have done the same.
— That's unlikely, dattebayo, — the boy snorted, turning away to the window.
An awkward pause hung in the air. Neither the child nor the man knew what else to talk about.
The prolonged silence was suddenly broken by Naruto:
— They hate me...
The Copy Ninja frowned.
— Sasuke and Sakura... They hate me, — the blond repeated.
— No, Naruto. Not at all, — Kakashi sat down on a chair by the window. — They are eagerly awaiting your recovery...
— Sakura is working part-time at the hospital, — Uzumaki chuckled bitterly. — But during this time, she hasn't come to see me even once.
Kakashi sighed, ruffling his hair. Another awkward silence fell.
— Perhaps they are afraid of you...
— Even better, — Uzumaki scoffed.
— Give them time, Naruto. After all, it's not every day you find out that your teammate is a jinchuriki...
— Ahem, ahem, — came a sound from the door. An annoyed... Sakura stood in the doorway. — Kakashi-sensei, what are you saying? No one is afraid of anyone. — The girl walked into the ward. — And I haven't come because there's a lot to learn in the medical-ninjutsu courses, and they wouldn't let us see you anyway. They said you needed rest...
She suddenly stopped, looking at the smiling blond. Tears welled up in the boy's eyes.
— Naruto-baka, are you crying?
— Me? — Uzumaki feigned surprise. — Sakura-chan, the future Hokage doesn't cry. And anyway, it's not good to eavesdrop on others...
— Hey, I wasn't eavesdropping, — Sakura protested.
Kakashi's lips stretched into a smile beneath his mask. The genin began to bicker jokingly, and the jonin decided to leave quietly, slipping through the open window.
Shunshin – and he stood in the park near the hospital, squinting from the bright sun.
"All's well that ends well," the jonin thought.
Just five days ago, however, something irreparable almost happened. And he had to test his new abilities in battle.
Hatake frowned, trudged to the training grounds, and sank into memories...
***
Five days earlier
Kakashi rushed after Naruto.
— Stay where you are! — the shinobi threw over his shoulder. However, this command was unnecessary, as the children were paralyzed by fear and were unlikely to go anywhere in the near future.
Thanks to the Kyuubi's chakra, Uzumaki's speed increased, and at first, Hatake was only swallowing dust, with the distance between them noticeably widening. But then the jonin thought to reduce the load from his weights, absorbing the chakra from his greaves and bracers back into his body.
"That's better," Kakashi chuckled, feeling the lightness, and began to slowly catch up with Naruto.
Less than half a minute passed before Hatake decided to act.
When about twenty meters remained to the target, he moved ahead with shunshin. A couple of moments later, Uzumaki flew backward from a powerful kick to the chest. But before Kakashi could catch his breath and think about the best way to restrain the Fox, Naruto abruptly jumped up and rushed straight at the jonin – apparently, the jinchuriki had forgotten about the mercenaries and decided to change his target after all.
There was no hint of reason in the boy's eyes. The black stripes on his cheeks became more pronounced. His fangs elongated even further. It seemed that the boy was possessed by animal instincts, and it was impossible to reach him with words. However, Kakashi did not lose hope:
— Naruto, you are stronger than him. You can...
The man didn't manage to finish, as he was forced to dodge a swipe from a clawed paw that almost tore his vest. The following blows shattered a wooden log – from the Substitution Technique – into splinters.
"Damn, this is problematic."
Killing the jinchuriki with Kakashi's updated abilities was not difficult, but restraining him was a completely different matter.
Naruto turned out to be very strong. Judging by the speed and power of his blows, he was currently at the level of an average jonin. And this was with only two tails! But the main problem was that Kakashi didn't know the limits of the genin's durability and didn't want to cripple him, but on the other hand, he couldn't delay either, as after the release of the fourth tail, Naruto might not survive due to his unprepared child's body for such loads.
— Gr-ra-a! — an explosive wave of power radiated from Uzumaki, and behind him, near the second chakra appendage, a third began to appear.
"I never thought I wouldn't have to hold back against a genin," Hatake chuckled bitterly under his mask.
While Naruto stood and succumbed to the Nine-Tails' anger, Kakashi skillfully shed his weights. Although in the deactivated mode they weighed only twenty kilograms each, even so, Kakashi felt as if his body had become as light as a feather. Before Naruto fully grew his third tail, he needed to disable the jinchuriki without seriously injuring him. Not an easy task. But considering the blond's regenerative abilities, in principle, the main thing was not to hit any vital organs.
Kakashi darted towards the jinchuriki, and this time Naruto didn't manage to react. A hail of blows rained down on the boy. An ordinary shinobi at the jonin level would already be on their way to intensive care, but Uzumaki only became even more enraged.
"Tough."
There's no choice, I'll have to use one of the new techniques.
— Chidori Senbon, — Kakashi attacked from behind. Needles of Raiton chakra pierced Uzumaki's legs. However, most of the damage was absorbed by the crimson shroud, and after a few moments, the Raiton chakra dissipated. Naruto, turning around, growled fiercely and jumped at the jonin as if he hadn't noticed the injuries. The jinchuriki's clawed paw whistled past his waist. Hatake managed to dodge, but his pouch was cut off.
Kakashi used a Shadow Clone. The clone, stepping aside, used a technique:
— Doton: Mud Wave.
The soil surged and heaved, after which the genin was engulfed by a wave of earth, obscuring the original Kakashi's view. The boy deftly jumped away from the technique, but only to fall under the next one.
— Raiton: Raigeki. — A stream of lightning shot from Kakashi's hand, heading towards Uzumaki. The jutsu pierced the bijuu cloak and hit him directly in the stomach. The boy roared in fury and pain.
— Raiton: Amigumo. — Hatake, forming seals, placed his hand on the ground – a web of lightning caught the jinchuriki, preventing him from even moving.
The blond's jumpsuit was torn, a shallow but extensive wound was visible on his stomach, and numerous small burns covered his body. Nevertheless, the main thing was not the damage but the paralysis from the lightning techniques. While Uzumaki, trembling from the electric shocks, fell to his knees, Hatake's gaze caught on the pouch from which a book from the "Icha Icha Paradise" series had fallen. And from the book, in turn, the corner of a fuin scroll that the jonin had previously tried to find was sticking out.
"How did it get there?" Kakashi thought. But the shinobi, dismissing unnecessary thoughts, rushed towards the fuin scroll to quickly seal the rampaging bijuu. After all, the web of Raiton chakra was already almost gone...
— Phew, that was close, — Hatake muttered, exhaling wearily. After he placed a small rectangular piece of paper on the child's forehead, the boy simply passed out, and the crimson chakra cloak completely disappeared. Just in case, Kakashi checked Naruto's eyes, but everything was normal. His fangs and claws had also receded.
However, it was frightening to imagine what would have happened if Naruto had used all his abilities, with various tactics, clones, elemental jutsu, and so on. Although, if Naruto had been himself, he would never have run to kill anyone. It was all the Nine-Tails' fault.
Kakashi formed seals and, biting his finger, placed his hand on the ground:
— Summoning Technique.
Several dogs appeared in puffs of smoke. The jonin addressed the pug, proudly perched on a huge bulldog.
— Pakkun, take Naruto to the other genin and guard the kids until I return.
Pakkun merely nodded, and the group of dogs with their blond burden followed the other members of Team Seven.
Kakashi, however, remained in place and thought deeply.
If Naruto was so angry, then his clones must have witnessed something extremely extraordinary. Scratching the back of his head, Hatake was forced to admit that it wasn't easy to anger the cheerful boy.
Kakashi faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he should return to Konoha and finally submit the mission report, and then quickly return to training. But on the other hand – Uzumaki. If the peace-loving blond wanted to kill the mercenaries, then something terrible must have happened there. And Kakashi was simply obliged to check what exactly. Perhaps someone would need help.
"Yeah, as much as I don't want to do this, I have to check..." he thought.
Remembering that the rogue ninjas and the "Heavenly Four" had agreed to meet near Mount Tokuzo at the tavern, Kakashi followed his target...
Hatake arrived at the location as quickly as he could. Approximately eight kilometers were covered in less than five minutes.
Hiding and camouflaging himself, he carefully surveyed the situation. What he saw was impressive: scorched and pitted earth from techniques, black stumps instead of trees, and fallen timber in places. Apparently, a fierce battle had taken place here.
In the open area, Kakashi noticed two figures standing and arguing fiercely about something. The ashen-haired one inserted a curse word into almost every sentence, and the masked shinobi seemed ready to pounce on his partner. But that wasn't the main thing.
The four shinobi from Takumi were dead. And not just dead. Their bodies were mutilated. A boy and a girl with torn chests. A blue-haired boy with a ragged wound on his stomach and a stab wound in his heart. And the large man was unrecognizable because he was completely covered in blood, and also missing his right arm and head. The latter, by the way, was with the ashen-haired one. He was actively waving it around.
Suddenly, the masked mercenary turned around and croaked:
— Who's there? Come out.
Kakashi frowned. He had perfectly concealed his presence. Thanks to his recent training, he had honed his camouflage to such an extent that now neither Tenzo nor familiar ANBU instructors could detect him.
"Apparently, he sensed the directed attention. Well, no matter..."
The jonin emerged from the eastern forest with a calm step. Initially, he only wanted to scout things out and then return, as he had no personal feud with these shinobi. But since he had been discovered, there was no point in retreating further. And Minato-sensei wouldn't have approved of it either. After all, indirectly, the mercenaries had caused serious damage to Naruto's psyche, and the Fourth's son was going to personally kill these rogue ninjas because of what they had done to the ninja from the Artisan Village. There was nothing surprising in Uzumaki's reaction. For an unprepared child's psyche, such scenes were indeed too cruel.
Kakashi felt sorry for the boy. He didn't want Uzumaki to be immersed in all this so early. Moreover, he didn't want his hands to be stained with blood so soon. However, he himself had started killing while still a chunin, much younger than Naruto. But back then it was necessary, circumstances and wartime demanded it. Now things were somewhat different.
Kakashi slowly approached the mercenaries. After the fight with Naruto and summoning the ninken, he had more than half of his reserve left. He circulated chakra throughout his body, preparing for battle. He also revealed his Sharingan to the world. Although Hatake hadn't initially intended to use it, there were two opponents. And judging by what they had done here and the battle that had taken place, both shinobi were S-rank. And recently, Kakashi had learned not to underestimate his opponents. In passing, he noted that the ashen-haired one had many scars and what looked like new pinkish skin. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the boy's body was regenerating, and at an incredible speed comparable to bijuu regeneration. Later, he also noticed the stitches on his neck.
"Regeneration genome? Although no, he is a Jashin priest, so this is just a gift from the Dark God. But in any case, I shouldn't relax."
The masked mercenary's eyes widened in recognition.
— Hidan, be careful, — he said. — That's the Copy Ninja Hatake Kakashi.
The young shinobi stopped waving the large man's head and threw it aside, looking over the Konoha jonin.
— So what, bitch? Like he's some tough guy, huh?
— Oh, believe me. They wouldn't put a seventy million ryo bounty on a weakling in the Bingo Book.
— Kakuzu, you're fucking obsessed with your money. We can't carry that many heads, damn it.
— Shut up.
"Headhunters," flashed through Kakashi's mind.
So, before him were killers, and one of them was a bloodthirsty Jashinist maniac. Judging by what he had heard about Jashin priests, some of them possessed immortality, which was maintained by sacrifices to the dark god. The second one had unknown abilities but was also incredibly strong, judging by the amount of chakra. Therefore, he had no choice but to use a new technique.
"Well, my conscience will be clear."
Kakashi removed the camouflage from his aura, releasing the killing intent. Kakuzu visibly tensed. However, Hidan merely grinned:
— This is one hell of a payday, Kakuzu. Can I offer this bastard as a sacrifice to Jash...
The mercenary didn't manage to finish his question. And Kakuzu didn't manage to understand what had happened. He stared in bewilderment at the katana protruding from his chest; discharges of lightning chakra ran along the blade.
— Raiton: Thunder Assassin, — Kakashi uttered the name of the technique, after which the mercenary lost his head. Literally.
Hidan stared in disbelief at his partner's head, which rolled across the ground. Kakuzu's eyes were wide open, and his mask had fallen off his face, revealing his stitched mouth.
— ...in? Fuck... — a flash of lightning flared before the Jashin priest's eyes, and in the next moment, his body was chopped into pieces.
Blue sparks ran across Hatake's body, his usually disheveled hair became electrified, standing on end. His skin slightly reddened.
The katana slowly slid back into its scabbard, and Kakashi exhaled and dispelled the jutsu.
His muscles ached as if from a Strength of Youth-style training session. Thunder Assassin – a mixture of the Hachimon and the Raikage's famous Lightning Armor. Unfortunately, Kakashi's physical condition was far from being able to sustain this technique for long, as it was too complex to use and caused too much damage to the user's body. His safe limit right now was ten seconds; holding the Thunder Assassin mode longer would lead to traumatization of tissues and tendons. He had just spent about four seconds, and still, the surroundings swam slightly before his eyes. However, despite this, he still had enough chakra, more than a third of his reserve. The mark on the tree to the east could pull him out in case he needed to use Kawarimi so he could re-engage in the fight... But the shinobi were dead. He had killed them, avenging the rogue ninjas on Naruto's behalf.
— You son of a bitch, you killed Kakuzu... — Hidan's voice was heard, — and you cut off my head. Fuck! That's the second time today I've lost my head. You're fucking dead, white-haired...
Well... almost killed. It was extremely problematic to kill Jashinists in general. This one, judging by everything, was also a High Priest, since he was still alive. Oh yeah, the mercenary had mentioned this in the tavern when he was trying to recruit the kunoichi from that Four-Man Squad into his sect.
Kakashi approached the cursing head, then picked it up by the hair, causing it to curse even more intensely and elaborately. Hatake had no desire to listen to the maniac's outpouring, so he activated the Sharingan's genjutsu, plunging the shinobi into sleep. After which, just in case, he shoved a gag into the head's mouth.
"They had the same cloaks. Most likely, the shinobi belong to the same organization."
He put Hidan's head into the bag that was previously intended for the heads of the Heavenly Four.
"The Yamanaka in the interrogation department should find out what the rogue ninja is hiding..."
The jonin didn't take Kakuzu's head; after all, he wasn't a headhunter, and he had enough money anyway. And he was too lazy to deal with it. And if his superiors asked... he would say he simply forgot.
After that, Hatake lowered his forehead protector over his left eye and shunshined into the forest. Now he needed to get to Naruto and the other genin faster. After all, the blond should be taken to Konoha Hospital immediately...
***
When the Copy Ninja disappeared into the forest, the mercenary's torso twitched slightly, then again. And after that, black tendrils crawled out of the man's neck and attached themselves to the rogue ninja's head lying nearby. A few moments later, Kakuzu's head was back on his shoulders, and he opened his eyes.
The Akatsuki treasurer lay like that for a while and actively pondered. He pondered their failure. Another one. But if the previous failure hadn't been critical, now things threatened to turn into catastrophic consequences.
Hidan had been taken. The mind protection provided by the ring would be broken by Konoha's brainwashers, sooner or later. Although no, the ring, along with his partner's body, remained here, so it was more likely sooner rather than later.
He really wanted to curse like the High Priest of Jashin, but it was pointless.
They had lost once again. This time to Hatake Kakashi, who turned out to be incredibly fast, just like the Yellow Flash of the Leaf. When the Akatsuki treasurer lost his head, he completely concealed his chakra and temporarily stopped his remaining two hearts so that the Copy Ninja wouldn't suspect anything.
Kakuzu mentally prayed to all the gods that Hidan would shut up and play dead after losing his head, but the gods didn't hear his prayers; no wonder the mercenary didn't believe in them.
Thanks to his stupidity, Hidan was now in Hatake's hands.
"What kind of monsters are there in Konoha? First Saitama. Now Kakashi. We don't stand a chance against them!"
The most depressing thing was that he didn't know what to do next. He could contact Kisame and Itachi through his ring. They should be somewhere in the Land of Rivers and would arrive here in a matter of hours. But... he would contact them, and then what? The three of them chase after Sharingan Kakashi? Very funny. Kisame was significantly weaker without Samehada. Kakuzu, with the hearts he got from the artisan shinobi – which turned out not to be so powerful after all – hadn't fully mastered them yet either. His only hope was Itachi.
But what was the probability that the Uchiha wouldn't lose? Last time, all of them in general and the eye-user in particular were lucky that the bald guy was kind (or rather, stupid) and didn't kill anyone. However, judging by the information previously contained in the Bingo Book, Kakashi was not merciful. Not at all. He had just demonstrated this by inflicting fatal damage on the "zombie combo."
Kakuzu grunted, got to his feet, and examined his partner's motionless body.
He would have to explain himself to the Leader. And the sooner he did it, the better...