"You guys probably can't imagine how the treasure was stolen from right under them, huh? It's because that thief purposely befriended Naruto's team first, sweet-talking them until they believed he was an ally. Those three are too naive – they can't even tell truth from lies. So when the bandits attacked, they never guarded against him, and that's how he succeeded."
"But that wasn't even the main problem! The key issue was their teamwork!"
"Hinata just blindly trusts Naruto's judgment no matter what. Kiba and Naruto both want to outdo each other in missions, each wanting to be the first to defeat the enemy. The result was complete chaos. Watching them gave me a headache. Why did they have to assign me to watch this team!"
Natsuki and Shino: …
Only Tenten felt the same way.
"You're right. Why did they assign me to watch this team!"
Then Tenten shared her own experience, and Neji nearly teared up.
So… there were others suffering just like him.
Shino calmly said:
"I was assigned to Aoba-sensei's team. Nothing happened. It was basically like a sightseeing trip."
Tenten and Neji immediately responded firmly:
"Of course! Lee is always reliable, and Rinya and Megumi were trained by Natsuki. What problems could there be?"
Shino was silent. Naturally, he understood this too and offered his sympathy for their experiences.
But what could he do? He was lucky to be assigned to Aoba-sensei's team.
Natsuki asked:
"What did Tsunade-sama say?"
Shino replied:
"When I reported the mission, Tsunade-sama was furious. She even called Naruto, Sakura, and the others to her office for a scolding. She said if they couldn't work together, they shouldn't even think about participating in the next Chunin Exams. They were so terrified they kept apologizing, but Tsunade-sama was determined to teach them a lesson."
Wow… that's rough.
Natsuki wanted to laugh but held it back. After all, the Konoha 15 were his friends. Laughing at them would be unkind.
Still, he knew this wasn't over. Sooner or later, there would be similar missions. Tsunade-sama needed to ensure these genin squads were strong enough for the Chunin Exams.
"By the way, what about Shikamaru and Sasuke?" Neji asked. It was rare for him to mention them, but they were all promoted together, and he had fought alongside Sasuke before. As for Shikamaru, he had always been involved in important village matters. Naturally, he was curious.
Natsuki replied:
"I heard they're on a mission with Kakashi-senpai."
As for what mission, Natsuki didn't bother asking. That team sounded strong enough. Kakashi and Shikamaru were both strategists, Kakashi and Sasuke had strong combat power, and Shikamaru was a top-tier support. The three of them could easily handle anything. Even if something unexpected happened, escaping wouldn't be difficult for them.
After finishing their meal, Tenten and Neji felt much better after venting.
Tenten said she wanted to see Natsuki's Water Giant technique. Neji and Shino were curious too, so the four of them went to the river.
Natsuki looked at the river's surface, clapped his hands, and shouted:
"Mizu Ningen (Water Giant)!"
In the next second, a ten-meter-tall giant rose from the river. After all, they were in the village, so making it too big would scare people. Ten meters was enough. Even at this height, its presence was overwhelming, sending chills down their spines.
"As expected of Natsuki. This move is incredible," Shino praised straightforwardly.
"Indeed. Just looking at this Water Giant is terrifying. Its destructive power must be immense. It won't be easy for enemies to deal with it," Neji evaluated.
The next moment, the Water Giant slammed its fist into the ground, creating a massive crater, proving Neji's words true.
Neji and Shino both sucked in a breath of cold air. They had underestimated the Water Giant's strength. That punch was fast and powerful. If it hit someone directly, they'd have no chance of survival. Worse, the punch was so quick that dodging it wouldn't be easy.
At this moment, Natsuki and Tenten were standing on top of the giant's head. Natsuki called down:
"Neji, Shino, try attacking it. I want to test the Water Giant's durability."
The two naturally didn't refuse.
Neji unleashed Hakkeshou Kuushou (Eight Trigrams Air Palm). The violent blast slammed into the Water Giant's leg but only chipped away a small part.
Shino released his kikaichuu swarm to cover the Water Giant's entire leg, but its chakra supply was endless, and the insects couldn't drain it completely. Naturally, they couldn't destroy it.
After the demonstration, Tenten was still visibly excited.
Neji and Shino didn't know what to say, but their eyes turned serious.
Natsuki's power was leaving them behind too far. If things continued like this, he might never feel comfortable entrusting his back to them again. That couldn't happen.
Maybe… it was time for them to become stronger too.
A few days later, Natsuki received a summons and quickly went to the Hokage office.
"You're here, Natsuki."
Tsunade-sama handed him a scroll.
"No nonsense. This S-rank mission requires you to go immediately."
Natsuki opened the scroll and showed a surprised expression. Members of Akatsuki had appeared again. The intelligence reported two men in black cloaks with red clouds frequently visiting bounty stations. The Konoha ANBU suspected Akatsuki was up to something and reported it to Tsunade-sama.
"Bounty stations? Could it be Kakuzu and Hidan? Wait… have they already teamed up at this point?"
Natsuki thought silently but kept his expression calm.
"Understood. I'll go."
Tsunade-sama warned:
"Be careful. Don't alert them yet. We don't know their goals."
Natsuki nodded. He used Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique) to flash home, told Tenten his plans, gathered his gear, and left without any hesitation.
He had been waiting a long time for an S-rank mission. If he could complete three S-rank missions, he could access the Senju clan's secret library.
As for this mission, Natsuki wasn't worried.
He just needed to confirm that it was Kakuzu and record all of his intel from the original timeline. As for Kakuzu's partner, if it wasn't Hidan, he didn't care. That person would eventually be killed by Kakuzu anyway. If it was Hidan, then he would record detailed intel about his immortality so Asuma wouldn't die, preventing Kurenai from becoming a widow.
The Third Hokage may have been an old fool, but Asuma himself was a decent man. Helping him a bit was worth it.
Natsuki moved fast. Riding on his giant eagle summon, he reached the bounty station in the Land of Fire in less than a day – the infamous "toilet place."
He didn't go in, instead staying far away, using Telescope Technique to observe.
After two days of waiting, two figures in black cloaks with red clouds appeared.
One wore a scratched forehead protector from Takigakure, his head wrapped and face covered, carrying a corpse – it was Kakuzu, Akatsuki's money-maker. The other had slicked-back hair and carried a triple-bladed scythe – Hidan, the zealot of Jashin.
(End of Chapter)
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