"A mission to the Land of Snow? An escort mission? There must be a lot of strong opponents, right?" In the training grounds, Sasuke, having just received the assignment, had eyes brimming with excitement and battle lust.
Finally! I'm getting high-difficulty missions too! This is how it should be! This is the only way to gain combat experience. I'll catch up to Naruto in no time, hahaha! Naruto definitely wouldn't expect me to get a chance to fight ninja who use Ice Release. If he knew, he'd be dead envious of me!!
Sasuke threw his head back and laughed maniacally, his heart soaring with exhilaration. After being overshadowed by Naruto for so long, he was finally getting his chance to shine.
"But Sakura isn't here, and wasn't that guy Sai temporarily recalled to Root for an urgent matter?" Sasuke then remembered something and looked at Kakashi with a puzzled expression.
"Ah, well, that's true. Considering that, I've arranged for Guy's team to join us on this mission," Kakashi replied in his usual lazy tone.
"Huh? With Neji and the others? No way! I can handle it myself. I don't need any deadweight," Sasuke snorted.
Hyuga Neji had been utterly defeated by Naruto during the Chunin Exams. If he, Sasuke, teamed up with Neji, wouldn't that indirectly prove he was inferior to Naruto, needing to cooperate with Naruto's defeated opponent?
"I, Uchiha Sasuke, am second to none in my life! Kakashi, sending me alone is more than enough!"
"Hey, Mask-face, your student is way too weird. Can we just not bring him?" Kazahana Koyuki, standing beside Kakashi, said with a deadpan expression.
"Who are you calling weird, woman?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, displeasure evident.
"I'm the person you're supposed to be protecting on this mission," Koyuki retorted, looking him over with disdain. "You're pretty handsome, but it seems your brain isn't quite all there."
"Tch, women," Sasuke said, his eyes like a dead fish's, before turning to Kakashi. "Hey, Kakashi, why do you always take these escort missions? Do you have some kind of strange fetish?"
"Erm…" Kakashi also sported a dead-fish-eyed look, appearing utterly helpless.
"Hey, you half-decent-looking kid, how old are you? Still a Genin, right?"
Throughout their journey, Kazahana Koyuki relentlessly peppered Sasuke with sarcastic remarks. Sasuke's young face was practically contorted with anger.
"Hey, woman, cut the crap! I'll protect you properly this time, so don't you underestimate me, hmph!" He crossed his arms and said coldly.
Soon, they rendezvoused with Guy's team. After exchanging pleasantries, they set off on their journey to the Land of Snow.
Along the way, their conversation occasionally drifted to Rock Lee and Naruto. They all felt a sense of pity for their comrades who had joined Root but also expressed understanding.
"Being able to join Root isn't too bad. After all, Root is a department on par with ANBU," Kakashi commented.
"Root? I don't think I've ever heard of it before."
Seeing the students' puzzled faces, Guy and Kakashi explained, "It's a very secretive department."
Kazahana Koyuki, listening nearby, interjected, "Hey, those two companions of yours who joined Root must be pretty amazing, right? The rest of you are all just ninjas who failed to get promoted, aren't you?"
Her words struck Sasuke's heart like a dagger.
He retorted furiously, "What do you mean, failed to get promoted?! Root isn't all that great!! And I'm not any weaker than Naruto! I'm strong!"
But his defense sounded incredibly feeble, making him look more like a small, impotently raging lion cub.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Naruto appeared, concealing his presence as he trailed behind Sasuke's group.
Considering that Aburame Neri's ninjutsu was too distinctive and easily traceable back to Konoha, coupled with Rock Lee's poor performance on the previous mission, Naruto was undertaking this assignment alone.
Perhaps Danzo's trust in Naruto had increased, or maybe Root was simply short-handed, as no Jonin were dispatched to monitor or follow him.
Truth be told, Root offered a considerable degree of freedom.
Just as Naruto left the village again, the Third Hokage found Danzo, questioning him with clear dissatisfaction, "Why is Naruto constantly being sent out of the village on missions?"
To the village, Naruto was an extremely important strategic asset. If any misfortune befell him outside, it would be a significant loss for Konoha.
To this, Danzo merely scoffed, his tone laced with ridicule. "A Jinchuriki raised in a greenhouse will never be able to stand on their own. Naruto is my disciple now. My concern for him isn't as hypocritical as yours. He is the man I've acknowledged as capable of inheriting the leadership of Root. Both his own strength and his Kekkei Genkai are more than enough for him to complete missions perfectly, and even if he fails, he can retreat unscathed. He's a ninja who uses his brain to execute missions, unlike you, Hiruzen, who had an arm severed by your own student."
Faced with Danzo's mockery, the Third Hokage fumed, puffing furiously on his pipe, yet he was powerless to refute. In terms of combat intelligence, Naruto absolutely crushed his peers. Combined with the outrageous ability of Kyoka Suigetsu, it would be exceedingly difficult for even a Jonin to kill Naruto.
"Then you'd better pay close attention to Naruto's development. I don't want Root to hinder his growth," the Third said, looking deeply at the spirited Danzo.
"Rest assured," Danzo stated confidently. "I already have a comprehensive plan in place. Naruto will grow according to my design. In the future, he will become Konoha's sharpest blade!"
"Hmph!!" Internally seething, the Third Hokage flicked his sleeves and stormed out.
Bang.
Hearing the satisfying sound of the door slamming shut, Danzo was filled with a wave of emotion. Finally, the one leaving in anger wasn't him.
His gaze turned towards the Hokage Tower, burning with intensity.
When will it be my turn to sit in that seat?!
In a quiet town, a man with delicate, androgynous features, wearing a kimono, sat before a stall. He smiled at the passersby, his clear voice calling out:
"Handmade accessories! Don't miss out as you pass by!"
A young boy and a little girl sat beside the man, also calling out in clear voices.
Passing pedestrians would occasionally stop, examining the trinkets, their eyes showing considerable admiration. Such exquisite small items were indeed charming. But in this war-torn era, survival itself was difficult; who would have money to buy trinkets?
So, by the time morning had passed, only a handful of items—countable on one hand—had been sold from the stall.
Haku-nee-san, did we do something wrong? Why isn't anyone buying them?" the little girl asked, looking at him with a worried expression.
The man offered a gentle smile, as warm as the sun. "Perhaps they just don't have enough time to linger."
"Tch, it's obviously because they're too poor," the little boy pouted, sounding somewhat disgruntled.
Haku smiled and ruffled the boy's soft hair, the smile as gentle as Naruto's.
The boy's face flushed, and he turned his head away awkwardly.
Suddenly, Haku's expression changed, his gaze turning serious as he looked into the distance. A moment later, a joyful look appeared on his face. "Naruto-sama is calling for me."
Naruto-sama?
The two children looked puzzled.
"Haku-nii-san... is it the Naruto-sama you always talk about, the one who saved you?"
"Yes, it is. I need to go for a bit. You two stay home and don't run around for the next few days, okay?" Haku nodded with a smile, then instructed them.
"Kiri, you need to take care of your older brother. Haru can be very careless, so you have to watch him."
"And Haru, don't just run off anywhere. You need to protect your little sister."
Seeing the reluctance in the children's eyes, Haku also felt a pang of unwillingness to leave.
"I should be back in a few days," he said. He helped the two children pack up the stall and saw them home.
The next moment, he vanished from the spot, reappearing a hundred meters away.