I mismanaged my time (╥﹏╥)
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Chapter 017: Sasuke, Please Stop Showing Off - It's Dangerous For You! (Please Support!)
Land of Waves Mission.
The mission was issued by the bridge-building master Tazuna from the Land of Waves. His request was for Konoha ninjas to escort him back to the Land of Waves as bodyguards.
The mission was rated as C-rank.
C-rank missions were limited to providing ninja escorts without engaging in combat, only dealing with wild animals along the way.
"Although called a 'country', the Land of Waves is essentially just a small fishing village."
"That village has no ninjas."
"But it has abundant marine products."
"Theoretically..."
"They should have sufficient funds to hire bodyguards."
On the way to the Land of Waves, Sasuke analyzed the situation.
As the top student in his class and a member of the Uchiha clan, he had always been popular and talented.
So...
After Kakashi revealed that the seemingly average-performing Kitahara was actually the real top student, Sasuke felt a surge of competitiveness.
Now, with Kakashi accepting the mission to escort Tazuna to the Land of Waves, he asked everyone for their analysis of the mission.
"Oh." Naruto knew nothing about this... or rather...
"Sasuke, how do you know so much about the Land of Waves?"
Naruto seemed curious.
"..." Sasuke. "Didn't you pay attention in class?"
"Our curriculum includes information about other ninja villages."
"But for the Land of Waves, it falls under extracurricular reading." Sasuke said.
"Oh..."
Extracurricular reading...
That had nothing to do with Naruto.
After all, most of his time was spent on futile efforts. He wanted to learn ninjutsu, but failed repeatedly, then kept trying.
So he had no extra time for reading.
"Hmm..." Kakashi nodded. "Sasuke's knowledge is quite good."
"Then..."
Kakashi adjusted his forehead protector covering his left eye.
"Kitahara-kun, it's your turn to analyze." Kakashi said.
"..." Kitahara Kaede.
"Alright."
Kitahara Kaede said, "According to extracurricular books, the Land of Waves indeed has no ninjas, or at least didn't in the past."
"But."
"The update frequency of books doesn't match real-life situations."
"For example."
"In the past, merchants from the Land of Waves didn't hire escorts when coming to Konoha."
"And..."
"As a bridge-building master, Tazuna could certainly afford attendants."
"Finally..."
"The fact that the bridge-building master of the Land of Waves is being hunted won't appear in any books."
"I suppose Kakashi-sensei must have already noticed Tazuna-san was lying and deliberately chose this mission."
Kitahara Kaede said. "After all, Kakashi-sensei is a mission-grinding machine. He should know bits of information about everything."
*Ahem...* Kakashi felt this "mission-grinding machine" wasn't exactly a compliment.
But he did know a lot of information. Before being assigned as a jonin instructor, his job was in ANBU.
And not just ordinary ANBU - he was an ANBU captain.
All sorts of minor intelligence reports would go through him before being submitted.
He had indeed received some information about the Land of Waves.
For example, merchants from the Land of Waves had maintained stable trade relations with Konoha.
But in the past six months, this had completely stopped.
This was clearly abnormal intelligence.
So when Tazuna appeared looking impoverished, it was obvious he was in trouble.
Kakashi wanted to give new genin like Naruto and Sasuke some field experience - the more trouble they encountered, the more experience they'd gain.
But...
All this...
Had probably been seen through by Kitahara Kaede.
[Kakashi]: @Minato-sensei, I'm feeling pressured.
[Kakashi]: I'm not so much teaching Kitahara as...
[Kakashi]: It feels more like he's instructing me.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Well... isn't it good for Konoha to have someone capable of shouldering great responsibilities?
[Tobirama]: Uh... brother, your phrasing...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Tobirama, you're feeling down, aren't you?
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: I know - Kakashi didn't explain everything, but you've already guessed.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: After Sarutobi became the Third Hokage, the village hasn't developed well.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: So you're blaming yourself.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: But dwelling on the past is useless.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Like with Minato's son Naruto - if we were alive, we'd never accept how Sarutobi handled it.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: But...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: The reality is we're already dead.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: So...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: We're just relics now, powerless to do anything. The only thing we can do is place our hopes on the younger generation.
[Tobirama]: Aniki, you mean...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: My past was a failure, leaving problems for you all.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: But...
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: I want to trust the younger generation one last time.
[Tobirama]: ...
[Tobirama]: So, finding every opportunity to make amends?
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: That's about right.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: Being a Hokage like this is quite embarrassing.
[Tobirama]: ...
The Second Hokage was silent for a moment.
[Tobirama]: Understood.
[Tobirama]: I'll pull myself together.
[Tobirama]: No matter what happens, as long as I can still be of use to the village, I'll do my best.
[Tobirama]: Minato...
[Tobirama]: If there's a chance, I'll make it up to you.
[Minato]: ...
[Minato]: ...About Naruto, I can't accept it. But... I was also Hokage. Or rather, I was quite selfish too.
[Minato]: When the Nine-Tails attacked the village, I used the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and sacrificed my life. But before that... my wife was already dying.
[Minato]: Meaning I might have had to raise Naruto alone. But I had no confidence... couldn't imagine a world without Kushina.
[Minato]: So... I was cowardly.
[Minato]: The one who failed Naruto the most is me.
[Minato]: I also had some selfish motives in sealing the Nine-Tails into Naruto, hoping perhaps he could be different from previous jinchūriki and control the Nine-Tails' power.
[Minato]: But instead, I harmed him. Naruto's growth was constantly disrupted by the Nine-Tails' influence.
[Minato]: No matter how hard he tried, it had no effect.
[Minato]: I was an unfit... no, an unqualified father.
[Minato]: ...Ah, now I understand the First Hokage's feelings.
[Minato]: Kakashi, I'm counting on you. Please guide Naruto well.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: @Kakashi, we're counting on you.
[Big Dumb Hashirama]: @Kakashi, the Kitahara Kaede and Naruto you're teaching now are Konoha's future.
[Tobirama]: This heavy responsibility falls to you.
[Kakashi]: ...
Kakashi suddenly felt immense pressure.
He had originally come to the small group to vent after realizing he couldn't teach Kitahara Kaede anything new given the latter's way of thinking.
But now...
He found himself shouldering a tremendous burden.
"Kakashi-sensei, are you okay?" A voice brought him back.
"Uh..." Kakashi looked over to see Kitahara Kaede noticing his troubled expression.
*Ahem...*
"So how did you figure out Tazuna was lying?" Kakashi quickly changed the subject.
"Simple." Kitahara Kaede said. "Or rather, didn't Sasuke notice?"
"Huh?" Sasuke hadn't caught on yet.
"We've been followed since leaving Konoha half a day ago." Kitahara Kaede said.
"What!"
Sasuke was stunned.
"There are two chūnin tracking us."
"From Kirigakure, most likely."
"It's been sunny yesterday and today."
"Don't you think it's strange there are so many puddles along the way?" Kitahara Kaede said.
"..." Sasuke.
Meaning his analysis was just theoretical, while reality was exactly as Kitahara described - the Land of Waves' situation had changed, and Tazuna's escort mission actually involved ninjas from another village.
Then...
This would require combat!
"Leave it to me!" Sasuke immediately shouted. "Don't underestimate the Uchiha!"
"..." Kitahara Kaede.
"Naruto, keep an eye on Sasuke. His actions are worrying."
"What's there to worry about!"
Sasuke felt humiliated.
As if he needed help from the former dead-last, Naruto?
Even if Naruto managed to create ten Iruka clones - something even he couldn't do - that didn't equate to real strength...
"Got you!"
Sasuke drew three kunai from his left leg pouch and threw them at a puddle.
Two figures were forced to emerge from the water.
They wore Kirigakure forehead protectors.
Just as Sasuke was feeling pleased...
"Sasuke!"
Naruto's shout came as Sasuke found himself bound by chains and hoisted into the air.
Where he had stood moments before, a giant scythe now embedded itself into the ground.
Had he not moved...
He would have been split in two.
"Just as I thought." Kitahara Kaede observed the scene.
The wind stopped, the rain cleared, and Sasuke's showboating instantly backfired - this was an undeniable truth.