"Sensei, won't we be a bit late? Others have been traveling for a day, and we haven't even started."
"Do you have the confidence to take first place?"
The three children were all hesitant. They knew their own level; they were the 'dead lasts' of the class. Even if they had a cart to overtake others, they certainly wouldn't be able to win in the end.
Kano saw their lack of confidence and smiled with a shrug.
"See? We're not going for first place. This mission only has one first place, and everyone else is considered a failure. So, except for the first place, it doesn't matter how fast anyone else runs."
"It's better to go slowly and steadily, learning things you can't learn in the classroom. Think about it: others will be staying in tents or sleeping bags at night, and some poorly prepared people might even have to find caves."
"But we can live in the cart, covered with blankets, not afraid of wind or rain, and it won't take much effort to travel. Others will be dying of envy when they see us."
"Let me tell you a little secret. When I was in the Ninja Academy, I was a 'dead last' just like you. So even if you don't get first place, even a 'dead last' can become very powerful."
At this point, the three children imagined it. If they were struggling along with backpacks in the wild while another team drove past in a cart, they would certainly be green with envy.
Usually, the three of them only had reason to envy others. Now that they had something to make others envious, they were full of motivation!
The three of them immediately gathered their energy and started building the cart vigorously.
After finishing the cart, the three looked at their masterpiece with satisfaction, and Kano praised them as well.
Although the cart they built wasn't as good as one Kano would make, it was functional.
Then Himari walked up to Kano and tugged at the little teacher's sleeve.
"Sensei, what if others come to steal our cart? We can't beat them..."
This child was clearly introverted and easily bullied. Kano patted her head.
"Don't worry, do you remember what Iruka-sensei said? Malicious competition is not allowed. That is to say, if we don't have the confidential documents, they can't attack us."
"I remember now! This rule was added by Iruka-sensei specifically to negate diva-sensei's ideas. Could it be that Sensei thought of this back then?"
"Exactly."
"How amazing!"
The three children instantly admired Kano even more. Kano enjoyed it too; she was prone to getting a bit cocky when admired by her juniors.
"But what if Iruka-sensei hadn't added that rule?"
Pessimistic little Himari voiced her thoughts once more.
"If there were no such rule, then I would have taken you light and fast, quickly setting traps to deal with all opponents before the finish line by means like stealing food or destroying tents."
So you weren't joking; you really would have taken action directly. It seems Iruka-sensei really is restraining you.
The three placed their luggage on the cart, and Kano also got on.
"Since you built the cart, I, as your teacher, won't just sit idly by. I'll take care of pulling the cart."
A Shadow Deer emerged from the shadows, was hitched to the front of the cart, and began to pull.
The children's eyes widened. It was the first time they had seen such a powerful Ninjutsu.
"Is that a Summoning Beast?"
"No, it's just my Ninjutsu, a Shadow Deer made of Chakra."
"Sensei, can you teach me this? I want to learn!"
"That's not really possible. This is a secret technique of my clan and cannot be passed to outsiders. If you have enough knowledge and experience, you can also create your own Ninjutsu."
Although the shadow secret technique couldn't be taught, other things could be.
The team finally set off before dark... Meanwhile.
Three people wearing red cloud robes were traveling toward Konoha. One was Uchiha Itachi, who was familiar with Konoha, and another was his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki. There was also another figure flying through the air.
"So, our mission takes us to Konoha again?"
"Yes, but this time we're not going for the Nine-Tailed, but to find someone."
"Finding someone? I'm not good at that sort of thing. I'll leave this mission to you then, Itachi-san."
"According to Zetsu, someone else wearing the Akatsuki uniform has been operating near Konoha. It's unclear if they are friend or foe, so if we encounter battle, I will rely on your strength."
Konan, who was in the air, also descended and came to their side.
"We should still resolve this peacefully. If the other person is talented, we should try our best to recruit her. That's why we were sent for this mission instead of others."
"According to Zetsu's description, she seems to be a young girl in her teens. Her true combat strength is uncertain."
"Based on the description, she shouldn't be strong, but we can't rule out the possibility that she is. After all, true geniuses exist in this world. If possible, I'd like to let Samehada fight with all its might."
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