Chapter 41: Chapter 41
In the eastern suburbs of Konoha, a group of four walked through the dense buildings and narrow roads. A green space with a wide view appeared in front of them.
As they walked along the road, the fields stretched out on both sides, with distant hills barely visible. Farmers were working in the fields, and sparrows flitted in and out, carrying small insects in their beaks.
Every few hundred meters, a thatched house came into view, with farm tools placed outside. Sakura, who had never ventured this far from Konoha, was visibly excited.
"The air here is so fresh! After spending so much time in Konoha, this is the first time I've seen such a sight!" she exclaimed.
"This is the first time I've seen it too," Kazuki added, casually observing the tranquility around him. He suddenly felt that this place suited him more than the Gekko Clan's quarters. Despite living in Konoha for twelve years, he had never visited the eastern suburbs. His usual haunts were the ninja school, his family's home, shopping streets, the back mountains, training grounds, and parks—places he was more familiar with.
"It seems you're all homebodies. How about I take on a few more missions in the suburbs so you can see more of these sights?" Kakashi suggested with a smile.
"Haha, that's not necessary," the three replied in unison.
"But it's so clean here; is there really garbage?" Kazuki asked, puzzled. The air was clear, the sky blue, and the landscape teeming with life. It didn't seem like a place in need of a ninja cleanup.
"This isn't the area we need to clean," Kakashi explained. "We're currently in fields specifically planned for farming. What we're cleaning is the river channel that supplies water to these fields."
"River channel?" Kazuki asked.
"Yeah, the water flows down from the mountains. We need to head there," Kakashi said, pointing toward a distant hill.
After passing through the city and fields, they finally arrived at the foot of the hill. Kazuki and the others looked up, and the top of the mountain was clearly visible. At their pace, they could reach the summit in about ten minutes.
"This mountain is pretty small," Kazuki murmured, following the team as they continued climbing.
Soon, they arrived halfway up the mountain. There, a cave served as a continuous source of water for the farmland below. It was like a mysterious pocket, endlessly supplying water. Sakura stood at the cave entrance, peering into the darkness. Suddenly, a sharp light emitted from the depths, startling her.
"Ah! There's someone in there!" she cried, clutching Kazuki's arm for security.
Kazuki gently stroked the back of her hand and cautiously approached the cave entrance. A Clone appeared out of thin air in his hand, and he tossed it inside.
"Clone Ninjutsu?" Kakashi was surprised. He hadn't expected Kazuki to have such mastery over ninjutsu. No hand seals were required to release the technique, something Kakashi had only read about in stories—he'd never seen anyone actually do it. Just how many hidden talents did his student possess?
The cave's interior was suddenly illuminated by the flame, revealing countless bats. Startled by the light and heat, they fled toward the cave entrance in a panic. Kazuki quickly pulled Sakura back, keeping her from being overwhelmed by the swarm.
"So many bats!" Sasuke murmured, reminded of a certain man's summoning beast by the dark, fluttering figures.
Kazuki continued to soothe Sakura. "It's okay, it's just bats. Don't be afraid."
"Uh-huh," Sakura nodded. Now that she saw they were just bats, her fear subsided. She only wanted more comfort and attention from Kazuki. Even if someone had been inside, she wouldn't have been scared—only the darkness unsettled her.
"The cave is connected to another mountain," Kakashi explained. "Behind one mountain is another, and the river continues through them, all the way to the Land of Iron. The water here comes from the melting snow of the Land of Iron's mountains. On its way here, it passes through villages where domestic garbage sometimes ends up in the river. If it's not cleaned up regularly, it accumulates."
"This river is crucial for Konoha's agricultural water supply and some of our drinking water. It's vital that it stays clean."
"In such an important place, wouldn't Konoha be in danger if the enemy poisoned it?" Sasuke asked coldly.
Kakashi turned to him with a smile. "There's no need to worry. Since Konoha sends ninjas to clean the river regularly, we also monitor the water quality to ensure it's safe. Plus, there's a Jonin team guarding this area, so no one with ill intentions will succeed easily."
Sakura was slightly surprised. "There are other ninjas here?"
"They might not be on this mountain, but they could be anywhere in this range," Kakashi said, pointing to the hills behind them.
Kazuki and the others looked but could only see the mountain they were currently on.
"Alright, that's not our concern. Our task is to clean the domestic garbage out of the river. Let's work hard and try to get it all today!"
"Good!" Sakura was the only one to enthusiastically respond, leaving Kakashi a bit embarrassed. Luckily, the three obediently descended to the river to start picking up trash, saving him from losing face as their captain. Leading a strong team wasn't easy.
As the three genin carried bamboo baskets, armed with tweezers to collect trash by the river, Kakashi settled down on a boulder with a book from his ninja bag. It was one of Jiraiya's works—he'd read it multiple times and always found something new with each read. Truly a masterpiece of fiction!
Just as Kakashi was getting absorbed in the novel, a discordant voice reached his ears.
"Kakashi-sensei gets two thousand ryō for doing nothing. How disgusting!"
"…"
He flipped over, pretending not to hear.
"I've got a way to make this easier."
"What's your idea?"
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three puffs of smoke appeared as Kazuki, Sasuke, and Sakura each created a shadow clone to do the trash-picking. The three originals then leisurely joined Kakashi by the river.
"Ah~"
"Ah!"
"Ah!~"
"…"
Who could understand the joy of using the Shadow Clone Technique? These three genin had mastered it well!
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