章 61: Chapter 61
Kakashi used the Summoning Beast to pass the information back.
It wasn't too far from Konoha, only a few hours' journey.
Before the Third Hokage's decision came, their Seventh Team temporarily halted their mission and rested in place.
Tazuna was a little anxious; he had arranged for the village boatman to pick him and the others up at a specific time. If they didn't arrive on time, crossing the river would become troublesome. However, he didn't dare to rush them, knowing he was partly to blame.
During the break, Kakashi began explaining the training of Summoning Beasts to the three of them. Although they didn't have their own Summoning Beasts for practice, Kakashi summoned several he had trained for them to study, helping them understand the differences in cultivation details.
But after listening for a few hours, Kazuki realized a truth: talent! Whether a Summoning Beast can be successfully trained has little to do with beast pills, level of care, or chakra. It's determined by nature, just like whether a person can become a ninja.
During his training, Kakashi had worked with over a thousand dogs, but only Pakkun was special. The other Summoning Beasts weren't smart enough—they could store chakra and be summoned, but that was it. If that's the case, the two rats Kazuki found might not become Summoning Beasts like Pakkun. After all, if you have a high IQ, you wouldn't take poison daily.
A few hours passed quickly, and Pakkun returned with the Third Hokage's answer. Kakashi took the Scroll of Seals from Pakkun's mouth, read it carefully several times, and said with a heavy face, "The mission continues!"
The task resumed, and Team 7 continued on their journey. But now, except for Kazuki, everyone else in the team had more serious expressions. They knew more dangerous enemies awaited them on the road ahead.
"Kakashi, the mission continues, and the reward has been increased?" Kazuki asked as he moved from the back to speak with Kakashi. He didn't want to work for free.
Kakashi glanced at Kazuki, then at Tazuna two positions behind, and slowly repeated Sarutobi Hiruzen's words, "The Third Hokage said the mission continues, and it's now classified as A-rank. Our goal is to contact the Daimyo of the Land of Waves and cooperate to eliminate Gatō!"
"So when we reach the Land of Waves, Tazuna will be under your protection. I'll head to the Daimyo's mansion to discuss cooperation and try to gain control of the Land of Waves!"
Kazuki was speechless. He knew the old man, Sarutobi Hiruzen, wouldn't let them continue the mission without reason. It turned out this was the plan all along. Initially, he wanted to use this mission to establish business ties with the Land of Waves. But after learning that Gatō was involved and had monopolized the country, he wanted to eliminate Gatō directly!
"I'm afraid this so-called cooperation is not a simple partnership," Kazuki said calmly.
Kakashi didn't say much, but his silence spoke volumes. The Third Hokage intended to eliminate Gatō and control the Daimyo of the Land of Waves in his place. This wasn't a collaboration—it was an invasion!
If Sakura knew the Third Hokage's true intention, would she still insist on helping Tazuna? But as ninjas, they're not driven by charity; they're driven by duty. Everything is for the benefit of Konoha—a truth that all ninjas, including Genin, understand.
Without a word, everyone in Team 7 quickly arrived at the border between Konoha and the Land of Waves. Fortunately, the boat arranged by Tazuna didn't leave them behind. They weren't slow, but they barely made it on time.
A group of five boarded the boat heading to the Land of Waves. As the ripples of the water slowly left the shore, an endless mist began to fill the air.
In this country surrounded by water, the fog is surprisingly thick. By the time they were deep into the water, the fog was so dense they couldn't see their fingers.
How does the boatman navigate in such conditions? Won't they get lost? Although they were confused, the boatman remained silent and cautious. Afraid of making noise and provoking the wrong people, he didn't say a word.
Kazuki and the others were also quiet and alert. Even though it was their first time on this sea, they didn't show any excitement. Instead, they stayed vigilant, always on guard for anything around them. The dense fog gave everyone an uneasy feeling.
A few hours later, they reached the shore of the Land of Waves without incident. The boatman quickly dropped them off and sped away, fearing trouble. Tazuna looked grateful and concerned, "Sorry for the trouble, be careful on the road."
"Yeah, so do you," the boatman replied, lowering his straw hat as he sailed into the endless sea.
Tazuna was ready to continue leading the way but was stopped by Kakashi. "Mr. Tazuna, I will be away from the team for a while. My three subordinates will ensure your safety."
"But if you leave…"
"Don't worry, Mr. Tazuna. My subordinates are all very strong, no weaker than me. And I'm not the kind of person who would risk my subordinates' lives carelessly."
After reassuring Tazuna, Kakashi called Kazuki and the others closer. "I trust your strength, but you lack experience. So, I'll leave Pakkun with you as a lookout."
Kakashi summoned Pakkun again with his Summoning Beast technique. "Pakkun, please stay with them and protect Mr. Tazuna."
Pakkun gave each of them a discerning look before finally jumping on Sakura's shoulders. Sasuke and Kazuki both had auras as dangerous as Kakashi's. Especially Kazuki—he gave off an unfathomable feeling. Among the four, except for the old man who was near death, the only one easy to handle was this little girl.
"I understand, just go ahead," Pakkun said, scratching his neck with his foot, letting a few dog hairs fall on Sakura's shoulders.
Kakashi couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for Pakkun when he saw this. He looked at Kazuki, and as expected, Kazuki's eyes had become terrifying.
"Kazuki, be gentle."
"I'm trying not to kill it!" Kazuki replied.
Pakkun, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, obediently led the way after being reprimanded by Kazuki. But his limping gait was quite funny. After ensuring Pakkun was safe, Kakashi left first.
No one supported Pakkun, making him tremble with fear with every step he took. Terrifying! What a terrifying mission! What terrifying people!
-------------------
+60 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg
Unlock exclusive access to more fanfic chapters and support my work by joining me on Patreon! Your support helps bring your favorite stories to life!
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット