Capítulo 18: **Chapter 18: A Brief Stop**
Hattori won the bet. Although Rasa's expression was unpleasant, he didn't do anything to him. This showed that the future Kazekage had some personal restraint, but that didn't improve Hattori's opinion of him.
To Hattori, Rasa might be an excellent ninja, but he was lacking as a Kazekage and even worse as a father.
Hattori didn't intend to get on good terms with someone like him, nor did he plan to curry favor, as it would be pointless.
"Rasa is the type who would sacrifice his own son for the village, even Pakura, who had made a significant contribution to Sunagakure. What's the point of befriending someone like that?"
With this in mind, Hattori had no intention of further interacting with Rasa. He planned to part ways as soon as they reached their destination and focus on improving his own strength.
In the harsh world of shinobi, only by strengthening oneself could one have the power to protect oneself.
When it came to strength, Hattori suddenly realized just how weak he was.
"Even though my combat power assessment is marked as 'B,' I only know medical ninjutsu. Any ninja assessed as 'C' could take me down with ease. I need to learn some other skills."
He looked up at Rasa, who didn't look like he'd be willing to teach him anything, and then turned his gaze to Yashamaru and Maki. However, to his surprise, both averted their eyes as soon as he looked at them.
Hattori thought, "...Am I being ignored?"
"Fine, whatever. I'll find someone else to teach me. With my medical ninjutsu skills, there'll be plenty of people wanting to learn from me in the future!"
Thinking this way made him feel much better, and he walked with renewed energy.
Rasa noticed this but said nothing, continuing to lead the group forward. Rasa led from the front, with Maki and Hattori following, and Yashamaru at the rear. They kept this formation as they traveled east.
Despite being ninjas with more stamina than average people, the desert terrain and intense sun made travel tough. By the afternoon, even they were starting to tire out.
Noticing this, Rasa decided to stop when they reached an area with scattered rocks.
"Alright, let's rest here for a bit. We'll continue after dark."
With that, he found a shaded spot, sat down, and closed his eyes to rest.
Seeing this, Maki and Yashamaru also relaxed and found places to sit and rest.
Hattori, feeling a bit uneasy, chose to sit near Rasa.
After sitting down, he took out a military ration pill, crunched it loudly, and washed it down with several gulps from his water bag.
"Ahh...refreshing!"
Rasa, disturbed by the noise, opened his eyes and glared at him impatiently. "Can't you be quiet?"
Hattori calmly screwed the cap back onto his water bag and met Rasa's gaze without fear.
"Quiet? That's impossible. I'm going to snore, grind my teeth, and maybe even fart when I sleep later, so bear with me, okay?"
Rasa's expression turned dark. "I really don't like this kid!"
His irritation flared, but he couldn't bring himself to argue with a child, so he closed his eyes again without saying a word.
Seeing Rasa's reaction, Hattori chuckled, lay down, and exhaled deeply.
"Ugh, so exhausting. Wake me up when we're ready to leave!"
He closed his eyes.
While he didn't like Rasa, he couldn't deny that having such a strong person around gave him a sense of security.
Hattori didn't know how long he'd slept, but a sudden chill woke him. Shivering, he opened his eyes just as Rasa spoke.
"Awake? Get ready to move."
Hattori noticed the blazing sun had been replaced by a bright moon and countless stars. But this wasn't the time to admire the view. The cold ground was leeching away his body heat, and he quickly stood up.
"Ugh, why is it so cold? This place is just awful!"
He hadn't meant much by the remark, but Rasa nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Even a child can tell this place is terrible, yet we have no choice. We lack water, food, and resources, so war is our only option!"
Rasa clenched his fist, releasing it only after a few seconds. Then, he turned to Hattori.
"Let's go!"
"Okay!"
This time, Hattori followed without any snark, asking quietly, "Where are Maki and Yashamaru?"
"They went ahead to scout. The desert is more complicated at night," Rasa explained.
"Complicated?"
Hattori was about to ask more, but a series of wolf howls echoed through the night, making his hair stand on end.
"A wolf pack?"
As someone who was scared of even big dogs, Hattori felt a visceral fear of animals with sharp teeth and claws. Hearing the howls, he instinctively moved closer to Rasa.
Rasa frowned. "It's just wolves. Nothing to fear. Open your eyes and watch how they fight!"
"Huh...they?"
Before Hattori could fully process Rasa's words, he heard Maki and Yashamaru shout:
"Blade of the Wind!"
"Claw Strike!"
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