Night, around nine o'clock.
The construction team's camp, an office.
"Chiba?"
Hearing footsteps enter from outside, Yukina keenly sensed something. With a hint of confusion, she spoke.
"Hm?"
At that moment, Kakashi, who had been writing something across from her, seemed to sense something as well. He suddenly turned to his right, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Sorry. The village's Forbidden Jutsu Chamber was infiltrated yesterday, and the village was sealed off. I had no way to come back."
Noticing Kakashi's unfriendly gaze and hearing Yukina's voice, Chiba, who had stepped inside, twitched the corner of his mouth and hurriedly explained.
Kakashi was angry!
Yukina was worried! He had to explain first! He had to explain! he practically shouted inwardly.
"Is that so?"
Kakashi clearly doubted him, his gaze growing increasingly hostile.
This guy had said yesterday that he would be right back, yet after waiting all night, there had been no word from him at all. He had worried Yukina so much that she could neither eat nor sleep. If Hirohiko had not been persuaded to talk her down, she probably would not even have slept.
And now he came back with some halfhearted excuse about the village being sealed off and the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber being robbed. Even if the Forbidden Jutsu Chamber had been robbed and the village sealed off, all he had to do was get permission from Teacher Minato.
This guy was trying to weasel out of it.
There was definitely something else going on. He had not come back yesterday, and with all of today added in, he had surely been plotting something again.
As he spoke, Kakashi was filled with disbelief.
"Mm, as long as you're all right."
Yukina, however, was simply happy. She did not think much of it; to her, Chiba being