Mission Report

It was about ten minutes before Kakashi finally emerged from the office. His eyes beneath the mask looked somewhat conflicted, but Yuzuru Hyuga was not worried in the slightest.

"Don't tell me you tattled on me to the Third and now feel guilty about it?" Yuzuru Hyuga's teasing tone made Kakashi sigh.

He took off his mask, though his face was still covered by the cloth over his mouth. Only the helpless sigh in his voice could be heard.

He fell silent, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he merely raised his forehead protector to cover his Sharingan and muttered, "At this hour, I guess Ichiraku Ramen is the only place still open."

Kakashi turned and left with his usual casual flair. Yuzuru Hyuga merely chuckled twice before pushing open the door and entering. The Third was standing with his back to him, gazing out the window.

Once he entered, the Third turned and gave him an approving smile.

"I have already heard Kakashi's report. Yuzuru, your judgment was not wrong. Orochimaru was indeed not someone the two of you could stop. With the intelligence you provided, other ninja will carry out the pursuit."

Yuzuru Hyuga flashed a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Lord Third!"

Then he lowered his head, looking ashamed. "It was because I was not capable enough. If I had been stronger, perhaps I could have found a way to keep Orochimaru there."

There was not the slightest hint of falsehood in Hiruzen Sarutobi's kindly gaze. He walked over to Yuzuru Hyuga and said firmly, "Under those circumstances, you preserved the lives of the innocent Iburi clan while protecting yourself and your companion. Yuzuru, you are far more outstanding than I imagined."

"Yes." Yuzuru Hyuga put on a remorseful expression.

Hiruzen Sarutobi let his hand fall and sighed before suddenly asking, "What do you think of Root?"

Yuzuru Hyuga feigned surprise, then fell into an uneasy silence. At last, he appropriately showed a degree of dislike and disgust toward Danzo. "I think Root may have been given too much authority. Forgive me, I spoke out of turn."

The Third nodded without committing himself, though inwardly, he began to consider the issue Yuzuru Hyuga had raised. He said softly, "These are not matters you need to worry about yet. Rest assured, Konoha will definitely get better."

He smiled, placing great hopes on the boy before him. "You will become Konoha's new flame. I believe that one day, the towering blaze you kindle will mean Konoha no longer needs this darkness born of necessity."

One spoke differently to different people. To Yuzuru Hyuga, who appeared to possess a clear sense of right and wrong and a gentle, kind nature, the Third offered encouragement and support. He believed that everything the Hyuga Branch House was suffering would surely leave the boy deeply distressed. If he could firmly stand behind the Branch House and offer suitable "support," then the boy's loyalty could be won.

Yuzuru Hyuga merely smiled. "Thank you, Lord Third! I definitely will not disappoint you!"

That's right. I'll become a phoenix, cry out across the heavens, and ignite an inferno that burns Konoha's demons and monsters like rotten wood. Anyway, may your words come true~

After the Third's "heartwarming exchange" came to an end, the Third gave him another grand promise. Not only did he record this mission as an A-rank mission and grant him credit for it, but he also generously stated that when Yuzuru Hyuga returned next time, he would consider promoting him to Chunin. There would also be a special mysterious reward.

At the same time, he told him that there was another mission tomorrow, so he should make haste and rest.

What else could Yuzuru Hyuga do?

He could only say, "Thank you."

After bidding the Third farewell, Yuzuru Hyuga slowly made his way down the street toward Ichiraku Ramen.

Pulling aside the curtain, he found Kakashi still seated in the corner, though he had not ordered anything and was merely sitting there quietly.

A few civilian ninja seemed to have just gotten off work as well. They were wolfing down noodles and chatting with laughter.

"Good evening, Uncle Teuchi."

"Oh! Little Yuzuru, come sit down! The usual today?"

"Yes, thank you."

"The same for Kakashi?"

"Yeah."

The two sat beside each other and waited for their ramen. The civilian ninja nearby vaguely sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat off. After finishing their noodles, they left arm in arm, secretly glancing back at the two unusually imposing children.

Whether it was Kakashi Hatake or Yuzuru Hyuga, neither was a simple figure in the eyes of Konoha's ninja. With the two of them together, they seemed even more unapproachable.

People only envied those who were slightly stronger than themselves. When faced with someone so outstanding that they were beyond imagining, however, people inevitably felt awe.

Even among geniuses, there were differences.

"I'll be watching you." Kakashi's words came out of nowhere.

Yet Yuzuru Hyuga could not help but break into a radiant smile.

"Yeah."

His confident reply told Kakashi to simply wait and see.

Kakashi reached up and tugged at his face covering. Having worn a mask and face covering for several days, he inevitably wanted some fresh air. With no one around, he simply pulled it down, took a breath of fresh air, and turned to look at Yuzuru Hyuga.

"Today's mission is one thing, but next time, even if there is danger, we must complete the mission! A senior once told me that ANBU ninja must regard themselves as tools for killing. If a tool cannot complete its mission, then that is our dereliction of duty!"

"I do not entirely agree with that statement, but ANBU missions are not as simple as you think."

"As ninja, sometimes what we face is not merely danger. There are hardships, even desperate situations. Even so, whenever completing the mission remains possible, the mission must still come first."

"As the captain, I will do everything I can to protect you as my teammate. But we absolutely cannot selectively abandon a mission again simply because it is dangerous!"

He looked extremely serious.

Yuzuru Hyuga merely smiled. "Don't worry. As long as it is a normal mission, I will complete it seriously, rather than something like this that clearly exceeds our capabilities."

"But compared to a mission, aren't the lives of our companions more important?" Yuzuru Hyuga's expression became serious as well.

Looking at the silent Kakashi, he stated his stance just as clearly. "When a mission conflicts with a companion's safety, I will still make the same choice I made today and prioritize preserving lives. Ninja are not tools for killing. If becoming an ANBU ninja means treating yourself as an emotionless tool..."

"Then what meaning does the so-called Will of Fire have?"

"Even though Senior Kakashi and I both graduated early after only two years, wasn't the first thing the academy taught us the so-called Will of Fire?"

"Or does Senior Kakashi truly believe, from the bottom of his heart, that the Will of Fi—"

"Enough!" Kakashi stopped Yuzuru Hyuga from continuing. He turned his head away helplessly, unwilling to look at him.

This guy was incredibly skilled at picking fights. One careless move, and he would follow the trail straight into throwing out insinuations.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi abruptly said in a vague voice, "You're right."

He had only wanted to tell him to cast aside the weakness in his heart and not think of retreating at the first sign of danger. He had also borrowed a senior's words to hint that his future life in ANBU might be quite "cold and dull."

But now, it seemed that he had already prepared himself for life in ANBU and held clear views on certain matters. And, it had to be said, those views suited Kakashi's tastes quite well.

As for the idea of being a tool.

In truth, Kakashi did not agree with it either.

And coincidentally, the ANBU senior who had taught him that "iron rule of ANBU" had died before the New Year, never even living to see Orochimaru's defection.

"Anyway, in future missions, don't expect to take the lead like you did today and respond so passively." In the end, Kakashi decided against giving a long lecture like his seniors had and simply stated his thoughts outright.

Yuzuru Hyuga merely chuckled, looking at Kakashi teasingly. "Senior, in my heart, you will always be my captain."

"...I hope so." Kakashi said weakly.

Why was today's ramen taking so long to arrive?