Perhaps...

"Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Uchiha Obito, Might Guy."

Who called me?

Who is it?

Kakashi, who was challenging Asuma to a duel, was suddenly startled. The unfamiliar voice made him instinctively wary. He looked around but couldn't find the source of the sound.

"Phew! Were you looking for me?"

A cold breath brushed against his neck, sending shivers down Kakashi's spine. He jumped back in a flash, only then seeing the figure standing behind him. It was a very beautiful woman with long black hair draped over her shoulders, and a pure white dress that accentuated her youthful innocence. A charming smile graced her pretty face.

Who are you? What do you want with us?

Kakashi's mental fortitude was clearly excellent. After a moment of distraction, he quickly regained his focus, keeping a watchful eye on the newcomer. He reached behind his back and subtly gave Asuma and the others a hand signal.

"Very good reaction. I thought the little guy in this peaceful environment wouldn't know how to fight!" The woman smiled as she watched Kakashi make his little gestures.

"That's not how it works. I actually think Konoha's training method is quite good. After laying a solid foundation, they send people to the battlefield to hone their skills. This method is much better than the brutal training methods of the Mist Ninja. At least the casualty rate isn't that high." Without a sound, a man dressed in black appeared beside the woman.

"Shall we do it, or should we?"

"Let me handle this. Your Ice Release isn't quite up to par yet, is it?" Rokuro Kaguya chuckled. "Besides, these little guys are better taught a lesson with Taijutsu."

"Whatever you want!"

Although they were in a foreign country, Yuki Yoizuki and Rokuro Kaguya got along well and spoke much more casually, without the awkwardness they had when they first met.

"Who are you? This is Konoha! Anyone who dares to cause trouble in Konoha will not have a good end!"

Asuma said sternly, but his childish voice didn't have much of an intimidating effect. The four little ones glared at him, not finding him scary at all, but rather quite cute.

"Who is it? Someone who takes money to do a job."

Rokuro Kaguya loosened his muscles and bones, his knuckles cracking like popping beans, and his neck cracking as he twisted, an invisible aura of killing intent spreading out.

"Is everything alright?"

"It should be fine. These two were brought back by Lord Katsuki Mizuki... and I didn't sense any killing intent from them. They're probably just trying to scare us, right?"

The hidden Anbu in the trees whispered among themselves.

"Sigh! I hope nothing goes wrong... But boss, you really need to wash your hands properly. What bad luck! This is the third time this month we've had to act as nannies."

"Stop arguing, what does this have to do with my luck?" The captain clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Who told the Third Hokage Lord to remember our Ninth Branch, and the Branch Minister to specifically target a few of us? What could I do? I was desperate too, okay?"

"Ah! It's started. Stop arguing and focus on your work."

Rokuro Kaguya took a step forward, his body instantly elongating, leaving a black shadow in the vision of Kakashi and the other three.

"Ahhh!!"

The scenery before Obito and Guy changed drastically; the world turned upside down, and they lost their balance, screaming in fright before plunging headfirst into the sandpit.

Kakashi staggered back several steps before regaining his footing, while Asuma fell backward, sprawling on the ground. Although his posture was rather unseemly, at least he wasn't thrown into the sandpit like Obito and Guy, those two unlucky guys.

"Not bad, you actually dodged it. Your reaction time is indeed quite good."

Rokuro Kaguya appeared nimbly at the edge of the sandpit, looking at Kakashi and Asuma in surprise. These two kids were truly impressive, and he secretly marveled at how many geniuses Konoha had.

"Asuma, let's do it together."

Kakashi lowered his waist, adopting a stance suitable for both offense and defense, and beckoned Asuma to join him. He could tell that the man and woman seemed to have no ill intentions, and he had some vague suspicions in his mind.

"Damn it, Kakashi, are you crazy? We're no match for these unknown guys. Instead of calling for backup, you're already attacking..." Asuma paused, looking at him suspiciously. "Have you found something? Confess."

"It's simple. This is Konoha. Do you really think someone can infiltrate undetected? And instead of looking for more valuable targets, you're picking on a few kids like us. Are you crazy?" Kakashi flipped his hand and pulled a sharpened Kunai from his Ninja Tool Bag at his waist.

"Damn! You mean... I understand... Wait a minute." Asuma rolled over and scrambled to his feet, frantically pulling the Kunai from his calf.

······

"Will Kakashi and the others be alright?" Under the swing set by the park, Uchiha Otome sat on the footboard, watching Kakashi and his friends being beaten to a pulp by Rokuro Kaguya.

"It's just a little hardship. The Kaguya family are experts in Taijutsu; they know how to use their strength," Katsuki said with a laugh, leaning against the swing set.

Centered on the swing set, Katsuki set up an invisible barrier. Not only Kakashi and the other kids, but even the two groups of Anbu hiding in the nearby trees did not notice anything unusual about the place.

When will your original body return?

"It should be soon, in ten days to two weeks at most. The village situation is settled, and now it depends on the Land of Water... According to recent news from the main body, the clansmen have been rescued. Next, they need to get rid of the Mist Ninja and return to the village. Most of the time will be spent traveling. The three clans together have more than two thousand people, including many children..."

Katsuki rambled on and on about some rambling nonsense, showing no awareness whatsoever that the mission needed to be kept secret. Otome listened obliviously to this secret, which was only known to the village's upper echelons.

"Katsuki, aren't we going to see Kushina- neechan?" Otome asked, tilting her head.

"Hmm... I won't go for now. With Minato... I feel like I'll soon be calling him 'brother-in-law'... For now, I'll pass and not bother them." Katsuki looked up at the slowly moving sea of clouds in the sky. The world had changed a lot because of him, but many things still seemed unchanged...

Fate is truly a wondrous thing!

"Push me on the swing. I hardly ever played on it when I was little. I want to try it out now."

"Good!"

Katsuki answered, turned around, reached out and pushed the swing, which began to sway gently.

Otome swung back and forth on the swing, her long black hair fluttering in the wind, gently brushing against Katsuki's cheek, its faint fragrance tickling the heart.

Perhaps, some things can be put on the agenda.

He thought to himself silently.