Kakashi, the Bounty Target

"One, two, three, not one of them escaped."

Otoha also crawled out from underground, his clothes torn in several places, and half of his right sleeve missing. It had taken him quite a bit of effort to force these three guys out of the ground.

The rats of Stone Ninja are best at digging burrows underground.

"They still can't beat me, uh... damn it, I'll never drink this much next time. Taisheng, get me some ice to cool down, my head feels like it's going to explode."

Holding the ice block Yuki Yashuo, Otoha pressed her head against it, a comfortable expression on her face.

"Aoyagi, take them all back and have them interrogated thoroughly. Report back to me as quickly as possible, find out their backgrounds, their purpose in coming to Konoha... In short, get it done as soon as possible."

"Yes, Minato."

The Root ninja, wearing a mask, bowed respectfully. Her clear, melodious voice was like the song of a nightingale, and judging from the glimpses of her beautiful figure, she must be a very pretty woman.

The three Stone Ninja missing-nin were knocked to the ground, their hands were bound to prevent them from Hand Seals, and Fuinjutsu were used to restrain their Chakra fluctuations.

For those deemed dangerous, ordinary restraints are not enough; controlling their Chakra is the only way to suppress them. Of course, only dangerous individuals deserve such attention; ordinary criminals do not receive this treatment.

There are very few ninjas who have mastered Fuinjutsu.

"... Minato, tell me honestly, did you do that?"

Otoha, clutching the ice cubes, scurried over, watching Aoyagi's departing figure. He raised an eyebrow and a sly smile appeared on his face.

Minato sighed helplessly. This guy had completely disgraced the Uchiha. Luckily, everyone around was on their side, otherwise, he would probably get another beating when he got back.

"Hmm... Otoha, instead of wasting your energy thinking like this, you should hurry back to your shift... Tai Sheng is watching you!"

Unable to tell if she was genuinely suffering from a headache or faking it, Otoha's words were clearly no longer very credible. She was dragged off to work by the stern-faced Yuki Yashuo, and it seemed she wouldn't have a moment's rest today.

Ninja Academy.

After Kakashi and the others gave the classroom a quick clean, professional staff took over their work and repaired the somewhat dilapidated building.

"The classroom is in such bad shape... it looks like it won't be fixed anytime soon."

There was also a piece of ice on Katsuki's forehead.

Centered on Kakashi's classroom, several surrounding classrooms were also damaged to varying degrees. Due to the impact on the foundation, even some classrooms upstairs are probably unusable for the time being.

"So that means we're going to have a long vacation?" Uchiha Obito, the academic underachiever, immediately chuckled.

Don't even think about it!

Katsuki glanced at the group of academically challenged students, led by Obito, and a devilish smile crept across her lips.

"Come to school this afternoon, and I'll give you some homework. It's okay if you can't come to school these two days; you can do your homework at home too. Just hand it in to me when classes resume."

"Ah--!"

"No way?"

"Heavens!"

The underachievers immediately let out a desperate groan. This was worse than attending classes on a schedule; at least they could sleep at their desks most of the time.

"By the way, if anyone can complete the assignments I give them within three days, I will accept them as my disciple."

After thinking for a moment, Katsuki decided to offer a bait to motivate the little guys.

The response... seems rather lukewarm?

"Teacher, taking on apprentices... it's better to go to Q Barbecue!" said one of the Akimichi Clan's disciples.

"Huh? Nobody likes going to Q Barbecue except you, right? It's so greasy and uncomfortable. It's much better to go to Kan Kurikan Dango Shop. Their Anko soup is amazing!"

"What?! Barbecue is the way to go..."

"Actually, I think ramen is pretty good too..."

The chaos erupted suddenly, with the students splitting into several factions and arguing about which prize was more enticing. The noisy arguments left Katsuki both overwhelmed and embarrassed.

This guy was delusional. He thought that since he was now a well-known expert in the Shinobi World, once the news of him taking on disciples got out, the line of people wanting to become his apprentices would stretch for two streets... Turns out it was all wishful thinking.

Reality taught him a harsh lesson: one should never take things for granted; he had truly lost face.

"Teacher, would you like some more ice?"

These caring words were like a timely rain to Katsuki. Looking up at Kuyue, whose little face was full of concern, she couldn't help but reach out and rub the little girl's head.

"Ahem, all of you shut up."

Katsuki cleared her throat, putting order on the scene.

"Anyone who can complete their homework independently within three days and hand it in to me can have one request granted. Of course, it must be a reasonable request that doesn't violate the rules. It could be a bonus or a meal."

Since you're not keen on becoming his disciple, let's change the conditions.

Most people were satisfied this time and began to imagine what conditions they could propose, but a few looked dejected. For example, Ebisu looked disappointed and muttered words like "photobook" under his breath...

After dismissing the mischievous kids, lightning flashed beneath Katsuki's feet, and he instantly arrived at the school building's rooftop.

"Minato, any news? Who are those missing-nin from Iwagakure? Why are they targeting Kakashi?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on me.

Minato leaned against the railing and shook his head helplessly. Although Katsuki seemed calmer than Kushina, both siblings actually had short tempers. It was just that Kushina's temper was very obvious, while Katsuki was better at hiding it.

"The investigation is almost complete. The three attackers today were indeed missing-nin, not pawns of Iwagakure or any other faction. The reason they targeted Kakashi... is because someone has put a high bounty on Kakashi's head on the black market."

"So they dared to infiltrate the village and brazenly attack the Ninja Academy, all for money?"

Katsuki asked in astonishment.

"That's right, it's all about money, nothing but money." Minato nodded firmly.

"Wow! Wow! That's such a simple and easy-to-understand reason..."

The fact that they dared to cause trouble in Konoha just for money is so simplistic that it seems utterly absurd.

"Who says otherwise? If this information wasn't directly extracted from their minds by a master of the Yamanaka Clan, I would also doubt its authenticity..." Minato's expression was quite strange. "The fact that they didn't attack Kakashi at his home, but instead made their move at the Ninja Academy, is probably to avoid Sakumo- senpai..."

"In short, I can no longer say whether they are stupid or smart!"