The Wolf Has Come!

After hearing Veigar's words, Takeuchi Joji suddenly raised his head. His bright eyes, fixed on Veigar, were filled with gratitude, and he hurriedly bowed to him in thanks.

"Thank you, thank you!"

At that moment, Takeuchi Joji knew nothing else to say besides thanking him.

Then Minato Namikaze looked at Kakashi Hatake. After seeing him nod, Minato Namikaze said to Takeuchi Joji, "Mr. Jōji, everyone in Minato Squad agrees to your request."

"Next, I will head to Yamagō Village first to complete the mission."

"My two students will protect you and escort you back to the village."

Seeing that Minato Namikaze had personally agreed to help him, Takeuchi Joji hurriedly bowed to the three of them again. "Thank you!"

"Lord Minato, I'll leave everything to you, then."

Minato Namikaze replied, "I'm only completing your commissioned mission. There's no need to thank me."

Then Minato Namikaze said to Veigar and Kakashi Hatake, "In that case, I'll leave the task of protecting and escorting Mr. Jōji to you two."

Veigar and Kakashi Hatake hurriedly answered, "Yes."

After nodding at the two of them, Minato Namikaze turned to Teacher Minato's companion, Takeuchi Joji, and said once more, "Mr. Jōji, I'll wait for you in the village."

Then Minato Namikaze used the Body Flicker Technique and vanished from the spot in an instant. At his speed, if he set out now, he could reach the mission location before dawn.

After Minato Namikaze left, only Veigar, Kakashi Hatake, and Takeuchi Joji remained in the camp.

Immediately afterward, Kakashi Hatake said to Takeuchi Joji, "Mr. Jōji, Teacher Minato has already set out. Please rest assured. We'll definitely escort you back safely."

"Please go back and rest as well. We still have to travel tomorrow and catch up with Teacher Minato as soon as possible."

After bowing once more to Veigar and Kakashi Hatake, Takeuchi Joji's eyes glimmered with tears as he choked out, "Thank you. I'm truly sorry for the trouble."

Veigar and Kakashi Hatake nodded at the same time, and Takeuchi Joji turned around and returned to his tent to rest.

Gazing at the flawless night sky, Veigar felt a faint trace of melancholy in his heart.

After discussing the watch and travel plans with Kakashi Hatake, Veigar also turned around and returned to his tent to rest.

As Minato Namikaze traveled onward, he seemed to sense something and looked back at the place they had left not long ago. In his heart, he said to Veigar and Kakashi Hatake,

"Do your best, Kakashi—and Veigar."

Minato Namikaze's decision to leave was also a test for Veigar and Kakashi Hatake.

Or rather, it was mainly a test for Kakashi Hatake.

After all, Kakashi Hatake, who was only six years old, had already become a Chunin. Although he was already qualified in terms of strength, execution, and strategy, he was still greatly lacking when it came to dealing with people and situations.

Moreover, Kakashi Hatake had not carried out many missions as a Genin. After becoming a Chunin, he had yet to undertake a mission alone or lead a team. This was the perfect opportunity to give him some experience.

In the quiet night, insects chirped incessantly. Without Minato Namikaze by his side, Kakashi Hatake hid among the branches, restraining his presence as he remained extremely alert and observed his surroundings.

It was not until deep into the night that Veigar awoke from his deep sleep. Just as he stepped out of the tent to take over Kakashi Hatake's watch, he suddenly discovered dots of green light appearing around the camp.

The wolves had come!

When Veigar saw those dots of green light, he immediately thought of wolves, the pack animals that inhabited the forest.

At the same time, Kakashi Hatake, hidden in the tree, also noticed the pack of wolves that had suddenly appeared nearby without making a sound.

In the forest, aside from dangers such as venomous insects, one also had to be wary of various nocturnal hunters, such as wolves, tigers, and leopards—carnivorous beasts like them.

Kakashi Hatake leaped down from the treetop and appeared beside Veigar. Then he said, "Veigar, go protect Mr. Jōji."

Kakashi Hatake had intended to drive off the pack himself while having Veigar protect Takeuchi Joji so that he would not be ambushed by the wolves.

However, before Kakashi Hatake could act, Veigar stepped forward and stood in front of him. Then he said, "Kakashi, leave this pack of wolves to me."

"This is my first mission outside the village. I don't want to win without doing anything."

Although Kakashi Hatake did not know that the hidden meaning of "win without doing anything" was "to tag along and do nothing," he could still guess that Veigar wanted to leave himself a memory of his first mission outside the village.

I was like this once, too!

Kakashi Hatake looked at Veigar's back and thought this.

Then Kakashi Hatake nodded and said, "Then I'll leave it to you."

After saying that, Kakashi Hatake instantly stood in front of the tent where Takeuchi Joji was staying. He also heightened his perception to its limit, carefully monitoring the activity around them.

As for whether Veigar could deal with the pack of wolves, Kakashi Hatake was not worried in the slightest. If Veigar could not even handle a pack of wolves from the forest, he would not deserve to be called one of the village's Super Geniuses, on par with Kakashi Hatake.

In Kakashi Hatake's heart, Veigar's strength and talent were now in no way inferior to his own.

The swaying firelight dispelled the darkness around them. Led by the Wolf King, the entire pack slowly emerged from the forest still shrouded in darkness, appearing in Veigar's sight.

"One, two, three..."

Veigar looked at the pack of wolves before him and silently counted them. There were seventeen in all, though he could not rule out the possibility that other wolves were hiding in the darkness, waiting to launch a sneak attack.

"Awooooo..."

The unusually large Wolf King suddenly threw back its head and howled at the sky. The wolves beside it immediately sprang into action, charging at Veigar in an orderly assault.

At the same time, Veigar moved as well. He instantly drew the Ninja Sword from his back and charged straight toward the Wolf King, which was still howling at the sky, meeting the pack's assault head-on.

The greatest difference between humans and beasts was the overwhelming superiority of intelligence. Wielding the Ninja Sword, Veigar moved with incredible speed. His blade flashed across the necks of the wolves leaping at him, and their warm blood splattered into the dark night sky.

In barely half a breath, four wolves were already lying at Veigar's feet.

However, when the wolves saw the blood gushing from their companions, they did not show the slightest fear. Instead, they became even more ferocious, baring their fangs as they all pounced at Veigar.