Chapter Eleven: Hankuang: I'm Personally Protecting the Client. Is There a Problem?

"Is this how you keep watch? The person's already gone, so what the hell are you guarding?"

Hankuang's angry cursing woke Rin and Kakashi.

Obito looked aggrieved, but had no grounds to argue.

He clearly remembered that Minako had still been on the oxcart when he took over the watch.

But before dawn, he had been too sleepy and secretly dozed off for a little while.

Who could have expected Minako to disappear just as dawn broke?

"Split up and search!"

The four of them ran in four directions and began searching.

In the woods.

Hankuang did not think he would be able to find Minako.

Because he was searching in the wrong direction.

He guessed Minako was most likely to be in the east, since that was the direction leading to the Land of Hot Water.

But Hankuang was searching the north.

When he pushed aside a thick clump of grass, Hankuang froze.

At the same time.

Minako, crouching behind the grass, froze as well.

Hmm.

If Hankuang had not seen wrong, Minako seemed to be... taking a dump?

"Do you need toilet paper?"

Chapter Eleven: Hankuang: I'm Personally Protecting the Client. Is There a Problem?

This search for Minako proved to be nothing more than a false alarm.

Soon.

The team set out again.

"Very strange."

Walking behind the oxcart, Hankuang stared at Minako's back with a thoughtful expression.

This woman was highly unusual.

"If she were a normal woman, encountering such an embarrassing situation early in the morning would at least make her scream once."

"But this woman merely froze for a moment."

"Her mental fortitude is far beyond that of ordinary people, even surpassing that of many shinobi."

That was Hankuang's latest assessment of Minako.

Next.

He went over all of the woman's suspicious points again.

"First, anyone capable of opening a bathhouse in Konoha must be smooth-talking and persuasive. Yet she has hardly spoken at all on the road."

"Then there's her expression. Even Rin could tell that she was worried sick, which means she's very concerned about her situation?"

"Her mental fortitude is strong, which means she must have endured a great deal of hardship."

"But why doesn't she hide that expression?"

As Hankuang thought more deeply, he was surprised to discover that the number of suspicious points he had deduced kept growing.

If Minako really was worried about her own safety, why had she posted a B-rank mission? Wouldn't it have been better to post an A-rank mission directly?

That way, a jonin team would take it over.

After all, anyone capable of opening a bathhouse in Konoha would certainly not be short of money.

Hankuang spent the entire morning in a storm of thought.

Even during their brief midday break, he still had no clear lead.

In the afternoon.

The team passed a stream, and Minako finally spoke.

"I'd like to wash up here."

As the client, her reasonable request was granted.

All the boys from Team 9 moved far away, leaving only Nohara Rin behind.

Under a large tree.

Kakashi and Obito appeared together and found Hankuang.

"I noticed you seemed to be thinking about something this morning. Did you discover anything?" Kakashi asked, staring at Hankuang.

Kakashi had noticed something unusual about Hankuang ever since they set out that morning.

More precisely, this was the first time he had ever seen Hankuang seriously think.

"What could I have discovered?"

Hankuang glanced at him and shook his head.

"Then what were you thinking about this morning?"

"What's it to you?"

Kakashi: "???"

Had Hankuang just cursed at him?

How dare he!

"You're the team captain, yet you keep coming to ask me questions all day, making it seem as though I'm the captain."

After grumbling, Hankuang plucked a blade of grass and held it between his teeth.

"Good one. I've disliked him for a long time." Obito chimed in, standing on the same side as his good brother.

Kakashi, aren't you a genius?

Can't you think for yourself?

Why do you keep asking us dead last losers?

"Different circles, so don't force yourself to fit in! Hehe~~" Obito sat beside Hankuang and delivered a classic line.

Hankuang had taught him that line himself.

Watching Kakashi leave in defeat, Obito felt incredibly refreshed.

When it came to verbally sparring with people, his good brother Hankuang was the best. He had actually left Kakashi speechless.

Because of yet another dispute, Team 9 traveled in utter silence throughout the afternoon.

Until evening.

It was time to review the day's missions again.

Kakashi spread out the map once more and marked their location.

"At our current speed, we'll enter the Land of Hot Water in another three days."

"Given today's overcast weather, I expect it to rain tomorrow. So we may have to rest here tomorrow."

"Everyone should arrange the campsite tonight."

After Kakashi finished speaking, Hankuang looked at him in surprise.

So this guy really did have some ability after all.

According to their usual routine, it should have been time for the teammates to speak next.

Unfortunately, Kakashi exercised his authority as captain and skipped that step entirely.

"See that? He's angry, so he won't even let us speak." Obito began speaking sarcastically.

"Why is Kakashi angry?" Rin asked, her face full of confusion.

"It's because Hankuang got the better of him during the day. Hahaha~~"

Seeing Obito so blatantly damage the bond between his teammates, Hankuang added another entry to his mental little notebook.

Just you wait.

I'll see how I can drive a wedge between you next time.

After a simple dinner, the team arranged the campsite and built a simple shelter.

Next, Hankuang's task had arrived.