According to the arrangement from before, he was responsible for keeping watch during the first half of the night.
Watching his three teammates settle down to rest, Hankuang first took a stroll around the area.
Afterward.
He walked over to the ox cart and calmly climbed inside.
What was Team 7's mission? To protect Minako.
So in Hankuang's mind, hiding in a tree to keep watch was nowhere near as safe as protecting her at close range.
Minako did not sleep deeply.
At first, she felt as if there were some kind of obstruction behind her and thought she had leaned against the sideboard of the ox cart.
For that reason, she deliberately leaned against the sideboard.
Because sleeping that way was more comfortable.
Until.
An arm reached around from behind and wrapped around her.
In the pitch-black night.
Minako turned over and faced Hankuang.
Two pairs of dark eyes met.
"Your composure is beyond anything I imagined."
"You're quite persistent too."
"Looks like you're not going to talk."
"Then can you get down now?"
"If you won't talk, I'm not getting down."
"Suit yourself."
After their low-voiced exchange, Minako turned over.
Hankuang stretched his arm out again and held the busty beauty in his arms.
The sky began to brighten.
The moment Hankuang woke up, he quickly pulled his arm back.
Then he discovered several teammates surrounding him.
"Hankuang! Do you know what kind of behavior this is?"
Kakashi spoke in a deep voice, his tone icy.
As a shinobi, you actually slept with the client?
If word of this got out, the entire village would have to bear the consequences for you.
"I misjudged you, Hankuang!" Nohara Rin was equally furious.
When she took over during the second half of the night, she had been unable to find Hankuang.
If she had not taken another look at the ox cart, she would have called the others to search for him.
"Come on, Hankuang. Even if you don't have a girlfriend, you can't do something like this." Obito wore a pained expression and spoke righteously.
Would Hankuang be embarrassed?
Of course not.
He jumped down from the ox cart and casually brushed the dust off himself.
"I was protecting the client at close range. Is there a problem with that?"
Chapter Twelve: The Five Great Shinobi Villages Agreement, Crisis Approaches!
Protecting someone at close range meant protecting them from nearby.
But Hankuang had taken it literally, pressing himself against the client and even holding her as he slept through the night.
"So your version of protecting someone at close range is this close?"
Kakashi's tone was accusatory.
"Hankuang, do you know that this alone is enough to end your shinobi career?"
"Hm? My shinobi career is over?"
Hankuang's eyes lit up, and his heart filled with delight.
So I'm not a shinobi anymore?
That was wonderful.
"Then I'll head back to the village first."
Leaving those words behind, Hankuang turned and walked away without looking back.
He gave the others no chance to stop him.
Rustle, rustle~~
Unfortunately, he had only taken a few steps when the rain came.
It was all because of Kakashi's jinxed weather forecast last night.
Inside a simple wooden shelter.
The five of them sat in a circle, the atmosphere unusually quiet.
Only the pattering of rain outside the shelter could be heard clearly.
Kakashi folded his arms and looked up at the roof.
He believed that even if Hankuang apologized, he still would not deserve the title of shinobi.
Obito was somewhat conflicted.
He wanted to persuade Hankuang to admit his mistake, but he also did not want to see the victorious look on Kakashi's face.
Rin felt the same way.
By law and principle, she thought Kakashi was right. But emotionally, she did not want Hankuang to leave.
In the end.
To everyone in Team 9's surprise, Minako broke the silence.
"He did that just to make me speak."
With Minako, the person involved, explaining, Hankuang's negative image vanished in an instant.
At that moment.
Kakashi felt his face burning, as if he had become a clown.
So he did it for the mission, to extract information. Kakashi thought.
There's actually a valid reason to sleep while holding a beautiful woman? I could do that too! Obito shouted inwardly, looking at Hankuang with undisguised envy and jealousy.
Hankuang paid no attention to their reactions.
What concerned him was that today, the system had doubled his Strength attribute?
Strength: (*) Genin level
"My Strength attribute is at the bottom. Even doubled, it's still only at the Genin level."
He did not feel much emotional fluctuation. He would just let nature take its course.
After all, the doubling was random.
The rain soon stopped.
Hankuang stood up.
But Kakashi blocked his path, seeming to want to apologize yet finding it difficult to speak.
Then Obito and Rin each grabbed one of his arms.
The meaning was obvious.
Want to leave? Not a chance.
Really, even their way of keeping someone here was unusual.
Team 9 set out once more.
As soon as they started moving, Kakashi came over.
Before you continue