Intelligence Gathering

Hyuga Kazuya emerged from Space Travel and immediately braced himself against Minato Namikaze, bending over to vomit.

The discomfort of Space Travel was utterly nauseating. It felt as though his entire body had been thrown into a washing machine and repeatedly tossed and spun around in zero gravity, without any rhythm or pattern.

The balance mechanism in his brain had been severely disrupted.

After returning from Space Travel to reality, gravity once again took effect, and he felt his feet standing on solid ground again.

The fact that Hyuga Kazuya could still stand there and vomit instead of dropping to his knees already showed that his physical condition was quite good.

Bleurgh.

Seeing Hyuga Kazuya still vomiting up the food he had eaten that day, Minato Namikaze patted his back to ease his discomfort.

"It's all right, Kazuya. I was the same when I first used the Flying Thunder God Technique. You'll get used to it."

"Teacher Minato, you're amazing. You can still act like nothing happened after that." Wiping his mouth and taking a deep breath, Hyuga Kazuya felt somewhat better.

"No wonder Teacher Minato never uses Flying Thunder God to travel with us. Not many people could endure that feeling."

After experiencing it once, Hyuga Kazuya had no desire to experience it a second time.

But, but.

Considering the power of Space Ninjutsu, even if the nauseating sensation were stronger, he believed he would gladly accept it.

For the sake of becoming stronger, he could endure this much hardship.

"Let's go first. We need to meet up with Kakashi." Minato Namikaze supported Hyuga Kazuya as they headed toward the place they had agreed to meet Kakashi.

By the time they found Kakashi in the Capital, the discomfort Hyuga Kazuya had suffered from his first Space Travel had already faded, and he was in much better spirits.

The three-man team did not remain in the Capital. No one knew whether Sunagakure would come back for another attack, so after meeting up and exchanging a few brief words, they immediately left the Capital and raced toward the Port City of the Land of Artisans.

Before long, evening arrived. As time passed, the sun sank below the horizon, and a bright moon hung high in the sky.

Since no ships would be heading to the mainland at night, the three of them rested in a cave not far from the Port City of the Land of Artisans.

The crimson firelight reflected off the cave walls, casting the entire cave in a reddish glow.

Minato Namikaze handed a roasted rabbit, crisp on the outside and tender within, to Hyuga Kazuya and Kakashi.

"Kazuya, can you tell me the specific details of the mission?"

Taking the fragrant roast rabbit, whose aroma could be smelled from far away, Hyuga Kazuya was quite surprised by Minato Namikaze's cooking skills.

Such a powerful ninja, with a good personality, handsome looks, and such excellent cooking... he truly deserved to be the man everyone most wanted to marry in Naruto.

He shared some of the roast rabbit in his hands with Kakashi, then recalled the events as he ate.

He told Minato Namikaze everything he had seen, piece by piece.

How many people Kirigakure had sent, how many Sunagakure had sent, their strengths, methods of attack, how many had died, and how many had been injured.

He focused on describing the wielder of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's dual blades, Hiramekarei, the Kaguya Clan ninja, and Pakura of Sunagakure's attack methods and the power of her ninjutsu.

Because he had been too far away and did not know lip-reading, Hyuga Kazuya still did not know the names of Kirigakure's two Jonin.

"Oh, right, Teacher Minato. Among Sunagakure's support forces hidden nearby, there was a ninja who seemed to be Magnet Release Rasa of Sunagakure."

At first, Hyuga Kazuya truly had not noticed him. After all, Rasa had very little presence in Naruto, and he had no particularly distinctive features. Hyuga Kazuya had initially treated Rasa as an ordinary Jonin from Sunagakure and paid him no attention.

However, when Pakura had been forced into the air by the Kaguya Clan ninja, he saw the Gold Sand beneath her feet and realized that Magnet Release Rasa was among the Sand Village forces. Only then did he identify Rasa.

If Hyuga Kazuya had known lip-reading, he would have discovered Rasa's presence much earlier.

The thought surfaced in Hyuga Kazuya's mind. It looks like I need to learn lip-reading after returning to the village. Combined with the Byakugan, it would raise its scouting abilities to another level.

If he knew lip-reading, then every conspiracy within a few kilometers would practically be broadcast live in front of Hyuga Kazuya. How could anyone not be afraid of that?

"Rasa?"

"Yes, Rasa. Magnet Release Rasa, disciple of the Third Kazekage of Sunagakure."

"It seems Sunagakure's plan this time had originally been foolproof, but they did not expect Kirigakure to send two Elite Jonin as well—and they were far from ordinary Elite Jonin."

Upon learning that Sunagakure and Kirigakure had clashed, even this "honest man," Minato Namikaze, felt a little pleased inside.

"But none of that has anything to do with us. Our mission is complete." As he spoke, Minato Namikaze looked at Hyuga Kazuya with a relaxed and cheerful smile.

"The mission is complete?"

Kakashi, who had been eating roast rabbit while attentively listening to Hyuga Kazuya and Minato Namikaze's conversation, asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's complete." Minato Namikaze confirmed Kakashi's question, then looked toward Hyuga Kazuya. "Kazuya, tell Kakashi about it."

Seeing Minato Namikaze's gaze, Hyuga Kazuya scratched his head awkwardly.

"It was nothing. I just found a time when Sunagakure had let down their guard and used one arrow to destroy the Scroll."

"Senior Kazuya, you're incredible." Kakashi would not mistake Hyuga Kazuya's modesty for the truth. He could naturally imagine how difficult it had been to land such a precise shot in front of so many Sunagakure ninja.

"Haha, it was nothing. If it had been Teacher Minato, he could have completed the mission easily too."

Minato Namikaze smiled upon hearing that, but he did not explain anything.

So long as information that he had taken part in this mission had not been leaked, even without Kirigakure disrupting Sunagakure, Minato Namikaze believed completing the mission would not have been too difficult.

Those who had never seen it could hardly imagine the power of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

However, he had no guarantee that information about his involvement in the mission had not leaked.

Furthermore, he had not come to carry out the mission alone. That was why, after learning of Sunagakure's strength for this mission, he had considered retreating.

He simply had not expected Hyuga Kazuya to complete the mission in this manner.

"Oh, right. Kazuya, after this mission, try not to reveal that you can use a bow for some time."

Thinking about the heavy loss Sunagakure had suffered in this mission, Minato Namikaze worried that Sunagakure might find some clues through the bow and arrow, so he specifically reminded Hyuga Kazuya.

"And Kakashi, don't tell outsiders about this either."

After a brief silence, Minato Namikaze felt that if they said nothing when others asked, would that not be an obvious sign that something was wrong?

"Other than the Hokage, if anyone asks, say that I completed the mission using the Space Travel ability of the Flying Thunder God Technique."

Minato Namikaze also knew that this excuse might conceal the truth for a while, but it could not conceal it forever.

But with Hyuga Kazuya's rate of growth, concealing it for a while would be enough. Once Hyuga Kazuya became powerful in the future, he would naturally be able to deal with the aftermath himself.

"I'm sorry, Kazuya. We can only hide your contribution in this mission."

Hyuga Kazuya smiled indifferently. "It's all right, Teacher Minato. I understand. I understand the principle that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be blown down by the wind."

Looking at the sensible Hyuga Kazuya, Minato Namikaze suddenly felt that it would be wonderful if his future child were as kind, sensible, and naturally gifted as Hyuga Kazuya.

Hyuga Kazuya did not know that, at that moment, he had become "someone else's child."

"Don't worry, Kazuya. This time, I'll apply to have the village give you a greater reward. Why don't you think about what you want first?"

"Really? Teacher Minato, anything is possible?" Hyuga Kazuya suddenly asked excitedly, because he thought of the Flying Thunder God Technique, the Eight Gates, and a whole host of Forbidden Jutsu.

"It should be possible. I'll request approval from Lord Hokage." Minato Namikaze did not dare make too firm a promise, lest he fail to make it happen and not know how to explain it to Hyuga Kazuya.

"All right, thank you, Teacher Minato."

Though he did not know exactly which Forbidden Jutsu he might be able to learn, so long as it was a Forbidden Jutsu, its power would be beyond what ordinary ninjutsu could imagine.

Kakashi looked at Hyuga Kazuya with some envy, his youthful voice ringing out.

"I'll work hard too in the future."

Minato Namikaze laughed heartily and encouraged Kakashi. "Keep it up, Kakashi. You will definitely become an outstanding ninja in the future."

The three looked at one another as a cheerful atmosphere echoed through the cave.