Konan in Dire Straits

Karot shouted loudly when he saw Kakashi and Naruto Uzumaki sneaking in.

"Kakashi, over here."

Karot's eyes lit up; he saw this as a golden opportunity! Rin and Shizune were both there. If Kakashi were to realize this, and choose one of them—and if Kakashi were even more assertive and wanted both adults—then the Hatake Clan's financial future would be secured. Karot hadn't even considered his own situation!

Kakashi and Naruto exchanged a glance.

What should we do about Kakashi-sensei?

Naruto was out of ideas and could only rely on Kakashi to come up with a solution. After all, there was always a tall guy to handle things.

"Let it go, what else can we do?"

Now that we've been discovered, we have no choice but to play it by ear.

"What's wrong with you two? Why are you sneaking around like this just to get something to eat?"

After Kakashi and Naruto sat down, Karot couldn't wait to ask.

"Is this kid stalking Lin or Shizune? Why would he bring a little kid along for something like this?"

Karot mentally went through a thorough process of figuring out why Kakashi was here.

"Kakashi, you actually came here to eat barbecue behind my back! Let's have a man's duel! Let's see who can eat the most barbecue!"

Before Kakashi could even answer, Might Guy's booming voice had already sounded the alarm for his arrival, even before he appeared.

Kakashi slapped his forehead and shook his head. How did he end up with this guy? How was he supposed to get to know him properly now?

"Brother Karot."

"Kai."

"Brother Karot, will you be the referee for me Kakashi?"

Seeing the hope in Might Guy's eyes, Karot suppressed the urge to leave and nodded.

"Come on, Kakashi! This will be the 50th time I've defeated you."

Before the battle even began, Might Guy declared his victory. In his view, how could Kakashi's slender body compare to his own steel-like physique?

Go to sleep! You'll dream about it.

You're saying I'm dreaming?

"Look, even you say that."

Kakashi shrugged and said in a flippant tone.

"Hmph, let's see what you do when you lose."

Might Guy knew he couldn't win an argument with Kakashi, so he chose to let the facts speak for themselves. He was going to prove Kakashi wrong.

"Count me in, I want to compete too!"

Wearing goggles, Uchiha Obito ran over while talking. Obito wouldn't miss any opportunity to shine in front of Rin. He wanted to defeat Kakashi and win Rin's heart.

"This is going to be interesting! We'll come and support them!"

Asuma appeared with his wife. However, the large bags Asuma was carrying indicated he'd been dragged shopping by her. Judging by Asuma's weak appearance, it's clear just how strong a woman's shopping prowess is. To leave an elite Jonin such a sorry state is terrifying!

"Hong, come over here quickly."

The three girls immediately called Hong to their side, and began whispering among themselves.

Karot instantly felt disheartened. He had originally planned for Kakashi to spend time with Rin and Shizune, but suddenly so many other classmates appeared out of nowhere.

What's going on?

Hatake Sakumo looked utterly bewildered. Wasn't Karot on a blind date? When Kakashi appeared Hatake Sakumo wanted to give Kakashi a good beating. Why did you interrupt your brother's date, trying to show off? Well, as soon as Kakashi appeared, all the other ninjas from their generation started showing up one after another.

"Kakashi, just wait till you get home, I'll teach you a lesson."

Kakashi suddenly felt a strange chill, not knowing where it came from.

"Kakashi, stop daydreaming. It's about to begin."

Seeing Kakashi lost in thought, Might Guy quickly spoke up. He didn't want to win the match like this; if he wanted to win, he wanted to win fair and square.

"The barbecue competition currently underway is between Kakashi, Might Guy, and Uchiha Obito. Anyone else want to participate?"

Karot looked around and asked. Seeing that no one responded, he continued.

"Is the barbecue ready?"

Karot turned to the owner and asked. Karot didn't want the barbecue supply to run out, causing the match to end prematurely.

"No problem."

The Akimichi Clan ninja assured them. Wouldn't it be a slap in the face if they couldn't supply enough? This was, of course, because Karot wasn't playing. If Karot had participated, they wouldn't have been so confident in supplying them with the amount of roasted meat they consumed. After all, there was only one Karot.

Are you ready?

As Karot asked, the three contestants nodded.

"Start."

At Karot's command, the three of them devoured the roasted meat in front of them in a frenzy.

"Go Kakashi!"

"Shizune," she said.

"Go Kakashi!"

"This is the younger brother of my sweetheart, "Kazumi said. "I love him so much that I love everything about him."

"Kakashi, Obito, Guy, good luck!"

Lin added all three together, and of course, her voice was louder when she called for Kakashi.

"Come on!"

"Come on!"

The audience members next to them were all from the same cohort, and they were cheering for the three of them. There was no need to distinguish between them.

"Go Kakashi-sensei!"

Naruto's voice almost drowned out everyone else's. It pierced Karot's eardrums.

"As expected of Naruto, who's known for his Talk no Jutsu '! His voice is really loud."

However, Kakashi had more supporters. After all, he's handsome. Some female ninjas appeared around Kakashi at some point, staring at Kakashi with infatuated expressions.

"Even when he's West City's so handsome, Kakashi- senpai."

These female ninjas were visual creatures. They pushed Naruto aside and surrounded Kakashi.

"As expected of my younger brother! He's so popular."

"Karot said proudly."

"Oh no!"

Karot turned to look at Rin and Shizune. They were both looking at Kakashi with dangerous eyes.

"Kakashi, blame yourself! You're just too popular!"

Karot silently mourned for Kakashi in his heart. Kakashi had offended two women at once, and both of them were skilled in Medical Ninjutsu.

"She's here."

The ninja who had accepted the Bounty Hunter's Guild mission shouted loudly. But as soon as he finished shouting, a kunai pierced his throat and pinned him to a tree.

After dealing with the ninja, Konan immediately fled the scene. She had been relentlessly pursued after being thrown out by Nagato. She was a far cry from the angelic figure she once Amegakure. She wore tattered clothes stained with blood, some from enemies, some from herself, but mostly from the enemy.

Where should I go?

Konan had asked herself this question more than once. Konan had considered every possible method, but she had never considered dying. She knew that Nagato had given his own life to save her. She had to live. Only by living could she take revenge.