Kakashi's 50/50

"Lord Hokage, are you sure these brats are reliable? I've heard the Land of Fire is crawling with bandits. Do they really have the strength to protect me?" the old man stumbled over, reeking of alcohol.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, casting a calm, unreadable glance at the Third. What these so-called bandits actually were—others might not see it, but how could Naruto not know? They were nothing more than hired thugs kept by the high-ranking officials of the Land of Fire. Whether it was merchants or travelers, they would be robbed; they either paid the toll or hired ninjas for protection. As for wiping them out, ninjas wouldn't touch them without an official mission, and meddling in such affairs would only lead to punishment.

Naruto couldn't tell if the old man was genuinely clever or just playing the part, but the Third was certainly skilled at putting on a facade, quickly offering reassurances and praising the strength of Naruto and his team while saying nothing of the bandits.

The higher-ups all knew the truth about these bandits, but no one spoke of it. It was a tacit understanding: as long as no one submitted a mission, they wouldn't interfere. Besides, exterminating bandits was at least a B-rank mission, far too expensive for commoners to afford.

"Hey, old man, are you looking down on us?"

Naruto was more than happy to play along with their little performance.

Tazuna's eyes were filled with disdain, a look that made someone as arrogant as Sasuke quite displeased.

"Old man, do you even know who he is? Our teacher, an elite Jonin, the one known as the Copy Ninja, Lord Kakashi of the Sharingan," Naruto said, pointing at Kakashi with a proud expression.

"The Copy Ninja?" Hinata and Sasuke were both taken aback.

Kakashi's lips had just begun to curl into a smile when he heard the nickname, and a vein throbbed on his forehead.

"It means he can draw a tie with anyone," Naruto explained to Hinata, completely oblivious to the strange expressions on everyone else's faces.

"Damn it, Naruto, don't go giving your teacher such weird nicknames!" Kakashi couldn't help but land a fist on Naruto's head.

Naruto scratched his head, feeling absolutely nothing.

"Cough, cough. Alright, you may go." Seeing this scene, a glimmer of relief flashed in the Third Hokage's eyes; this was exactly what he wanted to see.

Bonds—the bonds of friends, the bonds of love.

Deep within, Naruto's eyes remained as calm as still water. To live freely here, he had to appear harmless, like a person and an animal that would never bite.

The group disbanded. Since this mission required leaving the village and they didn't know how many days it would take, everyone had to go home to prepare.

Naruto returned home and tidied up, though, in truth, there was nothing much to pack.

At noon, the group gathered at the gates of Konoha. Sasuke brought a few ninja tools; Naruto, appearing as a taijutsu specialist, brought nothing at all; Hinata, also a taijutsu specialist, carried a single sealing scroll.

Kakashi arrived last. He glanced at the group and went to register at the gate. For ordinary people, the gates of Konoha were easy to enter, but for ninjas, the barrier made entry and exit difficult, requiring formal registration.

The three of them left Konoha once more, this time heading much further afield.

Ice Release, huh? I should test it out. Knowing what kind of enemy they would face, Naruto began to weigh his gains and losses. Never underestimating any power was Naruto's golden rule.

Ice Release was weak in Haku's hands, but that was only because her strength was too low.

Because it was a C-rank mission, everyone remained quite relaxed.

Naruto couldn't help but look around as they traveled.

Since they were primarily escorting a commoner, they traveled on foot.

The pace of an ordinary person was naturally slow, but everyone treated the journey like a sightseeing trip and felt no urgency.

Kakashi led the way, reading his little orange book, while Naruto and Sasuke guarded the drunkard on either side, with Hinata bringing up the rear.

By nightfall, the group lit a campfire and began to prepare dinner.

They all had rations, but Kakashi frowned as he looked at the fire.

"Naruto, we are ninjas. We should try to avoid lighting campfires in the wild; it's dangerous if the enemy discovers us," Kakashi instructed.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei. We aren't fighting enemies right now; where would they even come from?" Naruto didn't care. In truth, it was his confidence in his own strength—with his current power, no one in the Ninja World could kill him. Besides, they hadn't even left the Land of Fire yet, so there was no real danger.

Kakashi frowned, about to say something, when a sound came from behind them.

Kakashi's expression tightened.

Just as he was about to move into a defensive stance, he saw a Naruto walk out from the shadows, holding a rabbit.

A Shadow Clone? When did he do that? Kakashi was suspicious. Even though he hadn't activated his Sharingan, he shouldn't have been that careless.

Taking the prepared rabbit, Naruto began to grill it, and Hinata and Sasuke came over to help; neither was a stranger to this routine.

"Old man, do you want some?" Once it was finished, Hinata offered a piece to the old man.

"If you're in a hurry, we can arrive by tomorrow," Naruto said, glancing at the drunkard.

Tazuna looked a bit guilty.

"I'm not in a hurry."

"I am. Tomorrow, I'll carry you. I've seen enough of this boring charade." Naruto didn't expose him further, but he could tell today that the man was very anxious. However, because Kakashi hadn't said anything, the man didn't dare to speak up, terrified of being found out.

But Naruto had played enough. He had his own goals and didn't want to waste time on the road.

The three of them finished their meal and began to chat. At night, they took turns keeping watch. Although there were no enemies, the purpose of Genin missions was to teach them experience.

Naruto took the first watch, Sasuke the second, and Hinata, being a girl, was excused.

In theory, Hinata, with her Byakugan, was the best suited for night watch, but Naruto doted on her, and Sasuke listened to Naruto—mostly because Naruto was currently stronger than him.

The next day, Naruto carried the old man on his back, and the group began to travel in the way of ninjas, their speed increasing significantly.

In less than half a day, they reached the border of the Land of Fire. Once they crossed this, they would take a boat, and it would only be a short while until they reached the Land of Waves.

At the edge of the forest, Naruto put the man down, and the group slowed their pace once more, because beyond this forest, the scenery would be entirely different.

Suddenly, Naruto sensed something and glanced ahead, while Kakashi also cast a sidelong look.

Just as the group was about to exit the forest, a puddle appeared on the ground ahead, but none of them paid it any mind.

The moment Kakashi stepped into the puddle, two figures suddenly lunged out from within. They wielded chains, instantly binding Kakashi, and with a forceful tug in opposite directions, they tore his body into two pieces.

"Enemies!" Sasuke reacted, immediately sounding the alarm.

Hinata's small face tightened with tension as she instantly activated her Byakugan.

"There are a few brats left."

"Let's finish off those brats first."

The two men turned their gazes toward Sasuke and the others.

[Body Flicker Technique]

Suddenly, Naruto's figure vanished, reappearing between the two men with his hands balled into fists, striking them both simultaneously in the stomach.