Went to See Icha Icha Paradise Again

Qingyu held back his laughter until it was painful.

The sight was too beautiful; he dared not look.

By evening, the team reached their designated rest point, an abandoned post station.

After Kakashi checked the area and confirmed it was safe, the four of them began to set up camp.

"We'll stand guard in pairs. Sasuke and Neji take the first half of the night, Qingyu and Naruto take the second," Kakashi assigned the tasks.

"I'm going to set up a perimeter barrier nearby. You lot handle dinner yourselves."

With that, he vanished. He truly lived up to his legendary reputation as the "King of Tardiness," slipping away faster than anyone.

The four youths looked at each other in silence.

"Who knows how to cook?" Neji asked.

Sasuke: "No."

Naruto: "Does instant ramen count?"

Qingyu: "...I know a little."

Before he transmigrated, he was at least a corporate slave living alone; he could manage simple cooking.

When he opened the supply bag and saw the ingredients inside, he fell silent.

Twenty Military Ration Pills, ten packs of compressed biscuits, five portions of dried meat, and... a few bags of wild vegetables?

Was this supposed to be a wilderness survival challenge?

So much for the promised ninja logistics support! So much for the promised extra ninja subsidies!

Logistics: I won't even give you an egg!

"Watch me!" Naruto rolled up his sleeves. "I've invented the super-duper delicious Military Ration Pill Ramen!"

Five minutes later, Naruto returned carrying a pot of black, unidentifiable sludge.

Sasuke took one look: "Poison?"

Neji activated his Byakugan to inspect it: "Chakra fluctuations are chaotic. Not recommended for consumption."

Qingyu: "My body feels so hot... what did you put in there?"

"Crushed Military Ration Pills, ramen seasoning, and my special chili sauce!" Naruto boasted. "Try it!"

Qingyu braced himself and took another bite.

Three seconds later, he lunged for the water canteen and chugged it.

Spicy! It was spicy enough to make his soul leave his body!

This wasn't food; it was a chemical weapon!

Naruto, is your sense of taste broken?

"Is it really that bad?" Naruto looked aggrieved. "I thought it was okay..."

"I'll take over." Qingyu resigned himself to the task.

He first started a fire with a small Fire Style jutsu, then chopped the dried meat and boiled it into a soup with the wild vegetables.

He ground the Military Ration Pills into powder to use as seasoning; while it certainly wouldn't taste gourmet, it was at least edible.

Sasuke watched coldly the entire time, but when Qingyu ladled out a bowl of soup and handed it to him, he took it and drank it in silence.

Sasuke: He could still tell the difference between food and excrement.

Neji offered a polite word of thanks and drank his quickly yet gracefully; it seemed the upbringing of the Hyuga clan was indeed excellent.

Naruto took a sip, his eyes lighting up: "Wow! This is better than mine!"

Qingyu: "..." Even a dog wouldn't eat that pot of yours, okay!

After dinner, the sky turned completely dark.

The desert night was chillingly cold. Qingyu wrapped his coat tighter, but he still felt the cold seeping into his bones.

Sasuke and Neji went off to stand guard.

Naruto was soon sleeping like a log; having a big heart was a talent in itself.

Qingyu lay in his sleeping bag, but he couldn't fall asleep.

Two voices began to argue in his head again:

"The desert..." Izuna reminisced. "Back when we were fighting the Senju, the desert battlefield was the most annoying! Sand gets in your eyes, weapons rust, and corpses are hard to bury."

Tobirama: "But the desert terrain is suitable for ambushes and guerrilla warfare. The ninjas of Sunagakure have a natural advantage here."

Qingyu felt a tightening in his chest.

That was true. With Sunagakure fighting on their home turf, could this "group of problem children" really handle it?

"Don't overthink it," Tobirama said. "The most important thing now is to rest. We have to keep moving tomorrow."

Qingyu closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

It was unclear how much time had passed when he was suddenly jolted awake! It wasn't a sound, but a feeling.

[Combat Intuition (Basic)] is issuing a warning!

He sat up abruptly and saw Sasuke and Neji, who had been on watch, already standing and staring vigilantly in a certain direction.

"What is it?" Qingyu asked in a low voice.

"Something is approaching." Neji's Byakugan shimmered in the darkness. "Three... no, four! They're moving very fast."

Sasuke's Sharingan was already active. "They aren't beasts. They're people."

Where was Kakashi? Qingyu scanned his surroundings, but he couldn't see the team's jonin leader anywhere.

Don't tell me you're off reading Icha Icha Paradise again, sensei!

"Wake up Naruto." Sasuke commanded calmly. "Prepare for battle."

Qingyu hurriedly shook Naruto awake.

Naruto mumbled groggily, "Is it morning already... eh? Enemy attack?!"

He sobered up instantly and pulled out a kunai.

Four black shadows emerged from behind a sand dune, moving with agility and landing without a sound.

They were all wearing Sunagakure uniforms and masks.

"Little kids from Konoha," the leader said in a raspy voice, "playing out here so late, aren't you afraid of running into bad guys?"

Naruto: "You're the bad guys, aren't you!"

Sasuke: "..."

Neji had already assumed the starting stance for the Gentle Fist.

Qingyu counted silently: four Sunagakure chunin, and judging by their chakra fluctuations, none of them were weak.

And on their side... four genin and one missing jonin.

This comparison of combat power...

I, Fatty Zaemon, only stand on the side of the strong!

"What do we do?" Naruto whispered.

"Fight." Sasuke was concise.

"Wait!" Qingyu suddenly spoke up. "Seniors from Sunagakure, we are the Konoha representative team here for the joint event. This must be a misunderstanding, right?"

He was stalling for time!

Kakashi-sensei, if you don't show up soon, your adorable students are going to be packed up and hauled away!

"Joint event?" The Sunagakure ninja laughed. "The event doesn't start until tomorrow. You arrived so early... you wouldn't be planning any underhanded tricks, would you?"

Neji said coldly, "According to the agreement, arriving one day early is permitted."

"Agreements are rigid, but people are flexible." Another Sunagakure ninja said, "How about this: you hand over your supplies, and we'll let you go. Consider it... a desert welcome ceremony."

Extortion! Naked, blatant extortion! Is it a custom in Sunagakure to collect tolls?

I really want to secretly snipe you, brother.

"And if I say no?" Sasuke's hand was already resting on his ninja tool pouch.

"Then don't blame us for being impolite."

The battle was on the verge of breaking out!

Just at this critical, Thousand Jun moment...

"Oh my, what a lively scene?" Kakashi's voice came from overhead.

Everyone looked up to see Kakashi crouching on the dilapidated eaves of the post station, still holding Icha Icha Paradise in his hand.

Just how much do you love this book, sensei!

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto cheered.

The Sunagakure ninjas' expressions changed. "The Copy Ninja of Konoha..."

"That would be me." Kakashi jumped down and said lazily, "My friends from Sunagakure, isn't it a bit unseemly to bully children?"

"We were just... saying hello." The lead Sunagakure ninja took a step back. "Since Jonin Kakashi is here, never mind."

The four of them turned to flee.

"Wait." Kakashi called out to them. "Since you're already here, why not leave a souvenir?"

His figure flickered, and he instantly appeared behind one of the Sunagakure ninjas, holding a kunai to the man's throat. "Speak, who sent you?"

So fast! Qingyu's pupils constricted.

Is this the strength of a jonin?

"N-no one sent us..." the ninja trembled. "We just... wanted to make some extra cash..."

"Oh?" Kakashi's single eye narrowed. "Then shall I send you back to Sunagakure City to have a chat with the Kazekage about this 'extra cash'?"