As they traveled and talked, Kakashi's group discussed Uchiha Shin. Kakashi himself knew very little about him. Most of what he could say came from legends, after all; that era was far too long ago, and modern-day ninja knew very little about it.
Before they knew it, they had been away from Konoha for an entire day. As the sun set, the light gradually faded.
Kakashi surveyed the surroundings and stopped. "It's almost dark. Traveling at night is dangerous, so we'll camp here tonight. Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, the three of you are responsible for picking the most secluded campsite nearby and setting up the tents. You shouldn't have any problems with basic ninja training like this, right?"
But when he saw Naruto and Sakura's blank expressions, Kakashi covered his eyes with a sigh. "Forget it. It was my mistake to expect anything from rookies like you."
"Hehe..." Naruto grinned and let out a carefree laugh, then jogged casually toward Tazuna.
"Hey, old man, what kind of country is the Land of Waves? Tell me about it!"
"..."
"Naruto, you idiot! Go gather firewood, or you don't get dinner!" Kakashi's furious roar echoed through the forest.
Soft footsteps sounded along the forest path as five figures moved forward in succession. Kakashi walked at the front, glancing around from time to time. His expression was calm, without the slightest hint of tension.
Today was already their third day after leaving Konoha. Even at their slow pace, they had neared the borders of the Land of Waves. As they approached it, Tazuna's expression had become somewhat strange, as if he were afraid of something.
"Ah, what lovely sunshine. We'll reach the Land of Waves tomorrow—I'm suddenly really looking forward to it!" Naruto smiled as he looked up, but his eyes abruptly widened and