The Demon Brothers Make Their Entrance and Get Taken Out, 1/2

Kakashi felt like a babysitter, and the scene seemed strangely familiar. Except back then, the babysitter had been his own teacher, Minato Namikaze.

Naruto was like Obito back then: the dead last, dreaming of becoming Naruto, with the stubborn temperament of a bull that would not turn back even after hitting a wall.

Sasuke was like his former self, having closed off his heart and turned himself into a hedgehog covered in spines, hurting anyone who tried to get close.

Sakura Haruno...

All right, Sakura Haruno was nothing like Rin. Sakura Haruno was tough on the outside and even tougher within, a tomboy who dared to love and hate. Rin, meanwhile, had been a gentle, somewhat shy girl.

Thinking of Obito and Rin, Kakashi's heart ached.

No matter how many years passed, it still hurt.

He absolutely could not let tragedy repeat itself. Kakashi shifted his gaze to Sasuke. This boy, whose eyes held nothing but hatred, was the team's detonator—one that could explode at any moment.

What should he do about him?

Hmm?

Kakashi sensed something, and the corner of his eye caught the dense grass not far away.

ANBU?

The other side seemed to have deliberately exposed their whereabouts. A hidden escort team?

Naruto was a jinchuriki. There was no such thing as being too cautious. Kakashi understood Naruto's approach, and the ANBU's deliberate exposure was a kind of... goodwill?

Wait, there were two more people!

Kakashi finally noticed two faint presences in another direction.

Enemies!

"Damn it!" Kakashi cursed himself inwardly. Lost in his memories, he had somehow failed to notice such obvious enemies.

Were they after Naruto, or...?

Kakashi looked at Tazuna, who reeked of alcohol and appeared crude but was actually full of worry, then stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Inside the grass.

Sarara complained, "It's so damp. For a D-rank mission, having the famed 'Konoha's Number One Technician' lead the team isn't enough—they even need an ANBU squad for protection? Has that old Naruto smoked so much tobacco that he's drunk?"

Hatake Kaito smacked the back of Sarara's head. "Don't speak badly of Naruto behind his back."

"Tch!" Sarara curled her lip. "Fine, I won't. Naruto is so amazing, all right? And stop smacking the back of my head. It'll make me stupid."

Hayato comforted Sarara. "Don't worry. You've already hit rock bottom in the stupidity department. You can't get any dumber."

Sarara smiled brightly and grabbed the flesh at Hayato's waist, twisting it one hundred and eighty degrees left, then three hundred and sixty degrees right.

Hayato bared his teeth in pain. "Ow, ow! Why are you acting like you've gone dark?"

Sarara said, "? Which girl was it? How did you trick her out of her feelings? Confess!"

"Ahem, ahem." Hatake Kaito coughed lightly. "We're on a mission. Stop messing around and be serious."

Sarara reluctantly released her twisting grip, eager to move. "How about we take care of those two rats?"

The rats Sarara spoke of were the ninjas hiding not far away.

They wore Hidden Mist Village forehead protectors with slashes through them and gas masks, draped in tattered fishnet cloaks as they furtively followed Kakashi's group.

Anyone could tell with their toes that they were enemies.

Sarara was already irritated and wanted to find someone to hammer into the ground.

Irritated?!

Could it be... her period had come?

With his waist still faintly aching, Hayato decided he should provoke Sarara less these next few days.

Hatake Kaito shook his head. "No. Naruto's order is to protect them in secret. Don't do anything unnecessary."

Sarara gritted her teeth. "That old Naruto again." She grabbed the soft flesh at Hayato's waist once more.

"Ugh..." Caught off guard, Hayato nearly cried out. "Sarara! What are you doing?!"

Sarara turned her head, a smile on her lips and not the slightest remorse in her expression. "What's wrong with giving you a twist? I'm in a bad mood. Men shouldn't be so petty."

Hayato was speechless. You're a woman, so you're amazing, all right?

At least Hayato was certain of one thing—Sarara really had gotten her period.

Hmph, serves you right for getting your period at thirteen!

The Demon Brothers from the Hidden Mist Village still set up their clumsy trap on the road. It was only natural for Kakashi to see through it, but Sasuke had noticed it too.

Sarara commented, "That handsome rookie isn't bad."

Watching the sickle chain shred Kakashi's substitute, Hayato said, "To capture the bandits, capture their leader first. Choosing Senior Kakashi as their first target, good. The chain and their teamwork fit together seamlessly, and the power is immense. Good."

What was the scariest thing about team fights?

Teammates desperately throwing skills at the tank while letting the AD carry deal unlimited damage.

Teammates messing up their coordination, overlapping their crowd control, then kicking the enemy away at the last moment and saving them.

Judging from those two points, the Demon Brothers were only Gold-tier players.

Sarara mocked, "Good my ass. Does cutting through a human feel the same as cutting through wood? Those two idiots!"

There was nothing wrong with the Demon Brothers' target selection, nor with their skill coordination. Unfortunately, they had missed their skills.

Missing was one thing, but they had not even noticed. They thought they had taken out the damage dealer and that victory was assured!

—Unfathomable confidence.

Thinking they had killed Kakashi, the Demon Brothers turned to attack Naruto.

—An unfathomable turnabout.

Originally, Naruto had been so nervous when facing the sickle chain and the Demon Brothers that he could not move at all.

It was not Naruto's fault.

Naruto had never had friends and had been ostracized by others. How many real combat training sessions had he ever received?

You could not blame an Iron-tier player for getting crushed in a Gold-tier match, could you?

But would Naruto, who had occasionally sparred with Hayato, still be the same as before?

The answer was...

Naruto rolled lazily like a donkey, dodging every attack.

If he had thrown two kunai at the Demon Brothers while rolling, Hayato would have given him an excellent rating.

Still, for an Iron-tier player, it was enough to use his equipment and not feed. What, were they supposed to expect him to carry the entire game?

Sasuke reacted even faster. He leaped up and drew shuriken and kunai. The shuriken pinned the sickle chain to a tree, while the kunai pierced the circular hole in the middle of the shuriken, reinforcing it further.

His technique and accuracy were so practiced that he did not seem like a rookie at all.

Out of habit, the Demon Brothers tugged on their chain, but could not pull it back.

Sasuke took the opportunity to land on their shoulders and kicked both Demon Brothers in the head.

Sarara could not help saying, "Beautifully done, Uchiha bro."

It truly was beautiful. There was nothing to criticize about that sequence; it was packed with details.

The Demon Brothers were still chunin. As they were kicked away, they undid the chain. The moment they landed, they rose immediately and charged straight at their target, Tazuna.

No trash talk, no threats. The Demon Brothers' technique might have been crude, but they truly were assassins—ruthless and merciless, willing to do anything to achieve their goal.

Sasuke blocked Tazuna, and Naruto was a little slower, but he also moved to support from the side.

"So you really are the target, Mr. Tazuna." Kakashi, hidden in the shadows, confirmed his suspicions. He made a stylish appearance and caught both Demon Brothers by the neck in a single strike.

The Demon Brothers were GG. They got taken out, fulfilling their great mission as minor characters.

Sarara said, "Do you think Kakashi will continue the mission? The employer has obviously concealed something. This should at least be a B-rank mission, right?"

Hatake Kaito said, "That is not something we need to consider."

Hayato said, "Want to make a bet? I bet the mission continues."

The essence of this escort mission was to train Naruto. Kakashi would not give up over a little accident. Besides, there was an ANBU squad in the shadows.

If Momochi Zabuza was waiting ahead, would Kakashi still continue?

Hayato and the others did not know either. Besides the elite monster Momochi Zabuza, there was an even bigger surprise waiting.

Hatake Kaito said, "I bet the mission continues."

Sarara raised her hand. "Me too."

Hayato rolled his eyes. They had all picked the same side. Even if they won, there would be no loser to pay up. What kind of bet was that?

His plan to squeeze out even a little profit had declared defeat.

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