Don't Say Anything That Undermines the Village's Unity!

Yehuo jerked his head up, stunned.

Huh?

We can do that?

"Nii-san! If you can, include me too! Didn't our last training session end because we ran out of time? I... I'm not afraid of pain!"

Yehuo joined in, staring at Shinji expectantly.

A faint smile touched Shinji's lips, but he quickly shook his head in distress. "That... wouldn't be right. We're out here on a mission, after all. Even if it's just an intelligence-gathering assignment..."

"No! We still have to take it seriously. How could we hold special training in the middle of a mission?"

"That won't do! Not at all!"

Yugao's and Yehuo's faces fell. Both looked utterly dejected.

Kakashi watched Shinji's expression.

He thought for a moment.

Then he sighed. "It's not really a problem. The investigation has no deadline, so we have some freedom. We just need to send reports back to the village regularly."

Shinji looked shocked. "Huh? Kakashi, doesn't that mean you're completely disregarding Lord Hokage's orders?"

"..."

Kakashi spread his hands and said nothing more.

Shinji fell silent for a moment, then glanced at Mitarashi Anko.

Sure enough.

She said nothing.

But Anko, who had yet to sink into complete despair and turn herself into a Human Bullet Tank, watched him with fierce determination. Her eyes burned with a desire to grow stronger.

And... with the flames of revenge!

She didn't mind being taught by a classmate only a year younger than she was.

"Kakashi, is this really all right?"

Shinji frowned and looked at Kakashi.

He couldn't tell whether Kakashi was smiling beneath his mask, but there was definitely laughter in his eyes.

"Well, anyway... I have no objections."

Kakashi stretched lazily. "It's a long-term mission. We might as well treat it as a vacation. But the Border of the Three Countries