They had to return to the village once the mission was over, and the journey back was hardly short. It took four days of travel to reach Konoha's gates.
At the sight of the familiar village, Naruto perked up instantly.
"Wow, we're finally back!"
"Yeah."
For once, Sakura Haruno did not banter with Naruto Uzumaki. She simply nodded.
Naruto Uzumaki strode ahead with both hands raised, eager to feast at the Ino Ramen Shop.
"I've missed ramen so much!"
Luo Mang did not shout, but the expression on his face gave him away.
His first trip far from home, followed by a safe return to the village-it had been a good experience. He had also confirmed his own strength and gained quite a lot.
[Finally back in the village.]
[After being away for so long, I really did miss it a little. It wasn't as though I was constantly on edge out there, but I have lived here for several years, after all.]
"Tch."
Sasuke Uchiha rolled his eyes at Naruto's boisterous display.
He found it embarrassing, even though he had missed life in the village a little himself. Still, was there any need to make such a fuss? They had been gone less than two months, yet Naruto made it sound as though they had been apart for over a year.
He was overreacting.
Kakashi placed his hands on the heads of the two boys, whose bond involved constantly mocking each other, then pushed them together until only a fist's width separated them.
Perhaps it was his mischievous streak, or perhaps he wanted to imitate Minato Namikaze. Only after getting them into position did he speak.
"Heh, we did pretty well this time. Let's turn in the mission first, then go get ramen. My treat today. Eat as much