Kakashi, the problem child

After brief introductions, the ANBU squad left Konoha and headed for the Borderlands.

Along the way, the squad members talked some more, making sure the ninjutsu they used in combat would not catch their teammates in the crossfire.

Once that discussion was over, the squad fell silent again.

Kakashi, their captain, was a man of few words, while Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha stared resentfully at Asuma.

That left Asuma, the only one who could not stand the silence, lighting a cigarette to relieve his boredom.

But before he could take more than a few puffs, a gust of wind put it out.

After their last encounter, Zou Hyuga and Oto were not about to let Asuma smoke again. Who knew what strange species he might attract this time?

After several failed attempts, Asuma realized something was off and finally gave up.

It was not as though he had to smoke. Whenever he did, he felt a chill down his back, as if a wild beast were watching him.

Throughout the journey, Zou Hyuga periodically activated his Byakugan to survey their surroundings, remaining thoroughly alert.

During one of the few C-Rank Missions he had previously undertaken, he and Oto had encountered Rogue Ninja midway through their journey. One had even been a rogue jonin from the Small Ninja Village.

But a jonin from the Small Ninja Village was only about as strong as an elite Konoha chunin, and they had dealt with him easily.

That experience was precisely why Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha were exceptionally cautious about this A-Rank Mission, fearing they might encounter an enemy they could not defeat.

With that mindset, the two demonstrated all the qualities of excellent ninja before Kakashi and Asuma. Whether setting traps or making camp, their work was impeccable.

Standing in the treetops and watching the two work below, Kakashi and Asuma could not help feeling impressed.

But when they remembered that these two had previously been undertaking missions under the title of genin...

Their expressions gradually turned peculiar. They could only marvel at how much hidden talent lurked among the village's genin.

Before long, darkness blanketed the land. The ANBU squad lit a campfire and sat around it.

The border was not a day or two away from the village. Even at a ninja's pace, reaching it would take at least several days.

The flames drove away the forest's dampness and brought waves of warmth. Kakashi took out the mission scroll, preparing to explain their assignment in detail.

But when he saw Oto Uchiha and Zou Hyuga holding roast chicken, their mouths glistening with grease...

He suddenly found his own food rather bland. He swallowed, and the Soldier Pills in his hand lost all their appeal.

"Captain Kakashi, want some?"

Zou Hyuga tore off a drumstick and handed it to Kakashi. Then he looked at Asuma and tore off another leg.

"You want some too, right?"

Asuma nodded. He had long found Soldier Pills bland and difficult to swallow.

Aside from restoring a little chakra, Soldier Pills tasted like balls of mud.

Zou Hyuga glanced at Asuma and pointed deeper into the woods. "There are plenty in there. Help yourself if you want one. I've already got the seasonings ready..."

"..."

Asuma looked as though he had swallowed a fly. Without a word, he rose from beside the campfire and took out a kunai.

How could Asuma, the Hokage's son and a rebellious teenager, put up with that?

Zou Hyuga sighed, pressed down on Asuma's shoulder, and handed the remaining roast chicken to him and Kakashi.

He had prepared enough food for all four of them from the start. He was just still a little bitter.

Bitter that Asuma had made him leave his comfortable life as a genin and Ninja Academy teacher.

"If we eat this, what will you eat?" Asuma asked Zou Hyuga.

Zou Hyuga glanced at Asuma, pointed at Oto Uchiha, then moved closer to her and opened his mouth.

Oto Uchiha caught on immediately, cut off a large piece of chicken, and fed it into Zou Hyuga's mouth.

"You two sure are close..." The corner of Asuma's mouth twitched. Suddenly, the roast chicken seemed far less appetizing.

"Mm..." Zou Hyuga nodded and said casually, "We're teammates who've been through life and death together."

The little incident at camp soon passed.

Kakashi, who had remained silent and finished eating at some point, began explaining the mission and his own assessment of it.

Kakashi had plenty to say, drawing on his mission experience since becoming a jonin.

Zou Hyuga boiled it down to two key points: fight if they could win, run if they could not.

With Asuma and Kakashi on the team anyway, he did not have to worry about punishment for failing the mission.

As the night deepened, they took turns keeping watch to guard against any possible attacks.

Zou Hyuga and Oto Uchiha had the second half of the night, while Asuma and Kakashi had the first.

Beside the campfire, Zou Hyuga took out a coat and draped it over Oto, then gazed with his Byakugan at the star-studded night sky and the crescent moon.

Naturally, he could not experiment with natural chakra while on a mission.

After numerous experiments, he could now control the proportions he introduced. At the very least, he would no longer send Bell Cat into a rampage.

He had also conducted a considerable number of experiments on other animals.

He had discovered that his natural chakra could remain inside other animals, though he had yet to begin experimental research on humans.

Perhaps his black markings and the natural chakra he converted were even more mysterious and powerful than he had imagined.

Perhaps he had the ability to rapidly cultivate summoning beasts, or even realize bolder ideas, such as artificially producing large numbers of ninja or summoning beasts capable of using Sage Mode.

As those ideas brewed and grew in his mind, Zou Hyuga even began to feel that nothing was beyond him.

But when he unconsciously touched his forehead, he instantly came back to his senses. No matter how powerful he became, he was still a member of the branch family. As long as the Caged Bird Seal existed, he would remain bound to Konoha.

Although his current life was decent, that still rankled.

The grand ambitions in his heart faded. Zou Hyuga looked down and realized that Oto Uchiha had already fallen asleep.

Although he and Oto were assigned to the second watch tonight, on their previous missions, their team had consisted of only the two of them.

Zou Hyuga reached out, wanting to touch Oto's cheek, but ultimately shook his head and abandoned the idea.

As a member of the Hyuga, his tastes were more suited to the Hyuga than the Uchiha.

They were merely comrades who had spent three years undertaking missions together. Nothing more.

Moving Oto's hand aside, Zou Hyuga quietly left camp to make a patrol. He was long past the age of going to bed early; the pressures of life kept him awake.

After only a few steps, Zou Hyuga spotted Asuma and Kakashi keeping watch on a nearby cliff.

They were not standing together, but separated by dozens of meters, nearly a hundred. Neither seemed interested in a late-night conversation.

Ultimately, their team felt more like a temporary squad assembled for a specific purpose.

They had undergone no specialized ANBU training at all. Though called an ANBU squad, they were really just an ordinary team following the Hokage's orders.

Passing Asuma, who was secretly smoking behind a rock, Zou Hyuga headed toward Kakashi.

Kakashi was the jonin leading this squad. He held command authority and was also its only jonin.

Zou Hyuga kept feeling that Kakashi's current state was bad for the mission. Who knew whether he might issue some foolish order in a few days?

So, for the sake of his own life, he needed to have a proper talk with Kakashi.

The ANBU had even more problem children than the Ninja Academy.

As a Ninja Academy teacher, he naturally had to step up.