Konoha Back Mountain Forest.
Shihōin Naraku and Naruto Uzumaki sat before a blazing campfire. The firewood crackled, and the fresh fish roasting over it had begun to give off a tempting aroma.
Naruto Uzumaki eagerly pestered Shihōin Naraku with conversation. Even the sizzling, oily grilled fish failed to draw his attention away.
By now, the two had exchanged names, and as far as Naruto Uzumaki was concerned, he had gained another good friend.
Shihōin Naraku's gaze fell on the grilled fish. He casually picked it up and turned it over. "It's almost ready. Go wash your face."
"Oh, okay..."
Naruto Uzumaki jumped up and hurried to the river, scrubbed his face and hands vigorously, then raced back like the wind.
"Bring your jacket over first. It'll dry faster beside the fire."
"Okay."
Naruto Uzumaki really was obedient. Whatever Shihōin Naraku told him to do, he did, terrified that he might upset Naraku and lose his new friend.
"That smells great!"
Shihōin Naraku divided the grilled fish in two and dug in without ceremony. Naruto Uzumaki likewise held his portion and ate with relish.
"That's so strange..." Naruto Uzumaki was deeply curious. He had been grilling fish for so long, yet his still tasted bad. "Why does my grilled fish taste awful?"
Ignoring Naruto Uzumaki's curiosity, Shihōin Naraku glanced back. Kakashi Hatake was standing behind a large tree nearby, not coming out for some reason.
Kakashi Hatake had a headache too. Mainly, he truly did not know how to face Naruto Uzumaki or what to say to him.
So he could only watch from the shadows as Naruto Uzumaki and Shihōin Naraku sat before the fire eating grilled fish. Even Kakashi Hatake himself felt utterly forlorn.
"Hey, you passing by over there. Could you help me buy some food from the village?"
Kakashi Hatake was watching the two when he noticed Shihōin Naraku waving at him. He pointed at himself somewhat involuntarily, then saw Shihōin Naraku nod, confirming that he had not mistaken it. Naraku meant him.
By then, Naruto Uzumaki had been jolted out of his thoughts. He turned straight toward the place Shihōin Naraku was waving at and immediately spotted Kakashi Hatake reluctantly emerging from behind the tree.
"Who's that? When did he show up?"
Kakashi Hatake's appearance was quite eye-catching, especially with his Konoha Forehead Protector and mask covering most of his face, leaving only one eye exposed.
And so Naruto Uzumaki immediately fixed his gaze on Kakashi Hatake, staring so intently that even Kakashi felt a little uncomfortable.
Shihōin Naraku raised his eyebrows at Kakashi, indicating that he had done it on purpose. "I'm counting on you, buddy... Hurry back."
Blinking his dead-fish eye, Kakashi Hatake turned and left under Naruto Uzumaki's curious gaze, then quickly walked to where Tenzo and the ninja squad were hiding.
Tenzo looked somewhat blankly at Kakashi Hatake as he appeared before him, then heard him say, "Tenzo, you're the junior I respect most. I'll leave the shopping to you. Make it quick."
So being the junior you respect means getting pushed around, does it?
Kakashi Hatake, would you listen to what you're saying?
Of course, Tenzo could only grumble these words inwardly.
But Tenzo reacted quickly. He turned to a ninja in the squad, wearing an expression that said he was entrusting him with a great responsibility. "Elephant Transformation, I'm leaving this shopping mission to you. Be quick."
A single rank higher is enough to crush you!
The Anbu ninja codenamed Elephant Transformation gave his superior a speechless look, then turned and hurried toward Konoha to buy the food. There was no helping it. For an Anbu ninja, orders were orders and had to be carried out.
And so an exceedingly rare sight appeared at Konoha's food stalls and snack shops.
An Anbu ninja, entirely concealed beneath robes and a mask, swept up a great deal of food, tossed down money, then vanished like a gust of wind before the customers and shopkeepers present could even register what had happened.
The food was passed along, from the ANBU member Elephant Transformation to Tenzo, then from Tenzo to Kakashi Hatake, who carried it over and handed it to Shihōin Naraku.
"Sit down. What are you standing around for?" Shihōin Naraku opened the packaged food and set it between the three of them. "Have some too, Naruto. You gave me half your grilled fish earlier, so I'm treating you."
Naruto Uzumaki did not reach for it. Instead, he looked hesitantly at Shihōin Naraku. Even he could tell that the fish he had caught could not compare to all the food before him.
Shihōin Naraku also noticed Naruto Uzumaki's embarrassment, so he simply picked up a skewer of dumplings and took a bite. "Go on, eat. Let me tell you, Naruto, I'm rich."
"I'm a Jonin of Konoha, you know. A Jonin! We're very rich!"
Kakashi Hatake also picked up a pastry and put it in his mouth.
ANBU would reimburse the money spent on this food anyway. He might as well eat.
Still, Shihōin Naraku was not wrong when he said he was rich. Although Kakashi Hatake did not know the exact figures, he knew very well how wealthy the Medical Emergency Response Unit was. As its director, there was no way Shihōin Naraku did not have some money on hand.
Naruto Uzumaki's eyes shone as he leaned closer. "You're a Jonin, Naraku? Then you must be really strong."
Shihōin Naraku lifted his chin, looking immensely proud as he boasted, "There are hardly any people in all of Konoha stronger than me. A brat like you who's still at the Ninja Academy wouldn't understand."
At that, Naruto Uzumaki grew a little doubtful instead. "Really? Isn't Grandpa Hokage the strongest ninja?"
The Hokage was the strongest ninja!
That was a belief planted in the hearts of many children in Konoha from an early age, and Naruto Uzumaki thought so too.
Shihōin Naraku waved dismissively, a trace of disdain appearing at the corner of his mouth. "That's why I said brats your age don't understand. The Hokage is strong, sure, but he's already old. He's definitely no match for a young man like me."
"All I'd need is one surprise attack to defeat the Hokage!"
"Huh?"
Shihōin Naraku's brazen boast stunned the other two present, along with Tenzo and the ANBU members concealed in the shadows.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi, who was spying on them through his crystal ball, broke into an uncontrollable coughing fit. Shihōin Naraku's words had shocked him too.
"That brat is so brazen about lying... I really need to find a chance to teach him a proper lesson..."
He actually dared to question his strength. Hiruzen Sarutobi was so angry his teeth itched.
"Ahem, Naraku, don't talk nonsense."
"Lord Hokage really is very strong. Naruto wasn't wrong."
Kakashi Hatake finally could not help speaking up.
"Tch!"
Shihōin Naraku curled his lip, giving Kakashi Hatake a headache at the sight.
How strange. Why does Naraku seem a little off today?
Kakashi Hatake caught on quickly. Although he did not know what had happened, Shihōin Naraku really was behaving a little unusually today.
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