"Ahh..."
Naruto Uzumaki stretched toward the Sun rising on the horizon, then rubbed his eyes. He had not actually slept very well that night.
He had even noticed long ago when Yamato and the others changed shifts with the Takigakure Ninja.
As for why...
All he could say was that he was not used to the thunderous roar of the waterfall so close by.
As a ninja, most places he rested while out on missions were harsh, and last night's conditions were really nothing unusual.
Still, putting up with it for one night was no problem, but getting used to it was truly difficult.
After a quick wash, Naruto headed toward the base.
When he emerged from the base again, he saw Shibuki, who had come to the area early that morning.
"Naruto."
"Shibuki!"
This was the Land of Waterfalls, after all. As Takigakure's leader, Shibuki was allowed to approach this place.
Yamato could hardly send someone to stop him, either.
After all, the alliance between Takigakure and Konoha still stood.
Of course, there was absolutely no way Shibuki would be allowed inside the base.
Even if it meant falling out with him!
Fortunately, though, Yamato stood atop the waterfall, looking down at Shibuki as he spoke with Naruto.
Shibuki knew where to draw the line and showed no intention of approaching the base entrance.
"Oh, you're leaving already?" Shibuki looked at Naruto in surprise, a trace of undisguised disappointment flashing through his eyes.
Naruto scratched the blond hair on the back of his head, his trademark brilliant smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, I've still got a mission to finish."
Shibuki gestured toward the base entrance with his eyes.
His meaning was clear: hadn't the mission already been completed?
"Heh heh... not yet, actually," Naruto said with a few