You Scared My Summoning Beast

Looking at the Forehead Protectors on their foreheads, Kakashi naturally knew why they were here.

As for apologizing?

Not a chance!

Given Kakashi's personality, there was no way he would do such a thing.

"Move."

The abrupt command sent the Sand Ninja in front of Kakashi into a rage.

"Rude little brat, I'll teach you how to respect your seniors today."

Before he had even finished speaking, he reached out to grab Kakashi.

From the forehead protector Kakashi wore, the Sand Ninja could tell that Kakashi was no ordinary person, but a ninja.

So he put plenty of strength into his hand, intending to teach Kakashi a lesson he would never forget. It would also be an indirect humiliation of Konoha.

Bang.

But the Sand Ninja's attempt to show off backfired spectacularly. The moment he struck, Kakashi moved after him but landed first, punching him squarely in the stomach.

After Miya had just eaten over a hundred thousand ryō's worth of food at Kakashi's expense, could Kakashi possibly be in a good mood?

Naturally, he was happy to accept a target that had presented itself. His punch, delivered without holding back, instantly made the Sand Ninja in front of him go rigid.

Agony spread across the ninja's face. He dropped to his knees in front of Kakashi and retched.

"Ugh..."

"Stop!"

At the same time, two more figures appeared at the entrance to the grilled fish shop. They were eleven or twelve years old and also wore Sunagakure ninja Forehead Protectors.

The Sand Ninja on the left, Sōtarō, was the one who had shouted for Kakashi to stop. The female Sand Ninja beside him was named Kotomi, while the Sand Ninja Kakashi had knocked down with one punch was Kengo. They were all Genin and examinees from another village taking part in the Chunin Ninja Exams Konoha was hosting this time.

"Kengo, are you okay?"

Seeing Kengo on his knees, Kotomi immediately crouched beside him and tried to help him up.

"I'm fine!"

"Brat, you..."

After replying to Kotomi, Kengo raised his head viciously, intending to make a threat.

But before he could finish, Miya spoke up and interrupted him.

"If we're talking about seniors, Kakashi is already a Chunin, so he's your senior."

"Got that, Sand Ninja?"

The incident had happened right in front of Miya, and since Kakashi had just treated him to a meal, he felt it was time for him to step in.

As soon as he spoke, the three Sand Ninja stared in astonishment. Sōtarō fixed his gaze on Kakashi's face and asked uncertainly, "Kakashi? Kakashi Hatake? The super genius Kakashi Hatake who graduated from the Ninja Academy at five?"

Konoha's super genius and the son of Konoha's White Fang, Kakashi Hatake was famous throughout the Shinobi World. Naturally, Sōtarō and the others knew of him.

They simply didn't know what he looked like.

Kengo, who had gotten back to his feet by then, looked at Kakashi's face and asked angrily, "You're Kakashi Hatake?"

Kakashi's gaze didn't change in the slightest. It remained as cold as ever, as though he wasn't the one Sōtarō and Kengo were questioning.

Seeing that Kakashi wasn't speaking, Miya took two steps forward and stood beside him. Looking at the furious Kengo, he said, "The one and only."

"You're here for the Chunin Ninja Exams, right? Want to fight? I'll take you on! Otherwise, move."

"Think carefully. This is Konoha, not your Sunagakure."

Miya's words immediately cowed Sōtarō and the others. Then Kengo, his face full of defiance, shouted at Miya, "And who are you?"

"Me? One of your opponents in this year's Chunin Ninja Exams."

After answering Kengo, Miya turned to Kakashi and said, "Let's go!"

When Kakashi moved, Kengo couldn't help stepping aside. Staring after Miya as he left, Kengo shouted harshly, "I'll make you pay for this!"

"Say that after you pass the first exam!"

As his voice faded, Kakashi and Miya walked farther and farther away until they disappeared from the three's sight.

"Kengo..."

As the perceptive woman of the team, Kotomi looked at Kengo with some concern. She didn't think Miya, a boy their age who could associate with a super genius, was a simple person.

"Don't worry, Kotomi."

"I'll make him pay when the time comes."

Kengo spoke resentfully, his gaze fierce.

On the streets of Konoha, Miya believed that standing up for Kakashi just now had definitely earned him quite a bit of goodwill. Grinning at Kakashi, he said, "Kakashi, since I just helped you, shouldn't you treat me to another meal?"

Kakashi's body immediately trembled. He stopped, looked at Miya, and said indifferently, "I have something to do, so I'll be going."

With that, Kakashi used the Body Flicker Technique and swiftly disappeared from Miya's sight.

"I only ate a little too much. Did he have to get so worked up?"

Miya thought Kakashi had trembled with excitement, little knowing that Kakashi had been afraid.

He was genuinely scared.

Treating Miya to a meal would bankrupt him. How could Kakashi not be scared?

After leaving, Kakashi was thinking about how he could treat Miya to the remaining two meals at the lowest possible cost.

Kakashi wasn't the kind of person who could leave a debt unpaid.

As for treating Miya to an extra meal, Kakashi only wanted to tell him, In your dreams.

After this, Kakashi wouldn't dare casually promise to treat Miya to a meal again, even if it killed him.

Time flew, and two days passed.

There were five days left until the Chunin Ninja Exams officially began.

At the training ground, Miya had summoned Susu to bond with her. Sitting on a treetop, he stroked her snake head and kept asking her about Ryūchi Cave.

But Susu was still only a little snake in Ryūchi Cave, so she didn't know much.

Miya did learn one thing, though.

Not every snake in Ryūchi Cave could become a summoning beast. Only the few snakes like Susu, who possessed intelligence, could.

Most snakes lacked intelligence. Aside from becoming food, they contributed to reproduction by producing vast numbers of snake eggs.

Another thing was that Ryūchi Cave followed the law of the jungle. Rivalry and killing among the snakes capable of becoming summoning beasts happened from time to time.

"Ryūchi Cave doesn't seem very peaceful, does it?"

Stroking Susu's head, Miya smiled and sighed.

As a cold-blooded animal, Susu hated warmth more than anything.

But beneath Miya's palm, she felt a sense of comfort she had never known before. At the very least, she didn't dislike his warm palm.

Susu nudged Miya's palm with her white head, wagged her tail, and shifted her body where it was coiled around the treetop to make herself more comfortable.

Whoosh.

Suddenly, a figure with an icy aura appeared. Susu immediately grew wary, her snake eyes sharp and piercing.

"Orochimaru-sensei, you scared my summoning beast."

Miya looked up at Orochimaru and spoke, showing his white teeth.