pertwk Chapter 137 S-Rank Mission: Kakashi Investigates the Kazekage?
Chapter 137 S-Rank Mission: Kakashi Investigates the Kazekage?
Chapter 137 S-Rank Mission: Kakashi Investigates the Kazekage?
The atmosphere in the Hokage's office was heavy and oppressive.
Jiraiya stroked his chin, his brow furrowed: "At least there's one thing we can try to verify now."
He paused, then suggested in a deep voice, "The situation in Sunagakure in the dream is the most suspicious. Orochimaru directly disguised himself as the Kazekage."
"Perhaps we could try investigating Sunagakure."
"Hmm." Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded solemnly. "Then, Jiraiya, go and investigate! I feel more at ease with you handling it."
To everyone's surprise, Jiraiya shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his eyes: "No, I can't go. Time is running out—I must bring Tsunade back as soon as possible. The medical care and the future of the village both depend on her."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was slightly taken aback, but quickly nodded in understanding.
He sighed and looked at Kakashi beside him: "Should we send Kakashi to investigate the Kazekage? After all, he is the Kage of a country."
Kakashi is not weak, but sending him to spy on a Kage is quite risky.
Moreover, that "Kazekage" is very likely Orochimaru in disguise!
That would be even more dangerous.
Jiraiya analyzed in a deep voice: "There are only ten days left before the Chunin Exams officially begin. At this stage, Sunagakure should not make any rash moves. Sending Kakashi to infiltrate and gather intelligence shouldn't be a problem."
He patted Kakashi on the shoulder and earnestly instructed him, "Be as careful as possible. If you sense anything amiss, retreat immediately, understand?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi also solemnly added: "Konoha cannot afford any more losses right now! Safety first."
Kakashi acknowledged the order: "Understood."
early morning.
Sasuke woke up from his dream with a start.
He instinctively clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the mattress with a bang.
Damn!
Why did the dream end at such a crucial moment?!
Recalling the last scene in his dream, Sasuke felt his heart was in turmoil.
Nisan was besieged by Orochimaru and members of the Akatsuki organization, as well as the reanimated First and Second Hokage!
Although Sasuke knew very well that Itachi was incredibly strong, the opposing team in the dream was just too terrifying, and anyone would be worried about Itachi's safety.
Sasuke grew increasingly restless as he thought about it, cold sweat already soaking his back.
What happened to Itachi after that?
The dream abruptly ended, and he had no idea what would happen next!
This uncertainty made him extremely anxious.
He would only know Itachi's fate when the dream resumed tonight, but every minute and every second of waiting was agonizing for him.
A sense of powerlessness and worry intertwined, causing even the usually calm man to become involuntarily irritable.
Sasuke rubbed his temples and stood up.
He knew that worrying was pointless, so instead of anxiously waiting in his room, he decided to go to the training ground as planned, hoping that training might help distract him.
After quickly washing up and changing, Sasuke slung his ninja tool bag over his shoulder, pushed open the door, and hurried towards Training Ground No. 3, facing the cool morning air.
Inside the third training ground of Konoha, the rising sun cast dappled light through the dense foliage.
When Sasuke arrived, he could see two figures in the center of the training field from afar.
Naruto stood listlessly under the shade of the tree, his head drooping, a far cry from his usual energetic self.
Meanwhile, Xiang was gently comforting him, patting Naruto's shoulder and saying softly, "Don't worry too much. Naruto, the Fourth Hokage, is so powerful, he'll definitely be alright."
Hearing footsteps, Naruto and Kaori both looked over.
Sasuke quickly stepped forward and looked at the blond boy in front of him.
Naruto rarely showed such a somber expression; his deep blue eyes were dull and lifeless, filled with worry about what he had seen in his dream.
"Naruto," Sasuke called out as he approached.
Naruto forced a smile and replied, "Good morning, Sasuke."
His tone was weak and listless, as if he were not paying attention.
Sasuke and Naruto locked eyes, each with their own unspoken thoughts.
In that brief moment, the two seemed to see their own reflections in each other's eyes—they shared the same plight.
In their dreams, the people most important to each of them are in danger.
This weighed equally heavily on the hearts of the two boys.
Sasuke sighed softly, patted Naruto on the shoulder, and said in a rare gentle tone, "Don't worry,"
They'll be alright.
His tone was firm, as if he were comforting Naruto, but more like he was convincing himself.
Naruto paused, then looked up at Sasuke's slightly serious face.
After a long pause, he sniffed and forced a smile: "Hmm - I hope so."
Beyond the leaves, cicadas sing in the stream.
A clear stream meanders by, its surface reflecting the summer sun, with occasional duckweed swaying gently on the water.
On the rocks by the shore, Kisame Hoshigaki crouched down, filling his container with water.
The reflection of the water on his shark-like face made his row of fangs appear exceptionally white.
"Oh, how strange, you're so big, Kisame." Kisame said jokingly, "I never thought you'd volunteer for a mission like this."
As soon as he finished speaking, several crows took flight from the dense forest behind him, flapping their wings and skimming across the stream, flying swiftly towards Konoha Village.
The shadows intertwined with the shimmering reflections cast on the water's surface.
Itachi emerged from the forest, his footsteps echoing through the fallen leaves. The wind carried a faint scent of pine resin, stirring the black hair that fell across his brow.
He glanced at Kisame indifferently, his voice calm and emotionless: "Finished packing? We can set off now."
Kisame pursed his lips and followed Itachi's gaze to look into the distance. The tall red gate of Konoha Village stood quietly in the midday sun, the character "fire" on the gate seemingly distorted slightly by the heat.
Kisame spat out a laugh and grinned, "So this is Konoha? You haven't been back in a long time, have you? Before we look for 'things,' how about we try some 'local specialties'?"
"There's no need."
Itachi slightly withdrew his gaze, his eyes deep and unfathomable like an ancient well.
He turned around, his long robe with black background and red clouds sliding down, the hem brushing against the grass with a sharp rustling sound.
"Let's go."
The two figures, one after the other, quickly disappeared into the depths of the forest.
Konoha Village, Third Training Ground.
A Chunin from Konoha rushed to the edge of the training ground.
"Excuse me, are Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno all here?" the Chunin asked loudly.
Upon hearing the sound, Naruto quickly raised his hand: "We're here!"
The Chunin quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said, "Kakashi-senpai asked me to pass on a message to Team 7. He received an important mission at the last minute and won't be able to guide your training today."
"Huh? Kakashi-sensei can't make it?" Naruto exclaimed immediately upon hearing this, his previously low spirits turning into disappointment and resentment. "Damn it, I was really looking forward to training with Team 7, and now it's all ruined again!"
Sasuke frowned slightly upon hearing this. Although he didn't complain out loud like Naruto, a hint of helplessness and annoyance flashed in his eyes.
After the Chunin left.
Sakura glanced at her two distracted teammates and exchanged a worried look with Kaori.
Sasuke and Naruto clearly weren't in the mood to train, and this stalemate couldn't go on.
"Um—" Sakura bit her lower lip and tentatively suggested, "How about we skip training today? Everyone's been training hard these past few days, so let's go get something good to eat and relax."
Naruto was stunned when he heard this.
"Great! Great!" Xiang was the first to respond, excitedly raising her arm. "I've heard that Konoha has lots of delicious food! Naruto, didn't you say you'd take me to eat something delicious last time?"
The girl tried to liven things up and her smile returned.
Naruto scratched his head: "Haha, that's true—then let's go treat ourselves today!"
He finally managed a slight smile.
The group left the training ground quickly and strolled leisurely toward the village's commercial street.
Along the way, Sakura deliberately walked at the front of the group, enthusiastically acting as the tour guide: "We're not going to Ichiraku Ramen today. When I'm in a bad mood, I prefer to eat something sweet."
She turned and blinked her bright green eyes. "Sweets can make me happy instantly!"
"Sweets?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, revealing a hint of disdain. "I don't like sweets."
He has never been a big fan of sweets since he was a child.
Naruto muttered, "Yeah, Sakura, it's weird to eat something sweet in the morning. How about ramen—"
Before he could finish speaking, he was silenced by a sharp glare from Sakura.
"It's okay!"
Sakura snorted, then smiled and waved reassuringly at Sasuke, "The Konoha Dango Shop has tons of different flavors of dango, and they're not all sweet. Trust me, you're sure to find one you like!"
Seeing Sakura's insistence, Sasuke could only nod slightly, indicating that he would let her do as she pleased.
Naruto also stopped talking and stopped groaning.
Kaori rubbed her hands together excitedly: "A Konoha Dumpling Shop? That sounds delicious!"
And so, led by Sakura, the group arrived at a small shop with a red curtain hanging in front of it.
The shop is small, but it has a vintage feel, with a sign hanging high at the entrance that reads "Konoha Maruko-ya" in large characters.
It is said that this shop, like Ichiraku Ramen, is one of the top long-established restaurants in Konoha, and its dumplings are especially famous and loved by villagers and ninjas.
Every day, whether it's early morning or evening, an enticing sweet aroma always wafts from here.
Inside the Konoha Maruko shop, the aroma of nitrogen-infused tea mingles with the sweet scent of the maruko, making one's mouth water.
As soon as the shop door opened, Sakura eagerly grabbed Kaori's hand: "Let's order! I know which kinds of dumplings are the best!"
The two girls walked happily toward the counter.
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance, shrugged, and had no choice but to let them be.
The two casually sat down at a small table near the door, quietly waiting for Sakura and the others to buy the dumplings.
The interior is warm and simple, with wooden tables and chairs that gleam with the patina of time.
Since it wasn't lunchtime yet, the restaurant was quiet with few customers.
Naruto plopped down, looked around, and muttered under his breath, "Speaking of which, Sakura's been acting all mysterious today. I wonder what she wants to order—"
He clearly had little interest in desserts.
Sasuke didn't reply, resting his elbows on the table and casually glancing at the other customers in the store.
Suddenly, two figures in the corner of the shop caught Sasuke's attention.
In that inconspicuous corner, two people sat.
Although they were both indoors, they were both wearing straw hats with white tassels hanging from the wide brims, completely obscuring their faces.
The two sat quietly against the wall.
Unless you look specifically for them, you can hardly notice their presence.