Kakashi stood off to the side, not intervening.
He was observing.
Faced with Naruto's question, the two enemy ninjas remained silent and lowered their heads.
They wouldn't spill information so easily just because they were asked a question.
But their firm refusal already revealed something.
They weren't shocked by Naruto's straightforward question, nor did they instinctively refute it. Instead, their silent resistance was a kind of tacit admission.
The behavior itself gave away the answer: "Yes."
Naruto tilted his head and looked at Kakashi.
The enemy's target was basically confirmed to be Tazuna. Now it was up to the team leader to make a decision.
Kakashi waved his hand with interest.
Naruto responded with an "Oh" and turned his gaze to Tazuna.
This wasn't Kakashi shirking responsibility.
He wanted to see how Naruto would handle the situation.
"Tazuna-san, they're after you," Naruto said as he took out the mission scroll. "This doesn't match the intel you gave us."
"We need an explanation."
Tazuna sighed and scratched his head, repeating for the third time the story he had already grumbled about, but this time in more detail. He revealed the real culprit behind the attempts to sabotage the bridge: a fabulously wealthy man named Gato.
Naruto nodded and made a judgment: "In that case, please come back to the village with us."
Tazuna's face changed dramatically. "Are you abandoning the mission?"
"If I die, what'll happen to my ten-year-old grandson, my daughter...?"
"You're backing down now, Naruto?" Kakashi also spoke.
Naruto looked at him in surprise.
That... wasn't something a team leader, or even a ninja, should be saying.
"It's about protecting the team, Teacher Hatake," Naruto replied seriously.
Then he continued to Tazuna, "We're not abandoning the mission—we're requesting a change in the ninja assigned."
"When we left the village, I noticed a lot of chakra gathering nearby, and some of it was watching us."
"These two were among them."
"No doubt about it—if we continue, we'll face more enemies."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over his teammates. "These two ninjas, Teacher Hatake and I can handle easily."
"In a one-on-one, Sasuke might be able to beat one."
"But Haruno... would likely be killed after just a few moves."
Sakura's pupils widened, and her face turned pale.
"Also, they're from the Hidden Mist," Naruto said, tapping one of their forehead protectors with his kunai. "There are no scratches—so they're not rogue ninjas."
"There's a chance they're hiding their identities."
"But still, they're from the Mist. From the Land of Water. It's better to leave this to the village."
Kakashi raised a hand and supported his head, deep in thought.
"My money can only afford to hire you guys," Tazuna gripped his bottle. "I don't have enough to pay more."
He was clearly poor.
Naruto glanced at him. "If you drank a little less, maybe you could afford to hire a chunin."
"The Land of Waves doesn't have a ninja village. Building this bridge might benefit our village too."
"If you clearly explain the pros and cons, maybe you'll get Konoha's support."
"If not, I can lend you money. Once the bridge is complete, your country will have more opportunities to earn. You won't have trouble repaying."
He paused and looked at Kakashi.
Kakashi didn't respond immediately.
He was impressed by how Naruto handled the situation.
"Being able to take charge and show leadership" was one of the requirements for promotion to chunin.
But what Naruto had just demonstrated—some jonin couldn't even match.
Clear structure, a definite goal.
What touched him most was Naruto's final offer.
Sure enough, his master and mistress had passed down their purest, brightest qualities to him.
But...
Why was he this good?
Handling these kinds of matters wasn't like training ninjutsu, where talent could override common sense.
No matter how talented a ninja is, they need to learn these things step by step.
This was a matter of understanding, not innate skill.
Even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had to learn over time before becoming qualified and exceptional.
"Teacher Hatake?" Naruto prompted.
Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts. "Very good, Naruto."
"You're absolutely right. But as ninjas, once we accept a mission, we can't give it up so easily."
"And I know you can protect your teammates."
Naruto nodded firmly.
"Then it's settled."
Kakashi bit his thumb, formed a seal, and slammed his hand to the ground.
A summoning circle expanded.
"Summoning Jutsu: Eight Ninja Hounds!"
Smoke burst out and quickly dispersed. At the center of the formation appeared eight dogs, each with different colors, sizes, and outfits.
"Yo, Kakashi, what's the deal with calling all of us out at once?" the pug on top of the largest black bulldog said lazily. "Doesn't look like a fight. You don't seem too stressed either."
It was a flawless summoning.
"Pakkun, I'm on a mission with my students. Can't say I'm not stressed," Kakashi corrected him. "There's something I need you all to do."
Pakkun barked in response.
"Take these two Mist ninjas back to Konoha."
"Tell the Hokage our mission intel was incorrect—we may face a larger number of enemies and need reinforcements."
Pakkun nodded and jumped down from the bulldog. "Understood."
Kakashi threw the captured ninjas onto the bulldog's back.
The ninja dogs departed.
Kakashi squinted and smiled. "Let's move out."
Sasuke had no objections.
He longed for real combat to test his strength.
Sakura was a bit uneasy. Naruto's words about her "being killed quickly" still haunted her, but with both Naruto and Kakashi being so strong, and Sasuke also with them, it should be fine... right?
Naruto glanced curiously at Kakashi.
It was an odd decision.
Not to mention, "reassigning personnel" wasn't the same as abandoning a mission.
Sending the captured ninja back to the village with the dogs to report was a good plan—but not the best plan.
This move made it feel like they were being pushed to continue the mission.
He didn't say it aloud, only observed.
They continued on their way.
Tazuna was beyond grateful. Thanks to Naruto's earlier persuasion, he could accept a personnel change. But now, without spending more, he still got to keep the dependable "Naruto Uzumaki" on the job—it was clearly the best outcome.
Until they reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Waves, no new enemies appeared.
They boarded a boat, crossed the sea.
Near the Land of Waves, a heavy mist suddenly rolled in—unnaturally dense.
They smuggled themselves through a sewer and continued some distance.
Eventually, they came ashore.
Walking through a familiar forest, Tazuna stretched and sighed in relief. "Thanks to you all, I made it home safely."
"But it wasn't that dangerous after all. We didn't really run into anyone new on the road—"
As he spoke—
Naruto suddenly turned and looked toward a dense thicket.
"Enemy?" Sasuke immediately grabbed a kunai.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, someone's been watching us for a while. They haven't left."
"Their chakra is strong."
"Just a little below Teacher Hatake's."
Just below a jonin's level?
Then that meant—
Whoosh—
A violent gust tore through, as a shadow shot out of the forest.
It shredded leaves and underbrush.
It struck a tree with a heavy clang, embedding itself.
A massive, out-of-proportion sword.
While the leaves still fluttered in the air, a figure silently appeared, standing atop the sword. "That blond kid is sharp—got sensing abilities?"
"No wonder the Demon Brothers failed."
"And you... Copy Ninja Kakashi Hatake."
"Didn't think I'd run into you here."
No doubt about it—he was a jonin.
(End of Chapter)