"You guys wait a second. I need to go to the back for a moment."
After the group had mostly finished eating, Haseo gave a call and then walked deep into the woods.
No one thought much of it. Everyone assumed he had gone to relieve himself. However, just after several minutes passed, they saw him returning from the forest, dragging behind him a baby deer that appeared only a few months old.
Haseo had always loved animals more than people—it showed clearly now. This little fawn was very cute. Unfortunately, it was dead—the evidence clearly pointing toward someone who loved small animals.
"Haseo... don't tell me you're planning to make an open fire during a mission... That's strictly prohibited," Tsunade said in surprise, quickly understanding what Haseo intended.
"Ninjas must learn adaptability. This is the Land of Rivers—there won't be any problems here. If we were in the Land of Rain, I definitely wouldn't do something like this," Haseo replied while placing the little deer onto a thin stone slab.
Tsunade was at a loss for words. Wait, wasn't it just someone who said even the Land of Rivers was enemy territory?
"Slice the fresh deer leg meat into petal shapes. Spread its own fat over the clean stone slab, heat it using dry branches from below, and no extra seasoning is needed at all—just sprinkle some salt, which brings the flavor to life, fully showcasing the natural taste of the ingredients."
As he spoke, Haseo began working. His actions were extremely skilled; clearly, this wasn't his first time doing something like this. Of course, Haseo's love was reserved for wild animals—creatures that had helped him survive during his many years on the run.
Still, he lied. Making roasted venison required other seasonings too, otherwise it could smell fishy. Fortunately, Haseo had brought such things along this time.
As for washing it after cutting, there was absolutely no problem either—after all, there wasn't just one person here capable of Water Release Ninjutsu.
Tsunade opened her mouth but finally decided against saying anything unnecessary. She simply crossed her arms, suddenly feeling how cruel Haseo was being. The baby deer had been so adorable—it made the cold steamed bun she held now seem unappetizing.
Just as expected. Kids can never resist the lure of field trips, outdoor adventures, and barbecue sessions.
Haseo worked quickly. Moments later, amid sizzling sounds, the aroma of roasting meat spread through the forest.
Ninja rules and regulations? Sorry, what were they again? Alcohol, sex, and gambling—did any of them ever truly stick to these prohibitions?
Right now, they only regretted why they had stuffed themselves with so much cold rice earlier.
Haseo casually ate a few bites, then set aside his chopsticks, staying alert about his surroundings. Given his personality, relaxation was ultimately only superficial. Even while within the Land of Rivers, he wouldn't allow himself to feel completely safe.
The only ones actually savoring the meal were the three young ninja.
"It's not as chewy as the critters from Mount Myoboku. Although the meat is tender, it doesn't burst with juice in your mouth like big caterpillar-shaped snacks, nor does it crackle when chewed."
Jiraiya continued eating large mouthfuls of deer meat while silently thinking these thoughts to himself.
Seems like everyone's got a bit of Stockholm syndrome—or in layman's terms, they're all kind of into getting beat up, standing there like punching bags waiting to be knocked back.
It hadn't even been that long since Jiraiya started enjoying himself when he unexpectedly found himself missing Mount Myoboku's distinctive cuisine again.
Like wind sweeping away the remnants of clouds, the entire picnic was devoured. Tsunade couldn't help but rub her stomach, wondering to herself if this was really what field-duty shinobi ate. She certainly hadn't been able to enjoy such fresh ingredients back at the camp.
No other ninja would dare pull off such a self-destructive stunt like Haseo had, and even he himself wouldn't have done it—unless it was for the purpose of stalling for more time.
Still, no matter how much time they wasted, this squad would eventually head toward the battlefield. After finishing their meal, the team finally resumed normal progress toward the Land of Rain.
On his previous trips to the Land of Rain, Haseo had never seen anything but constant rain—but this time, the sky was unusually clear, with even hints of sunlight peeking through.
Could it be my luck's actually turning around?
That's exactly what Haseo was thinking.
After entering the Land of Rain, Haseo only led Jiraiya and others on patrols near the Land of Rivers, neither penetrating deep into the Land of Rain nor approaching the western side close to the Land of Earth… relatively speaking, this area had already become part of Konoha's controlled territory, thus comparatively safe.
Therefore, although Haseo Squad's purpose for leaving the village was to perform regular clearing missions, patrolling around here only let them patrol thin air and eliminate nothing at all. If there were no targets to eliminate in their zone, that wasn't on Haseo.
However, despite Jiraiya and the other two dying to participate in frontline operations, simply being allowed to go out on patrol was already a major improvement compared to being stuck back at camp previously. Thus, they didn't really have any reason to complain.
Haseo thought things were going quite well. As a professional babysitter, as long as his "kids" didn't make contact with enemies, they wouldn't encounter any danger. If he simply stood by doing nothing, then he could still claim he had fulfilled his duty as their caretaker.
However, whenever Haseo started thinking too optimistically, things tended to go completely against his expectations.
Just several hours after entering this supposedly "very safe" area, at dusk that day, the overly young squad encountered a situation which surprised Haseo but was secretly anticipated by others.
"Enemy detected. Three individuals. Direction twenty-five. Distance ten."
Clear intelligence was transmitted into Haseo's ears through bird chirps seamlessly integrated into nature.
Actually, he no longer needed such reports. From his elevated hiding spot, the wide-open view allowed him to observe every movement in the surroundings. He could already clearly see those three enemy shinobi.
He hadn't expected that enemy shinobi would actually appear here.
As the side that had gathered intel first while staying hidden, the Konoha squad had already gained the upper hand. Since they had encountered enemies, even if Haseo wished to remain cautious, he now had to commit to engaging in battle.
This kind of ambush rendered all the time-buying maneuvers Haseo had previously executed useless. He had originally intended this to be a simple picnic trip for everyone — but that didn't mean the younger ones couldn't join the fight.
Of course they could handle themselves in battle.
"Move out! Take the lead and push the enemies toward my location!" Without hesitation, Haseo issued his command.
The three Konoha shinobi, who had been itching for action but kept in check by their captain until now, instantly lunged forward like unleashed hounds, charging straight at the enemies right in front of them.
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