Not even a minute had passed since Zabuza's defeat when an unknown person appeared. Trunks and Goten already noticed his presence. Judging by his physical build, he must have been a boy no older than Naruto.
He stood on a tree branch, watching everyone closely from there. He was wearing a white mask that Kakashi quickly recognized as ANBU. With a nimble movement, the boy jumped and landed right at the foot of the crater where the rogue jounin lay unconscious.
"I've been chasing Zabuza for a long time. I have orders to capture him so he can be brought to justice for all his crimes," the mysterious young man said simply.
"From your mask, I can see you're a tracker from the Village Hidden in the Mist," Kakashi said, looking him over from head to toe.
"A tracker? What's a tracker supposed to be?" Naruto asked, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously.
"It's normal that you don't know, since you skipped class as usual," Sakura replied immediately. "A tracker is a ninja with a special role. They are in charge of searching for criminals or rogue ninjas belonging to their villages, like Zabuza, all to prevent their people's secrets from being known to others, as well as to other villages or enemy nations."
"Correct. I am a member of my village's elite trackers, tasked with stopping Zabuza." With that, the young shinobi descended through the hole to where the Mist Demon's body lay. Then, he carefully lifted it onto one of his shoulders.
"This body holds many secrets that must not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it cannot remain here any longer. Please excuse me…" And so, the boy made a hand seal and disappeared alongside Zabuza in a small swirl of wind.
The unexpected event left everyone confused for various reasons. Goten and Trunks watched, somewhat astonished, as the ninja had disappeared with that jutsu. But everyone else's attention was on the crater left by Zabuza's fall, as well as the destruction left behind by the recently concluded battle. Once again, everyone was watching the pair of Saiyans closely.
Naturo approached Trunks to angrily reproach him for what had happened. "Who the hell do you think you are?" He shouted, visibly agitated, while pointing an accusing finger at him. "Come on, answer me! Why are you just standing there without saying anything?"
No one understood the genin's unexpected reaction, especially Trunks. He had simply helped them defeat the evil man who wanted to kill them all. The Saiyan simply stood there, staring at Naruto in complete confusion.
He couldn't understand what he had done wrong.
"Naruto, calm down. He's not our enemy," Kakashi scolded, also not understanding Naruto's strange reaction.
"Don't you understand? That's not the point! Zabuza was someone huge and powerful, like some kind of monster, and this kid, who must be almost my age, defeated him in the blink of an eye!" Naruto continued shouting, still very exasperated. "I mean, we don't know what they can do to us. How do you expect me to be calm about that?"
Now Naruto's point seemed clear. While they had helped them, they knew nothing about Trunks, nor about Goten. Both could be potentially dangerous. His recent statement made Sakura very nervous, and she now watched the pair fearfully. Even Sasuke couldn't help but give them an apprehensive look.
That look...
Goten and Trunks knew it very well. It was the reason why they had to keep their powers hidden from the rest of humanity, because anyone would be terrified by their terrifying strength.
It was the reason why they only had each other as friends.
Even though they both did their best to contain themselves, their abilities ultimately stood out above the rest, so much so that the other kids always rejected them and excluded them from their games, for fear of getting hurt or one of them destroying something. They treated them as if they were a pair of little monsters who broke everything.
But there was something else the rest didn't realize. It was the deep feeling of helplessness and weakness Naruto felt at those moments. Seeing Trunks' incredible strength made him feel useless, even more so because he was just a boy. He had always felt very confident in himself, so now it was hard for him to admit that someone so young could be much more powerful than he was.
"Naruto, you need to calm down," Kakashi said, playfully ruffling Naruto's hair. Despite the gesture, the jounin was giving him a serious look. "Even if you can't understand it, you should know that this is how things are. In this world, some people are younger than you, and yet… they are stronger than me."
Kakashi's stern look, along with his words, fell like a bucket of cold water on the genin. Now Naruto was learning for himself a harsh reality he still couldn't quite grasp.
But he wasn't the only one, as Sasuke felt the same, to the point where he was almost trembling with helplessness. They both realized they had a long and difficult road ahead of them if they wanted to successfully achieve their goals and become great ninjas.
"We've already wasted enough time," Kakashi said after the endless silence. "The mission isn't over yet. We must get Tazuna back home."
And so, the group continued on their way again, only this time the two Saiyans were walking last, completely apart from the group. Now more than ever, Sakura wanted them away from her, especially Goten.
That night, Team 7 had to set up camp again. Due to the time lost during the battle against Zabuza, they couldn't reach Tazuna's house before nightfall. But they were already close, so much so that they would be there very early the next day.
So, for the second time, they had to hold a night vigil. According to Kakashi's instructions, the groups would be the same as yesterday, as he wanted to discuss some things with Trunks again that night.
Of course, Sakura didn't want that in the least. She was about to tell Kakashi to pair her with Sasuke or even Naruto. But she didn't dare; the jonin wasn't in the mood and might get even more upset if she disagreed with his decisions. This time, the kunoichi preferred Goten to sleep through the night. She was terrified of spending time with that completely unknown boy, with terrible power and, to top it all, a horrible tail.
Yes, unknown, because it seemed that the more time she spent with him, the more doubts she had about him. Sakura's only consolation was the thought that if Kakashi trusted the boys, there must be a reason. After all, he did have a lot of trust in his sensei.
When midnight came, Naruto and Sasuke returned from their shift to finally sleep peacefully in their sleeping bags. That's when Kakashi approached Trunks, gently waking him up and joining him on his rounds.
They both sat on a fallen log a few feet away from the group, dozing peacefully and quietly around the now-extinguished campfire.
"So those are the powers of a Saiyan..." Kakashi spoke suddenly, without even looking at Trunks. He said it as if his words were directed at the wind.
The little boy remained silent for a few moments, biting his lower lip out of nervousness. He didn't want to say too much and tell Kakashi that they still had much more power. Until now, he hadn't told him anything about the Super Saiyan transformation, much less the powerful fusion. When he told him they escaped from The Time Room, he left out that detail, as the important thing was to explain to the jonin how they got there.
"More or less," he replied, running a hand behind his head. "But it hasn't always been this way. We've both trained hard throughout our lives, gradually becoming stronger. One quality of Saiyans is that we can increase our strength after every difficult battle we have, or after recovering from serious injuries."
The Saiyans' qualities were quite peculiar, and Kakashi imagined that, being a warrior race, they must have many attributes that made them genetically suited for fighting and combat, as if chosen by nature through natural selection and, with it, the survival of the fittest. Although the boy was technically a hybrid, he seemed to have inherited many traits from that race, which had strong and distinct genetics.
"Is Goten that strong, too? Is he as strong as you?" the jonin asked, appearing very calm, although he suspected his answer might be a resounding yes.
"I've always been a little stronger than him. But now, I'd say we're almost on the same level."
His answer left the copy-nin somewhat thoughtful. Imagining that they were both that powerful was a little disturbing. Luckily, he'd realized that they were both good people, especially Goten, who seemed a little more innocent.
But that innocence could make the boy more difficult to control, as he could make mistakes more easily. After thinking about it for a long time, Kakashi made a decision.
"Trunks, I'd like to propose something to you. But only if you agree," he said, looking at him seriously with his one uncovered eye. "Since I trust you enough, I wanted to entrust you with a sort of mission. At dawn, I'd like to send you back to Konoha, our ninja village."
"What for?" he replied, clearly disoriented. "I thought we'd all return together once the mission was over."
"I know, that's why I said it's just a proposal. I'd like to send a report on how the mission has gone so far, with the events that have transpired. As you can see, your arrival is an unexpected matter for anyone, so I thought it would be a good idea to record everything with the Hokage, the village leader. It will take us about three days to return, so I'd like to send you a message as soon as possible about the current status of the mission."
What Kakashi said was true. But there was another reason: the jonin was well known for his carefree, sometimes even lazy attitude. One of the things he hated most was giving the mission report once it was over. While the genin could go home due to their lesser responsibilities, he had to stay at least another hour giving the details of the mission, writing the report, and completing some paperwork. Due to the strange situation they were experiencing with the arrival of the two Saiyans from another dimension, he imagined that this time the situation would be much more cumbersome than usual.
But if he sent Trunks ahead with a report of the mission, he'd have much less work to do upon his return. He wouldn't have to go through so many explanations, and therefore, he'd save time. Plus, Goten would stay with them and could help them in case of any eventuality.
"Seems reasonable to me. I don't think Goten would mind too much." Trunks agreed, though not entirely convinced by the proposal. "The problem is, I have no idea where the village is. I could get lost on the way back."
"That's why it won't be a problem," Kakashi said almost immediately. "Of course I wouldn't let you return unaccompanied, not only because you might end up lost, but you also wouldn't be allowed into Konoha because you're a stranger."
Once again, complete silence reigned between them. If this were as he explained, Trunks would have no problem taking Kakashi at his word and agreeing to the trip. He could take care of himself perfectly well, something the jounin knew well, and that's why he was confident the boy would arrive without any problems.
Furthermore, it had to be taken into account that this was someone from another dimension, and therefore, no being in the shinobi world had any knowledge of Trunks' existence. He didn't even carry any identification associating him with Konoha, so the chances of him being ambushed on the way back by enemy ninjas were low. Sending Trunks would be much more advisable than sending almost any common ninja.
But the most important thing, without a doubt, was to inform the Hokage as soon as possible. Kakashi couldn't allow the boys' affair to be discovered and spread to other nations. Zabuza already knew about them, and to make matters worse, he was still alive. He wanted to avoid further risks.
"I think I will. That way I'll have a little more time to get to know the place." He replied decisively, with a small smile that nonetheless reflected his enthusiasm. "I just need to talk to Goten, but knowing him well, I know he won't have a problem."
"Well, then it's decided," Kakashi said with all the satisfaction his taciturn voice allowed. "You're both lucky to have encountered Konoha ninja."
"What do you mean?"
"It's not as easy as it seems," the jonin sighed. He wasn't sure if a boy like him could understand somewhat complex political matters and diplomatic relations. "The important thing is that they're with us now. The political situation in other ninja villages... you could say it's somewhat more unstable. Even espionage is a task that must be kept constantly in operation, since we never know when something might arise that could lead to war. Konoha plans to maintain peace and avoid any conflict as much as possible. Let's just say that if another ninja village had found them first, they could manipulate them to use them both to further their own interests, interests that could prove dangerous to maintaining peace."
"That wouldn't be possible," Trunks replied casually. "We're the good guys, and we know exactly what we have to do."
"I wouldn't be so sure. After all, they're very young and could end up being convinced to commit something that triggers a war. They could be convinced to capture someone important, for example, and without knowing it, they'd end up making a grave mistake. Just imagine Goten in a similar situation and you'll see that what I'm telling you isn't so unlikely."
Seeing it that way, Trunks realized the jonin was right. Either of them could end up screwing up, so maybe they were lucky to have encountered this group of people.
"Well, I think our shift is over," Kakashi said, staring up at the sky, as if trying to decipher codes in the stars that adorned the dark firmament. "Now go wake up your friend." But before Trunks could leave, the jonin added, "Don't wake Sakura. I think it's best to let her rest."
"I don't understand…"
"Let's just say that now that I'm traveling with Goten, I plan to get to know him a little better. After all, I've talked too much with you, and with him... well, almost nothing."
The jonin planned to continue watching for the rest of the night, only now in Goten's company. He wanted to get a better understanding of the two. After all, they would now largely be his responsibility, and he needed to get to know them better.
When he and Trunks sent the message to the Sandaime Hokage, he planned to tell him to leave them under his supervision, even though he was almost certain he wouldn't be able to include them both on his team.
Ultimately, it would be a matter he'd have to finalize in person, not to mention that Sarutobi would have the final say. It really all depended on him.
In the early hours of the morning, Kakashi found himself sitting on the same fallen log, but this time with Goten. They talked about almost anything, quickly noticing small differences between them: while Trunks was smarter and more perceptive than he let on, Goten seemed to be the opposite. He wasn't retarded by any means, but he was quite absent-minded.
"I see, so you really like strawberry Daifuku…" Kakashi replied with the same annoyance as that time when he questioned his three disciples about goals, likes and dislikes.
"That's nothing. When I was seven, Trunks and I ate a ton at the Martial Arts Tournament restaurant, but when we finished, we realized we had no money and had to leave without paying the bill. Of course, they found out and started chasing us. Our mothers were really mad that time."
"I see Trunks is very important to you, right?" the jonin asked after hearing that most of the stories mentioned the other boy.
"Well, he's my only friend..." he replied calmly, though Kakashi thought he saw a small hint of sadness in his expression. After a few minutes of silence, the kind where words run out and there's no topic of conversation left to broach, Goten burst in with a question. "Mr. Kakashi, is something wrong with Sasuke and Sakura? I mean, for some reason, they don't seem to like Trunks and me very much."
The question was timid, as if afraid of showing some kind of insecurity or a disapproving response from Kakashi, who had already noticed the tension in the group since their arrival, although he was unaware of Sakura's treatment of Goten last night.
"Umm… it's nothing you should worry about," he replied slowly, holding his chin. "Sasuke is like that with everyone. He's a very self-absorbed boy and believes he's superior to the other genin because he comes from a very prestigious clan in Konoha. He's a talented young shinobi, but he can't stand seeing Trunks and you stronger than him." Kakashi paused briefly, as if searching for the most appropriate way to explain the kunoichi's case. "As for Sakura… well, I don't know… maybe you don't understand…"
"Understand what? Come on, please tell me!" Goten pleaded, his eyes wide open, his hands clenched tightly.
"It's just that she's at a slightly complicated age where many girls are more interested in love than in their own ninja training... and that brings us back to Sasuke..."
"I think I understand..." Goten replied with a gesture of deep introspection, as if solving a complicated riddle in his mind.
"Really?" Kakashi was impressed by how quickly Goten put the pieces of the puzzle together.
"No, I was wrong. I don't think I understood," he said after a few seconds, smiling and placing a hand on the back of his head. Kakashi let out a deep sigh and palmed his face.
"I mean that Sakura is in love with Sasuke and in order to get his attention, she tries to pretend to be someone stronger and more mature than she really is, showing aversion to boys who are a little... how to say it?... more immature, like Naruto and you."
"She probably can't cook well..." The statement made Kakashi raise an eyebrow, as he didn't understand at all how one thing had to do with the other.
"My dad told me that if I ever wanted to get married, I had to choose a girl who knew how to cook well and prepare delicious food. He told me that was very important. That's why I say that Sakura probably can't cook, otherwise, she'd have no problem getting Sasuke's attention."
Goten's comment brought a slight smile to the jonin's face, imperceptible beneath his mask. "Yeah, maybe you're right. Maybe he hasn't tried that. The point is, you shouldn't let it get to you. Understand that we're all different, but despite those differences, you must know how to work as a team. Many times you'll have to fight alongside people you might not like the most, but collaborating when necessary can help more than one person survive a dangerous situation."
Kakashi's explanation reminded Goten that, on certain occasions, his father and Vegeta had to work together despite their vast differences, such as when they fused to fight Super Buu. They also had to help each other during the final battle against Baby Buu on the Supreme Planet.
The first rays of the sun began to fall upon them both, signaling the arrival of a new day and the end of the night vigil. With those first rays, the team had to get going again.
Kakashi was somewhat exhausted, not only from the number of hours he'd had to stay awake, but also from using the Sharingan during the battle with Zabuza. But they'd soon be at Tazuna's house, so there he could rest and regain his strength.
"I'll go get something to eat. I won't be long," Goten said, standing up.
It was an easy task for him; he'd been used to fishing with his brother Gohan on the wild Paoz Mountain since he was a child. Growing up in the countryside had its advantages, so he was in charge of gathering food when he traveled with Trunks. They were in the Land of Waves, so finding a water source like a river or lake would be easy.
Kakashi was pleased with the boy's survival skills and initiative, qualities he would have liked to see further developed in his students. Once Goten left, the jonin walked to the camp to light the campfire.
"We've only got a short drive ahead of us, so we might arrive a little after noon. I could let them sleep a little longer..." He thought as he watched the boys sleeping, especially Sakura, whose smile on her face reflected how much she needed a full night's rest.
In just an hour, Goten managed to get hold of more than a dozen fish, each one a decent size, enough to feed a group of thirty people. Of course, he and Trunks could eat them all, but they had to share this time.
After a nice swim in the river, the boy waited to dry off a bit before putting his ultra-heavy clothing back on. Then, he tied the fish with a rope Kakashi lent him and headed back to camp.
As he passed through the last of the bushes, he could see Kakashi sitting in front of the large campfire, writing something on some kind of scroll. The rest of the group was still fast asleep.
"I see you did pretty well. I'd say you brought a lot of food," the jonin said, observing the amount of fish Goten had brought with him.
"Don't be so sure. That rude Trunks eats like a beast with no manners." He replied with a mischievous smile, imagining the look on his friend's face if he'd heard him say that.
Using thick branches he found around the area, Goten skewered each of the fish and placed them at the foot of the campfire, waiting patiently for them to be cooked through, while Kakashi finished writing his mysterious message and finally rolled it into a scroll.
The pleasant aroma of cooking food didn't go unnoticed by Naruto's nose, and he woke up as quickly as he could. The expression of happiness on his face was a picture, as the surprise before his eyes was too much to be real. They had been eating very poorly the past few days, so the enormous fish looked truly tempting. It wasn't ramen, but it was still much better than the rice balls they had been eating lately.
"Wow, this is a real meal! Were you the one who captured them, Kakashi Sensei?" the blond asked with a grin spreading from ear to ear.
"You should thank Goten. He was the one who offered to get us breakfast. He caught them all by himself..."
Naruto immediately turned his face towards the Saiyan, who was squatting in front of the fire, watching that none of the fish got too burned.
"That's great... You should come with us more often, really! Thanks a lot, Goten!" Naruto said, keeping his big smile as he stood up.
Just as he was about to answer, Trunks' voice interrupted him. "It's great that you brought us breakfast, Goten. Even though you were a bit stingy, you could have brought a little more." His friend yawned as he stretched. The smell of food had also woken him up.
"See? I told you Trunks is a rude animal when it comes to eating... you'll see the filthy thing he'll do..." Goten whispered to Kakashi, completely ignoring Trunks. Furthermore, the tone he used was arrogant, as if instead of coming from the countryside, he were a boy from high society.
"Why do you always say that? You eat much worse than me, idiot. You barely chew your food!" Trunks shouted, quite upset.
"Well, at least you could have helped me get more, instead of sleeping like a good-for-nothing!"
¡BAAAAAAMMM!
It resounded loudly as Goten's face was violently buried in the ground. Kakashi's one eye bulged in surprise, while Naruto and Trunks stood gaping.
Sakura was the one responsible for everything. The girl had woken up by the commotion and immediately smacked poor Goten on the back of the head, knocking him to the ground like a rag doll.
"Would you please stop yelling already? Don't you know what time it is? WE HAVE TO BE SLEEP FOR WHEN IT'S OUR TURN TO BE ON GUARD, IDIOT!" The Kunoichi yelled out of control, with a large vein popping out on her forehead and the back of the hand she used to hit Goten.
The girl was breathing heavily, snorting from the shock she had felt when she woke up. But she immediately realized something strange was happening. It was daytime, and there was a pleasant aroma filling the air, coming from some large fish cooking by the fire.
"Good morning, Sakura. I see you got off on the wrong foot today," Kakashi replied, the only one brave enough to address the enraged girl. "As you can see, Goten took your shift, so I imagine you slept very well tonight."
Kakashi's words left her stunned. But the kunoichi hadn't heard the best part yet. When the jonin advised her to thank Goten for the wonderful breakfast he'd brought them, she couldn't help but blush in embarrassment. She'd acted like a complete idiot, and now, she watched the tailed boy sitting at her feet, holding both hands to his aching head from the massive blow he'd received.
"In fact," Kakashi continued, "he himself took it upon himself to set aside and guard the best fish for you, so at the very least you should apologize."
It was true. Goten had made it clear which one Sakura would get. He wanted to try to improve his relationship with her now that they were in the same group, thanks in part to the advice Kakashi gave him last night. And what better way, at least in his opinion, than through food.
"I-I had no idea. Goten, I-I'm so sorry, really." She stammered, completely embarrassed, as she knelt down and helped him up. Then, she began brushing the dust off his dogi as he continued to complain of pain.
"Now I've seen it all..." Naruto was more stunned than anyone. He'd never seen Sakura regret hitting someone when she got this angry. But this time, she'd really gone too far.
Things got worse when Sakura turned around and saw Sasuke awake, staring at her as if she were a complete lunatic. Maybe the Uchiha didn't like the pair of Saiyans much, but he respected the fact that Goten went out of his way to find them food and do something useful for the group.
"I-I didn't know, Sasuke, I'm really sorry! I thought it was still nighttime and he was making a scene and I..."
"I don't understand why you're making excuses to me," Uchiha replied sharply, in his usual serious and profound tone. "I'd say you were causing all the fuss. You really are a pain."
That was it for Sakura. Now she felt terrible. Her beloved Sasuke had called her annoying again! Just when she thought her relationship with the talented genin was improving, it seemed like he actually made things worse with his latest display. She watched Goten, who had already gotten over his grief and was about to start breakfast with Trunks and his new friend, Naruto.
She realized how unfair she had behaved toward him. She hadn't thought about it, but maybe he must have felt as bad as she was right now when she treated him that way the night they spent their stakeout together.
So Sakura decided to treat him a little better, but nothing more. She wasn't willing to give in and radically change her attitude for him either.
After all, to her, he was still an immature and annoying boy, nowhere near as cool as her beloved Sasuke.
During breakfast, everyone was impressed by the eagerness with which the pair of Saiyans devoured their food. They didn't chew, but swallowed like beasts.
Kakashi immediately noticed the lie in Goten's comment, as he was even more vulgar than Trunks's eating.
Naruto didn't mind at all. He actually found it funny, so much so that he tried to imitate them. But he almost ended up choking on a thorn, which cracked Goten and Trunks up. All in all, the three of them got along very well.
Sasuke was embarrassed by the new bunch of idiots he had to put up with. For her part, Sakura looked at them almost disgusted, not understanding how they could have been having as much fun eating as they did.
The girl noticed that the fish Goten had set aside for her was the largest. She had to admit, it was delicious, but it was so huge that she couldn't take another bite, not to mention that she had started a new diet to keep from gaining extra weight. So she decided to give it to Sasuke, but the Uchiha refused, claiming that he was too full and couldn't take another bite of his own portion either.
Goten's gaze immediately shifted to Sakura, looking at her with pleading puppy eyes. She instantly understood what he wanted.
"Uh... Hey, Goten, you can have my share if you want. It was good, but I can't eat any more. It's too much..."
"Really? Thanks!" He replied with his huge smile, almost snatching the food from Sakura's hands.
"Hey, that's not fair! Why do you get more? Share some!" Trunks complained as he struggled to take a piece from Goten. But there was no need to; Sasuke handed him his share, though he did so without saying a single word.
Not only did they eat much more than the others, but they also devoured everyone's leftovers, except for Naruto's portion, who was the only one able to eat his almost two-kilo fish, which, by the way, was one of the smallest.
After the crazy food show that took place in the small forest clearing, the entire group packed up their things, ready to set off on their journey once more. But first, there was one more thing left to do. Trunks had to explain the change of plans to his friend, so he called him to a spot a little secluded from the others.
"But why can't I go with you?" complained the young Son, arms crossed.
"I told you. Mr. Kakashi prefers you stay with the group. They might need your help later."
Trunks' argument didn't quite convince him, but after a few insistences, Goten gave up.
"Okay, I'll go with them. We don't have anywhere else to go anyway. If our room has a bunk bed, try to let me have the top one."
"I'm not promising anything," Trunks said, trying to annoy him, since he'd always hated sleeping on the top bunk. After they both came to an agreement, they decided to talk to Kakashi.
"So, did you reach an agreement?" he asked in his usual monotonous voice.
"Yeah, Goten says it'll be no problem. I just wanted to know who I'm traveling with. I hope it's Naruto..." Trunks said pleadingly, finding it too boring to travel with Sasuke, not to mention the fact that he had a slight dislike for Sakura. For some reason, she reminded him a bit of Goten's mother due to her tantrums.
"It won't be any of them. Since you won't have to travel with Tazuna, you'll be able to get back really fast." With that, Kakashi handed Trunks the scroll containing the message along with the mission report for the Hokage. He would clarify the rest himself when he returned.
Trunks' presence was necessary. That way, Sarutobi would know at least one of the two boys. If the old man had any questions, he could ask Trunks anything, as well as request a demonstration of his powers if absolutely necessary. After all, the situation was quite strange.
Of course, the jonin also included the details of the battle against Zabuza, as well as Tazuna's deception regarding the mission's rank, which turned out to be A-ranked instead of C-ranked.
Without further ado, Kakashi pulled a kunai from his pocket and made a small cut on his thumb. He then performed a series of hand seals, ending with his palm placed on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Barely had he uttered the words, a small cloud of white smoke appeared. Once it completely dissipated, the boys looked on in amazement at a small dog dressed as a ninja standing in front of them, even wearing a Konoha headband.
"Trunks, this is Pakkun. He's the one who'll guide you back to the village. Don't let his appearance fool you; he can run fast."
"Is this little dog going to be the one to accompany me?" he asked, pointing at it, completely stunned by the way the canine was summoned.
Since Pakkun was no lapdog, without warning, he bit hard on the finger Trunks was pointing at him with.
"AAAARRRGGG! Damn stupid dog! Let me go!" The Saiyan shouted while rapidly shaking his arm from side to side, but the small dog had no intention of getting away for anything. For his part, Goten mocked his friend's pain.
After a few moments, Pakkun let go, landing a few feet away. "That's so you don't dare call me a cute little dog again," the dog said in a deep, raspy voice that didn't seem like his own.
"I DIDN'T CALL YOU PRETTY! I actually think you're a horrible dog!" Trunks yelled angrily, sucking his finger to ease the pain.
"He can talk, too? Great!" Goten said, cupping his hands. Neither of them thought the dog would be capable of it, though it didn't impress them much, since in their dimension, many animals were capable of doing the same.
"Well, we've already wasted enough time. Pakkun, I want you to guide Trunks to Konoha. He has an important message to deliver to the Hokage, but he needs to be present for it, so I'm not sending you alone. Try to use your sense of smell to track any enemies who approach them, though I don't think it'll be necessary."
"No problem. We'll be there pretty quickly... if this little boy can keep up with me." Pakkun was trying to annoy Trunks, who looked at him as if he wanted to kick him, still sucking on the finger he'd bitten.
"Don't worry, he's pretty fast, faster than you can imagine. He can also take care of himself perfectly well. Nothing will happen to you. Now go."
With that, the small dog nimbly leaped up a nearby tree, dashing from branch to branch as Trunks chased after him, running from the ground. Kakashi and Goten watched them until they both disappeared from sight.
"At that speed, they might make it the next day. That's if they stop to rest for the night." Kakashi sighed, his hands in his pockets.
"Hey, Kakashi Sensei! Why did Trunks leave?" Naruto asked, approaching both of them, as he watched the boy leave from afar with the strange dog.
"I sent him back to Konoha. He needs to deliver an urgent message to the Hokage, with all the information about what's happened on the mission so far. Goten will continue with us. Then, we'll meet with him when we return to Konoha. There, we'll decide with the Hokage if either of them will be part of our team."
"Yeah, that would be great! With any of them, we'd be the strongest team in all of Konoha, really!" the blond celebrated with his fists in the air.
Naruto was excited because with some of the Saiyans on the team, they would be able to start doing high-ranking missions faster, not to mention that he could learn a thing or two from them that would help him improve. He had grown to like the two boys a lot. Goten was also pleased with the acceptance Naruto had shown them both. They really got along well.
"Don't get too excited, Naruto," Kakashi said, trying to calm him down. "Keep in mind that it's not a final decision."
Sasuke remained silent. He worried that with either of the two boys on his team, he'd face much tougher competition. He might even lose his status as the most outstanding genin of them all, even though neither Saiyan was capable of even the simplest ninjutsu. On the upside, he might be motivated to improve his skills by the intense rivalry they would have.
But Sakura was perhaps the most affected. She was completely stunned by her sensei's declaration. If it were up to her, she'd be alone on the team with Sasuke. In fact, it was what she wanted most. Being with Naruto already seemed like too much, but another one of those boys on her team could be chaos. Her limit was that of an idiot, and that spot was already held by Naruto with honors.
"I wish the Hokage would refuse. Either one of them on the team would result in total madness. But without a doubt, I prefer Trunks. I don't know what would happen if Goten got together with Naruto. I think it would be the worst thing that could happen to me..." the kunoichi thought with evident nervousness, biting her lower lip while watching Goten smiling distractedly in the distance, talking to Naruto about who knows what "CHA! This is driving me crazy! I don't understand why he's acting like an idiot. He only makes everything more difficult. He wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for that detail and his tail, I even found him somewhat handsome."
Just thinking about it made her mentally slap herself, alarmed by such stupidity. A slight blush even colored her cheeks, a product of the shame she felt imagining such a thing. It was just a thought that crossed her mind for a second, nothing more! Or did she perhaps have a weakness for black-haired boys?
"It must be the lack of sleep. I slept pretty well, though... Maybe it's hunger! I also just ate pretty well, though..." She quickly tried to dismiss the idea. If she dwelled on the matter, she'd only end up more exasperated than she already was by Kakashi-sensei's news.
She only had eyes for her beloved Sasuke, the most popular boy, desired by all the girls in Konoha; talented like no other genin; a genius of a new generation and a great promise for the future shinobi of the Leaf; coming from a prestigious and important clan unlike any other in the entire village. Nothing and no one could convince her otherwise, ever…