"Jonin Hatake."
Uchiha Yoichi and Kakashi arrived at the resting place of Hatake Sakumo, thanks to Kakashi's sense of smell. It's unclear how he trained it, but his nose is almost as keen as those of the Inuzuka Clan members.
"Mr. Yoichi, thank you so much just now. Otherwise, this mission would have failed, and even our teammates might have been in danger!"
After speaking, Hatake Sakumo bowed to Uchiha Yoichi as a gesture of heartfelt gratitude.
If not for Uchiha Yoichi's last strike and the chaos caused by his shout at the River Country Daimyo's Mansion, this mission would have ended in failure, and the Land of Fire and Konoha might have faced unpredictable consequences due to the assassination of a small country's daimyo.
Earlier, Hatake Sakumo thought deeply and realized the severe consequences if Konoha Ninja's identity was exposed after the mission's failure.
"It's okay, Jonin Hatake. Since it happened to come across, it was only natural to give a helping hand."
Uchiha Yoichi waved his hand and then added, "I only helped because of Kakashi and in your interest; the outcome of Konoha's mission doesn't concern me!"
A ninja from Hatake Sakumo's team, hearing this, spoke up somewhat dissatisfied: "Hey, how can you say that...."
"Get some rest first, Mr. Kinoshita. After regaining some chakra, we have to keep moving. We can only rest easy after reaching Kikyo Castle."
Hatake Sakumo interrupted Kumoma Kinoshita, as he was well aware that Uchiha Yoichi held no goodwill toward Konoha. After all, there had been instances of selling out comrades, which even dragged his son into it.
Thus, Hatake Sakumo understood Uchiha Yoichi, especially since Uchiha Yoichi had just saved their team, and it would be inappropriate to bicker over such trifles.
"Father, so it was you just now. That kick really hurt...."
Kakashi said, clutching his chest with a tone of grievance. That kick still pained him, and though his ribs might not be broken, they surely were injured.
"Sorry, Kakashi. But once you become a ninja, you must be prepared to get hurt or even risk your life. Besides, I gave you plenty of hints just now."
Hatake Sakumo patted Kakashi's hair and then asked, "By the way, did you two have a mission in the Land of Rivers?"
"No mission. Kakashi and I originally planned to search for a summoned beast. We heard there might be records in the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Rivers, so we snuck in to look around."
Before Kakashi could answer, Uchiha Yoichi replied first. He wasn't trying to hide anything from Hatake Sakumo since Kakashi would certainly tell his father later, and Hatake Sakumo was both reliable and trustworthy.
The key concern was the others present, especially the one from the Yamanaka Clan, which was a staunch ally of the Sarutobi family. The Ino-Shika-Cho Clans had allied generations, with Sarutobi as a witness.
These people weren't trustworthy, and the excuse just given was enough to placate Konoha's higher-ups when they returned.
Hatake Sakumo nodded and then asked, "Is that so? Then what are you two planning to do next, Mr. Yoichi?"
Uchiha Yoichi sighed and said, "We haven't found the summoned beast yet, so it's unsatisfying to return just like that. I want to look around other places; Kakashi, are you going back with Jonin Hatake or with me?"
Kakashi hesitated after hearing this and then said, "I... I'll stick with the captain. Is that okay, father?"
"You decide for yourself. Well then, it's time for us to leave too. Kakashi, Mr. Yoichi, be careful. The Sand Shinobi might be pursuing you."
Hatake Sakumo naturally didn't believe the excuse, but the other party clearly had their plans, so he didn't press further.
Moreover, their team's current location wasn't very safe. After basic first aid bandaging, stopping the bleeding, and taking a soldier pill to recover a bit of chakra, Hatake Sakumo needed to lead his team back to Konoha.
"Then let's say goodbye here, Jonin Hatake."
"Take care, Mr. Yoichi."
After bidding each other farewell, they headed in two different directions.
Once Sakumo's group left, Kakashi asked, "Captain, you're not thinking of going back to the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Rivers, are you?"
"What else? We can't let these seven or eight days go to waste. There's a truth that labor should yield results, which no one can change!"
After Uchiha Yoichi said this, he sighed and patted Kakashi on the shoulder, "It just happened that we met Jonin Hatake, otherwise, I would definitely complete this commission seriously. In the future, the Underground Gold Exchange in Chuazhu County won't be accessible either, as the Hidden Sand Village will surely find out...."
Kakashi rolled his eyes. He wouldn't believe Uchiha Yoichi's nonsense and wasn't sure how he could mention reward when the commission wasn't completed.
Only a few days after entering the Daimyo Mansion, they were investigating the treasury's location. Was that in pursuit of the mission? He was too embarrassed to expose the captain.
"They probably guessed we've already run far, and they might be pursuing towards the Land of Fire. At this time, who would think we'd go back to the Daimyo Mansion of the Land of Rivers?"
Uchiha Yoichi said with a smile, besides, he had already scouted the Daimyo Mansion's map and was familiar with the inside. Using an illusion technique to hypnotize and sneak in was no longer difficult.
"Come on, after getting what we deserve, we'll return to Konoha. We had planned to stay out for a month, but due to this incident, it clearly isn't possible anymore."
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"That's the situation, Lord Hokage."
Hatake Sakumo finished reporting the mission's details, and the room fell silent. After a brief pause, Hatake Sakumo continued, "Though there were twists in the mission, Mr. Yoichi's last-minute rescue was a great help. Currently, the Land of Rivers is wavering....."
"Is that a success? Hmph, an outsider appeared during the mission, Hiruzen, I suggest immediately dispatching the Anbu to arrest Uchiha Yoichi and interrogate him, search his mind if necessary!"
Danzo coldly said, causing everyone in the Hokage Office to turn toward him.
Since the mission was critical, Konoha's higher-ups assembled in the Hokage Office upon Hatake Sakumo's return.
"Besides, leaving the village privately is already inappropriate. As I was saying....."
"Danzo, stop nitpicking over such minor issues. We're here to discuss the mission!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted, emphasizing how every Ninja Race had business outside; for instance, the Nara Clan needed to oversee their Deer Fields and medicinal materials often.
If this were the reason to target Uchiha Yoichi, then if the Security Team enforced strict checks under the Hokage's name, every Ninja Race would resent you.
"Lord Hokage, I credited Uchiha Yoichi for this mission's success because even before our team reached the Daimyo's Mansion in the Land of Rivers, the news had already leaked."
As Hatake Sakumo spoke, he pulled out a storage scroll and continued, "Inside here is the head of Sashin from Hidden Sand Village. Yamanaka Ryosuke learned crucial info from Sashin's mind: even before I set out for the Land of Rivers, the Hidden Sand Village knew someone was planning to target the Daimyo of the Land of Rivers...."
"The leak made the mission challenging from the start, so Uchiha Yoichi's presence at the Daimyo's Mansion of the Land of Rivers was a rescue for the mission!"