"It's my turn to ride, get down now!"
"Nonsense, I just got on! Wait a little longer!"
"You've been riding for five minutes already!"
Naruto and his Shadow Clone were almost fighting over who got to ride the deer. The reason was that there were only two deer: Kano rode one, Naruto rode the other, and there was no way to carry Kano's large amount of luggage.
Naruto volunteered to help Kano carry it using the Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu. Kano had Shadow Ninjas and Shadow Warriors, so she didn't actually need Naruto's help.
But Naruto was stubborn and insisted on carrying the luggage for Kano. Kano had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.
"What an idiot," Kakashi remarked before asking Kano, "You have even more luggage than when we came. Did you buy souvenirs for your family?"
"I won't hide it from you all; those bags are filled with money. I raided Gato's base and found quite a bit. We'll split it four ways when we get back to the village."
Kano spoke honestly. She didn't intend to keep the money for herself; although it was a lot, it couldn't compare to friendship.
Even just a quarter of it would be enough to buy a house in a prime area of Konoha Village, saving an ordinary person half a lifetime of hard work.
Everyone else was stunned. They hadn't expected Kano to go off and do such a thing in secret, and that she wouldn't forget her teammates after making a fortune.
Even Kakashi was full of praise for Kano, and he packed his share of the money into his backpack before they even reached the village.
The other two orphans were also very happy. Although they weren't usually constrained by money, they were still delighted to pick up such a large sum for free.
Naruto wasn't in a hurry to split the money, since he was the one carrying Kano's bags for now. Sasuke wasn't in a hurry either; instead, he silently walked up to Kano's side.
"I've made up my mind."
"Hmm? What question do you want to ask?"
Kano quickly realized that Sasuke had come to claim his reward. Naruto had already eaten a bento Kano made herself the day after training ended, shouting excitedly about how he could "die without regrets."
Sasuke, however, had been hesitating. He had so many things he wanted to ask, but didn't know which one to ask first.
Finally, he had decided what he wanted to ask.
"That guy... where is he hiding now?"
"Amegakure. It's not realistic if you want to go now; even if you did, you wouldn't find his hiding place. However, you can wait in Konoha. After the Chunin Exams end, he will return to Konoha for a visit. You'll have a chance to see him then."
After hearing the first half, Sasuke felt Kano was just tricking him, thinking he was too weak and shouldn't seek his own death like everyone else said. But upon hearing the second half, Sasuke's Sharingan snapped open instantly.
The Chunin Exams were this year, not far off. This meant he would soon see Uchiha Itachi again. This time, he had to seize the opportunity and kill that sinner!
Sasuke clenched his fists. He had to redouble his training during this period and strive to raise his strength to another level.
The group returned to Konoha Village. Kano said her goodbyes while sitting on a Shadow Deer, with another Shadow Deer carrying the luggage home.
"I'm back!"
Hearing Kano's voice, her mother Yoshino came out to greet her. Having not seen her for a long time, the mother picked up little Kano, hugging and doting on her.
"My precious daughter, you're finally back! While you were away, those two, father and son, nearly drove me crazy with anger. Our Kano is still the best—so well-behaved and cute."
"Quickly, put your things down. Mommy will make something delicious for you right away."
"Where are Dad and my brother?"
"They're still at work. How did the mission go? Was it smooth?"
"It was quite smooth. And I've become super strong now! Maybe even stronger than Dad."
"Of course, my precious daughter is definitely stronger than that workaholic." Yoshino brought out some fruit and snacks. "I haven't heard you sing in a long time. Can you sing a song for Mommy?"
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 40 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!