Chapter 254 : The butterfly effect caused by lack of sleep
After watching all the animation, Naraku found no clues as to Kakashi and Rin's current whereabouts.
Jhin also didn't detect any unusual activity; both old timers were still underground, sleeping or watching the children.
Perhaps no news was the best news.
Naraku comforted himself this way, and to distract himself and relieve anxiety, he spent a long time browsing posts on the forum, sitting on Yunbai Mountain until late at night.
When the reinforcements sent by the outpost arrived, traveling under the stars and moon to take over, he really wanted to ask if they had seen Kakashi, but how could Uchiha Naraku, who was supposed to be "ignorant," ask such a question?
Suppressing the impatience in his heart, Naraku was about to set off back to the outpost when he vaguely felt a stir in his summoning contract and quickly summoned Koyuki.
The kitten meowed twice, scampered up his leg, grabbing his clothes, and settled on his shoulder, shaking the scroll tube on her back.
He pulled out the letter and unfolded it, learning from the message Fugaku sent via the Ninja Cat clan that Kakashi had safely arrived at the eastern front.
-- Thank goodness, at least for now they are safe.
The heavy stone in his chest finally lifted, and Naraku immediately felt a sense of relief.
He gave Koyuki two more dried fish for her to take a reply to Fugaku, then set off on his return journey, full of anticipation.
Eastern front outpost.
Kakashi and Rin reported their mission to Nara Shikaku, the front-line strategist, and were allowed temporary free movement, though they couldn't go too far from the outpost.
With nowhere else to go, the two went to the Uchiha camp to look for Naraku, only to hear from Fugaku and Fūyō that he was still out on a mission.
If the time spent resting along the way was included, he probably wouldn't be back until noon tomorrow.
And by then, they would have to depart for the northern front.
Hearing this "bad news," the young boy and girl visibly slumped, their aura wilting a bit.
Their spirits, already nearing their limit from two days and two nights without sleep, now became even more precarious, their eyes even a little dazed.
"Then we will take our leave, Clan Head."
Kakashi still had enough reason to bow, but the disappointment and exhaustion in his voice couldn't be hidden: "I apologize for disturbing you late at night."
"Hm, don't mind it. There are still a few hours until dawn; I'll have Fūyō take you to rest."
After Uchiha Fūyō led Kakashi and Rin away, Fugaku leaned back in his chair, tilting his head slightly, trying to forget Kakashi's regretful eyes.
But thinking that Naraku would return to the camp and learn from others that he and Kakashi had passed each other, and would surely show the same expression, he couldn't bear it.
That child would definitely not say a word, but secretly feel sad in his heart for a long time.
After much deliberation, Fugaku reluctantly summoned a Ninja Cat to send a message to Naraku.
When he received Naraku's reply from Yunbai Mountain, Fūyō also walked into the tent from outside, his expression strangely subtle.
Fugaku unfolded the letter and asked curiously, "What's wrong?"
"No, Clan Head, it's nothing major… The girl named 'Rin' is currently resting in the spare room of Tent No. 7."
"Understood."
After reading the words on the letter, Fugaku held the paper to the flame of the oil lamp, ignited it, and casually tossed it into the brazier: "What about Kakashi?"
"Uh, well…" Fūyō grimaced helplessly and said, "When he passed Naraku's room, he saw the name on the door and said he had arrived."
Crack.
Fugaku's face darkened, and the steel pen he had just picked up suddenly shattered.
Fūyō's mouth twitched slightly twice, a drop of cold sweat ran down his temple, but he still bit the bullet and finished his sentence: "Then he just went straight inside to rest."
-- Hatake Kakashi! o(▼dish▼メ;)o
-- Have some boundaries, you brat! (╯｀□′)╯ ~ ╧╧
Fugaku's forehead pulsed with veins, completely forgetting that Naraku and Kakashi had lived together for many years, much longer than he considered himself Naraku's father.
For them, sleeping in the same bed was nothing new.
By the time Fugaku realized this five minutes later, the steel pen in his hand was completely ruined.
Fūyō, standing guard outside the door, silently straightened up and covered his ears.
On the other side.
Kakashi stumbled into Naraku's tent, and after lighting the lamp, he found the furnishings and layout very similar to his own.
However, perhaps because it hadn't been tidied in many days, everything here was covered in a thin layer of dust.
He forced himself, despite his extremely fatigued body and mind, to briefly tidy and clean everything, then took off his outer clothes and shoes, lay down on the small bed to relax his entire body, and in the blink of an eye, fell into a "coma"… Just as dawn broke, the cheerful chirping of blackbirds echoed around the camp, first stirring the boy's slumbering dream.
What then fully awakened him was the cool sensation of ink dripping onto his skin, and the subtle itch caused by the brush tip sliding.
Kakashi suddenly opened his eyes and sat bolt upright, retreating a couple of steps with both hands and feet, looking at Naraku, who had also been startled by him, with a shocked expression.
The latter froze in place, his left hand holding a small dish of ink, his right hand holding a brush dipped in ink, seemingly about to continue writing talismans on him.
"Naraku…?"
He suspected he hadn't fully woken up, and lowered his head to look at his bare upper body.
Not only were his clothes gone, but his arms and shoulders were also covered with many strange characters; he estimated the other party had started before dawn.
Confirming this wasn't a dream or an illusion, Kakashi raised an eyebrow, speechless: "What are you doing?"
"Hm?"
Naraku hadn't slept in a long time, and out of frugality, hadn't used popularity points to improve his state, causing his brain to react slowly, and he tilted his head with a blank expression: "Sealing Jutsu, of course?"
Not only did he not realize anything was amiss, but he also pointed the brush tip with a matter-of-fact look, urging Kakashi to quickly come back and sit properly.
"Stretch out your arm, just a bit longer."
Kakashi didn't quite understand but still obediently extended his left arm for him to continue writing.
Fortunately, Naraku began to explain while writing the incantations: "This is my improved Sealing Jutsu, Yin Seal: Modified, it's very effective… I should be able to finish it before you leave."
"Your complexion is terrible," Kakashi observed Naraku closely, seeing the exhaustion in his eyes, and couldn't help but frown, "You didn't just start doing this as soon as you got back, did you…?"
"I couldn't help it," Naraku blinked hard and whispered, "If I don't do it this time, I don't know when I'll get another chance."
Just then, Rin arrived near the tent entrance, and before she could greet them, she heard the two people talking through the tent flap.
"I couldn't help it. If I don't do it this time, I don't know when I'll get another chance…"
"Even so, this is too much for you… How about we wait until next time?"
"No, it's a shame to give up halfway. I'm fine…"
"Alright, then… You're always like this… Anyway, don't let there be a next time."
Rin's raised arm froze in mid-air, standing outside the door, caught between advancing and retreating.
-- What are Kakashi and Naraku doing? I don't understand at all?
-- I feel like going in now would disturb them?
Just as she was utterly confused, strange sounds came from inside again.
"Um, Kakashi, come a little closer…"
"Huh? Here too?… Haha… It tickles so much, let me go!"
"How can you give up when you've gotten this far?… Just bear with it."
"Don't pull my pants, hey… Naraku! That part definitely won't work…!"
Rin: ???… What did I just hear!?
The bewildered little girl's face turned crimson, her churning brain completely oblivious to whether she would be discovered, she simply threw her hand up to cover her face, silently screaming as she quickly ran away.
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