As an elite Jōnin with extensive mission experience, Kakashi was well-equipped to handle assignments of every stripe. The mission the Third had given him technically encompassed three simultaneous objectives: protection, investigation, and infiltration. First, shield the gathered children from any potential interference by Root operatives. Second, determine what these high-profile kids were actually up to. Third, find a way to embed himself within the little crew for ongoing close observation and control.
Protection was straightforward—Kakashi had full confidence he could send any Root operatives packing. Investigation was equally simple; the children were still kids, after all, and detecting Kakashi's surveillance would be extremely difficult. Watching from the tree outside the Uchiha compound was more than sufficient.
Infiltration, however, required the right opportunity. Such chances didn't come along on demand, which meant seizing one the moment it appeared. Right now, Hinata heading out alone to have photos developed in Konoha's shopping district was exactly that kind of opportunity.
After leaving a Shadow Clone on the tree as a sentry near the compound, Kakashi used Body Flicker to vanish from the area. His first order of business was to find some suitable backup.
Body Flicker carried him swiftly to the market district, where his elite Jōnin instincts led him straight to two familiar figures seated inside a dango shop, sipping tea. He strolled up with a smile. "Yo! Asuma, Kurenai. Good evening."
"Oh, Kakashi?"
The man on the left was a young shinobi with a somewhat scruffy goatee, though his eyes and expression were easy-going and approachable. A lit cigarette dangled from his lips, trailing wisps of smoke.
"Running into you at this hour—that's unusual."
The woman on the right was strikingly beautiful, with fair skin and refined features. Her loose black waves gave her an air of both intellect and allure.
Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai—two Jōnin of the same generation as Kakashi, and currently in a relationship.
"Sorry to interrupt your date, but..."
Kakashi's expression sharpened. "Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai. I am currently carrying out a mission on the Hokage's direct orders, and I hereby request your assistance."
Among Konoha shinobi, requesting backup from available colleagues during an active mission was standard protocol. The requested party technically had the right to refuse, but in Konoha's collegial culture, as long as a shinobi wasn't otherwise engaged, such requests were seldom turned down. Helping others was, after all, helping yourself.
"Understood! Sarutobi Asuma (Yūhi Kurenai) accepts the request for mission assistance."
Both straightened immediately, their responses crisp and professional. As peers from the same generation of Jōnin, their mutual trust ran deep.
"Relax, this one's not especially dangerous. It's all within the village."
Seeing his friends accept, Kakashi eased up. "Asuma, you studied photography and darkroom techniques for a while, right?"
"Huh? Why bring that up out of nowhere? Yeah, I actually thought about becoming a photographer at one point. Why—does this mission involve that?"
Asuma scratched his head in bewilderment. Years of friendship meant he could read Kakashi's subtext, which made the question even stranger.
"Photography or assisting with photo development—that should be D-rank, at most."
Kurenai eyed Kakashi with equal puzzlement. A D-rank task was hardly the sort of thing that warranted mobilizing three elite Jōnin—though judging from Kakashi's tone and bearing, this mission did seem to be the low-danger variety.
"Well, it's a bit complicated. Come on, I'll explain on the way."
Kakashi checked the clock on the dango shop wall. Based on Hinata's walking pace, she'd reach this street within twenty minutes. Everything had to be in place by then.
As jōnin responding to an assistance request, Asuma and Kurenai were entitled to the full mission briefing. Before long, the pair exchanged a look of somber understanding.
"I see. This mission involves nearly every major clan heir of the next generation. No wonder the Hokage issued a direct assignment."
Kurenai nodded gravely. As a Jōnin herself, she could immediately grasp the significance of the names on that little crew roster. Hyuga, Uchiha, Ino-Shika-Cho, Aburame—plus the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki who also happened to be the Fourth Hokage's posthumous son. The Third's concern was entirely justified.
"Exactly. My observations so far confirm that the children are genuinely producing a drama series, but we still need to maintain close proximity for a while."
Kakashi surveyed the end of the street. This section was relatively deserted—perfect for what came next.
"Earth Style: Two-Pillar House Technique!"
Kakashi formed hand signs and slammed both palms to the ground. Chakra-infused soil surged upward and solidified into a small building virtually indistinguishable from the other storefronts lining the street. The jutsu—an adaptation of Earth Prison—could create temporary shelters on demand.
"Nice jutsu! If I bring my darkroom equipment from home, this'll pass as a legitimate development shop."
Asuma admired Kakashi's handiwork, then turned to Kurenai. "By the way, the job of making sure that kid comes to our shop falls to you, Kurenai. Be careful—she has the Byakugan. Ordinary visual genjutsu probably won't work."
"I know. Genjutsu doesn't have to target sight alone."
Years of teamwork made coordination nearly wordless. The plan was simple: Kakashi would build a development shop with Earth Style; Asuma would pose as the proprietor and darkroom technician; Kurenai would use genjutsu to steer Hinata to this specific shop. Then all three would improvise from there.
"One more thing. We can't use Transformation Technique to disguise ourselves—the kid's Byakugan might see through it. So this time, we'll have to go without any jutsu."
A thought occurred to Kakashi. "I'll pose as a shop assistant, Asuma as the owner and developer. Sound good?"
"Makes sense. But what about me?"
Kurenai, unmentioned in the arrangement, raised an eyebrow. Kakashi's eye curved into a teasing crescent. "You, naturally, will play the owner's wife. Well then—see you shortly. I'm going to check how soon she'll get here."
"Hey, Kakashi—don't make jokes that put Kurenai on the spot."
Watching his old friend deliver a perfectly timed assist, Asuma felt a swell of gratitude. Kurenai, cheeks slightly flushed with a mix of irritation and something else entirely, turned on her heel and marched into the new shop. Asuma scratched his head and hurried in after her. They needed to get their disguises ready quickly—and Kurenai would probably be willing to help with his.
As an amateur photographer, Hinata didn't yet have the expertise to develop her own prints. And the technology level in the shinobi world was far from advanced—instant cameras were still a distant dream. So she had to take her exposed film to a development shop for processing.
What a hassle. Maybe I need to recruit a few people who can do darkroom work...
With that thought nagging at her, Hinata arrived on the street she usually frequented, somewhat irritated. There were three well-established development shops here. To prevent leaks of her production work, she'd been rotating between all three. But today, something was off.
"Closed?"
She frowned at the shuttered door of the first shop. The sense of her plans being disrupted made her deeply uncomfortable. She walked to the next two shops. Both were locked up tight, apology notices taped to their doors.
This put Hinata on high alert. She'd been in this world for less than three months, but she was, after all, a transmigrator with decades of real-world experience. She'd already noted that the Land of Fire's Cultural Festival was right around the corner. This was peak season for development shops; tourists loved commemorative photos during festivals. For all three shops on the same street to close on the same evening during festival season? Impossible.
Whoever had arranged this had the right idea, but they'd been careless—they'd overlooked the social context. Then again, if the operative's intel said the target was "just an eleven-year-old girl," that kind of oversight was understandable.
Running a finger along her smooth chin, Hinata allowed herself a cold smirk. Interesting. The powers that be in the shadows had finally made their move. If all three shops were closed to achieve some specific objective, there were only two possibilities:
First: to prevent her from developing photos at all, thereby soft-blocking her operations. In this case, there'd be no available development shops anywhere nearby.
Second: to funnel her toward a specific, controlled location for surveillance. In this case, there'd be exactly one newly opened shop conveniently nearby—staffed by operatives in disguise.
After all, her series starred Sasuke and Naruto as the male and female leads. If certain important people deemed that scandalous enough to suppress—but couldn't confront the Hyuga heiress directly—they'd go with option one. That would mean zero usable shops in the area.
But if those important people simply wanted to keep her under observation, they'd go with option two. In that case, there'd be a brand-new shop nearby, its staff nothing but undercover shinobi.
Having worked this out, Hinata didn't bother activating her Byakugan. She simply started walking. Sure enough, at the far end of the street, she stopped.
Before her stood a development shop she had never seen before. The fresh signage and pristine storefront screamed new business.
Option two, then.
Hinata eyed the shop with a thin smile. As if on cue, the glass door swung open and a white-haired shop attendant appeared, all smiles. "Welcome, miss! Looking to develop some photos?"
"Why, yes."
Hinata nodded, studying the man with unconcealed amusement. A faint, knowing smile played at the corners of her lips.
"I might have quite a lot of photos that need developing."