Kakashi’s Request

"So, Sensei, you're saying that bringing back Lady Tsunade is not an exaggeration?"

The scene shifts back to the Senju estate, where Natsuhiko still hesitantly confirms.

Mito flashes a sinister smile and says:

"Of course, it's literal."

"In other words, no matter what means you use—even if it involves force—as long as you bring Tsunade back to me, you've completed the task."

Natsuhiko wipes the sweat off his brow and says:

"Mito-sama, is it essential to go to such lengths?"

Upon hearing this, Mito's smile fades

.... she won't return until the day I die. Maybe that's when she'll come to see me one last time."

Then, with a sudden thought, she adds:

"——Right, if it really comes down to it, Natsuhiko, just tell her I'm on the verge of death."

Natsuhiko, who had been wearing a heavy expression, fell silent for a moment and thought sarcastically to himself.

If Tsunade came back only to find that you were still lively, I might be the first one to die.

But Natsuhiko understood Mito's intentions, so he nodded and said:

"Don't worry, Sensei. No matter what, I will bring Lady Tsunade back."

"What? Natsuhiko, you're going to find Sister Tsunade?"

At this moment, Kushina's voice came from behind Natsuhiko.

It turned out that just now, while resting from her training, Kushina had overheard Natsuhiko's conversation.

Ah, this is going to be troublesome now, Natsuhiko thought to himself, turning around with a bit of a headache.

Kushina, with excitement gleaming in her eyes, clenched her fists in front of her chest and said:

"That's great! I've been missing Sister Tsunade, too. Let's go together and find her!"

Natsuhiko lightly massaged his temples, while Mito could only shake her head with a wry smile.

With the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki transfer ceremony coming up soon, the village could not allow Kushina to leave now.

However, seeing the excitement on Kushina's face, Natsuhiko knew that a simple refusal wouldn't convince her to stay.

So, standing up, Natsuhiko gestured for Kushina to come closer.

Kushina, not understanding his intention, obeyed and approached him, only to have his raised finger poke her forehead.

"Forgive me, Kushina, maybe next time."

Natsuhiko smiled apologetically.

But in the next instant, his charming smile twisted into an expression of pain due to a sudden jab to his ribs.

"Why'd you poke my forehead like that? It hurt, you know!"

Kushina, who had just elbowed him, blushed slightly but puffed her cheeks in annoyance.

Natsuhiko, clutching his ribs and retreating a few steps, sat back down, feeling a bit confused about life.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go!

Why didn't the forehead poke work as well for him as it did for Itachi and Sasuke?

Is it because I'm not a Uchiha?

Thankfully, Kushina, still rubbing her forehead, huffed and said:

"But since you say so, fine. But next time, you have to take me out of the village to play!"

So, it wasn't ineffective—just delayed...

It probably had something to do with the processing speed of her brain...

Natsuhiko, while making a rigorous scientific analysis in his mind, nodded thoughtfully and said:

"Alright, next time, for sure!"

...

Although Natsuhiko had accepted Mito-sensei's request, he wasn't planning to set off immediately.

After all, the Land of Fire isn't giant, but it's not exactly small, either.

Finding Tsunade, who frequently changes her appearance to avoid creditors, would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

If he ran around aimlessly, he might not even find her before the end of the holiday.

So, Natsuhiko's first step was to gather intelligence, such as checking with the ninja who had recently gone out on missions to see if anyone had spotted Tsunade.

This task didn't even require Natsuhiko to do it himself; he outsourced it to two reliable helpers he often used: Sensei Ichikaku and Kushina.

While waiting for their information, Natsuhiko didn't sit idle.

Since he didn't know how long he'd be away, he had to arrange for the village affairs in his absence.

His research would have to be paused for a while, as he couldn't let his infant clone leave him for too long.

As for the school, it was still the holiday season, so there was no need to worry as long as he returned before the break ended.

Regarding the tavern, he didn't dare leave it entirely in the hands of Nono for fear that by the time he came back, it might already be owned by someone from the Shimura clan.

So, he asked Mito, who was the only one aware of Nono's true identity, to look after it for a while.

Mito, intrigued by the legendary "Walking Shrine Maiden," gladly accepted the task.

Once everything was in place, all that was left for Natsuhiko to do was wait...

A few days later, Natsuhiko had gathered enough information from Ichikaku and Kushina, with multiple reports of Tsunade sightings.

It seemed Tsunade was acting more boldly than he had expected, not frequently changing her appearance to avoid her debts.

However, several blonde, wavy-haired women appeared in the ninja world, making it difficult for Natsuhiko to identify the real Tsunade.

Fortunately, he came across a report indicating that one of these blonde women was accompanied by a young girl with black hair.

After visiting the Kato clan and confirming that Shizune was no longer there, Natsuhiko was nearly sure of Tsunade's whereabouts.

Based on the location of the sightings, her next stop would likely be the gamblers' paradise—Short-Book Street.

With Tsunade's location confirmed, Natsuhiko prepared to set off on his mission to "capture" her.

——Mission codename: Operation Grey Wolf.

But before that, there was one more thing he needed to take care of...

...

In the living room of the Hatake clan estate, Natsuhiko sat cross-legged in front of a low table, grading a test paper.

Kakashi knelt beside him, holding a book and seemingly unconcerned about his test results.

It was clear he wasn't overly confident, as Natsuhiko quickly finished grading and wrote a perfect score—100 points—on the paper.

"As expected from a genius who graduated at age five."

Natsuhiko smiled and handed the paper to Kakashi, praising him, "Even though you've self-studied a bit, mastering everything I taught in one semester this quickly is truly impressive."

Kakashi put down his book, glanced briefly at the test paper, and then placed it on the table.

He didn't seem particularly moved by the compliment, likely having heard it many times before.

However, Kakashi genuinely admired Natsuhiko's expertise in sealing techniques.

He was also grateful that Natsuhiko had taken the time to tutor him during the holidays, even after his graduation.

So, while maintaining his kneeling posture, Kakashi placed his hands on his knees and bowed to Natsuhiko:

"This is all thanks to your teaching, sensei. Thank you."

Natsuhiko waved his hand with a smile and said, "No need to be so polite."

"Kakashi, when you become a Sensei someday, you'll understand... Teaching a brilliant student who grasps things so quickly is a joy for any Sensei."

"——But just remember, don't play favourites with the good students."

Kakashi, though not fully understanding, nodded in agreement.

Natsuhiko then thought for a moment and continued:

"Since your academics are no longer a problem, and you've mostly mastered the radio exercises for meridian training, and you've started practising projection techniques... By the time school starts, you should be on par with your peers, if not ahead."

"So, we can wrap up our tutoring now."

"Coincidentally, I have a mission that requires me to leave the village for a while, and I won't be in Konoha for some time."

"——Oh, and if you see Obito and the others, could you let them know and remind them not to slack off?"

After Natsuhiko's explanation, Kakashi didn't immediately agree.

When he heard that Natsuhiko had a mission, his expression changed subtly under his mask.

After some hesitation, Kakashi bit his lip and spoke up:

"Sensei, is there any chance you need an extra hand on this mission?"

"Do you think… I could join you?"

(End of Chapter)