Camping

"Ah, Natsuhiko-Sensei, what a coincidence! This must be fate arranged by the Sage of the Six Paths..." Obito ran over, waving his hand energetically when he spotted Natsuhiko from afar, his words as sweet as honey.

After all, having received the secret technique shuriken from Natsuhiko earlier, which helped him eliminate that giant snake, Obito's admiration for his Sensei had only deepened.

His desire to formally apprentice under Natsuhiko surged once again.

So, it was no surprise that he was so excited to encounter Natsuhiko this time.

However, his excitement didn't last long because as he approached, he noticed Kakashi following behind Natsuhiko-Sensei...

"Why am I not surprised? Kakashi, you're here too... Just my luck..." Obito made a face as if he had bitten into chocolate that tasted like dirt.

So, was this meeting a coincidence or not?

Natsuhiko silently complained to himself, then casually greeted Obito.

Kakashi, on the other hand, merely gave a restrained grunt as his form of greeting.

After pulling a face at Kakashi, Obito asked curiously, "Sensei, are you heading out of the village for something?"

"Yes," Natsuhiko replied, ruffling Obito's hair. "And I'll be away for a while, so remember to inform everyone not to slack off while I'm gone."

"Got it." Obito patted his chest and said, "I'll definitely inform everyone."

With that, he didn't want to delay his Sensei any longer and prepared to say goodbye.

But just then, he noticed the large pack strapped to Kakashi's back. It was clear he was also going on a long journey.

Could it be...

"Wait a minute, Sensei! Is Kakashi going with you, too?" Obito asked in disbelief.

"That's right," Natsuhiko explained. "Actually, I'm heading out on a mission, and Kakashi happened to be available, so I asked him to assist."

"Eh?!"

Obito immediately became anxious. "Sensei, I can help too! Wait for me; I'll go home and pack my things right now!"

Unfortunately, Natsuhiko quickly and mercilessly rejected Obito's offer. "There is no need; we don't need that many people for this mission."

"Besides, you're still just an academy student. If I took you on a mission, both the Hokage and Lady Biwako would never let me hear the end of it."

With that, Natsuhiko ruffled Obito's hair again, bid him farewell, and set off with Kakashi, heading toward Konoha's gate.

As he watched them disappear into the distance, Obito recalled Kakashi's smug look before he left and bit his handkerchief in frustration.

Damn it, I was here first!

What's so great about being a genin?! It's not like his strength is much greater than mine…

And besides, could it be that Kakashi also wants to apprentice under Natsuhiko-Sensei?

The thought of Kakashi spending 24 hours a day with Natsuhiko made Obito feel a sense of urgency.

Who knows how much stronger he'll be when he gets back?

Obito, who had been slacking off a bit after receiving the secret technique shuriken, now felt his nerves tighten again.

Sigh, I was planning to hang out with Asuma…

It looks like I'll need to change my plans and find Guy for special training…

With this decision made, Obito headed toward the tavern, muttering to himself, "Kakashi, don't get too cocky. When you return, I'll definitely surprise you!"

"Remember, I'm Natsuhiko-sensei's number one disciple!"

…

Meanwhile, Natsuhiko and Kakashi had completed their departure registration at the village gate and left Konoha together.

As soon as they left the village, Kakashi immediately became focused.

From choosing the most appropriate path based on the map and the environment to staying on high alert for any possible enemies, he handled everything skillfully, showing none of the inexperience one might expect from a novice genin.

This was the advantage of being from a prominent shinobi clan. Even without a formal Jonin instructor, they had already learned many practical skills at home that were not written in books.

The only thing that left Natsuhiko speechless was that Kakashi seemed to have misunderstood the mission, acting overly cautious the entire time.

It was as if he expected five hundred assassins to leap out from the bushes at any moment and hack them to pieces.

But it seemed all of Kakashi's efforts were in vain. Their journey so far had been uneventful, without even a single wild beast crossing their path.

The typical shinobi's journey was plain, monotonous… and boring.

When the two arrived at a clearing in the Forest of Fire Country and saw that the sky was darkening, Natsuhiko suggested, "Let's stop here for the night. We can get a good rest and continue tomorrow."

"Yes!" Kakashi, still in mission mode, replied succinctly.

Without waiting for instructions, he added, "Sensei, you rest first. I'll gather materials and set up camp."

With that, he jumped into a tree to survey the area.

Natsuhiko opened his mouth to say something but decided against it.

So he sat on a large rock and watched with interest as Kakashi busied himself.

Kakashi occasionally gathered various fruits and mushrooms from the area that didn't require much preparation. He also used tools from his pack to build a hidden rest area in a tree and even set up multiple layers of warning traps around the camp using wire and bells…

By the time he was done, the night he had entirely fallen.

Kakashi then brought the collected food and his ration pills to Natsuhiko, saying, "According to the third rule of the shinobi code, we can't light fires during missions to avoid detection by enemies, so we'll have to make do with this tonight."

Kakashi, what exactly are you fighting against?

Looking at the misshapen fruits and the unappetising ration pills, Natsuhiko gave a wry smile.

Seeing that Kakashi was about to start munching on a giant fruit, Natsuhiko quickly stopped him.

"Sensei, did I do something wrong?" Kakashi asked, confused. "I was just following the shinobi code."

"It's not wrong, exactly," Natsuhiko said, sighing. "But what's written in books is a bit outdated..."

With that, he stood up and smiled slightly.

"Alright then, let me show you the camping method of the new era of shinobi."

Though slightly annoyed by Natsuhiko questioning the shinobi code, Kakashi remained respectful and patiently waited to see what he would do.

Natsuhiko glanced around, then walked to an open space.

"This spot should be good…" he said, pulling a small box from his pocket. He opened it and took out a tiny capsule, which he tossed to the ground.

BOMB!!!

A massive cloud of white smoke cleared to reveal a white, dome-shaped house!

Kakashi was stunned by this unbelievable sight.

But the surprises weren't over!

Natsuhiko opened the door to reveal a fully lit interior, complete with electricity!

Following Natsuhiko's lead, Kakashi cautiously stepped inside.

He was shocked to find that, although the space was small, it had a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and even a kitchen — all beautifully decorated.

In the kitchen, there was even a pot of steaming, fragrant curry on the table…

If not for the view outside the window, Kakashi would've thought he was in a high-end family inn!

So this… is the new era shinobi camping method?

It was nothing like before.

But… could this even be considered camping?

Kakashi fell into deep thought…

So much so that he didn't even hear Natsuhiko's question when he walked in:

"So, Kakashi, do you want to eat first, bathe first, or…" (LMAO)

(End of Chapter)