"Lord Hokage!"
After washing up and finishing breakfast, Yagami arrived at the Hokage's office on time. Two people were already standing inside.
"Since we're all here, let me introduce you to each other first."
Seeing Yagami enter, Sarutobi Hiruzen put down his pipe, gesturing toward the two shinobi beside him.
"This is Tekuno, and this is Hatake Kakashi."
Yagami nodded politely.
He already knew them without needing introductions.
Kakashi was obvious.
As for Tekuno—the large, Choza-sized man—Yagami recognized him as Kakashi's teammate in the original timeline.
After everyone exchanged greetings, Hiruzen spoke more formally than before:
"From today onward, the three of you will temporarily form a small team—with Yagami as the team leader."
"Yes," Yagami replied.
Kakashi and Tekuno nodded without objection.
They were both Chūnin.
The captaincy naturally fell to the newly promoted Jōnin—Yagami.
[Ding! System mission triggered! Gain approval from your teammates. Mission difficulty: ★]
[Mission reward: 500 Prestige Points.]
[Master, do you accept the mission?]
"Approval from teammates?"
Yagami blinked quietly in surprise.
But he immediately accepted.
He needed all the strength and resources he could get.
Seeing no objections, Hiruzen nodded and pulled a file from his desk.
"There happens to be a mission available for your team. The difficulty isn't high, but it is still an official assignment."
He handed the document to Yagami.
Yagami skimmed through it quickly.
(Mission: Proceed to the Grass–Earth border, rendezvous with an intelligence operative, and escort the intel back to Konoha.)
(Secret code: Ask — 'Did you eat fish today?'
Answer — 'My fishing net broke yesterday.')
(Difficulty: C-rank.
If enemy forces obstruct you, it automatically upgrades to B-rank.)
(Reward: 5,000 ryō.)
"So we're retrieving intel?"
Yagami returned the document to Hiruzen. "Understood. We will accept the mission."
After their farewells, Yagami left the Hokage's office with Kakashi and Tekuno behind him.
"This mission should take around five or six days round trip," Yagami said as they exited the building. "If you need to prepare anything, do it now. Meet me at the village gate in thirty minutes."
Tekuno nodded cheerfully and jogged off.
But Kakashi… did not move.
"Kakashi, you don't need to prepare anything?" Yagami asked.
"As a shinobi, one must always remain prepared for emergencies."
Kakashi's monotone, emotionless voice came out through his mask.
"So after every mission, I immediately prepare supplies for the next."
Nani?
Yagami stared.
He knew Kakashi had a rigid personality shaped by his father's death—but preparing every mission's supplies in advance?
This wasn't discipline.
This was a mental barricade.
"Even food for the trip?" Yagami asked cautiously.
"I'm always prepared. I have ration pills for more than a week."
Cold. Flat. No hesitation.
"…"
Yagami had no words.
Pure paranoia.
But Kakashi was now his teammate, and the system required winning his approval.
So Yagami tried to advise him:
"As your captain, I strongly recommend eating fewer ration pills."
"They restore energy and chakra quickly, yes—but long-term consumption builds resistance. The more you rely on them, the less effective they become—!"
Yagami froze mid-sentence.
In the original timeline… Kakashi never ate real meals during missions.
He lived on military rations for years…
And his body never broke down.
Did this man build resistance from childhood?
"How long have you been eating only these pills?" Yagami asked, face serious.
"…About half a year," Kakashi replied honestly.
"Didn't your previous teammates tell you not to take them continuously?"
Kakashi stared blankly.
He shook his head.
Yagami understood instantly.
They hid the side effects on purpose.
Because Kakashi was too strict, too cold, too harsh.
No teammate wanted to help him.
"You should stop taking them," Yagami said flatly. "Ration pills are for emergencies. You're still growing. If you rely only on them, your body will suffer later."
As he lectured Kakashi, Yagami guided him toward the main road leading out of the village.
When they passed a provisioning shop, Yagami stepped inside and bought enough dried food for himself and Kakashi for seven days.
[Ding! Kakashi's approval increased. Prestige +1.]
[System mission progress: 50%.]
Yagami and Kakashi waited about ten minutes at Konoha's front gate before Tekuno came sprinting over, fully geared and ready.
With all three assembled...
They set off directly, leaving Konoha behind.
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