Naruto naturally said, "Maybe it's because the one who read that book was Kakashi-sensei, not that young Kakashi from your team? How about you let him read it too and see what happens?"
"!!"
Obito grinned. "Yeah! Kakashi! You should read that book too! I promise I'll cover my ears and absolutely refuse to listen to whatever you're reading!"
His righteous expression looked like he was ready to say: No matter how funny it is, I won't laugh! But the real question is—is this even funny?!
If this were a comedy novel, young Kakashi swore he'd pick it up and read it without laughing! But the problem is—this is a questionable novel!!!
What in the world was his future self thinking?!
Seeing that Kakashi remained unmoved, Obito pulled out his trump card! He made a weird noise and sneered, "You always talk about how ninjas must follow the rules, but when it's you, it doesn't apply? I never would've guessed you were such a hypocrite, dumb Kakashi!!"
"!!!"
Rin gently tugged at Obito's sleeve and said, "Obito, if Kakashi really doesn't want to, let's not push him."
"..."
The silence hung thick in the air. Everyone's eyes were fixed on young Kakashi.
"Everyone, cover your ears!!!!" young Kakashi bellowed.
The genius prodigy of Konohagakure had gone all in! A kind of resolute determination, like a warrior severing his own wrist, radiated from him!
Obito chuckled and gave Rin a thumbs-up. Their plan succeeded—everyone covered their ears.
This time, to avoid hurting the kid's pride, even Minato covered his ears.
To ensure the task wasn't left incomplete with no one listening, adult Kakashi didn't cover his ears. After all, he'd read the book so many times—he could recite it backwards.
"Natsuki shed her outer garments in the bathroom, her two hands, as tender as white spring onions, pressing against the man's dark-colored..."
"..."
Clouds drifted by, blocking the sun. Young Kakashi finished reading those pages, but unlike adult Kakashi, he didn't collapse onto the floor.
To everyone's surprise, he actually kicked his future self in the face?!!
Adult Kakashi blocked with his arm. Then, young Kakashi kicked him several more times, yelling insults like "You're sick!", "You're out of your mind!", "Bastard!" and finally even "Pervert!!!"
Meanwhile, Obito, wanting to avoid the same embarrassing situation Naruto had gone through, where his pants fell down in front of everyone, had already taken off his ninja pouch and placed it on the ground. When the third mission scroll in his case got stamped "Completed," the coins inside his pouch clinked loudly.
"I wonder if these coins will disappear once we get back to our own time," Obito said, holding the pile of mission money.
The battle between young Kakashi and adult Kakashi kept Naruto and the others glued to the scene. The experienced adult Kakashi quickly subdued young Kakashi, using his familiar combat techniques.
After Rin and Obito urged him to stop—warning that continuing would only make things more awkward—young Kakashi finally gave up. Minato, eager to spare his student further embarrassment, quickly changed the subject.
"Based on this calculation, if a D-rank mission pays one million ryō, how much would an A-rank or S-rank mission pay?"
"!!!"
Everyone was shocked by the question. Seeing the last remaining A-rank mission on Obito's scroll, they all stared at him eagerly. Even if the money wasn't for them, they wanted to know how much an A-rank mission would pay!
Sakura took Naruto's scroll and said in surprise, "There's so much blank space left on this scroll! If we finish all the missions on the back..."
Naruto couldn't even begin to calculate how much money that would be.
Obito scratched his head. "But the last time I saw Zabuza, I gave myself away right away."
Minato apologized. "The information I gave you must have been wrong."
He looked at adult Kakashi. "You don't know anything about the current situation with the Mizukage of Kirigakure, do you?"
Kakashi: "I don't know the details, but based on how those Missing-nin are reacting, it probably isn't too friendly."
It wasn't just unfriendly—it was downright brutal.
The masked man in Kirigakure was in an extremely foul mood after experiencing those recurring dreams.
Just then, the ANBU brought in several more Missing-nin. Using the appearance of Yagura Karatachi, he grabbed the iron collar around one Missing-nin's neck and dragged him down to the even darker basement of the Mizukage Tower. Agonized screams echoed through the air, but all were sealed within the tower.
Standing guard in the Mizukage building, Terumi and Ao couldn't help but frown. They both wondered when this endless cycle would finally come to an end.
...
The scene shifts back to the Land of Waves—
Naruto glanced at the Fourth Hokage, then at Kakashi-sensei.
"Why don't we just ask Zabuza directly?"
Sakura smacked him hard on the head.
"Idiot! Think before you speak! How could we possibly go looking for that brutal monster ourselves?! Are we crazy?!!"
"No! That possibility might actually exist!" Adult Kakashi interjected.
"With Minato-sensei and me there, confronting Zabuza isn't just about escaping unscathed—taking him down on the spot wouldn't be too difficult either."
Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto all stared, wide-eyed, first at Kakashi and then at Minato Namikaze.
"Is the Fourth Hokage-sama really that strong?!"
Honestly, due to his approachable demeanor—and his inexplicable kindness toward Naruto—they had always overlooked his strength, assuming he might not even be as powerful as Kakashi-sensei.
"What are you talking about?!" Obito Uchiha chimed in, clearly proud. "Minato-sensei was the Yellow Flash of the Third Shinobi World War! Of course he is powerful!"
But just hearing that title, or listening to Obito recount stories of the Fourth's past exploits, wasn't enough for them to truly understand his might.
"Regardless, I think this approach is worth trying. While caution isn't a bad thing, sometimes direct action is necessary," Minato stated, his voice steady and confident.
"Besides, Zabuza may be a renegade Kiri ninja, but since our last encounter, I've been thinking about something," Kakashi added. "Zabuza's coup was probably fueled by his disgust at the Mizukage's atrocities."
"That demon, Zabuza?!" Sakura exclaimed in shock.
Sasuke replied coldly, "Don't forget, that man killed over a hundred of his own comrades during the graduation exams. You were the one who told us that information."
Because of Itachi, Sasuke harbored an intense loathing for acts of killing one's own comrades or kin.
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake