---
"Eh? Are you leaving so soon?" Kankurō asked Kakashi in surprise. "It would be good to rest for a couple more days."
"Well~ After all, we still have a lot of missions back in Konohagakure. And..." Kakashi glanced at Sakura and Temari, who were standing face to face, glaring daggers at each other.
"Why is Naruto-kun going back with you so soon, Forehead Girl?!" Temari shouted at Sakura.
"Before I left, my master told me to keep a close eye on Naruto-kun! You old hag!" Sakura retorted sharply, refusing to back down.
As they argued, the two continued to stare at each other fiercely.
"Well~" At this time, Naruto hurriedly came forward to push them apart, laughing awkwardly. "Peace is the most important thing, peace is the most important thing..."
Sakura and Temari, in unison: "Get lost!"
Naruto: "Come on, don't be like that~"
Kakashi, Kankurō: "..."
"And the Akatsuki has already infiltrated Sunagakure once. I'm also worried about Konoha's defenses," Kakashi continued seriously.
"But your body..." Kankurō glanced at Kakashi, who was being half-carried by Guy.
Guy flashed a gleaming smile at the Sand shinobi, giving them a thumbs-up: "Don't worry! I, Might Guy, known as Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, am his trusted partner! Leave it to me!"
At the village gates of Sunagakure.
Gaara and his group came to bid farewell to Naruto and the others.
"If you dare to forget me again like you did the past two years..." Temari said threateningly, punching Naruto lightly — though not lightly enough for him not to feel it.
"Haha~ Ha~ Definitely won't happen!" Naruto laughed awkwardly.
Gaara stared at Naruto for a moment before suddenly speaking: "Usually, when parting like this, a handshake would be appropriate, but..."
Before Gaara could finish, Naruto jumped away like he had seen a ghost: "You won't be like Sasuke, right?! No way! It's impossible between us!"
Everyone: "..."
Gaara: "Get lost."
"Look out! Sand Shinobi Secret Technique!"
Suddenly, several kunai shot toward Naruto.
Naruto flipped over an iron bridge and landed nimbly, yelling frantically: "Get lost, old hag! You're still going at it?!"
Everyone turned their heads and saw Ebizō clinging to Chiyo, crying loudly: "Nee-chan! Don't die!"
Everyone: "..."
Naruto sighed and said, "Alright, let's go. We'll talk after we leave the village."
At that moment, Chiyo, still pretending to be dead, suddenly spoke up: "I'll leave my grandson to you."
Naruto grinned crookedly (looking every bit like a mischievous war god) and led the group toward Konoha.
On the road back, Kakashi rested on Guy's back, being piggybacked as they traveled.
Guy had a thoroughly disgusted expression on his face, black lines practically drawn across his forehead.
"Hey! Guy-sensei, you're so slow!" Tenten looked back at them and complained loudly.
"Che~" Guy's disgusted look deepened dramatically...
"Ah~ I'm really sorry, Guy~" Kakashi smiled awkwardly. "After using the Mangekyō Sharingan, my body needs some time to recover, haha~"
"Huh~Cough!" With a loud grunt, Guy suddenly threw Kakashi into the air.
"Ah?! Eh?! Hey! Hey!" Kakashi flailed and shouted mid-air.
Everyone turned to look, only to see Guy casually slinging Kakashi like a backpack. Kakashi looked completely resigned to his fate.
Naruto: "I feel nauseous just looking at it..."
Sakura: "An uncle carrying another uncle... It's worse than I imagined..."
Tenten covered her face with one hand: "This is so embarrassing..."
Rock Lee: "Sou ka! This must be the spirit of youth!" He immediately turned to Neji.
Neji: "???"
"Wahahahaha! It's so much faster now!" Guy laughed loudly, dashing past everyone. "Dodge! Dodge! Can you catch me?! Hahaha!"
As he sprinted forward carrying Kakashi like luggage, Kakashi looked like he wanted to die.
"..." Sakura was speechless. "It feels even worse when he's moving..."
Rock Lee suddenly squatted down and shouted at Neji behind him: "Neji!"
Neji: "Go away."
Rock Lee: "..."
---
In the Land of Rivers, at the edge of a forest.
"Ahhh! Where is it?!" Tobi (disguised as Deidara's partner) was rummaging through the area, looking for Deidara's severed hand with frantic excitement.
Zetsu also searched the surroundings carefully.
Suddenly, a swirling vortex appeared, and Uchiha Obito, heavily bandaged, emerged from the distortion.
"Who are you?" Tobi stared blankly at him — but who else could it be?
Without saying a word, Obito tossed a severed hand with a ring attached to it onto the ground and vanished again into the vortex.
Zetsu, Tobi: "..."
Tobi picked up the severed hand with the Akatsuki ring still attached: "Looks like Deidara-senpai must've died in an explosion! Maybe his remains are still scattered nearby!"
"You idiot! That's my hand!" a voice snapped from behind.
Deidara, battered and missing his arm, limped out from behind a tree.
"Ah~ Zetsu-san, look! Senpai is still alive!" Tobi pointed excitedly at Deidara.
"Where's the Jinchūriki?" Deidara asked, limping toward them.
Zetsu shrugged. "Our objective was achieved."
Tobi spread his hands dramatically: "Oh~ Senpai barely managed it~"
He then nodded again, glancing at Deidara's ruined form: "You're okay? Well... mostly?"
Deidara: "..." I have no hands, but I really want to kill this idiot. What should I do? Online help, urgent!
"Bastard! A Buddha can only endure so much!" Deidara said through gritted teeth. "Say that one more time, I dare you..."
"Probably blown up by the explosion~" Tobi chirped innocently.
Deidara immediately locked Tobi into a scissor leg chokehold: "Damn it! You just die from asphyxiation already!"
Tobi flailed under Deidara's crushing grip: "I'm dying! I'm dying!"
Zetsu: "..." Goddamn it... Leading this idiot team is so damn hard.
---
At the Root base, Konohagakure.
"I've taken care of everything." Danzō, crippled and leaning on his crutches, said to the young man before him. "You're around the same age as Uzumaki Naruto, and you're stronger than most others your age. From today until the end of the mission, your name will be Sai."
"Sai...?" the young man repeated, smiling stiffly. "Understood!"
Danzō: "..." Don't make that creepy smile in front of me. Learn to observe others and blend in properly!
"Apologies. The textbook stated that to gain others' trust, the first step is to learn to smile," Sai said flatly. "Although I practiced, I still can't control my expressions well."
Danzō: "..." Your smile looks more like you're planning to kill someone. It's better if you don't smile at all...
---
Elsewhere in Konoha.
Izumo Kamizuki yawned loudly and slumped over the desk in a daze.
"You're too tense," Kotetsu Hagane said, resting his chin on his hand.
"Ah~ Because of the recent chaos in Sunagakure, we've been on high alert!" Izumo said, yawning again. "And now that things have settled, it's finally stable..."
"It's boring now..." Kotetsu added.
"Yeah..." Izumo agreed.
---
ps: Izumo Kamizuki: "Thank you, Director Sha! Thank you for finally making us famous!"
Kotetsu Hagane: "We love you, Director Sha!"
The 'sand sculpture' (author's self-insert) waves a hand: "Young people working hard bring hope! I'm rooting for you!"
Meanwhile, the 'sand sculpture' thinks inwardly: "Who the hell are these two guys again...?"
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