Facing the female Haku, Kiyosuke coughed lightly, said a few words, then went to wash up and sleep.
Watching as Mei Terumī and Kiyosuke went to separate rooms, Haku asked curiously,
"Kiyosuke-sama and Mei-sama… did they have a fight?"
"Last night, Kiyosuke-sama got beaten up by Mei-sama. After that, they started sleeping in separate rooms," Karin replied casually.
Haku frowned in worry.
"If they're fighting, Yuka and the others will be sad."
"They won't fight," Karin waved her hand, completely unconcerned. "Kiyosuke-sama would never bully Mei-sama."
"Alright then…"
...
After returning to his room, Kiyosuke washed up and went straight to bed.
The next morning, he didn't even bother packing before leaving for the Hokage Building.
There, he found the team gathered—with one new addition: Sakura.
Naruto looked visibly displeased.
Seeing Kiyosuke's arrival, Minato explained,
"Sakura asked Tsunade-sama to let her join the mission. It won't affect our formation."
"Kiyosuke-sama, sorry for showing up suddenly," Sakura said seriously. "I want to join your mission—to retrieve Jiraiya-sama's belongings."
Kiyosuke waved his hand dismissively.
"It's fine."
So this was the daughter of the hero?
...
"All these missions, day after day… They never end! I'm getting old—when do I get to rest?"
Guy slumped to the ground, backpack on his shoulders, looking completely defeated.
It was strange seeing that expression on someone who constantly shouted about 'youth.'
Meanwhile, Kakashi looked unusually lively, giving a thumbs-up.
"Come on, everyone! Let's keep our spirits high!"
"I don't have any spirit left! My youth has withered away!"
"Don't say that. Keep pushing forward!"
How odd. Those two had completely switched personalities—it was bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
...
Kiyosuke walked over to Naruto, who was sulking with a dark expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I got hit… and I can't get along with them," Naruto muttered. "I just can't get used to it."
Even though he'd met his parents, their time together was brief—and always under special circumstances.
He didn't know how to deal with them in everyday life.
"Getting hit by Kushina is normal," Kiyosuke said with a smile. "Try to get along with them. Until we return, that's the best you can do."
"Yeah… I just want to go back soon," Naruto replied gloomily.
"I'll find a way."
Where the hell is that bastard Obito? He still hasn't shown up…
...
The team set out, heading for the border of the Land of Grass.
They crossed the forest and arrived before a cliff. Below it stretched a meadow, and in its center stood a bamboo grove.
According to Konoha's decrypted intel, Jiraiya had sealed the Red Moon Scroll somewhere inside.
"The scroll should be just ahead," Minato said. "But I imagine Jiraiya-sensei must've set some traps. Kakashi, can you use your Sharingan to check?"
"Leave it to me… or so I'd like to say."
Kakashi sat down tiredly.
"Sorry, sensei. I've been overusing my eye lately."
Minato sighed.
"You sure pick the best times to slack off. Fine, rest for a bit."
"Hey—where's Menma?" Kushina asked.
"Oh, he went down already," Kiyosuke replied, glancing toward the figure ahead.
"That kid is way too impulsive. Kiyosuke, you didn't stop him?"
"Would it help if I did? He'd just run off anyway. Let's just break through head-on."
As reckless as ever, he jumped down after him.
"No helping it. Let's go," said Minato, and he and Kushina followed.
Still, he couldn't help but find it strange—Kiyosuke wasn't usually this impulsive.
The only reckless thing he'd ever done in his life was raiding Kirigakure to kidnap someone—and Minato had joined him for that.
...
"Why are you running ahead like that? Don't rush," Kiyosuke called, catching up to Naruto.
"I want to go home," Naruto said, spotting a small shrine deep in the bamboo grove. "Is that it?"
"That's right."
As the two stepped past a sealing tag, they triggered the barrier Jiraiya had left behind.
BOOM!
Smoke erupted everywhere—
And three massive toads from Mount Myōboku appeared before them, led by Gamabunta, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
"Boss Toad?!"
Minato and the others arrived just then.
"Menma, honestly…" Kushina sighed.
"Too late now," Minato said. "Once the seal's triggered, there's no helping it."
He drew a special kunai and faced Gamabunta.
"I'm a ninja of Konoha. We've come to retrieve the scroll Jiraiya-sensei hid here."
Apparently, in this world, Minato hadn't signed a contract with Mount Myōboku.
Even the boss toads didn't seem to recognize him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gamabunta replied through a puff of smoke. "We're just following orders to guard this place."
"Boss Toad, listen to me—" Naruto started, but before he could finish, Gamabunta flicked his cigarette straight at them.
"Enough chatter! You're noisy as hell!"
"So there's no negotiating, huh?" Minato said, dashing forward. "Then we'll have to fight!"
Kiyosuke, Kakashi, and the others followed suit.
Countless toads leapt out from behind Gamabunta, swarming toward them like a tidal wave.
Kiyosuke and the others were instantly overwhelmed.
"Damn it!" Kiyosuke gritted his teeth, his body bursting into flames as he slipped free.
Minato appeared beside him a moment later.
"Let me handle this, boss!" Naruto shouted, scrambling out from the pile.
Kiyosuke nodded. "Naruto, Summoning Jutsu!"
"Right! Summoning Jutsu!"
BOOM!
A burst of smoke erupted—
And a gigantic toad appeared, pipe in mouth.
It was none other than Gamabunta himself.
The entire battlefield froze.
"What… what the hell?" Everyone was dumbfounded—except Kiyosuke.
Even Naruto looked amazed but smiled.
"Knew it."
The Summoning Jutsu was a space-time technique—capable of summoning a creature regardless of distance.
With enough chakra, it could even reach across parallel worlds.
Panting atop Gamabunta's head, Naruto called out,
"Boss!"
"Naruto? Where is this place? And why's there an impostor here?!"
"You're the impostor!" the other Gamabunta snapped, drawing his massive blade, ready to start a fight at any moment.
"Fine then—Summoning Jutsu!" Kiyosuke shouted.
BOOM!
A massive black snake appeared, Kiyosuke standing on its head.
He felt about a fifth of his chakra drain instantly—cross-world summoning really was a huge energy sink.
If it weren't for the massive reserves he and Naruto had, they probably wouldn't have managed it at all.
"The great serpent of Ryūchi Cave?" someone exclaimed.
"Oi, Kiyosuke, what do you need me for?" the snake hissed.
"Nothing big. Just stall them. Minato, I'm counting on you for the rest. I'll explain everything later."
"Got it!" Minato nodded, throwing two kunai before vanishing in an instant.
"Not so fast!" the first Gamabunta roared, lunging forward.
But the black snake coiled around his leg and constricted, holding him firmly in place.