"Yo, Kakashi!"
"Kakashi-sensei."
Both Might Guy and Kitagawa Minamoto waved at Hatake Kakashi as they spotted him approaching.
"So, you're here," Kakashi said, leisurely strolling over with his little orange book in hand. He glanced at Rock Lee training in the distance and smiled.
"Not bad. That kid really reminds me of you, Guy."
"Of course!"
Guy gave a thumbs-up, then called out to Rock Lee, who was curiously observing from the side. Laughing heartily, he introduced Kakashi.
"Lee, this is my eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi. He's also Minamoto's mentor and a truly remarkable person!"
"Hello, Kakashi-sensei!"
Rock Lee, brimming with energy, bowed deeply to Kakashi, his expression serious.
At the same time, he couldn't help but sneak glances at Kitagawa Minamoto. After all, Minamoto was practically a living legend at the academy—but not for the best reasons.
Still, it was clear that his teacher seemed to be quite familiar with Minamoto.
"Hello," Kakashi responded with a smile, particularly amused by Lee's outfit, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Guy's.
"Congratulations, Guy. You finally got your application approved and found a suitable disciple. Clearly, he's a better match for you than Minamoto ever was."
"..."
Rock Lee blinked in confusion, while Guy pursed his lips. But soon, he patted Lee on the shoulder and laughed.
"Of course! Lee and I are both hardworking geniuses! Minamoto, like you back in the day, is a natural-born genius. But I believe Lee will work just as hard to catch up!"
"I won't let you down, Sensei!"
Hearing Guy's encouragement, Rock Lee was overwhelmed with emotion, his eyes brimming with tears.
Guy, equally moved by the power of youth, also teared up.
"Lee!"
"Guy-sensei!"
Before long, the two were hugging tightly, their emotions running high.
"..."
Kitagawa Minamoto and Kakashi both shivered involuntarily. Whether it was the sheer intensity of their energy or something else, they felt as if they had been caught in a Genjutsu.
For a moment, it seemed as though they were on a sunny beach, with waves crashing gently in the background.
"Hiss..."
Minamoto instinctively took a step back, eyeing Kakashi warily.
"Was Guy-sensei always like this?"
"...Are you thinking something impolite right now?"
Kakashi gave Minamoto a deadpan look, his usual lazy expression unchanging.
"Don't tell me you've never seen this before. Haven't you trained with him for quite a while now?"
"I have, but I always make sure to avoid it."
Minamoto smirked mischievously. Kakashi, however, quickly changed the subject.
"Let's not dwell on that. You should get ready—we might have another mission coming up."
"A new mission?"
Minamoto raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Kakashi nodded.
"There's new intel. Akatsuki activity has been spotted in the Land of Wind. The Hokage is currently negotiating with the Kazekage. If all goes as expected, we'll be departing in a few days."
"I see..."
Minamoto's interest was piqued. He hadn't expected Danzō to act so efficiently.
Hearing about the Land of Wind also brought a hint of excitement to his expression.
The Land of Wind was a goldmine of opportunities!
[New Side Quest Available]
As Minamoto pondered, his system suddenly activated.
[We All Have a Bright Future]
[Assist Kakashi and Might Guy in completing the mission in the Land of Wind.]
[Accept? Yes/No]
Seeing the system notification, Minamoto paused for a moment before smirking. It seemed this mission was going to be quite eventful.
"Yes, just be prepared," Kakashi said, unaware of Minamoto's thoughts.
"The tentative team will include me, you, and Guy."
"Guy-sensei?"
Minamoto glanced at Guy, who was still hugging Lee, and raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't Guy-sensei supposed to be training his students? What about Jiraiya-sama and Tsunade-sama?"
"Jiraiya-sama has other matters to attend to, and Tsunade-sama needs time to familiarize herself with the current state of the medical department," Kakashi explained in a low voice.
"As for Guy, his students can wait for now. Besides, Guy has encountered Akatsuki members alongside us before, so having him on the team is ideal."
"Fair enough."
Minamoto nodded in agreement. After all, Guy was someone who could casually take down Hidan. Having him along would certainly be reassuring.
"Alright, don't worry," Kakashi said, patting Minamoto on the shoulder with a smile.
"Whatever issues arise, we'll handle them. Besides, ever since you joined, our luck has been pretty good, hasn't it?"
Kakashi genuinely believed that his fortunes had turned around.
He often thought about the loved ones he had lost—his family, his closest friends—and how powerless he had felt in those moments.
But ever since taking Minamoto under his wing, things had changed.
Sure, he still ended up in the hospital frequently, but at least he no longer had to endure the pain of losing someone dear to him.
If he could trade places, he would gladly endure a few more hospital visits to spare himself that kind of heartbreak.
After chatting for a while, Kakashi and Minamoto bid farewell to Guy and left.
"Guy-sensei, are you going on a mission?"
After Minamoto and Kakashi departed, Rock Lee asked curiously.
"Yes," Guy replied with a nod, flashing his signature grin.
"Although it's a bit unexpected, it's nothing major. I'll be back soon."
"Can't we come along?"
Lee asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. Unfortunately, Guy shook his head.
"Sorry, this mission was assigned directly by the Hokage. I can't bring you along."
"Then why is Minamoto-senpai allowed to go?"
"Minamoto..."
Hearing Lee's question, Guy hesitated for a moment before smiling and shaking his head.
It wasn't that Minamoto's situation was a secret—it was just that Guy didn't want to overwhelm Lee with the details right now.
After all, Minamoto's career as a ninja so far had been nothing short of extraordinary. For a newly graduated Genin like Lee, it might be too much to take in.
Meanwhile, in Amegakure's base, Pain stood before Obito Uchiha and Zetsu, his expression grim.
"Konohagakure has made a move?"
"Yes," Obito replied coldly.
"That brat Kitagawa Minamoto is part of the team, of course. He's never missed a mission like this."
"I see..."
Pain nodded, his expression darkening further.
"If that's the case, who else is involved? If the team is small, I'll personally head to the Land of Wind."
The cold aura emanating from him made it clear just how much he despised Minamoto.
The destruction of Yahiko's body was something he could never forgive.
(End of Chapter)
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
Explore More Amazing Fanfiction on My Patreon!
Unlock 30+ Advance Chapters and Enjoy Exclusive Stories Early!
��patreon.com/GoldenLong